Woodland Christian basketball wins CIF State crown with ‘little engine that could’ mentality
The coach wore a gray suit with a striking red bow tie and fashionably cool Nike sneakers.
The floor-general point guard is no bigger than a minute, but she and her Woodland Christian Cardinals teammates compete at a tempo ranging from fast to frenetic. That combination, and the mantra of being the “little engine that could,” chugged their way across the Causeway in driving rain into Golden 1 Center on Friday morning and emerged with a historic triumph.
In beating Rosamond of Kern County, 47-41, to win the CIF State Division V championship, the gritty Cardinals made history. This is the only Yolo County school in the 44-year history of the CIF State championships to not only reach a state final, but to win it.
That’s quite a remarkable feat for a high school sports program that is 20 years old and endured some lean five-win seasons before a surge that lead to this record-setting season — one that ends at 31-6 under cool-under-fire coach Shiloh Sorbello, a Yolo County product to the core.
Sorbello graduated from Davis High School and UC Davis, and he spends his days in a suit and long tie as the chief deputy district attorney in Yuba County, a role he takes seriously, just as he does as a father, husband and coach. His daughter, sophomore post presence Siena Sorbello, is one of a roster full of grinders who love the game.
“I’m really grateful for the season,” Coach Sorbello said. “This is a huge deal to win this.”
What a season for a coach who never anticipated any of this growing up as a sports fan. Then in 2004, he married his wife, Samantha, who ran track at UC Davis. They had daughters who gravitated to sports, and here we go.
“I never thought I’d coach girls,” Sorbello said. “I have four daughters, and I’ll never look back. It’s been a great experience.”
WC bounces back big
The last time Woodland Christian played in Golden 1 Center was last month, a loss to Bret Harte in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D-V finals when the stage and moment were enough to wow them for all reasons good and bad. The nerves were up that day when the shots would not go down.
There were no such concerns this time, and the Cardinals played like they belonged. Superbly coached, Woodland Christian shared the ball on offense and defended with purpose to derail a Roadrunners team from the Central Section that rolled in on a 14-game winning streak. Rosamund entered with a 29-7 record and a pedigree that includes a previous CIF State final appearance.
“We didn’t play our best in the section championship game, the lights too bright and our eyes a little too wide,” Coach Sorbello said. “We were on a 23-game heater (a winning streak), and we hadn’t lost in so long. Once we lost, the girls buckled down. It’s quite a feat for our girls. They really came together.”
Seeded second in the NorCal bracket, the Cardinals earned their shot back at the NBA venue, and then celebrated when it was over with each other, fans and family.
Coach raves about players
Keziah Maldonado-Lemus, the little guard who could and did, led the Woodland Christian charge with cool and effective leadership. She had 12 points, five steals, three assists and five rebounds.
Teagan Hayes, a softball star, is the team’s top player, a 5-foot-7 do-all marvel. She had 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and six steals in another example of her skill set and determination.
Siena Sorbello muscled inside for 17 rebounds, 11 on the offensive glass, and she scored six points. Bailee Broward had four points, 12 rebounds and three steals. The Cardinals also received moments of energy from role players Ellie Sumner and Elena Ganyo, the coach praising the bench and reminding that the school did not field a junior varsity team.
“Keziah brings an intensity to our team,” Coach Sorbello said. “She’ll be the first to yell encouragement or instruction to teammates. She’s a coach on the floor. She coached one of my daughters in a city league. I respect her as an up and coming coach. She may take my job some day.”
Of Hayes, the coach said, “She’s been with us for four years. I really respect her as a person. She’s a section champion in softball, in golf and a state title winner in basketball. That might be a first. She’s a winner. When the lights get bright, she steps up.”
Of his daughter, the coach said, “She’s a big puppy dog. She loves basketball. She’s a project. She has one post move, but it’s a good one!”
Woodland Christian outrebounded Rosamond 50-28, scored 17 points off turnovers, had 18 points in the paint, scored seven off the bench and came up with 15 steals. Hayes, the team’s top scorer this season, sealed it from the line with two free throws with 8.5 seconds left, a fitting way to cap a season to cherish.
“(Woodland Christian) is well coached with a lot of good players, and it was their day today,” said Rosamond coach Justin Armstrong, whose team was led by Ariel Cain, who had 14 points.
Coach wore same dried-out suit
The section title setback served Woodland Christian well, Cardinals players said. No one wants to lose a title game, but the way they responded will define the season. This is the 20th season of the high school, which has swiftly emerged as a small-school powerhouse, including producing a CIF State football championship in 2023 with a 15-0 team and other section title teams across campus for various sports.
Sorbello, the coach, was in good spirits, joking that the locker room often smells like lotions. He said his crooked red bow tie wasn’t a fashion statement but the result of his coaching lanyard wreaking havoc. And the Cardinals scored one for every small school competing on a big stage.
“We have 225 kids in our high school,” coach Sorbello said. “Some years, we have a JV team, some years we don’t. Every team we play in the playoffs is bigger in enrollment. We go in with a chip on our shoulder. We’re small, but mighty, and let’s get after it.”
When players and coaches spoke with the media in a back room, they had yet to reach their beloved coach to douse him with water bottles as they had after winning the NorCal championship. But they vowed to corner him and douse him. Sorbello did not leave Sacramento without having to wring out his suit again.
“This is the same suit, same shoes, and the shoes are mostly dry from (the night of the NorCal finals),” Sorbello said before the soaking. “Didn’t take it to the cleaners. I wasn’t going to wipe off that good mojo.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM.