Prep boys’ basketball rankings: McClatchy finds groove after 3 weeks off; Sheldon rallies
Antawn Greer let out a sigh Saturday afternoon and rubbed his forearm across his sweaty brow. No wonder.
The boys’ basketball coach at McClatchy High School had mixed feelings after a hard-fought contest against No. 3-ranked Grant, a 62-54 setback in Metropolitan Conference action. The effort was noble because the entire season has been.
The Lions gave the Pacers everything they could handle, including senior guard Ahman Martinez scoring a game-high 33 points, but the better team won. That McClatchy is even playing has been a small triumph.
“We didn’t have a game for about three weeks,” Greer said. “We had seven of of our 12 players test positive for COVID, so that caused a lot of delays, but it’s good to be back playing again. The kids have played hard. We’re trying to get back in rhythm.”
The Lions are 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the Metro, with a lot of Metro games to make up, and there’s the goal of securing a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff berth. The playoffs start next month.
McClatchy beat Cordova 79-62 in a holiday tournament Dec. 28 and did not play again until Jan. 17, a 74-64 setback to Monterey Trail in league play before bouncing back with a 54-47 league win over River City.
Getting back into the groove has been the challenge all winter. McClatchy did not get in a single spring basketball game while most programs outside the Sacramento City Unified School District managed to get in at least 12 to 15 games. Spring practices were held outdoors.
COVID-19 stalled out sports in the SCUSD more than any other district. SCUSD student-athletes test for COVID-19 daily. Other schools test weekly, and some do not test at all.
“We’re just glad to be playing again,” Greer said. “We don’t have a main guy player wise, because every day, it’s someone else. We definitely compete.”
State/NorCal rankings
No. 1 Inderkum is ranked third in Northern California by NorCalPreps.com, behind Campolindo of Moraga and Modesto Christian, which hosts Inderkum for a Sunday affair Feb. 6. The CIF lifted its no-play mandate for Sundays to allow for rescheduled games. This would be a meeting of the section’s top-ranked teams and favorites to win the Division I title.
In the weekly CalHi Sports rankings, Modesto Chrsitian is the highest-ranked Sac-Joaquin Section team at No. 10, with Inderkum state-ranked 24th.
Inderkum’s lone loss was to Sacred Heart Prep of the Bay Area. The Tigers have two wins over Bee No. 3 Grant.
Cosumnes Oaks uprising
Cosumnes Oaks has one one of the area’s youngest teams under coach Sheridan Crite — and one of the most dangerous. This point was clear with a 46-45 victory over Jesuit in Delta League action on Wednesday, which was followed by a 53-47 victory over Franklin and a 57-46 setback to first-place Elk Grove, ranked fourth in the region by The Bee.
Cosumnes Oaks started the season 1-6, including losses to Folsom and Rocklin and out-of-area programs. A later three-game losing streak included a 74-62 setback to Modesto Christian. CO has four seniors on its 11-man roster.
Fast finish at Sheldon
No. 5 Sheldon rallied to beat No. 14 Jesuit 59-55 on Friday in Delta League play as guard Troy Crighton hit a late 3-pointer and do-all energizer Rashaud Bradley capped the game with a dunk.
Crighton had 17 points, Bradley 12 and Jaden Woodard 10 and seven rebounds for surging Sheldon. Sheldon was 1 of 12 shooting from 3-point range before warming up down the stretch. The Huskies are in second place in the Delta behind unbeaten Elk Grove.
Nick goes off
Ponderosa is rolling along as The Bee’s No. 2 team because of offensive balance, defense and shooting. Lots of shooting.
In beating Lincoln 87-57 in Foothill Valley League action last Tuesday, senior guard Nick Von Zboray made 10 3-pointers and scored 40 points. He only missed four 3s. He also had five rebounds and three assists.
Ponderosa is 20-0, matching the longest winning streak in school history with the 1994 team. On Friday in a 74-50 win over Placer, Von Zboray went down with a rolled ankle. He remained on the floor for several moments, absorbing the shock of the pain, left the game, shook it off, and then returned. He scored 12 points, Casen Chaney went for 22, Jacob Florence 12, Aaron Bliss 11 and Lake Liebscher eight.
Stark at Foothill football
Less than two seasons after he first was ready to coach Foothill High, it’s now official: 225-game winner Terry Stark will head the Mustangs program.
Stark was set to do so in the spring of 2020 when Foothill announced his hiring, but it did not iron out with too many teaching and athletic director duties to sort out, so he remained out of coaching after a 14-year run at Inderkum, where he went 159-29 with 12 league championships and 14 consecutive 10-win seasons to go with 14 consecutive playoff berths.
Academic achievers
The Sac-Joaquin Section announced its fall Academic Champions. The top schools will receive white section banners that are similar to the blue sports championship banners.
The winners by sport include: Downey of Modesto in football with a 3.45 grade-point average; Antelope tennis (3.78 GPA); Golden Valley of Merced boys’ water polo (3.90 GPA); Rio Vista boys’ cross country (3.78 GPA); Christian Brothers girls’ cross country (3.88 GPA); John Adams Academy of Roseville girls’ volleyball (3.90 GPA).
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Records entering Monday
1. Inderkum 14-1
2. Ponderosa 20-0
3. Grant 16-2
4. Elk Grove 14-4
5. Sheldon 12-9
6. Burbank 13-4
7. Folsom 14-4
8. Antelope 17-3
9. Rio Americano 14-6
10. Capital Christian 11-8
11. Oak Ridge 14-8
12. Whitney 15-4
13. Wood 15-6
14. Jesuit 7-10
15. Pleasant Grove 15-6
16. Oakmont 12-6
17. Placer 15-5
18. Lincoln 15-3
19. Liberty Ranch 15-5
20. Bella Vista 15-5
Bubble teams (alphabetical order): Center 12-6; Del Oro 12-10; El Camino 13-8; Granite Bay 13-10; Marysville 16-3; McClatchy 9-6; Rocklin 13-10; Roseville 12-10; Sacramento 8-8; Union Mine 17-6; Vacaville 12-7; Vanden 10-11.