Prep boys’ basketball: Liberty Ranch goes back to section finals off 35-point blowup
There was only one thing Liberty Ranch senior Drew Fischer did wrong Wednesday night.
At the end of the third quarter of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinal against Union Mine, Fischer launched a near full-court heave to try and beat the buzzer. It wasn’t that he missed the nearly impossible shot. It was the fact that the ball hit courtside photographer – and former Galt mayor – Paige Lampson, who also happens to be a long-term substitute at Liberty Ranch, that earned Fischer some sarcastic boos from his home crowd.
“Sorry, Paige,” Fischer immediately acknowledged.
Lampson was just fine, able to laugh it off after the game. She also knows the on-the-job hazards of being a local sports reporter.
But forget the lighthearted boos. Wednesday night was Fischer’s night in Galt as he exploded for a career-high 35 points (21 in the first half) to lead Liberty Ranch to a 62-43 win over their Sierra Valley Conference rivals. The top-seeded Hawks now return to the Sac-Joaquin Section championship game for the third consecutive season to take on No. 6 Venture Academy of Stockton on Friday at Golden 1 Center.
“They’ve been on a mission,” Liberty Ranch coach Brian Chavez said. “Their whole thing was ‘We wanna get back to Golden 1.’ They’re just determined, and it’s kinda fun to see a group of kids buy in that much, set a goal and actually do it.”
Fischer was the lieutenant of this particular mission Wednesday. From the opening tip, the senior played with an aggressive yet controlled fire. He got to the bucket seemingly at will, finishing with either hand. He dictated the pace of the game and flexed with emotion after several big Liberty Ranch plays.
Chavez said Fischer is an extension of the Hawks’ coaching staff, often entrusted with running portions of practice.
“From a leadership standpoint, I’ve had very few other players in my 20 years of coaching that took that (role) and got everybody else to believe in him too,” Chavez said of Fischer. “His future, whether it’s basketball or whatever, is gonna be great because he’s a tremendous leader.”
The Hawks’ point guard went from averaging 17.4 points per game in the regular season to 28.0 in Liberty Ranch’s three postseason wins. He was named the SVC’s MVP before the playoffs began.
“Early mornings, late nights, just playing against people that are better than you and always playing as hard as you can,” Fischer said. “You can’t always be the nice guy. Being hard on people in practice, making sure everyone’s always on time is a huge thing for us. Making sure everyone’s always going as hard as possible.”
Junior big Cody Smith, a 6-foot-7 center also known for his hulking presence on the Hawks’ football team, chimed in with 15 points and as a defensive wall for Liberty Ranch.
Fischer and Smith were varsity underclassmen when Liberty Ranch reached the section finals at Golden 1 Center in 2020. That game resulted in a championship defeat to Sonora for the second straight year. The Hawks lost again to Sonora on Jan. 12 and were secretly hoping to see the Wildcats again in the finals.
But the opportunity to raise the first blue banner in program history is still within reach for Liberty Ranch (25-5). The Hawks, who have been to four section finals since 2013, own a victory over Venture Academy this season from Jan. 3 and have won 22 of their last 23.
“Now we just go there and we play,” Chavez said. “I really want it for them. It would be tremendous. I can’t even imagine what that locker room will be like if we finish this off.”
Union Mine, meanwhile, halts its season at 23-8, its best mark since 2007, when head coach Ryan Williams was a senior for the Diamondbacks’ 26-2 run. Junior Mason Mottashed led Union Mine with 20 points.
The Diamondbacks now wait to hear how they’ll be positioned for the upcoming CIF NorCal tournament, beginning March 1.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 3:51 AM.