Prep basketball rankings: Who really were the top teams? Bring back the playoffs!
The high school basketball season is on its final legs as the winter season was pushed into the spring due to the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are no CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, a shame since so much is yet to be answered, specifically this: Who really is the best boys’ basketball team in the region? Or the section, for that matter?
Jesuit started the season top-ranked by The Bee and hasn’t dropped because it hasn’t lost a game. The Marauders finish the season with a road Delta League contest against Cosumnes Oaks on Thursday.
Why no more games? Why no showdown with No. 2 Capital Christian? The Cougars were all for it, as the section allows for up to 28 games.
Jesuit didn’t want to extend a season well past graduation, and the Delta League agreed to cap the season by June. 1, and that’s that.
Jesuit last week handed previous No. 3 Elk Grove its lone loss, 73-65, as sophomore forward Andrej Stojakovic — yes, the son of retired Kings shooting great Peja — had 23 points and seven rebounds. Stanford-bound senior guard Isa Silva had 16 and sophomore Jayden Teat 16 for the Marauders.
Elk Grove (8-1) was paced by 18 points each from junior guards Ameere Britton and Karlos Zepeda while the team’s top player went down late in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game. Dajon Lott, a 6-foot-7 junior forward/center with upside as impressive as his nickname of “Money,” managed just one field goal before suffering an ankle injury.
“Big blow for us.” Elk Grove coach Dustin Monday said.
Modesto Christian is 15-0 entering the week and is top-ranked in the section by MaxPreps followed by Jesuit and Capital Christian.
Capital Christian wasn’t able to secure a game with Jesuit but it did against No. 3 Folsom , prevailing 72-64 on May 25.
The Cougars have no losses in the section, falling in an opener to Clayton Valley Charter of Concord 63-57, and to another Bay Area powerhouse in Riordan of San Francisco, 77-66 on May 16.
The Cougars are scheduled to play at preseason Northern California No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd on Saturday before ending the season with a Capital Athletic League game June 9 at home against Christian Brothers. O’Dowd lost to Clayton Valley Charter 60-58 in overtime May 25 and has a 58-54 loss to Mitty of San Jose, which is 14-1.
No. 5 Grant started the season with a host of players from its Division II section title team of last season but ended with four starters out of the lineup due to myriad reasons, from health to family issues.
Girls’ basketball led by Antelope
Antelope is The Bee’s top-ranked team at 9-1, losing to Bay Area power Salesian of Richmond. The Titans also have the region’s top player again in Stanford-bound senior guard Jzaniya Harriel.
Her coach, Sean Chambers, tried to schedule national powerhouse St. Mary’s of Stockton and other area heavies, but that was all easier said than done.
No. 2 Folsom (7-1) played a Sierra Foothill League-only schedule, except for a nonleague game against nearby Cordova on May 13, an 80-50 victory. The lone Folsom loss was to Oak Ridge. Folsom won the single-elimination SFL tournament, downing Oak Ridge for the second time this season, 63-46.
Vanden (11-1) finished ranked No. 4 by The Bee after winning its 21st consecutive league championship, and the Vikings aren’t going away. Leading scorer Alyssa Jackson averages 16 points a game. Vanden’s loss was 73-43 to Salesian, the same team that edged Antelope. Salesian went 12-1, falling to St. Mary’s 69-50. St. Mary’s went 9-1, losing to Clovis West of Frenso, which is 17-0.
What makes figuring out the top teams even more difficult is a lack of games and a postseason. The Metro League had teams that managed to play just two games, including No. 3 McClatchy and rival No. 6 Laguna Creek. The teams never had a chance to even play due to so many stop-and-starts on when teams could use gyms.
No. 8 Grant is a member of the Metro League but played an independent schedule and went 10-0.
Stat marvels
According to data inputted into MaxPreps by schools, Harriel of Antelope led the section in scoring with 29 points a game. Second was senior guard Kristen Sobrepena of Sacramento Adventist Academy with 21.3, followed by Vista del Lago junior guard Kira Sadler with 20.8.
The region’s rebounding leaders: freshman center Marissa Christian of Pioneer with 12.0 a game, followed by senior forward Elzabeth Wylie of Union Mine with 12.0 and junior guard Soquel Childers of Pioneer with 11.1.
For the boys, senior guard Breckin Beaman of Sacramento Adventist Academy led all section scorers with 28.9 a game, followed by Folsom senior forward Jaylen Wells at 26.6. Junior guard Davion Wright of Franklin averaged 23.4 and El Dorado senior guard/forward Joseph Schneider went for 20.9.
Ponderosa junior center Aaron Bliss led the section in rebounds with 15.8 a game with Schneider of El Dorado third with 12.7.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Girls’ basketball
Records as of Tuesday morning
1. Antelope (8-1)
2. Folsom (7-1)
3. McClatchy (2-0)
4. Vanden (11-1)
5. Del Oro (10-3)
6. Laguna Creek (2-0)
7. Oak Ridge (7-4)
8. Grant (10-0)
9. Inderkum (6-2)
10. Colfax (8-3)
11. Christian Brothers (6-1)
12. Davis (12-5)
13. Lincoln (8-1)
14. Woodcreek (3-7)
15. Whitney (5-8)
16. Granite Bay (3-7)
17. Vista del Lago (6-2)
18. Franklin (2-2)
19. West Campus (0-0)
20. Monterey Trail (3-1)
Bubble teams (alphabetical order): Del Campo (4-3), DIxon (9-0), El Dorado (6-3), Elk Grove (0-1), Pioneer (6-1), Placer (2-8), Rio Americano (4-5), River City (3-7), Rocklin (2-5), Sacramento (1-3), Sacramento Adv. (12-1), Sheldon (6-1) - Cameron Salerno
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Boys’ basketball
Records as of Tuesday morning
1. Jesuit (14-0)
2. Capital Christian (12-2)
3. Folsom (11-2)
4. Elk Grove (8-1)
5. Grant (7-3)
6. Burbank (4-2)
7. Antelope (15-5)
8. Woodcreek (13-3)
9. Whitney (6-3)
10. Rocklin (10-6)
11. Vanden (10-3)
12. Inderkum (7-2)
13. Sheldon (4-5)
14. Cosumnes Oaks (4-3)
15. Ponderosa (7-1)
16. Lincoln (8-4)
17. Wood (7-4)
18. Vacaville (6-2)
19. Oakmont (15-5)
20. Center (7-5)
Bubble teams (alphabetical order): Bradshaw Christian (9-5), Christian Brothers (5-9), Colfax (6-3),Davis (5-3), Del Campo (6-3), El Camino (6-9), El Dorado (10-5), Florin (3-1), Franklin (0-4), Granite Bay (7-10), Kennedy (2-0), Natomas (9-1), Pioneer (6-0), Placer (9-8), Rio Americano (5-7), River City (5-3), Sacramento (4-5), Sacramento Adventist (8-5), 2-5), Union Mine (8-2), Valley (4-0). - Joe Davidson
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.