Prep girls’ basketball: Oak Ridge thriller nets first section title since 2010
Teagan Brown and Ella Ray grew up together.
The Oak Ridge High School senior girls’ basketball players have been friends since first grade. They went to Lakeview Elementary and Marina Village Middle School. Saturday night at Golden 1 Center might go down as the highlight of their friendship.
Top-seed Oak Ridge outlasted No. 2 Folsom 41-40 Saturday night to win its first section championship since the 2010 season and third overall. It marked the fourth meeting between the Sierra Foothill League rivals this season, a series that is tied at two wins apiece.
The Trojans made it to the Division-l final against St. Mary’s in 2020 but lost. It’s why this win means so much to the team and school. Ray started her prep career at Capital Christian and transferred to Oak Ridge last season.
“We have been playing together since fifth grade,” Ray said of her friendship with Brown. “We wanted this so bad. Our trust in each other and our team has grown. It’s surreal. We were undefeated in middle school and we played on the same AAU team. Our chemistry is really tight. … We put so much hard work, energy and commitment into this. Just being here is amazing.”
When it mattered, Brown stepped up. The University of Washington signee finished with a team-high nine points and 16 rebounds. Brown guarded Folsom star senior Makalya Jackson on the final possession before she kicked it out for a corner 3-point attempt. Jackson finished with a game-high 11 points.
Ray said of her teammate, “Every game (Teagan) never fails to amaze me. I’m in awe. I don’t understand how she does it.”
When the buzzer sounded, the Folsom shot bounced away and no foul was called, the emotions set in.
“When I saw the referee (not call a foul) I was jumping in the air,” Brown said. “I did not care. I was so happy. ... It’s amazing to win this. This is what I wanted to go out on my senior year. We did it.”
And they did it with contributions from the whole roster. Sofia Williams had seven points and Lauren Marsh, Liv Yergensen and Ray all added six. Senior Abby Helwig had five.
The theme of the D-l final was public school pride. St. Mary’s of Stockton was the eight-time defending D-l champion before Oak Ridge won it this year. Folsom beat St. Mary’s in the previous round.
St. Mary’s dominance gave White appreciation for Saturday’s final between two public schools from the same league. He said after his team beat Folsom in the regular-season finale that he would “love to see them again at Golden 1.”
He got his wish.
“It’s been a minute since we (won it all),” White said. “We have always had to go up against (St. Mary’s) that contended for the open division championship in our own section championship game. To be in this opportunity to go against a public school and kind of have an even playing field was great. Two SFL teams (in the finals) means that’s a testament to our league and the quality of basketball out there.”
He added, “We have had some incredible battles with Folsom. They’re epic. And to (beat them) on this stage and finally get over the top. We have been here before, but we just (haven’t won it). It’s awesome to see two public schools battle it out.”
White has referred to his star senior Teagan Brown as the best player he has coached in his career. He mentioned after Oak Ridge was upset in the first round of the playoffs to Davis in 2019 that Brown said she still had three more years to win a section championship.
She delivered in her final season.
“It’s awesome for her,” White said. “She’s been really driven. The best thing about her is the person she is. She brings joy to the gym and she’s lighthearted. Yet, she’s focused and dialed in. She has been locked in for the last two weeks. It’s incredible.”
Now Oak Ridge (25-5) will await its seeding for the Northern California regional tournament that starts Tuesday. It’s possible because of the team’s body of work they will be placed in the prestigious open division that has historically featured and been won by private schools.
“The open is going to be a tough bracket,” White said. “Our program has been against some of those teams. On any given night (anything can happen).”
Folsom (26-3) will also advance to the regional tournament and could also be placed in the open division with the Trojans. The brackets will be announced Sunday evening.
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 2:59 AM.