Rams roll on: Fresh off a section title, Casa Roble basketball wins first CIF NorCal game
From a winless, lost season and all manner of despair in 2020 to uncharted territory Tuesday night, it’s been some quantum leap for the Casa Roble basketball program in Orangevale, and proof that champions can rise from the rubble.
The Rams are bouncing to a new step, fresh off their spirited CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship at Golden 1 Center and hungry for more. Casa Roble hosted its first CIF State Northern California playoff game in the nearly 60-year history of the San Juan Unified School District program and showed that it belonged, defeating Twelve Bridges of Lincoln in Division IV regional opener, 49-43.
The Rams winning streak is 12, and the overall record is a school-record glossy best 29-4 under coaches Nathan Gilbert and Jason Taylor — and a cast of players who are defined by one thing as a whole.
“Casa Composure,” Gilbert said after his team held off the Raging Rhinos in front a packed house on campus. “We’re not afraid if things go one way or another. We have to get through the tough times in games because it’s going to happen, and we do with Casa Composure.”
The most accomplished player on the Rams roster is senior, four-year starting guard Benny Ambriz, who averages nearly 18 points a game and is closing in on 1,700 career points. He managed just 4 points Tuesday, but he still had an impact. He handled the ball and he hit two free throws a moment before teammate star Moses Oginni hit two to ice it down the stretch.
Ace Villegas had 11 points and six assists. Jared Alexander scored 9, Mason Pearcy had 11, Oginni had 8 and Preston Scott had 6 in another typical game in which a bevy of players contributed.
Villegas made a top-of-the-key 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer for a 30-18 lead, and the Rams withstood a rally by upstart Twelve Bridges, which has all the makings of being a playoff regular in this sport, too, as a school about to graduate just its second class in Placer County.
Jaden High led Twelve Bridges with 17, and you can bet that this school has had about enough of Casa Roble. The students in the Rams rooting section reminded the Twelve Bridges rooting section who has had the upper hand between the athletic programs of late.
In 2023, Casa Roble beat Twelve Bridges in the closing seconds to win a section championship, and last spring the Rams baseball team downed Twelve Bridges to win a section banner.
This season, the Rams beat the Raging Rhinos 73-60 in a nonleague basketball game on Jan. 6, and then they ended their season in a NorCal contest, sending the team on their way with student chants of, “Maybe next year!”
For as much as the Rams have accomplished, the coaches insist they have yet to play their best basketball.
“We’re still getting better,” Gilbert said. “That’s the exciting part.”
Casa Roble on Thursday at 7 p.m. will host Lincoln of San Francisco, which eliminated Westmont of Campbell, 77-66.
CIF NorCal boys basketball tournament
DIVISION I
Inderkum 69, California 43
Oakland Tech 71, Redwood 57
San Ramon Valley 61, Memorial 56
Liberty 71, Clovis North 67
Lincoln-Stockton 57, Clovis West 46
Moreau Catholic 84, Dougherty 76
St. Ignatius 65, Dublin 61
Buchanan 59, Monterey Trail 46
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Oakland Tech at No. 1 Inderkum
No. 13 Liberty at No. 5 San Ramon Valley
No. 11 Moreau Catholic at No. 2 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 10 St. Ignatius at No. 2 Buchanan
DIVISION II
Rocklin 70, Bullard 60
Clayton Valley Charter 59, Serra 38
Destiny Christian Academy 58, Menlo-Atherton 38
Oakland 59, Valley Christian 45
Jesuit 64, Bellarmine 50
Mitty 59, Branson 55
Clovis East 67, Cardinal Newman 61
Milpitas 68, Woodcreek 67 OT
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Clayton Valley Charter at No. 1 Rocklin
No. 13 Oakland at No. 5 Destiny Christian
No. 6 Mitty at No. 3 Jesuit
No. 7 Clovis East at No. 2 Milpitas
DIVISION III
King’s Academy 68, Pleasant Valley 47
Aptos 67, San Domenico 54
Carlmont 58, El Capitan 49
University 76, Half Moon Bay 66
Enterprise 46, Christopher 40
Palo Alto 61, Foothill 51
Carmel 58, Central 49
Christian Brothers 61, Sacred Heart 44
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 9 Aptos at No. 1 King’s Academy
No. 5 Carlmont at No. 4 University
No. 14 Enterprise at No. 6 Palo Alto
No. 7 Carmel at No. 2 Christian Brothers
DIVISION IV
Priory 64, Washington 53
Natomas 84, Piedmont 71
Berkeley 64, Ripon Christian 61
Palma 52, San Mateo 47
Santa Cruz 58, Venture Academy 56
St. Patrick 78, Burbank 57
Casa Roble 49, Twelve Bridges 43
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Natomas at No. 1 Priory
No. 5 Berkeley at No. 4 Palma
No. 6 St. Patrcick at No. 3 Santa Cruz
No. 15 Lincoln-San Francisco at No. 7 Casa Roble
DIVISION V
University Prep 51, Durham 59
Gridley 41, Bret Harte 40
Weed 70, Middletown 63
Fortune 80, Portola 57
Argonaut 72, Chowchilla 49
Alhambra 51, West Valley 39
International 58, Orland 46
Sonoma Valley 73, Woodland Christian 61
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Gridley at No. 1 University Prep
No. 12 Weed at 4 Fortune-Sacramento
No. 6 Alhambra at No. 3 Argonaut
No. 15 Sonoma Valley at No. 7 International
CIF NorCal girls basketball tournament
DIVISION I
Memorial 84, Folsom 74
Piedmont 60, Oakland Tech 29
Priory 50, Central 45
St. Mary’s 67, Pleasant Valley 43
Carondelet 62, Saint Francis 57
Bishop O’Dowd 45, Riordan 39
Cardinal Newman 68, St. Ignatius 47
Clovis 63, Oak Ridge 52
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 16 Memorial at No. 9 Piedmont
No. 5 Priory at No. 4 St. Mary’s
No. 11 Bishop O’Dowd at No. 3 Carondelet
No. 7 Cardinal Newman at No. 2 Clovis
DIVISION II
Sacred Heart Cathedral 44, Christian Brothers 40
California 58, Los Gatos 40
Redwood 66, Lincoln-Stockton 52
Colfax 64, Clovis East 37
Salesian 48, Whitney 41
Atwater 58, Valley Christian 39
Sierra Pacific 66, Grant 61
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Sacred Heart Cathedral at No. 1 Caruthers
No. 13 Redwood at No. 5 California
No. 6 Salesian at No. 3 Colfax
No. 7 Atwater at No. 2 Sierra Pacific
DIVISION III
Immanuel 66, East Union 48
Chico 50, Dougherty Valley 47
Menlo-Atherton 53, Ponderosa 49
Justin-Siena 73, Evergreen 39
Marin Catholic 61, Christopher 44
Menlo School 45, St. Bernard’s 41
Moreau Catholic 45, University Prep 39
Shasta 58, Harker 48
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 8 Chico at No. 1 Immanuel
No. 12 Menlo-Atherton at No. 4 Justin-Siena
No. 6 Menlo School at No. 3 Marin Catholic
No. 7 Moreau Catholic at No. 2 Shasta
DIVISION IV
Liberty Ranch 41, Colusa 37
Lowell 47, Notre Dame 37
Mills 49, Bret Harte 30
Castilleja 44, Riverbank 43
Rio Linda 47, Fortuna 38
Marysville 55, Prospect 40
West Campus 36, Notre Dame 27
Half Moon Bay 52, St. Patrick 45
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 9 Lowell at No. 1 Liberty Ranch
No. 13 Castilleja at No. 5 Mills
No. 6 Marysville at No. 3 Rio Linda
No. 7 West Campus at No. 2 Half Moon Bay
DIVISION V
Summit Shasta 64, Skyline 55
Washington 51, Modoc 45
Orland 65, Cloverdale 61
Encinal 67, Argonaut 36
Head-Royce 59, Fortune 39
Durham 59, West Valley 42
Trinity 50, Sonoma Valley 41
Woodland Christian 54, Fort Bragg 40
Thursday quarterfinals
No. 9 Washington at No. 1 Summit Shasta
No. 5 Orland at No. 4 Encinal
No. 11 Durham at No. 3 Head-Royce
No. 7 Trinity at No. 2 Woodland Christian
▪ Open Division and Division VI play Wednesday night.
▪ For complete brackets and ticket information, visit the CIF State website at cifstate.org/sports/basketball.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 10:47 PM.