Antelope girls, Sheldon boys earn top seeds in section hoops playoffs
Nothing inspires athletes in any sport or age more than a cause.
What fuels you?
For high school basketball teams preparing for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs this week, motivation drips along with the team storyline intrigue.
On Saturday afternoon at the section’s home base in Lodi, a seven-person committee of current section staffers and retired area coaches and/or administrators crunched mounds of paperwork data in seeding six divisions for the girls and six for the boys — from the smallest schools to the largest-enrollment ones. Strength of schedule carried weight, as did head-to-head results, strength of league and, of course, victories.
And then this extra bonus for all divisions: Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Kings, will host the section finals on Feb. 27 and 28.
The Antelope Titans bound into the girls party with plenty to prove.
Ranked No. 1 by The Bee all season and seeded No. 1 opposite of upstart No. 2 Laguna Creek, the Titans (25-3) start their quest back to the section finals on Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s out-bracket game between No. 17 Del Campo and No. 16 Wood.
“It’s our year,” said Antelope coach Sean Chambers, a section champion as the leading player for the 33-1 Highlands boys team that won D-I honors in 1983. “We’ve had an incredible season. We have experience, and we’re hungry. Our goal is to win the section. We almost went back-to-back last season (falling in the final seconds to Sacramento), and winning it has been our motivation.”
Antelope is led by 2018-19 Bee Player of the Year Jzaniya Harriel, a national recruit guard averaging 25.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. The junior is flanked in the lineup by Jordan Goodwin, Kaiiha Lesane and Angel Jordan.
Laguna Creek (25-2) won three games two years ago, surged last season under coach Cody Norman and continued the surge this season with a team that has no seniors. The leaders are sophomores - Lesieli Manupule, Ahrray Young and Zoe Tillery. The Cardinals shared Metro League honors with McClatchy as the teams split two league contests.
For the boys, The Bee’s top-ranked team all season, and the No. 1 NorCal team by MaxPreps all season, is Sheldon.
The Huskies were the clear No. 1 seed in D-I with a host of key players back for the two-time defending CIF NorCal Open champions. Sheldon has won five D-I section titles under coach Joey Rollings with three other title-game appearances.
“We have the experience, the athletes and the desire to win it again,” Rollings said. “We just have to get healthy.”
Sheldon (23-5) has played recent games without Arizona State-bound guard and leading scorer Marcus Bagley (foot) and high-flyer Xavion Brown (knee), who leads the team in rebounds, assists, steals and charges taken. Other key players include guards Xavier Brown and Josh Williams.
In girls D-I, St. Mary’s is the top seed. The Rams of Stockton (19-4) have played a national schedule and seek their ongoing section record 13th consecutive section championship, spanning different divisions.
McClatchy, ranked second by The Bee much of the season, is the No. 2 seed in D-I at 24-3 under longtime coach Jeff Ota. The D-I field also includes storied Oak Ridge, seeded third, and St. Francis, seeded 11th, and upstarts such as Franklin, Granite Bay and Davis, which last week stunned McClatchy in a nonleague game,
Placer is the top seed in girls D-III behind star player Anne Lillis and Christian Brothers is seeded second with star Bria Shine.
Two-time defending CIF smaller-school state champion West Campus and coach John Langston is a dangerous No. 8 seed with star guard Gabby Rones.
In girls D-IV, Argonaut is the top seed and El Dorado is No. 2. Colfax and its program all-time career scorer Grace Bliss is the top girls seed in D-V, having won the tournament two years ago. Golden Sierra is seeded second.
The boys D-II field expects to be wildly competitive with a lot of teams sure to be irked by their seeding.
This does not include top-seeded Jesuit, which aims for its 19th section-title appearance and 12th banner and first since 2014.
Whitney is seeded second, having won the title three seasons ago. St. Mary’s is seeded fifht and is the two-time defending champion. Elk Grove is seeded third with its best team since the 1995 section D-I title team.
Grant is sixth, which will inspire the Pacers and coach Deonard Wilson.
Vanden is the top seed in D-III but the Vikings will not host any section playoff games due to the section executive committee’s punishment to coach Michael Holloway, who angrily confronted a referee after a game. A Vanden appeal was denied.
Central Catholic is seeded second, and upstart Florin and coach Tuan Nguyen are a dangerous No. 6 seed, having won its first league championship in program history. The school opened in 1989.
Sonora is the top seed in D-IV and Union Mine is second with Liberty Ranch with dazzling scorer Jalen Patterson seeded third.
Brookside Christian and Bradshaw Christian are the top seeds in D-V and Ripon Christian and Stockton Christian are the top seeds in D-VI.
Sac-Joaquin Section
Basketball playoffs
Home openers
All games start at 7 p.m.
Division I
Monday out-bracket
No. 17 Chavez at No. 16 Turlock
No. 19 Rocklin at No. 14 Davis
No. 18 Gregori at No. 15 Bear Creek
Tuesday
Turlock/Chavez at No. 1 St. Mary’s
No. 9 Pitman at No. 8 Edison
No. 12 Sheldon at No. 5 Granite Bay
No. 13 Lincoln-Stockton at No. 4 Franklin
Davis-Rocklin at No. 3 Oak Ridge
No. 11 St. Francis at No. 6 Woodcreek
No. 10 Monterey Trail at No. 7 Folsom
Bear Creek-Gregori at No. 2 McClatchy
Division II
Monday out-bracket
Bo. 17 Del Campo at No. 16 Wood
No. 18 Whitney at No. 15 River Valley
Tuesday
Del Campo-Wood at No. 1 Antelope
No. 9 Modesto Christian at No. 8 Grant
No. 12 Cordova at No. 5 Vista del Lago
No. 13 Rodriguez at No. 4 Lincoln
No. 14 Golden Valley at No. 3 Del Oro
No. 11 Atwater at No. 6 Sacramento
No. 10 Roseville at No. 7 Elk Grove
River Valley-Whitney at No. 2 Laguna Creek
Division III
Monday out-bracket
No. 17 Oakdale at No. 16 Patterson
No. 18 Valley at No. 15 Woodland
Tuesday
Patterson/Oakdale at No. 1 Placer
No, 9 Sierra at No. 8 West Campus
No. 12 Los Banos at No. 5 Merced
Mo. 13 El Capitan at No. 4 East Union
No. 14 Mountain House at No. 3 Vanden
No. 11 Pioneer at No. 6 Kimball
No. 10 Nevada Union at No. 7 Manteca
Woodland-Valley at No. 2 Christian Brothers
Division IV
Monday out-bracket
No. 17 Marysville at No. 16 Galt
No. 18 Central Catholic at No. 15 Lathrop
Galt/Marysville at No. 1 Argonaut
No. 9 Bear River at No. 8 Dixon
No. 12 Hughson at No. 5 Orestimba
No. 13 Sonora at No. 4 Livingston
No. 14 Liberty Ranch at No. 3 Calaveras
No. 11 Union Mine at No. 6 Ripon
No. 10 Highlands at No. 7 Capital Christian
Lathrop/Central Catholic at No. 2 El Dorado
Division V
Tuesday out-bracket
No. 9 Hughson at No. 8 Leroy Greene
No. 12 Waterford at No. 5 Holt
No. 11 Adams at No. 6 Le Grand
No. 10 Mariposa at No. 7 Rio Vista
Byes: No. 1 Colfax, No. 2 Golden Sierra, No. 3 Millennium, No. 4 Futures.
Division VI
Tuesday
No. 9 Sacramento Waldorf at No. 8 Stone Ridge
No. 10 Turlock Christian at No. 7 Stockton Christian
Thursday
Stone Ridge/Waldorf at No. 1 Valley Christian
No. 5 Faith Christian at No. 4 Ripon Christian
No. 6 Foresthill at No. 3 Sacramento Adventist
Stockton Christian/Turlock Christian at No. 2 Forest Lake Christian
Boys
Division I
Tuesday out-bracket
No. 17 Bear Creek at No. 16 Monterey Trail
No. 19 Chavez at No. 14 Weston Ranch
No. 18 Enochs at No. 15 Inderkum
Wednesday
Bear Creek/Monterey Trail at Sheldon
No. 9 Lincoln-Stockton at No. 8 Gregori
No. 12 Edison at No. 5 Modesto Christian
No. 13 Davis at No. 4 Rocklin
Chavez/Weston Ranch at No. 3 Folsom
No. 11 Oak Ridge at No. 6 Cosumnes Oaks
No. 10 Woodcreek at No. 7 Franklin-Elk Grove
Inderkum/Enochs at No. 2 Capital Christian
Division II
Tuesday out-bracket
No. 17 Buhach Colony at No. 16 Pitman
No. 19 Vista del Lago at No. 14 Tracy
No. 18 Mira Loma at No. 15 Cordova
Wednesday
Pitman-Buhach Colony at No. 1 Jesuit
No. 9 Rio Americano at No. 8 Ponderosa
No. 12 Vacaville at No. 5 St. Mary’s
No. 13 Oakmont at No. 4 Burbank
Tracy/Vista at No. 3 Elk Grove
No. 11 Antelope at No. 6 Grant
No. 10 Lincoln at No. 7 Sacramento
Cordova/Mira Loma at No. 2 Whitney
Division III
Tuesday out-bracket
No. 17 Kimball at No. 16 Lathrop
No. 19 El Camino at No. 14 Rio Linda
No. 18 Center at No. 15 Pioneer
Wednesday
* No. 1 Vanden at Lathrop-Kimball
No. 9 El Capitan at No. 8 Mountain House
No. 12 Sierra at No. 5 Golden Valley
No. 13 Beyer at No. 4 Christian Brothers
Rio Linda/El Camino at No. 3 Wood
No. 11 Manteca at No. 6 Florin
No. 10 Del Campo at No. 7 Yuba City
Pioneer/Center at No. 2 Central Catholic
* Vanden cannot host due to section sanctions on coach for confronting a referee after a game.
Division IV
Tuesday out-bracket
No. 17 Riverbank at No. 16 Orestimba
No. 19 Linden at No. 14 Foothill
No. 18 Mesa Verde at No. 15 Western Sierra
Wednesday
Orestimba/Riverbank at No. 1 Sonora
No. 9 West Campus at No. 8 Marysville
No. 12 Hilmar at No. 5 Calaveras
No. 13 Highlands at No. 4 El Dorado
Foothill/Linden at No. 3 Liberty Ranch
No. 11 Escalon at No. 6 Amador
No. 10 Ripon at No. 7 Venture Academy
Mesa Verde/Western Sierra at No. 2 Union Mine
Division V
Wednesday
No. 9 Mariposa at No. 8 Hughes
No. 12 Delta Charter at No. 5 Sacramento Adventist
No, 13 Millennium at No. 4 Argonaut
No. 11 Buckingham at No. 6 Leroy Greene
No. 10 Colfax at No. 7 Woodland Christian
Byes: No. 1 Brookside Christian, No. 2 Bradshaw Christian, No. 3 Denair
Division VI
Wednesday
No. 9 Lodi Academy at No. 8 Big Valley
No. 10 Faith Christian at No. 7 Victory Christian
Friday
Big Valley/Lodi Academy at No. 1 Ripon Christian
No. 5 Alpha Charter at No. 4 Sacramento Waldorf
No. 6 Vacaville Christian at No. 3 Foresthill
Victory Christian/Faith Christian at No. 2 Stockton Christian
For complete brackets: cifsjs.org
This story was originally published February 15, 2020 at 4:40 PM.