Green means go for Franklin Wildcats three-point shooter
This is what shooters do in this sport when they misfire: keep shooting.
That’s what Albert Green experienced in a matter of days, highs and lows to match his arc. The Franklin High School junior guard was uncharacteristically off for two games entering the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, but he never wavered in what would become the biggest game of his life.
Green made seven 3-pointers, each a nice, smooth stroke, to spark seventh-seeded Franklin High School past No. 10 Woodcreek 71-62 on Wednesday night in a Division I opener in Elk Grove.
He had 23 points to lead all scorers. Davion Wright scored 20 points and Marquis Hargrove 19, giving the Wildcats of the Delta League three versatile guards able to attack inside and out.
“I like to hit 3’s,” the affable Green said. “It’s the playoffs. My teammates helped me all week get ready, and everyone said to keep shooting.”
Green grew up with a basketball, always dribbling, always firing away. His older sister Allie Green was a Bee All-Metro star for championship girls basketball teams at Sacramento High. After a career at Pepperdine, she is playing professionally in China.
Their father, Al Green, is a longtime area coach, and sometimes the least-talented shooter at the holiday family dinner bash.
Franklin did more than shoot in eliminating the Capital Valley Conference champions who finished 23-6. The Wildcats made the extra pass, ran the floor and defensed. Franklin also had some lapses, per the norm for any high school group, but they held off the gritty Timberwolves of Roseville, coached by Drew Hibbs, a two-time CIF State championship coach during his Foothill days.
“They’re really good,” Hibbs said of Franklin. “We knew they could hit 3’s, and you hope they miss. They didn’t.”
Franklin (17-12) isn’t ready to bow out of this postseason any time soon. The Wildcats on Thursday play at second-seeded Capital Christian, a 93-55 winner over Inderkum in what figures to be an entertaining show. Franklin lost to Capital Christian 60-59 in a playoff thriller two seasons ago.
“We can make a championship run,” Green said. “We play as a team and we have goals.”
So does fifth-year coach Ken Manfredi, who experienced section championship pursuits a generation ago as a shooter at Rio Americano. Manfredi is big on effort and fundamentals and he agonizes over mental gaffes.
“It’s a good group of kids,” Manfredi said. “If we can play for each other, we can do a lot of good things. This group has a lot of potential. We always said this could be a February team. There are still a lot of days left in February.”
L.J. Braner scored 14 for Woodcreek and Nick Stultz 11.
Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs
Boys
Division l
Sheldon 86, Monterey Trail 55
Gregori 77, Lincoln-Stockton 74
Modesto Christian 84, Edison 65
Rocklin 87, Davis 75
Weston Ranch 60, Folsom 53
Cosumnes Oaks 57, Oak Ridge 52
Franklin 71, Woodcreek 62
Capital Christian 93, Inderkum 55
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Gregori at No. 1 Sheldon
No. 5 Modesto Christian at No. 4 Rocklin
No. 14 Weston Ranch at No. 6 Cosumnes Oaks
No. 7 Franklin at No. 2 Capital Christian
Divison ll
Jesuit 64, Pitman 40
Ponderosa 54, Rio Americano 50
St. Mary’s 61, Vacaville 48
Burbank 76, Oakmont 61
Elk Grove 58, Tracy 44
Grant 72, Antelope 61
Sacramento 70, Lincoln 49
Whitney 83, Cordova 60
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Ponderosa at No. 1 Jesuit
No. 5 St. Mary’s at No. 4 Burbank
No. 6 Grant at No. 3 Elk Grove
No. 7 Sacramento at No. 2 Whitney
Division lll
Vanden 82, Kimball 64
Mountain House 61, El Capitan 48
Golden Valley 79, Sierra 70
Christian Brothers 71, Beyer 39
Wood 53, El Camino 43
Manteca 63, Florin 62
Del Campo 74, Yuba City 59
Central Catholic 93, Center 52
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Mountain House vs. No. 1 Vanden
No. 5 Golden Valley at No. 4 Christian Brothers
No. 11 Manteca at No. 3 Wood
No. 10 Del Campo at No. 2 Central Catholic
Division IV
Sonora 63, Riverbank 45
West Campus 76, Marysville 51
Calaveras 51, Hilmar 42
El Dorado 74, Highlands 70
Liberty Ranch 74, Foothill 62
Amador 60, Escalon 55
Venture Academy 69, Ripon 51
Union Mine 69, Western Sierra 56
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 9 West Campus at No. 1 Sonora
No. 5 Calaveras at No. 4 El Dorado
No. 6 Amador at No. 3 Liberty Ranch
No. 7 Venture at No. 2 Union Mine
Division V
Sacramento Adventist 70, Delta Charter 55
Hughes 65, Mariposa 61
Argonaut 75, Millennium 51
Leroy Greene Buckingham
Woodland Christian 71, Colfax 53
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Hughes at No. 1 Brookside Christian
No. 5 Sacramento Adventist at No. 4 Argonaut, (Thursday, 7:30)
Greene-Buckingham at No. 3 Denair
No. 7 Woodland Christian at No. 2 Bradshaw Christian
Divison Vl
Lodi Academy 62, Big Valley Christian 59
Victory Christian 67, Faith Christian 49
Friday quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Lodi Academy at No. 1 Ripon Christian
No. 5 Alpha Charter at No. 4 Sac. Waldorf
No. 6 Vacaville Christian at No. 3 Foresthill
No. 7 Victory Christian at No. 2 Stockton Christian