Prep girls’ basketball: Five storylines to watch that will shape the playoffs
The basketball playoffs are back in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
After a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the postseason starts this week with the section finals scheduled for Feb. 25 and 6 at Golden 1 Center with the CIF Northern California Regional tournament to follow. Here are five storylines to watch for during the postseason.
Can anyone beat St. Mary’s?
The Rams of Stockton looms as the towering figure in this section. The national powerhouse has won 13 section championships in a row and 20 in the last 23 seasons. Area coaches say this could be the year the Rams go down. The Rams last lost to a local team in the section playoffs in 2007, to Sacramento Charter in Division lll action.
“(St. Mary’s) is a giant,” Folsom coach Lynn Wolking said. “I absolutely think (this is the year) a team from Sacramento can beat them. Folsom and Oak Ridge are talented, and instead of St. Mary’s coming down, we have come up. They may beat us both, but it won’t be a piece of cake. Everyone believes we have a chance.”
Folsom was The Bee’s No. 1-ranked team the entire season, but is the No. 2 seed behind Oak Ridge because of a coin flip that determined a league champion for seeding purposes. The Bulldogs enter the playoffs with a 23-2 record, the losses coming to national powerhouse Archbishop Mitty of San Jose and Oak Ridge last week. The Bulldogs have a young, skilled team filled with depth. Wolking believes he has multiple girls that can start or contribute at any moment. He also thinks the losses to Mitty and Oak Ridge will prove beneficial during the postseason.
“We have great depth,” Wolking said. “Sometimes it’s so much depth you don’t even know who to play.”
He added, “The loss against Mitty helped us. They rolled us and it was an eye opener of how good an open division team is. None of this matters come playoffs. Then when sections end next week, none of that is going to matter for the state playoffs. We have a lot of season left and we (might) end up facing (Oak Ridge) again.”
How do the defending champions stack up?
The Sacramento area has four defending section champions from the 2020 postseason.
Headlining the group is Antelope, which has won two of the last three section titles in D-II. Titans coach Sean Chambers said his team is ready for a run.
“It’s the first time we have been at full strength, ever,” Chambers said on Monday. “We’re excited. We know it’s extremely difficult (to repeat) because when you win, you come with a bullseye on your back. I guarantee everyone is looking to find out where the committee seeds us. We’re definitely going to be the team that nobody wants to see.”
Joining Antelope in D-II is Christian Brothers. The Falcons have won three of the last four section championships in D-III and have made five section championship appearances in a row under coach Shandyn Foster.
The other defending section champions are Colfax and Forest Lake Christian. Colfax has won two of the last three section championships in D-V and Forest Lake Christian beat Valley Christian in the 2020 D-VI section final. Valley Christian beat Forest Lake Christian for the section title in 2019.
Who are players to watch?
Audrey Harris at Faith Christian High School in Yuba City is the area’s most-prolific scorer. The junior leads the nation averaging 45.1 points per game.
Faith Christian will be the No. 5 seed in Division Vl.
“Our team is really excited for (the) playoffs,” said Faith Christian coach Geoff Harris, father of Audrey. “These girls have been working hard all season to put a banner up in our gym. It’s Angie Ekdawy’s (our lone senior) last shot at a section title and we all really want it for her. Since we weren’t able to clinch the Sac Metro Athletic league title, a section title is where our focus has been for the last few weeks. I’m thankful that they have the opportunity to make more memories and compete in the playoffs. The experience of that extra playoff pressure is so helpful to their development as young ladies.”
Other scoring leaders playing in the postseason include Donnelli Allen of Capital Christian (24.3), Mary Carter of Antelope (23.5), Ahhray Young of Laguna Creek (22.6), Gracie Williams of Valley Christian (22.1), Alyssa Jackson of Vanden (19.7) and Katie Leeth of Lincoln (19.2).
The Sacramento region’s best player might be Oak Ridge senior guard Teagan Brown, who is coming off multiple 25-point games in league play; she had 26 points and 15 rebounds in a win over No. 1 Folsom. She has signed a letter of intent to play at Washington.
What are the best opening-round matchups?
In D-l, one of the best matchups is Davis at Monterey Trail in the 8-9 game. Rocklin-Cosumnes Oaks is also an intriguing matchup. In D-II, No. 12 Grant will travel to No. 5 Christian Brothers. Thirteenth-seeded Del Campo vs. No. 4 Placer in D-III could be the best opening-round matchup. Other good games include Galt-Colfax and Highlands-Marysville in D-IV.
Darkhorses and predictions
The best part about the playoffs is there is bound to be upsets.
In the 2019 playoffs as the No. 5 seed in D-I, Oak Ridge was upset by 12th-seeded Davis. Coaches are on high alert that one bad game could be the end of their season.
“It’s brutal,” Oak Ridge coach Steve White said about the playoffs “We had a hiccup a couple of years ago where we got upset in the first round. Stuff happens.”
Here are The Bee’s projected section championships and darkhorses in each division.
Projected Division l Final: Folsom vs. Oak Ridge
Darkhorse: McClatchy
Projected Division ll Final: Antelope vs. Laguna Creek
Darkhorses: Antelope and Whitney
Projected Division lll Final: Vanden vs. Lincoln
Darkhorses: Del Campo and West Campus
Projected Division lV Final: Colfax vs. Calaveras
Darkhorses: Marysville and Capital Christian
Projected Division V Final: Bear River vs. Woodland Christian
Darkhorse: Golden Sierra
Projected Division Vl Final: Valley Christian vs. Sac Adventist
Darkhorse: Faith Christian
Sac-Joaquin Section girls’ playoffs
Division l
No. 16 Pitman/Stagg at No. 1 Oak Ridge
No. 9 Davis Sr. at No. 8 Monterey Trail
No. 12 St. Francis at No. 5 Lincoln-S
No. 13 Woodcreek at No. 4 McClatchy
No. 14 Gregori at No. 3 St. Mary’s
No. 11 Franklin-Elk Grove at No. 6 Edison
No. 10 Rocklin at No. 7 Cosumnes Oaks
No. 15 Downey/Inderkum at No. 2 Folsom
Division ll
No. 16 Bear Creek/Johanson at No. 1 Vista del Lago
No. 9 Rodriguez at No. 8 Granite Bay
No. 12 Grant at No. 5 Christian Brothers
No. 13 El Capitan at No. 4 Antelope
No. 14 Yuba City at No. 3 Del Oro
No. 11 Tracy at No. 6 Atwater
No. 10 Patterson at No. 7 Whitney
No. 15 Buhach Colony at No. 2 Laguna Creek
Division lll
No. 16 Casa Roble/ No. 17 Florin at No. 1 Vanden
No. 9 Wood at No. 8 El Dorado
No. 12 Nevada Union at No. 5 Kimball
No. 13 Del Campo at No. 4 Placer
No. 14 Pioneer at No. 3 East Union
No. 11 West Campus at No. 6 Los Banos
No. 10 Lathrop at No. 7 Manteca
No. 15 Valley at No. 2 Lincoln-L
Division lV
No. 16 Linden/ Union Mine at No. 1 Calaveras
No. 9 Escalon at No. 8 Orestimba
No. 12 Ripon at No. 5 Liberty Ranch
No. 13 Hughson at No. 4 Argonaut
No. 14 Galt at No. 3 Colfax
No. 11 Riverbank at No. 6 Capital Christian
No. 10 Highlands at No. 7 Marysville
No. 15 Sonora at No. 2 Dixon
Division V
No. 9 Mariposa at No. 8 Hughes
No. 11 Waterford at No. 6 Holt
No. 10 Millennium at No. 7 Gustine
Byes: No. 5 Golden Sierra, No. 4 Adams Academy, No. 3 Woodland Christian, No. 2 Bret Harte and No. 1 Bear River
Division Vl
No. 9 Forest Lake Christian at No. 8 Big Valley
No. 5 Faith Christian at No. 4 Tioga
No. 6 Fortune Early College at No 3 Stone Ridge Christian
No. 10 Foresthill at No. 7 Turlock Christian
Byes: No. 2 Sac Adventist and No. 1 Valley Christian