Prep basketball rankings: No. 1 Jesuit hosting No. 2 Rio Americano in rivalry showdown
It’s rivalry week, and for Chris Jones, that means a mad-dash scramble to help all comers with tickets.
Jones is the Rio Americano High School basketball coach preparing his No. 2-ranked Raiders for Friday’s nonleague showdown against top-ranked Jesuit in the Marauders’ sparkling gym. Tickets will be a hot commodity, and Jones’ school isn’t even hosting the game. Such is the life of a coach who is suddenly supposed to have all the answers, including how to stop an unstoppable player.
The teams enter the week a combined 11-1. The Rio-Jesuit rivalry has been as fun, intense and memorable as one can imagine on the regional sporting front. A year ago, Rio Americano beat Jesuit 66-61 in front of a jam-packed Rio crowd. Players celebrated their program’s first win over the storied Marauders since 2008. That’s what these games do to a player or coach.
“It’s what high school sports is all about,” Jones said. “Our schools are about 500 feet apart from each other. A lot of these kids grow up playing sports with or against each other. They know each other. Hopefully, we’ll compete against Jesuit.”
That’s typical coach speak, but Jones has a point. How does one defend the marvel that is Andrej Stojakovic, the star 6-foot-6 guard who is headed to Stanford on scholarship? It’s easier said than done as Stojokovic plays on the perimeter, hits shots from all over and can pass the ball.
“He makes shots that are absurd for a high school player, and he’s gotten so much better, and he got a nice complement of players that play hard and together, and they play excellent defense,” Jones said. “It’s a great barometer of how good are we as a team because Jesuit has a great team.”
So far, the Raiders rate as pretty darn good. They are 6-0, including a 55-51 win over No. 7 Woodcreek. In winning their own 48th Jack Scott Tournament, Jace Thompson made 16 3-pointers over three games, the most in event history. He was named the tournament MVP and is leading Rio in scoring at 21.0 points per game.
The 6-4 Luke Mason and the 6-2 Miles Lake make for a tall and skilled backcourt for the Raiders. They are four-year starters. Dylan Newberry is a 6-2 shooting guard who has gone from role player a year ago to starter. And the Raiders shoot the 3-ball a ton. So, for as much as Rio has to figure out how to prevent Stojakovic from dropping 40 on them, the Marauders can’t afford to let the Raiders make a ton of 3s.
“One of my assistant coaches (Mason Prowse), who played for me in 2009, complains about how much freedom our players have to shoot now,” Jones said with a laugh. “I’ve been around enough to see what kids are working on, the Steph Curry generation, and they’re so good at shooting that it’d be silly not to let them shoot.”
Jesuit’s only defeat was a 74-65 loss to longtime NorCal powerhouse Mitty of San Jose in the finals of The Marauders’ 48th Father Barry Classic. Stojakovic and 6-3 senior guard Reid Jones earned All-Tournament honors. Jesuit is favored to win the Delta League under coach Tim Kelly and compete for the program’s 12th Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
The playoff atmosphere starts Friday against those familiar Raiders across the street.
▪ Kiku update: The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section will make its decision on the athletic eligibility of Kiku Parker by next week. On Dec. 6, the governing body for prep sports in this region heard an exhaustive amount of testimony and statements on how the All-Metro guard from El Camino landed at Grant. The issue is whether or not Parker, a senior, was recruited away from El Camino, which Grant coaches deny.
The Parker family said Parker left El Camino after a falling out with the El Camino coach and the move to Grant was so Parker could finish school in the community he, and his parents, grew up in. The CIF has declared Parker ineligible this season due to undue influence, but that decision could be reversed. As for waiting, Parker’s father, Kiku Parker Sr., said, “It’s eating him up.”
▪ New Mann in town: An already strong Marysville program got even stronger when Amrin Mann transferred in from Sutter High. The guard averaged 21.2 points per game last season and is off to a good start this season for the Indians, who seek their third consecutive Pioneer Valley League championship.
The Indians won 24 games a year ago. They are 5-2 this season after a 76-70 victory over Ponderosa. Mann is averaging 18.1 points and fellow guard Joshua Brown 21.9, including 31 in a 55-51 win over Roseville.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Girls
1. Folsom (2-1)
2. Antelope (5-0)
3. McClatchy (4-2)
4. Oak Ridge (3-4)
5. St. Francis (5-1)
6.. Christian Brothers (4-0)
7. Vanden (3-3)
8. Colfax (6-1)
9. Laguna Creek (10-2)
10. Rocklin (4-3)
11. Whitney (4-2)
12. Vista del Lago (5-3)
13. Ponderosa (9-0)
14. Del Oro (3-3)
15. Lincoln (6-1)
16. Monterey Trail (3-0)
17. Marysville (6-0)
18 Liberty Ranch (6-0)
19. Kennedy (3-0)
20. Grant (2-4)
Bubble: Bear River (4-3); Granite Bay (4-5); Inderkum (5-3); Rio Linda (3-0); Sacramento Adventist (4-1); Sheldon (3-1); Valley Christian (6-0); Woodland Christian (6-2).
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Boys
1. Jesuit (5-1)
2. Rio Americano (6-0)
3. Folsom (7-0)
4. Inderkum (5-1)
5. Capital Christian (4-2)
6. Monterey Trail (3-2)
7. Woodcreek (6-3)
8. Sacramento (8-2)
9. Whitney (7-2)
10. Placer (9-0)
11. Del Oro (6-3)
12. Grant (2-4)
13. Sheldon (1-3)
14. Laguna Creek (7-2)
15. Rocklin (6-6)
16. Vacaville (6-2)
17. Bella Vista (6-3)
18. Del Campo (6-4)
19. Union Mine (8-1)
20. Cosumnes Oaks (3-0)
Bubble: Antelope (6-2); Christian Brothers (5-2); Cordova (6-2); El Camino (3-4); El Dorado (8-2); Foothill (3-0); Franklin (4-5); Granite Bay (4-4); Marysville (5-2); McClatchy (6-3); Oak Ridge (3-5); Pleasant Grove (4-3); Ponderosa (5-3); Roseville (4-3); Twelve Bridges (7-3); Vista del Lago (5-4); West Park (8-2).
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 6:00 AM.