Folsom, McClatchy, Oak Ridge top Bee’s basketball rankings; Bulldogs have an all-time team
Starting where they left off last season, the Folsom Bulldogs are The Bee’s top-ranked girls basketball team, and it may be a team that could finish this campaign as an all-time regional great.
The Bulldogs return a host of players from a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship team that competed in the elite CIF State Open Division playoffs. The stars include Bee Player of the Year and 6-foot-2 Cal-bound forward Kamryn Mafua, a senior forward who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds in 2022-23.
The Bulldogs under coach Lynn Wolking also welcomed back guards Sophia Mindermann, Ella Uriarte, Jada Tupou and Dixie McLanahan, and a healthy Ava Rawlins, who missed last season with a knee injury. Other key players include Aryn Bright, Breyana Kimmons and 6-2 freshman Avery Masters.
Folsom is 6-0, including a 64-57 win over McClatchy and a 82-44 victory over Oak Ridge. The Bulldogs will compete in several upcoming tournaments, including the Nike TOC, the St. Mary’s of Stockton Martin Luther King Showcase, the Sabrina Ionescu SI20 event and the Platinum Division of the West Coast Jamboree after Christmas.
McClatchy is ranked second by The Bee. The team is led by longtime coach Jeff Ota and a national recruit in 6-2 junior star forward Nina Cain, who had a school-record tying 44 points in a recent game. Guard Norret Lewis and forward Kaela Stancil-Williams also return for the defending Metro League champions.
Oak Ridge, a power under coach Steve White for 25 years, is ranked third. The Trojans will again battle Folsom for the Sierra Foothill League championship and, perhaps, even in the playoffs, having beaten Folsom for the section D-I title in 2022.
White is the section’s all-time winningest coach with 658 victories. The Trojans are led in part by guard Liv Yergensen, who has fielded scholarship offers from Cal and Oregon State.
No. 4 Whitney is the defending section D-II champion under coach Sydney Gatson. The Wildcats are led by Stanford-bound star forward Harper Peterson, who averaged 13.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists last season. Whitney is 7-3 but is unbeaten locally.
No. 5 Christian Brothers and coach Shandyn Foster are eager for another shot at a section championship after falling by three to Whitney in the D-II finals at Golden 1 Center. The Falcons return key players Kaia Foster, the coach’s daughter, Aleyah Harmon and forward Joy Omishakin. Kaia Foster missed the playoffs last season with a knee injury.
No. 6 Antelope expects to be a section contender again under longtime coach Sean Chambers. Senior forward Michelle Rice is flanked by shooter Isabel Azzolino and guard Kamaria Charlo.
No. 7 Colfax returns a lot of key players and 2022-23 Bee Coach of the Year Rexanne Simpton, whose club was the only local program, boys or girls, to play for a CIF state crown at Golden 1 Center. The Falcons are 6-0 behind returners Kaia Diederichs, Juliette James, Laurlyn Massick and Jade Bittner, and newcomer Madalyn Sigrist, a 5-8 sophomore guard who transferred from Twelve Bridges.
Diederichs is one of the top athletes in the state. She is a prolific, record-setting scorer in soccer, a defensive force in flag football and a versatile grinder in basketball.
No. 8 Monterey Trail and coach David Whitsett are 4-0 and will challenge McClatchy for the Metro League crown
No. 9 Del Oro is led by the relentless effort of Shaelyn Parry. No. 10 Inderkum is 9-0 under first-year coach Michele Massari, who led a championship program at Sacramento High, where she won 300 games. Inderkum is led by Ariel Bailey, Breahn Flood and Jamiah Fontenberry.
No. 11 Grant is 7-1 behind leading scorer and rebounder Samaya Dillard (13.8 points, 15.0 rebounds), top playmaker Leah Nelson (6.0 assists per game) and Keyara Lopa, who leads the team with 6.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
The area is so deep that it can be argued that 8-1 Liberty Ranch of Galt is ranked too low at No. 20, but the loss was to No. 19 Ponderosa. Returning Bee All-Metro forward Haley Smith is off to a fast start. The 5-11 sophomore is averaging 18.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
The Bee’s Top 20
(Records through Tuesday)
1. Folsom (6-0)
2. McClatchy (4-2)
3. Oak Ridge (5-2)
4. Whitney (7-3)
5. Christian Brothers (3-0)
6. Antelope (2-2)
7. Colfax (6-0)
8. Monterey Trail (4-0)
9. Del Oro (5-2)
10. Inderkum (9-0)
11. Grant (7-1)
12. West Campus (8-2)
13. Vista del Lago (4-3)
14. St. Francis (3-4)
15. Del Oro (5-2)
16. Lincoln (6-1)
17. Rocklin (6-1)
18. Kennedy (3-2)
19. Ponderosa (6-5)
20. Liberty Ranch (8-1)
Bubble: Bear River (4-1), Franklin (7-3), Granite Bay (5-3), Marysville (6-1), Pioneer (8-2), Placer (6-4), Valley Christian (6-3), Woodland Christian (7-1).
▪ Coaches, stat keepers: Keep us updated with team and player achievements, milestones, records, Prep of the Week nominations, etc. Email jdavidson@sacbee.com.