Prep boys’ basketball rankings: Elk Grove cruising; Christian Brothers star scores 42
The Delta League schedule doesn’t start until January, but the frontrunners for the league race in the Sac-Joaquin Section are off and running in boys’ basketball.
Bee No. 1 Sheldon has yet to play a local team. The Huskies split with state-ranked heavies in a Southern California tournament, losing to state No. 1 Centennial of Corona and beating Fairfax of Los Angeles. The Huskies face 3-0 De La Salle, a longtime Northern California power, in Thursday’s nightcap of the 67th Gridley Invitational, a stacked event that includes NorCal No. 1 Campolindo of Moraga, longtime big-name programs in Salesian of Richmond, Dublin, Riordan of San Francisco, Sacramento Charter and host Gridley.
No. 2 Jesuit is 3-1, falling to Bishop Gorman of Nevada in the finals of the Wild West Shootout The Marauders are the host school for the 47th Father Barry Christmas Classic that runs Thursday-Saturday and includes Christian Brothers, St. Mary’s of Stockton and St. Patrick/St. Vincent’s of Vallejo, among others. Jesuit opens against Bisphop Manogue of Reno.
No. 3 Elk Grove is coming off a 54-44 victory over St. Mary’s to win its own Cartwright Classic to move to 5-1, the loss coming to De La Salle. Ameeere Britton led Elk Grove with 21 points, Jordan Hess had 12, Karlos Zepeda had 11 and DaJon Lott had 10 rebounds in the title game.
Britton was the MVP of the event after averaging 22 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the 3-0 showing, and he eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark. Lott averaged 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the event. In short, this is shaping up to be Elk Grove’s best team since the 1995 group won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship, the program’s first since Bill Cartwright led Elk Grove to such titles in 1974 and ‘75 before embarking on a star-studded career in college and the NBA.
“The boys played great and earned it,” Elk Grove coach Dustin Monday said. “I really like that our team is versatile. I believe we are tough to guard. Karlos and Jordan are both great perimeter shooters that force defenders to protect the perimeter.”
The coach added, “Defense is where we will make our mark, I think. The guys all bust their ass on that end to get stops. If we execute on defense and commit ourselves on that end we will be a very good team.”
More tournaments
Antelope hosts its 12th Titan Holiday Classic that runs Thursday-Saturday and features Oakmont, Bella Vista, Center, Rocklin, West Park, Antelope and Davis.
The Stockton Children’s Classic at Edison High also goes Thursday-Saturday and includes No. 4 Folsom, No. 5 Grant, No. 9 Inderkum and No. 11 Vanden.
Folsom is led by the 1-2 punch of Micah Johnson and Brycen Shackleford, Grant by Jayson Matthews and Rishod Brown, Inderkum by 6-foot-6 wing Derrick Claxton and Vanden by Takai Hardy.
Scoring in bunches
John Marengo has found his basketball legs in quick order.
A member of Christian Brothers’ playoff football team, the 6-2 Marengo scored a lifetime-best 42 points in a loss to Elk Grove in the Cartwright Classic, hitting on 19 of 29 shots, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. He was 15 of 22 shooting overall in a sizzling effort that included the senior grabbing eight rebounds and making three assists and three steals. But he’s human. He missed all three of his free throws.
Marengo’s high school career-best before the 42-point effort was 21 against Elk Grove last year. He said in a chat with The Bee he “scored 40-something in a summer league game” while in eighth grade.
Club 600
Mark Wudel won his 600th career game as Wood of Vacaville topped Natomas 47-40 in a season opener. His 601st victory was against Cordova, making it a full-circle experience for one of the good guys in this business.
Wudel got his coaching start at Cordova in 1985 when he worked alongside Bob Jones. Wudel became head coach at Vacaville in 1989 and then at nearby Wood in 2004., where he has led a string of playoff teams.
The Sac-Joaquin Section’s winningest basketball coaches, according to Cal-Hi Sports and Bee research, are Rick Francis with 659 at Sonora, from 1977-2003; Dean Stark of Sacramento Waldorf, from 1987 to now with 635; Jim Boyd of Vanden with 614 from 1965-97 and Ken Green of Lodi and St. Mary’s with 609 from 1999 to now.
The Bee’s Top 20
Records entering Monday
1. Sheldon 1-1
2. Jesuit 3-1
3. Elk Grove 5-1
4. Folsom 3-1
5. Grant 3-0
6. Sacramento 0-0
7. Capital 3-2
8. Burbank 3-0
9. Inderkum 2-1
10. Rocklin 5-2
11. Vanden 0-4
12. Whitney 3-1
13. Ponderosa 3-0
14. Bella Vista 3-0
15. El Camino 3-2
16. Granite Bay 4-1
17. Pleasant Grove 4-1
18. Del Oro 3-2
19. Antelope 5-1
20. Oakmont 3-2
Bubble (alphabetical order): Lincoln 6-1; Marysville 7-0, McClatchy 4-1; Monterey Trail 0-1; Oak Ridge 6-1; Placer 4-0; Rio Americano 2-2; Rosemont 6-1; Roseville 4-1; Sacramento Waldorf 6-2; West Campus 3-0; Wood 3-0. - Compiled by Joe Davidson.
This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 9:16 AM.