Bee’s Top 20: Under 1st-year alum coach, same goals for Oak Ridge girls basketball
Briana Dulgar knew she had big shoes to fill when she accepted the head coaching job for Oak Ridge Trojans girls basketball.
After Steve White retired from his teaching, athletic director and head coaching duties at the El Dorado Hills campus, the 700-plus game winner knew Dulgar was ready to be his successor. A 2016 Oak Ridge graduate who played under White, Dulgar was the Trojans junior varsity coach for the past five seasons.
“It’s big shoes to fill, but it’s an honor,” Dulgar said. “When I grew up, Oak Ridge was the team to be. It was the defending Division I state champion, so that was always something that you aspired to be a part of, and (White) created a culture that did that for us.”
White remains on the bench as part of Dulgar’s staff, hoping to make for a smooth transition into her first year at a program that has four CIF Sac-Joaquin Section titles and the 2010 CIF State Division I championship.
Seniors Leah Harris and Sophia Ross are flanked in the Trojans’ starting five by senior Siena Maher, junior Laurel Smart and sophomore Vanessa Johnson. Sophomores Hannah Rivas and Tessa Brandon and freshman Mia Schraeder have provided key minutes off the bench. Ross came over as a transfer from Bay Area power and 2025 state champion Carondelet of Concord. Harris has had some high-scoring games and is generating NCAA Division I recruiting interest.
“We have a lot of good puzzle pieces, and it’s been kind of a fun journey trying to figure out how to make the puzzle pieces fit within the system,” Dulgar said. “I think we’re in a good place. We’ve come so far, but we’re not finished yet.”
Harris had a big first half Tuesday at Del Oro in Loomis to help the Trojans claim sole possession of first place in the Sierra Foothill League. She scored 22 of her game-high 28 points in the first half, toughed out an excruciating fourth-quarter leg cramp and returned to help Oak Ridge close out a 57-49 win that moved the Trojans to 6-0 in SFL play and up to No. 3 in The Sacramento Bee’s latest Top 20 rankings.
Johnson provided 11 points while Ross added six with suffocating on-ball defense against the No. 4 Golden Eagles (16-3, 5-1 SFL), who were paced by Madeline Poe’s 16 points.
CB wins 8th straight Holy Hoops, falls hard at St. Mary’s
After a decisive win in its annual Holy Hoops matchup with St. Francis on Saturday, The Bee’s top-ranked Christian Brothers Falcons fell against Northern California No. 2-ranked St. Mary’s of Stockton on Monday in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase. St. Mary’s has a record 22 section championships, including nine since 2013.
On Saturday, Christian Brothers senior Joy Omishakin led the way with 19 points to give the Falcons their eighth straight win — and 12th in the last 15 games — in the Holy Hoops rivalry. But on Monday, the Rams jumped out to an 18-3 first quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 72-39 win. There will be no rematch, as Christian Brothers is in Division II for the section playoffs and the Rams are Division I.
Christian Brothers has two monster intersectional matchups remaining against Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco on Saturday before traveling to defending state champ Carondelet of Contra Costa County the following weekend.
Colfax heating up after slow start
In a Monday matchup of small-school powers that each won section titles a year ago, reigning Division III champion Colfax continued its recent hot streak with a 67-40 win over Division IV champ Liberty Ranch of Galt.
Three players scored in double-figures for the Falcons, including Gwyn Sinor with 14, Claire Piper with 13 and Madalyn Sigrist with 10. Sigrist, who leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her prep career.
After Monday’s non-league win, Colfax has won eight straight after starting the season 4-7 amid brutal early scheduling under coach Rexanne Simpton.
Liberty Ranch, meanwhile, rebounded on Tuesday with an 85-19 win over Bradshaw Christian to improve to 6-0 in the Sierra Valley Conference. Senior Haley Smith led the Hawks with 33 points, 15 rebounds and four steals on Tuesday.
The Bee’s Top 20
(Records entering Wednesday)
1. Christian Brothers (16-3)
2. Antelope (17-1)
3. Oak Ridge (13-6)
4. Del Oro (16-3)
5. Folsom (13-4)
6. Woodcreek (17-5)
7. Vanden (14-5)
8. Cosumnes Oaks (13-5)
9. Faith Christian (15-1)
10. Placer (19-2)
11. McClatchy (12-7)
12. Inderkum (13-8)
13. Grant (13-5)
14. Sheldon (13-6)
15. Laguna Creek (13-6)
16. Colfax (12-7)
17. Liberty Ranch (15-5)
18. Davis (12-8)
19. Granite Bay (11-9)
20. Woodland Christian (14-2)
Bubble: Elk Grove (13-5); John Adams Academy-El Dorado Hills (17-2); Monterey Trail (9-8); Oakmont (13-5); Sutter (13-7); Twelve Bridges (14-6); Union Mine (14-6); Valley Christian (14-4); West Campus (11-3).
Nick Pecoraro is a longtime area high school sports journalist who has contributed to the Bee since 2021. He is a staff writer for MaxPreps.