Prep basketball news, notes, rankings as league play gets underway in Sacramento region
In a flash, league play is here for high school basketball teams in the Sacramento region, and league championships still matter.
Championship banners look nice on the walls of gyms across the area landscape, some dating back to the 1920s.
Jesuit (9-3) bounds into Delta League boys action as The Bee’s top-ranked team with no local losses, looking to take Delta honors after Sheldon has dominated league play and Elk Grove tied the Huskies for the crown last season. The Marauders, of course, are paced by the dynamic Andrej Stojakovic, the 6-foot-7 guard headed to Stanford via scholarship, who is capable of dropping 40 in about 30 minutes of action.
The Delta usually rates as a powerhouse league, and that may happen again, but only Jesuit and Sheldon are Bee ranked at this point, with Sheldon’s 4-7 record misleading. The No. 14 Huskies have played just one local team, falling to Grant 49-46 on Dec. 12 as they have played a national schedule with a lot of competitive losses.
Sheldon opens league play Wednesday against visiting Cosumnes Oaks and then visits Jesuit on Friday in what figures to be a packed house. Sheldon is led by its own versatile star in Ty Virgil, a 6-5 guard, who will square off with Stojakovic a time or two.
Folsom favored in the deep SFL
No. 2-ranked Folsom (13-1) has lost only to Rio Americano, then ranked second, a week after Rio lost to Jesuit. The Bulldogs flexed early season muscle with a 22-point win over powerhouse Inderkum.
The Bulldogs are the defending Sierra Foothill League champion and impressed in winning the Don Bambauer Memorial Holiday Classic last week that included a host of Bay Area programs. They are a deep team led by guards Micah Johnson and CJ Willenborg, forwards Cade Petersen, Mitchell Rawlins and David Young, and sixth man Justin Ard. Willenborg was the MVP of the Bambauer event.
No. 6 Del Oro is also a threat in the SFL and will find out in a hurry how good it is as the Golden Eagles visit Folsom on Friday in a league opener. Del Oro is coming off a spirited championship showing at the 80th annual Kendall Arnett Tournament, beating Placer 73-65 in the finals in front of an overflow setting in storied Earl Crabbe Gymnasium.
Brandon Hill, a Bee All-Metro lineman turned interior bruiser and cool free-throw maker, had 19 points and made seven fourth-quarter free throws despite suffering a cut over his right eye from the first half. Jake Williams had a big tournament for Del Oro, and Caden Pinnick, another Del Oro All-Metro football star, earned tournament MVP honors.
The SFL also includes No. 11 Whitney and No. 15 Rocklin, both well coached with deep rosters.
CAL race includes Capital, Rio, Sacramento
The Capital Athletic League has three immediate title contenders in No. 4 Capital Christian, the defending champion, No. 5 Rio Americano and No. 9 Sacramento.
Christian Brothers, El Camino, Del Campo and Vista del Lago will all have a say. Capital Christian plays at Rio Americano in a league opener Wednesday, faces El Camino on Friday and then hosts Folsom in a nonleague game Saturday. Capital Christian is led by guards Gavin Sykes (14.7 points). Jayden Treat (12.5) and Jaylen Valdez (9.2).
Kendalh Hearne and Milk Wilson lead Sacramento in scoring at 15.7 and 14.5 points, respectively. Jace Thompson leads Rio Americano with a 14.8 average with Luke Mason (13.2) and Miles Lake (10.8) providing balance. Mateen Rafiq of El Camino leads all CAL scorers with 29.5 points per game with teammate Ivan Soto second at 23.0 and Logan Rexford of Vista del Lago third at 20.2.
Inderkum looks to defend its CVC crown
The Capital Valley Conference includes defending champion and No. 3 Inderkum (10-2). The Tigers are paced by guards Jermaine Haliburton, Jalen Glenn and Isaiah Chandavong and forward Logan Steuben. This is as deep of a team as there is in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section.
The CVC also features No. 8 Woodcreek, No. 18 Bella Vista, No. 19 Antelope and No. 20 Yuba City. Dylan Harms of Bella Vista leads all CVC scorers at 25.1 points per game. Austin Ito averages 21.1 for Woodcreek, Damian Rickett 14.1 for BV, Luis Dumaran 13.7 for Yuba City and Juleean Alias 13.1 for Antelope.
Grant, LC and MT head the Metro
Defending Metro League champion No. 13 Grant is rounding into form with lead guard Kiku Parker impressing in his team’s Cordova Christmas Classic championship run, including a 37-point outing.
The Pacers visit upstart No. 12 Laguna Creek in a league opener Wednesday, and there’s ever-dangerous Monterey Trail with the top scorer in the Metro League in star guard Varick Lewis (24.3 points). Dante Walls is an emerging star for Laguna Creek, a relentless competitor who is averaging 22.2 points.
Laguna Creek has close losses to Del Oro and Sacramento (twice).
▪ The NCS TV Showcase on Saturday at Capital Christian features a full slate of good matchups. They are: Saint Mary’s-Albany against Oakmont at 11 a.m.; Del Campo vs. Manteca at 12:30 p.m.; Lincoln of Stockton vs. Ponderosa at 2 p.m.; Weston Ranch against Sacramento at 3:30 p.m.; Granada of Livermore against Sheldon at 5 p.m.; Edison of Stockton against Cosumnes Oaks at 6:30 p.m. and then the showcase game between Folsom and Capital Christian.
Girls races in SFL, CVC, Metro
Top-ranked Folsom battled rival and No. 6 Oak Ridge to the wire for SFL honors last season, won by Folsom.
Oak Ridge got the bigger prize, however, edging Folsom for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship in a thriller at Golden 1 Center. It figures to be that tight of a race again. Folsom (9-2) has no local losses amid the program’s most challenging schedule. The Bulldogs are paced by Jada Tupou, Ella Uriarte and Kamryn Mafua.
Oak Ridge and longtime coach Steve White have just one local loss, to Delta League favorite St. Francis, 53-47.
No. 2 Antelope is the defending Capital Valley Conference champion and aims to take it again behind the league’s top player in Mary Carter, who is averaging 22.4 points. Her teammates include the versatile Evelini Smith.
No. 8 Woodcreek is a CVC contender, and the Timberwolves visit Antelope in an opener on Tuesday night.
The Capital Athletic League favorite is No. 3 Christian Brothers, off to a school-record best start at 12-0. The Falcons won their bracket in a 90-team event that included logistical nightmares for a number of teams with scores of canceled flights due to weather. Jada Hunter earned her bracket’s tournament MVP honor for CB, and Kaia Foster, daughter of coach Shandyn Foster, made all-tournament.
The CAL race also includes No. 9 Vista del Lago (9-4), led by the CAL’s leading scorer in Ella Skrzyniarz (19.8 ppg). Contenders are Sacramento with La’Ne Dunn (17.8) and Del Campo with Jalaysia Clements (18.7). CB hosts Sacramento in a CAL opener on Tuesday and plays at powerhouse St. Mary’s of Stockton on Wednesday in a nonleague game.
The Metro League is top heavy again with McClatchy (10-4), ranked fourth by The Bee, and No. 10 Laguna Creek (13-3). Laguna Creek opens league play at No. 15 Grant (8-4) on Tuesday night. No. 20 Kennedy is a darkhorse, a powerhouse in previous decades that has bounced back after some lean seasons.
Nina Cain leads Metro League scorers with an 18.3 average. Monet Stallworth of Grant is second at 14.2 followed by McClatchy’s Tamaria Rumph (13.0) and Norret Lewis (12.9). Kat Noa of Grant averages 11.8 points while contender Monterey Trail is led by Aaliyah Youngblood (12.6), Paris Brown (12.0) and Lakayla Hale (11.8).
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Girls
1. Folsom (9-2)
2. Antelope (10-2)
3. Christian Brothers (12-0)
4. McClatchy (10-4)
5. St. Francis (10-3)
6. Oak Ridge (10-7)
7. Colfax (12-2)
8. Woodcreek (12-2)
9. Vista del Lago (9-4)
10. Laguna Creek (13-3)
11. Whitney (8-5)
12. Ponderosa (16-2)
13. Lincoln (13-2)
14. Liberty Ranch (11-1)
15. Grant (8-4)
16. Monterey Trail (7-5)
17. Cosumnes Oaks (10-5)
18. Rocklin (8-8)
19. Marysville (11-2)
20. Kennedy (7-5)
Bubble: Bear River (8-5); Foothill (7-2); Inderkum (9-6); Sacramento (7-7); Valley Christian (10-2); Woodland Christian (11-2).
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Boys
1. Jesuit (9-3)
2. Folsom (13-1)
3. Inderkum (10-2)
4. Capital Christian (9-3)
5. Rio Americano (12-2)
6. Del Oro (13-5)
7. Placer (13-2)
8. Woodcreek (11-5)
9. Sacramento (12-3)
10. Monterey Trail (5-8)
11. Whitney (11-5)
12. Laguna Creek (13-3)
13. Grant (6-4)
14. Sheldon (4-7)
15. Rocklin (11-7)
16. Lincoln (13-4)
17. Vacaville (8-3)
18. Bella Vista (11-4)
19. Antelope (12-3)
20. Yuba City (9-4)
Bubble: Christian Brothers (10-5); Davis (7-5); Del Campo (8-7); El Camino (9-5); El Dorado (13-4); Marysville (12-3); Oak Ridge (6-8); Ponderosa (10-5); Twelve Bridges (8-5); Union Mine (14-4); Vacaville (10-4); Vista del Lago (7-10); West Park (10-3).
This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM.