Prep girls’ basketball: Colfax-Bear River rivalry still burns as teams eye section titles
Once upon a time, the path to a Sac-Joaquin Section girls’ basketball championship annually went through two schools from the foothills of Placer County.
That road seems once again headed back toward Colfax and Bear River High Schools in the Pioneer Valley League.
Separated by just over 11 miles, the Falcons and Bruins traded SJS coronations during a 12-year stretch from 1987–98, when a section title was claimed each year by either school. Colfax owns 11 titles and Bear River has 10; the two schools rank third and fourth, respectively, on the all-time list.
“Whether it’s football, basketball, volleyball, it’s always two top teams battling it out,” said Colfax coach Rexanne Simpton. “They always get up for the rivalry.”
Bear River entered the week at 15-0 as the top-ranked Division V team, according to MaxPreps, while Colfax entered as the No. 1 team in Division IV.
Tuesday night in Colfax, the Falcons knocked the Bruins off their undefeated perch and gained some hard-earned bragging rights with a 46-26 PVL win. The sister backcourt of Jade and Gabby Biittner scored 11 and seven points, respectively, while Maycee Heimann and Grace Clark notched eight apiece to improve Colfax to 17-3.
“It feels really good, especially coming off a loss to Marysville,” Gabby Biittner said. “We didn’t play our best (against Marysville), so coming out here and making a statement was really good for our team.”
What Colfax has on most teams is championship experience. Although the school’s 2020 section title seems like ages ago, the Falcons – the Bee’s No. 9 team in this week’s rankings – are still technically the reigning D-V champions since there was no postseason in 2021 due to the pandemic.
Two holdovers from that title squad are now juniors this season, stepping into leadership roles for Colfax. Heimann (12.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game) and Gabby Biittner (9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals) bring playoff pedigree to the hungry Falcons.
“They know the reputation of the program and the expectations,” Simpton said. “They realized they’re the leaders and they’re in charge of carrying on the legacy and success of this program.”
At 3-1 in league play, the Bee’s 17th-ranked team, Bear River, still has an inside track to the PVL crown after perhaps its best start to a season in school history. Until Tuesday night, the Bruins were the last remaining undefeated girls’ team in the section.
First-year Bear River coach Jenn Krill previously coached at Del Campo and Nevada Union, but she’s taught at Bear River for years and understands the weight of the rivalry she’s inherited.
“I’ve known (the Colfax staff) for years,” Krill said. “I have a lot of respect for Rex. Her kids play hard, and she always gets the best out of them.”
Krill added that none of her teams have been this deep or versatile.
“I’ve probably had 10 different starting lineups, and I feel comfortable with all of them,” Krill said. “If there’s a game where two starters aren’t hitting, I can bring two more off the bench who can fill it out. It changes day to day, but I’ve been fortunate to always find a combination that works.”
Some of the constants in the interchangeable combinations include seniors Julia Pisenti (13.6 PPG) and Jordan Foster (13.4 PPG) and junior Kaylee Vieira (10.0 points, 11.4 rebounds per game).
While Colfax and Bear River contend for their respective divisional championship, a PVL title is what matters most when these two are on the hardwood.
“Our goal is still to win the PVL,” Simpton said. “Every game we have to give our best and show up.”
Colfax (17-3, 2-1 PVL) and Bear River (15-1, 3-1 PVL) will reignite their rivalry in the regular season finale on Feb. 11 in Lake of the Pines.