‘Perfectly sculpted’: Capital Christian boys’ basketball team topples sixth-ranked Grant
When coach Michael Lorente met his new team last summer, he found out in quick order it was a motivated group, big on ability and heavy on teamwork.
Between stop-and-starts for conditioning like everyone else due to COVID-19 issues and safety protocols, the first-year Capital Christian High School coach found out these Cougars had championship ability.
The season was pushed into the spring months, and the playoffs won’t happen for the Sac-Joaquin Section, a bummer for a team that has a ton to play for. On Monday night, No. 2 Capital Christian showcased what it has in rolling a talented and experienced No. 6 Grant squad 72-45 in a nonleague contest that might have been a real regional headliner in normal times.
Key players are back from the group that pushed longtime powerhouse Sheldon in the finals of the 2020 Division I Section finals at Golden 1 Center, including guard Sione Lose, who led the Cougars charge against Grant with 16 points.
James Freeman added 13, Kenechi Onuaguluchihad 11, C.J. McMillan had nine and reliable cogs Jonathan Alvarez, Caden Flowers, Anthony Garcia, Chico Lewis, Mekhi Morris and Jordan Smith all contributed in pushing Capital’s record to 5-1.
The team’s one loss was 63-57 in a season opener to Clayton Valley Charter of Concord, which is 5-0. Other big wins include Sacramento 87-57 and longtime Northern California Open Division playoff team Mitty of San Jose, 51-49.
“This is the most perfectly sculpted jigsaw puzzle of a team I’ve ever been a part of in 20 years coaching,” said Lorente, who played his prep ball in Detroit and had regional assistant coaching gigs at Capital in 2005-07 and also at Rocklin and at Cosumnes River College and American River College.
“It’s a great group, very special, good chemistry, work ethic, everything. They work so hard and they want to do well.”
Capital Christian shared the ball, pushed the ball and shot well. It rebounded and defended in flustering a Grant team that returned key pieces from its Section Division II championship team last season. Corey Yerger and Jayston Matthews led Grant with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jordon Bobo had nine
Capital Christian led 25-14 after the first period, 34-25 at the half and 44-26 with four minutes to go in the third and never let up.
Lorente expressed disappointment that this section will not have a playoff tournament, matching that for any other winter or spring sports. Some sections in the state are having a playoff tournament, including the Central Coast Section and Oakland Section of the Bay Area.
“It’s just not fair to the kids in this section, all those teams that have worked so hard,” Lorente said.
Capital Christian in Capital Athletic League play this week hosts Vista del Lago on Wednesday and visits Christian Brothers on Friday. On Saturday, the Cougars host Bay Area No. 1-ranked Campolindo of Moraga, which is 9-0.
Campolindo is the top-ranked team in the Bay Are News Group’s rankings after beating preseason No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland 56-47. Campolindo won the CIF State Division II championship in 2019 and won the NorCal Division I banner last season before the pandemic halted the season.
With a win over Mitty, ranked third in the Bay Area, Lorente sized up Saturday’s showdown with Campolindo as a monstrous one. He reminded that Mitty owns a win over O’Dowd.
“It’ll be for what could be the NorCal championship, what feels like it, and that may be our championship this season without any playoffs,” he said.