Prep boys’ basketball: Players, teams and themes to ponder as playoffs tip off Friday
Teams compete all winter for a chance to extend their seasons into March, and talk about layers and hurdles to clear.
First, there were tryouts and conditioning, then games, some locally, some on the road, and then all the maddening COVID-19 protocols. The seasons included COVID delays, postponements and/or cancellations.
The Sac-Joaquin Section boys’ basketball tournament that starts Friday figures to be a frantic and fun race to the finish line. The finals will be held at Golden 1 Center on Feb. 25-26. All section semifinalists advance to the CIF Northern California playoffs. Only the mighty will make it that far.
Upsets happen. Scoring marvels remain hot or suddenly grow cold when nerves and defenders take aim. Upstarts become giant-killers. In some cases, the heavy favorites back it up, but what’s a postseason without twists and turns?
Here’s a peek at what to ponder a year after there were no section playoffs for any sports due to the pandemic.
Can Inderkum win it in Division I?
Seemingly out of nowhere, here come the charging Tigers of the Natomas Unified School District. Inderkum isn’t a surprise team to coach Fred Wilson, or his talented crew, headed by 6-foot-6 guard Derrick Claxton, but the 24-1 Tigers boast their finest team since the school opened in 2004. But it only really matters if Inderlum keeps on winning, if the Tigers extend their 22-game winning streak well past the section finals.
Inderkum has two wins over D-II contender and defending champion Grant, and they got a big win Saturday over longtime powerhouse Modesto Christian, 82-74, despite Claxton sitting to rest an ankle tweak. MC had been the highest-ranked team in Northern California at No. 2. So yeah, fear the Tigers.
Can the Bruins leave everyone in ruins?
Ponderosa is barreling along as the lone unbeaten team in the state, the glossy and hard-to-achieve 27-0 record having everyone in Shingle Springs talking about the Division II championship title. But an unbeaten regular season guarantees only one thing: nothing. Liberty Ranch went 27-0 a few seasons ago but did not win a section championship.
It’ll take a big effort to topple Ponderosa, led by Aaron Bliss, Casen Chaney and Nick Von Zboray, and the Bruins rooting section is as loud and fun as they come. Looming in the D-II field is Grant, again fast and prolific, Jesuit with perhaps the area’s top talent in 6-foot-7 guard Andrej Stojakovic, and Elk Grove with a group that grew up together and is bound by unsung cogs such as Grant Golonka, Jordan Hess and Karlos Zepeda, and it’ll take all of them to win this bracket.
How do the defending champs look?
Formidable, of course, and that starts with Sheldon, winners of the last three CIF NorCal Open Division championships and six section D-I crowns under coach Joey Rollings, who heads another defensive-minded outfit.
In D-II, Grant is balanced and up-tempo and capable of repeating. Vanden in D-III started this season slow but has come on strong and will be a contender along with Burbank and El Camino.
Sonora in D-IV is stacked again, but so is West Campus of the Sacramento City Unified and Liberty Ranch of Galt. Brookside Christian won’t defend in D-V as the school is no longer in operation. Ripon Christian won the last D-VI title and is now the top seed in D-V.
Players to ponder
There are too many teams, divisions players to even detail, but here’s a sample size of guys to ponder:
Bliss of Ponderosa is 6-foot-10 and marvelously skilled. In the playoffs, games slow down. He will post up more, and he’s a fine passer with shooters everywhere. Rashaud Bradley is the energizer for Sheldon, a guy who cramps up every game, reflective of his motor.
Ameere Britton and Dajon Lott of Elk Grove are four-year starters who have dreamed of this chance to finish strong, and it’s doable in D-II. Rishod Brown of Grant can score inside and out, or by snapping the rim, and he can defend. He has to play big to win it again. Kanye Clark and Anthony Garcia of Capital Christian are football stars who dazzle in hoops, and they can power the Cougars to the to finals of the D-I race.
James Cook of Center can bang inside and hit 3-pointers, and he’ll have to do a lot of both to win it all in D-III. Matt Hoffman of Rio Americano has the area’s best hair — a mop top out of the 1970s, and kudos to that, young sir — and he’s versatile as a shooter, passer, leader for the D-II Raiders.
Jacob Olson of Oak Ridge has been the leading guy for the Trojans, who just beat Folsom in a regular-season finale, and he and his mates insist more inspired efforts are coming in the D-I race. Brycen Shackleford of Folsom has the skills and drive to power the Bulldogs to a D-I title. Kiku Parker is a junior guard for El Camino and already the program’s all-time scorer with 1,300 points. and what he really wants is a section banner in D-III.
Majer Sullivan is a major rebounder for Antelope, and the Titans aim to impact the D-II field. The 1-2 punch of Drew Fischer and Cody Smith of Liberty Ranch means a tough out for anyone in D-IV, and so it goes.
The winners are ...
Our predictions for who will play in the title games.
Division I: Inderkum vs. Sheldon
Darkhorses: Modesto Christian, Folsom, Capital Christian, Lincoln-Stockton, Oak Ridge
Division II: Elk Grove vs. Ponderosa
Darkhorses: Jesuit, Whitney, Oakmont, Antelope
Division III: Vanden vs. El Camino
Darkhorses: Burbank, Placer, Center, Wood
Division IV: Liberty Ranch vs. Calaveras
Darkhorses: West Campus, Marysville, Union Mine, Sonora.
Division V: Ripon Christian vs. Denair
Darkhorses: Fortune, Bradshaw Christian, Argonaut
Division VI: Sacramento Waldorf vs. Victory Christian
Darkhorses: Valley Christian, Vacaville Christian
Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs
Friday games:
Division I
No. 16 Downey/Bear Creek at No. 1 Inderkum
No. 9 Turlock at No. 8 Capital Christian
No. 12 Rocklin at No. 5 Sheldon
No. 13 Monterey Trail at No. 4 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 14 Gregori/Chazez at No. 3 Modesto Christian
No. 11 Oak Ridge at No. 6 Weston Ranch
No. 10 Pleasant Grove at No. 8 Edison
No. 15 McClatchy/Johnson at No. 2 Folsom
Division II
No. 16 El Capitan/St. Mary’s at No. 1 Ponderosa
No. 9 Bella Vista at No. 8 Granite Bay
No. 12 Merced at No. 5 Oakmont
No. 13 Rio Americano at No. 4 Whitney
No. 14 Sac/Patterson at No. 3 Grant
No. 11 Rodriguez at No. 6 Antelope
No. 10 Vacaville at No. 7 Jesuit
No. 15 Cosumnes Oaks/Atwater at No. 2 Elk Grove
Division III
Pioneer/Rosemont at No. 1 Vanden
No. 9 Lincoln-Stockton at No. 8 Center
No. 12 Mountain House at No. 5 Kimball
No. 13 Lathrop at No. 4 Manteca
No. 14 Beyer at No. 3 Beyer
No. 11 Wood at No. 6 Central Catholic
No. 10 East Union at No. 7 Burbank
Del Campo/Florin at No. 2. El Camino
Division IV
Dixon/Colfax at No. 1 Liberty Ranch
No. 9 West Campus at No. 8 Western Sierra
No. 12 West Park at No. 5 Union Mine
No. 13 El Dorado at No. 4 Sonora
No. 14 Natomas at No. 3 Marysville
No. 1 Escalon at No. 6 Venture Academy
No. 10 Foothill at No. 7 Ripon
No. 15 San Juan/Casa Roble at No. 2 Calaveras
Division V
No. 16 TBA at No. 1 Denair (bye)
No. 9 Golden Sierra at No. 8 Hughes Academy
No. 12 Buckingham Charter at No. 5 Bret Harte
No. 13 Holt Academy at No. 4 Mariposa
No. 14 Le Grand at No. 3 Fortune
No. 11 Bradshaw Christian at No. 6 Argonaut
No. 10 Bear River at No. 7 Leroy Greene
No. 15 TBA at No. 2 Ripon Christian (bye)
Division VI
TBA at No. 1 Victory Christian (bye)
No. 9 Forest Lake Christian at No. 8 Alpha Charter
No. 5 Turlock Christian at No. 4 Foresthill
No. 11 Lodi Academy at No. 6 Valley Christian
No. 3 Vacaville Christian, BYE
No. 10 Stockton Christian at No. 7 Elliot Christian
TBA at No. 2 Sacramento Waldorf (bye)
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 2:00 PM.