Boys basketball Top 20: Jesuit-Christian Brothers rivalry at Golden 1 continues Holy Hoops
It is generally always an intense affair when Christian Brothers and Jesuit face off in any sport.
This is especially true in basketball, where one can observe the grimaces of those crashing the boards while hearing the squeak of sneakers on the hardwood floor and the shrieks of fans in the stands pleading for effort and better calls from officials.
These programs have been rivals since Jesuit opened its doors in Carmichael in 1963. Christian Brothers opened decades earlier and has maintained its current campus in Oak Park since the 1950s.
Despite not residing in the same league, the programs make sure to play each other, all the better to rev up the rivalry. This includes the annual Holy Bowl football clash, a staple on the schedule since the first game in that series in 1969. Interestingly, it took years for the schools to agree to play each other in football, the initial resistance from administrators tied to fears that players and fans would take the game too seriously.
The programs even met once for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section basketball championship. Before it became known as Division I, it was the AAA Tournament of Champions. In 1978, CB topped Jesuit 55-45 in the AAA large-school final in front of 3,500 overflowing fans at Del Campo. The Falcons were paced by leaders Joe Mugartegui, Derek Monteiro, Rich Henning, Chris Winchell and tournament MVP Dave Heppell.
On Saturday, the teams met in a venue that doesn’t resemble any high school gym. No. 7 Jesuit topped Christian Brothers 75-71 at Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the CIF section and state tournaments. It was a treat to play in such a pristine venue, but what fans, players and coaches did not want or expect was a foul fest. Fifty-two fouls were called, leading to 66 free throws and a lot of fan booing, especially from Christian Brothers down the stretch.
Jesuit senior guard Kevin Haupt scored 25 of his game-high 32 points in the second half to lead the charge. Asher Schroeder, a 6-5 junior forward for Jesuit, had 18 points. Jesuit’s 6-8 forward Cole Epperson had 13. CB was led by 6-2 junior guard Stephan Hewitt, who had 17 points. The Falcons received 12 points each from fellow juniors Cameron Nero, a 6-4 center, and Shawn Underwood, a 6-4 wing.
Jesuit has bounced back big from its 67-61 Delta League opening loss at Sheldon while hard-luck CB has lost four consecutive games heading into Wednesday. The CB setbacks were 70-59 to No. 15 Grant in nonleague play, 58-53 to Rio Americano to open Capital Athletic League action, 69-54 to No. 7 Sacramento in the CAL, and to Jesuit, a game the Falcons and coach Jermaine Brown thought they had.
On Tuesday, Christian Brothers beat Vista del Lago in CAL action, 72-60, as Stephan Hewitt scored 23, including four 3-pointers.
Delta duel: Monday night, in the heart of the Elk Grove Unified School District, No. 5 Sheldon topped No. 6 Franklin 64-62 in overtime, the program’s eighth consecutive victory over their cross-town rivals.
Senior forward Jaden Woodard powered inside for 24 points, including 12 in the third quarter. Senior guard Tyler Rattler had nine points, none bigger than his free throw with 4.8 seconds to go. Junior guard Jaden Spears had 10 points and junior forward Zion Johnson added eight as Sheldon moved to 3-0 in league.
Franklin came in with a school-record 15-2 start under longtime coach Ken Manfredi. The Wildcats at times looked the part of title contenders with three starting sophomores and four-year starting center Greg Piotrowski, who muscled inside for 19 points. At 6-6, Piotrowski showcased interior strength, a soft free-throw touch and deft passing. He also ran the floor and was a fan favorite of Franklin students.
Franklin sophomore guard Aiden Rollins, a fast-rising recruit, had 17 points. Fellow sophomore guard/wing starters Benjamin Sandy and Jacon Juarros had 10 points apiece.
Franklin caps the week at Jesuit.
Sheldon block party: Sheldon is the host venue for an all-day Saturday showcase of games that includes six Bee-ranked teams and powerhouse teams from Oakland, Fresno, Concord and Stockton. The games will be streamed by NFHS Network through ABC Jam Productions with tireless broadcaster Matthew Bessette to call every contest.
The lineup: Laguna Creek vs. Rio Americano, 9 a.m,; Sacramento vs. Del Oro, 10:30 a.m.; Pleasant Valley-Chico vs. McClymonds-Oakland, noon; Cosumnes Oaks vs. Edison-Stockton, 1:30 p.m.; Woodcreek vs. Lincoln-Stockton, 3 p.m.; Jesuit vs. Liberty-Brentwood, 4:30 p.m.; Clovis West-Fresno vs. Redwood-Larkspur, 6 p.m.; Sheldon vs. St. Patrick-St. Vincent of Vallejo, 7:30 p.m.; and Capital Christian vs. Clayton Valley Charter of Concord, 9 p.m.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Boys
Records entering Wednesday
1. Rocklin (19-0)
2. Monterey Trail (15-1)
3. Sacramento (14-4)
4. Capital Christian (9-7)
5. Sheldon (9-8)
6. Franklin (15-3)
7. Jesuit (10-5)
8. Del Oro (14-4)
9. Placer (17-2)
10. Folsom (11-6)
11. Whitney (13-6)
12. Inderkum (10-5)
13. Woodcreek (14-3)
14. Oak Ridge (12-6)
15. Grant (9-6)
16. Burbank (12-5)
17. Laguna Creek (10-8)
18. Kennedy (11-7)
19. Pleasant Grove (9-7)
20. Union Mine (18-2)
Bubble: Antelope (10-8), Casa Roble (13-5), Christian Brothers (9-9), Colfax (10-4), Cordova (7-6), Cosumnes Oaks (11-6), Rio Americano (8-6), Twelve Bridges (12-4), Vacaville (12-5), West Park (11-6), West Campus (10-4), Western Sierra (14-2).