McClatchy Lions roar, roll Antelope and light their own makeshift beam in CIF playoffs
The walls tell the story of the basketball programs inside the gym — still a gem at 87 years old — at the oldest high school in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
The McClatchy Lions won their first girls hoops championship in 1987, that Metro League title team displayed on a large red banner. The program’s first great girls teams came in 2007 and 2008 under coach Harvey Tahara, so revered as the boys and girls coach that the gym floor is named after him and his wife, Janice.
And 10 years ago, the Lions tasted their greatest glory, with the girls winning the 2015 CIF State Division I championship. That banner towers on the far wall.
The current edition of the Lions is on a historic quest, too, eager to hang more banners in charting their own path to greatness. On Thursday night, the Lions rolled Metro League rival Antelope 85-54 in a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinal contest, smothering the Titans with defense, balance and a barrage of buckets, all of it rooted in tradition.
The Lions play hard, all business, and then they cheer just as hard afterward, kids being kids. Players celebrated, soaking in the moment with group photos. They then danced around a makeshift box at the scorer’s table that simulated a beam, much like the Sacramento Kings offer with a laser into the sky from atop Golden 1 Center after victories.
The Lions student body continues to create a festive atmosphere at a school long known for student involvement and high academic success. The gym is known as “The Den,” and it was filled with people young and old as girls basketball remains a hot ticket. Among campus leaders is longtime athletic director Rob Feickert, who does a little bit of everything, including pregame announcement on players, and an invitation for any fans who want to unload on the referees to come on down and officiate a quarter.
Feickert is a product of the district, having graduated from Sacramento High School, which went from a public school to charter status in 2003 and is not technically the oldest school in the district.
“Love my team, a great group,” McClatchy coach Jeff Ota said. “One through nine, all the girls play hard. I’m really lucky, we’re really lucky, to coach them.”
Raising Cain
McClatchy is a terrifically skilled team anchored by Nina Cain, The Sacramento Bee’s Player of the Year last season who has been even better this winter. The 6-foot-2 forward with guard skills and a fierce approach to her studies as a 4.4-GPA student and in competition is the star who leads a group heavy on ball handlers and defensive pests.
The Washington Huskies-bound Cain had 15 points and 10 rebounds Thursday, and 5-foot-10 Northridge-bound senior guard Norret Lewis had 16 and a handful of assists.
Daisy Throckmorton, a 5-11 junior guard, had 12 points and showcased her complete game. Sophomore guards Mikaya Reyes and Savy Hills scored 10 and 8 points, respectively, and junior guard Laila Stancil-Williams added 6. All of those players had a hand in making steals and running the break.
The balanced scoring delighted Ota, who has been a fixture in this gym since his teenage days a generation ago when he starred for Coach Tahara. Lions assistant coach and a one-time player for Tahara, Jessica Kunisaki, was the head coach (and Ota her assistant), for that 2015 state title team. Another Lions assistant is Jackie Wada, one of the program’s all-time greatest shooters.
Cain is on her way to becoming the program’s finest player, if she isn’t there already. Antelope head coach Sean Chambers was not at the game as he was in Taiwan en route to New Zealand, coaching a men’s team from the Philippines, but the 500-game-winning prep coach with deep Sacramento roots did text The Bee his thoughts on Cain.
“Nina is a better person than she is a player,” said Chambers, who coached in offseason programs for years. “She’s just been an all-around great kid on and off the court and leads by example. She has a tremendous skill set and has been an absolute joy. She is one of the top players to ever come out of Sacramento.”
Cain and the Lions can bolster their section championship hopes with a spirited effort in a Tuesday semifinal in Stockton when they take on decades-long section powerhouse St. Mary’s, the No. 2 seed in the bracket. Folsom is the top seed and McClatchy is third.
St. Mary’s has won a section-record 22 championships, including nine in the large-school D-I level since 2013.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Ota said. “I like our chances.”
Antelope, with just one senior on the roster, lost for the third time to McClatchy after two league setbacks. Guard Tiana Spain had 17 points for Antelope and Kamaria Charlo put up 15. Star freshman Londyn Odom forward was held to 6 points.
Sac-Joaquin Section girls basketball playoffs
DIVISION I
Quarterfinal results
Folsom 64, Inderkum 40
Oak Ridge 47 vs. Lincoln 30
McClatchy 85, Antelope 54
St. Mary’s 60, Vanden 39
Tuesday semifinals
No. 3 McClatchy at No. 2 St. Mary’s
No. 5 Oak Ridge at No. 1 Folsom
DIVISION II
Quarterfinal results
Christian Brothers 62, Woodcreek 54
Whitney 54, El Capitan 44
Grant 75, Del Oro 72
Atwater 47, Vista del Lago 34
Tuesday semifinals
No. 5 Whitney at No. 1 Christian Brothers
No. 6 Grant at No. 2 Atwater
DIVISION III
Quarterfinal results
Colfax 70, Fairfield 25
Rio Linda 41, Placer 34
East Union 45, Lincoln 36
Ponderosa 67, Ceres 34
Tuesday semifinals
No. 5 Rio Linda at No. 1 Colfax
No. 3 East Union at No. 2 Ponderosa
DIVISION IV
Quarterfinal results
Liberty Ranch 54, Ripon 36
West Campus 53, Bear River 51
Marysville 29, Sacramento 26
Riverbank 72, Valley Christian 61
Tuesday semifinals
No. 4 West Campus at No. 1 Liberty Ranch
No. 3 Marysville at No. 2 Riverbank
DIVISION V
Quarterfinal results
Bret Harte 47, Adams-El Dorado Hills 26
Fortune 39, Delta 26
Argonaut 56, Ripon Christian 44
Woodland Christian 69, Destiny Christian 23
Tuesday semifinals
No. 4 Fortune at No. 1 Bret Harte
No. 3 Argonaut at No. 2 Woodland Christian
DIVISION VI
Quarterfinal results
Faith Christian 73, Stone Ridge Christian 43
Vacaville Christian 51, Forest Lake Christian 46
Sacramento Waldorf 50, Lodi Academy 13
Sacramento Adventist 53, Foresthill 31
Tuesday semifinals
No. 5 Vacaville Christian at No. 1 Faith Christian
No. 3 Sacramento Waldorf at No. 2 Sacramento Adventist
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 11:11 PM.