Big comeback falls short as Liberty Ranch turns its attention to NorCal tournament
You would have thought the Liberty Ranch boys basketball season was over.
In the moments Thursday after losing the Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV final 70-57 to Sonora, Hawks coach Brian Chavez went down the line as his players sat dejected courtside at Golden 1 Center, watching the Wildcats pick up their championship paraphernalia. One player went over to a coach to get a good hug. Another dropped his runner-up patch on the floor.
Chavez smiled a little afterward. While Liberty Ranch will certainly be in the CIF Northern California tournament that starts next week, the section final still meant a lot.
“Obviously, the school itself has been here a couple of times now and just came up short playing a team they lost to last year,” Chavez said. “It’s a rematch. Rematches are always the hardest thing in the world.”
It didn’t look hard at the beginning. It looked like Sonora was going to walk to an easy win. The Hawks went on a tear to start the game, taking a 27-10 lead early in the second quarter while shooting more than 60 percent from the floor to that point.
Then Jalen Patterson and the Hawks went to work. The senior guard had 22 points and was credited with six assists and three steals to power the offense. Gavin Martinez hit a trio of wing 3-pointers and Branson McLelland did the dirty work on the boards with Cody Smith to help pull Liberty Ranch to a one-point deficit. And then the wheels fell off.
“I think we ran out of gas,” Chavez said. “We tried to roll with the group that led us back. We didn’t get the stops that we needed. They got to the free throw lane a couple times, but I think we just ran out of gas. We fought hard. To come back, being down that much to get it to a one-point game against the (defending section champions) is a very hard thing to do. That’s why I was very proud of them. And I told them that in the locker room.”
Sonora’s Austin Patterson led the Wildcats’ push to a second-straight section title. He hit 8 of 19 shots from the floor and went 10-for-10 at the free throw line to score 30 points to go with his nine rebounds and five assists. He also had a big game in leading Sonora past Liberty Ranch in last year’s title game.
“Everything just felt right tonight and I started to get in my groove,” he said. “Making those free throws in the second half (10-of-10 on the night) helped me get going.”
Chavez just shook his head talking about Austin Patterson, who graduates this year. Chavez won’t miss facing him.
“Patterson is obviously a phenomenal player. Every coach has nightmares about how you’re gonna handle him,” Chavez said. “You put an athletic guy in front of him and he elevates over him. You bring a big guy and he has a little hesitation move, nice finish and uses his body well. He’s just a smart player at being able to get his shot off. For a high school player to get his shot off like that, he’s light years ahead. You see a lot of guys 19 or 20 that aren’t able to do that.”
Callahan Hanson had 12 points off the bench and Jonathan Mayben and Darius O’Neal both scored 10 for Sonora.
After discussing the loss, Chavez brightened. There’s still at least one more game left in the NorCal tournament. A few more wins and the Hawks could be playing for a state championship.
“I’m really excited,” Chavez said. “Our team’s playing the best it’s played all year.”
Brackets for the NorCal regional tournament come out Sunday.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 6:38 PM.