Fun Friday: Taking the day off from school, Sacramento Adventist wins first section title
The best thing about Friday for this group of giddy girls from a cozy school tucked amid the trees in Carmichael?
No school.
But there was a mandate for the day, rooted in growth and development: Go play ball, make history and talk about it Monday on campus and for the rest of your lives.
The Sacramento Adventist Academy Capitals made history at UC Davis, defeating Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League rival Faith Christian of Yuba CIty 54-49 for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship.
The details will be discussed in history class for weeks to come because the Capitals coach doubles as the history teacher. Kenny Johnston is an alum of the school, class of 2010. He coached the game of his life and his girls played the game of their lives without the benefit of a single senior on the roster.
Small schools like this embrace moments like this to the point that school was closed and everyone was invited to Yolo County for the big game. With all-out effort — crashing the boards, diving on the floor and tying up any loose ball — the Capitals won the program’s first such championship.
The only other program on campus to win a section title for any sport was the boys basketball team in 2017 under coach Scott Tedmon, now retired from the coaching grind, though he did call Friday’s game action on the NFHS Network. Tedmon remains a mentor and friend to Johnston, who led the fast-rising Sacramento Adventist program to the D-VI finals two seasons ago.
The Capitals’ celebration was genuine, as were the tears of their tireless coach.
“We grew from that section finals loss, a thumping,” Johnston said. “We’re very happy, very ecstatic. We pride ourselves in our defense.”
They call it a dog mentality at the school that opened in 1958
“Our girls find a way, and they play hard, and that persistence and effort paid off,” Johnston said. “If you want to achieve something great, you have to prepare great. It paid off today.”
Junior forward Victoria Fowler scored 15 points with 10 assists and six rebounds for the Capitals (25-6). She showed why she has been the focal point this season, though she is hardly a one-person show. Sophomore guard Gwen Rosich had 21 points with five 3-pointers, 14 rebounds and six steals, playing bigger than her 5-foot-6 frame. Again, effort. Her late free throws sealed the game. Freshman forward Kyla Friedrich, not at all overwhelmed by the moment, scored 13 points, made three 3s and grabbed three rebounds.
Sacramento Adventist made 10 3-pointers and withstood the charge of the section’s leading scorer in Lauren Harris, the super sophomore guard who had 28 points and nine rebounds. Teammate Presley Berry had 11 points and 21 rebounds, but the Lions (25-5) could not defend their title because the Capitals refused to let them crash their party.
Sacramento Adventist lost to Faith Christian twice in league play last month, undone by poor shooting and the prolific Harris.
“Faith Christian is a heck of a team and Lauren Harris is an incredible player, and Presley dominated the boards,” Johnston said. “But our girls never gave up and kept digging, kept digging, kept digging and played hard. That’s what we do. We’re a team that will keep coming at you.”
Sacramento Adventist has 130 students. About half of them were at UCD, including players and other students who were loud and proud. Most of the players have been together since well before high school, growing up together and playing sports together.
And they share the same desire to compete.
“I work hard,” Fowler said, speaking for her teammates as a whole. “Working hard gets you far in this game. You have to put in so many hours. I preach it. Definitely very cool what we’ve done. This doesn’t happen often with such a young team. I love them. You guys are great. Great people.”
Johnston is in his fifth year as head coach, but he credits previous coach Kris Dunlap and assistant coach Kelly Sobrepena, a Capitals team captain in 2020.
“Kris Dunlap is the reason we have a program,” Johnston said. “We had a vision and a dream that we could do this. When we lost the finals to Valley Christian, they gave us a thumping, we grew. This is what it’s like, how to get here. And we have a team. They are that. No doubt about it. Great day.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2024 at 3:35 PM.