Prep boys’ basketball: Four-year play paying off for Inderkum in postseason run
When Fred Wilson took over as Inderkum High School’s basketball coach four years ago, he knew what he had but wasn’t sure what he would receive.
The former West Campus coach could see an abundance of skilled players, of eager guys ready to impress the new boss on campus. But would they respond to Wilson’s plans, specifically, attacking the basket and playing frenetic defense to the point of exhaustion? In time, the Tigers bought in, and this season the rewards have been plentiful.
Opened in Natomas in 2004, Inderkum has its finest basketball team yet, by a long shot, and the magical run includes two victories in the Northern California Division I playoffs. On Tuesday, the second-seeded Tigers eliminated Serra of San Mate0 77-53 in a NorCal opener, and on Thursday they bounced Granada of Livermore 83-69 with the familiar formula of teamwork and defensive grit. Inderkum moved to 28-2 on the season and into Saturday night’s semifinal game against St. Ignatius of San Francisco, also at home.
With each game, Wilson said he appreciates his players all the more. The last loss inspired the Tigers. That was to Sheldon in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I semifinal. The next loss will end the season, unless, of course, there are no more losses. Either way, the season is coming to a close in a hurry, meaning a sense of extra urgency to finish the job. It’s no wonder players and coaches hug a little longer after games and postgame meetings.
“Every game is a dog fight,” said Wilson, a bear of a man who is beloved by his players. “I’m even drained. I love these guys. Got here when the seniors were freshmen. We’ve worked hard. They’ve done a great job. We love them and they love us. We get down and we fight back.”
Wilson elevated West Campus of the Sacramento City Unified School District in quick order, reaching four section finals and winning one, so he can appreciate the journey and how difficult it is to win in the playoffs.
“We did a lot of winning there,” the coach said. “So why leave? The challenge. We played Inderkum once at West Campus and I went, ‘Whoa! Athletes galore!’”
Wilson has athletes galore this season, none more versatile and dynamic than Derrick Claxton. The 6-foot-6 guard can handle the ball, pass it, score from inside and out and snap the rim on dunks. He also defends and leads with actions and words. Claxton had 34 against Granada.
“He does it all,” Wilson said. “He gets everyone involved. He wanted to grow in the program. It’s funny how the universe works. Last year, I was having a bad day and my phone vibrated. It’s a text from Derrick. He texted that he wanted us to win a championship. Made my day. Made me feel good.”
Claxton remembers the text exchange. He never wavered on those words, insisting to teammates that this could be their year if they trusted each other, if they competed with everything they have. The Tigers capped the regular season with a nonleague victory at Modesto Christian, which went on to win the D-I section championship. The NorCal journey is the first in program history.
Claxton can dominate a game without having to dominate the ball. He leads the team in scoring at 21.9 points a game and he leads in rebounding at 7.6 a game.
“Leading the team, that’s my role,” he said. “Score when I need to, get everyone involved and don’t be a liability on defense. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Claxton said Wilson and his staff “gave us a new culture when they got here. The word was we had lazy guys on the team before he got here. No one cared. Everyone does now.”
A 3.0-GPA student, Claxton intends to play in college somewhere. Wilson said a school will land a gem in Claxton. Inderkum is by no means a one-man crew. Junior forward Jalen Glenn scored 14, as did junior guard Jermaine Haliburton. Junior guard Isaiah Chandavong has had big games this season, as has 6-7 junior forward/post Logan Steuben
The future looks bright but the future is now.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 6:26 AM.