Bee's Top 20 boys basketball: Monterey Trail stuns Sheldon behind freshman star
In the world of Sacramento-area high school basketball, anything goes.
Winning streaks grow and then crash. Teams that are humbled in one meeting can reverse those fortunes in a rematch.
Take the Monterey Trail Mustangs. In their Delta League contest at Sheldon on Jan. 14, the home Huskies rolled 80-59 as junior guard Baron Sabir scored a lifetime best 41 points.
In the rematch Monday night at Monterey Trail, The Sacramento Bee-ranked No. 12 Mustangs stunned the top-ranked team in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section, 68-66, in a continued show of strength for Elk Grove Unified School District. Freshman star Juleeyan Williams poured in a remarkable 41 points.
The 6-foot-3 guard and the team’s leading scorer this season had 18 of his team’s 21 points in the fourth quarter, the only Mustang to make a field goal in that frame, to halted Sheldon’s 13-game winning streak and overall unbeaten run in sectional play.
A rematch could happen in the Division I section playoffs that start later this month.
Monterey Trail coach Robert Fields was ecstatic with the effort in front of a spirited home crowd. The Mustangs were stunned by Pleasant Grove 67-63 on Jan. 28, played tough in a 49-47 setback at Franklin last Friday with a chance to tie coming up short at the buzzer — and then the Sheldon conquest.
“Huge win for our school and community,” Fields said. “Guys defended exceptionally well. Thought our effort was good enough to win at Franklin, so we had to bottle it up and turn it up a notch (against Sheldon). Really proud of how the guys responded.”
As for the game Williams put together, Fields said, “Don’t want to be a prisoner of the moment, but he is so damn good. Best prospect in the section. He took the first loss to Sheldon personally as he only shot three times in that game. Foot on the gas this time to show who he really is.”
Senior forwards Baron Roseborough and Jaylen Williams and senior guard Jaron Taylor have been nice complementary pieces to the rising-recruit Williams.
Folsom is No. 1
Sheldon had been top ranked by The Bee since the start of the season and drops to No. 2, and Folsom moves up a spot to No. 1.
The Bulldogs have won 14 of their last 15 games and capped the first half of their 14-game Sierra Foothill League schedule by double digits. But again, anything goes, and Folsom was nearly rocked by Rocklin on Jan. 26, squeezing out a 53-52 win over the Thunder.
Folsom responded by sweeping past Davis and Granite Bay and are 10-0 in the SFL. Coach Mike Wall’s team has been led by senior forward Joven Dulay, sophomore guard Parks Weaver, and senior grinders Alec Day, Scott Nardinelli and Jack Shull.
Franklin star sidelined
The Franklin Wildcats are 23-2, the best start in the 23-year history of the school. Longtime coach Ken Manfredi is pleased with his team’s start, certainly, which includes setbacks to Bay Area-ranked Monte Vista of Danville and to Sheldon in the first half of Delta League play.
But the coach grimaces in the loss of Aiden Rollins, the school’s all-time career scorer and a four-year varsity anchor. The 6-3 senior guard averaging a hair under 24 points is sidelined with a groin injury that Manfredi does not expect to cost his star any playoff games.
Big on moving the ball and defending, Franklin’s other anchors include guards Marcus Cephus and Benjamin Sandy and seniors TJ Filkins and Jacob Juarros.
Franklin’s only game this week is Friday at home against Sheldon, which beat the Wildcats 62-45 with a fourth-quarter surge on Jan. 21.
Rocklin to honor retired coach Taylor
Steve Taylor was the founding varsity boys basketball coach at Rocklin, the Placer County school opening in 1993. A 499-game winner over two stints with the program and a winner of 543 games total that includes his run from 1990-93 at Fresno High, Taylor retired from coaching after last season.
He did his part to stack the trophy case with seven league and four CIF section banners.
On Friday during Rocklin’s home game against rival Granite Bay, the beloved Taylor will be recognized for his impact, which includes winning a section banner last season with Bee Player of the Year Mark Lavrenov, now producing a big season at Sacramento State.
Taylor’s 2009 team won a section and CIF Northern California championship with Bee Player of the Year Brendan Lane. Rocklin this season is led by coach Jeff Harter, a longtime assistant to Taylor.
The Bee’s Top 20
(Records entering Tuesday)
1. Folsom (19-5)
2. Sheldon (21-4)
3. Franklin (22-2)
4. Destiny Christian (17-7)
5. McClatchy (19-4)
6. Inderkum (17-6)
7. Sacramento (16-8)
8. Woodcreek (18-7)
9. Jesuit (15-8)
10. Vanden (19-5)
11. Placer (23-2)
12. Monterey Trail (12-12)
13. Antelope (17-6)
14. Casa Roble (19-4)
15. Natomas (16-9)
16. Grant (13-8)
17. Christian Brothers (13-11)
18. Whitney (17-7)
19. Oak Ridge (15-9)
20. Oakmont (23-1)
Bubble: Del Oro (13-11); Rio Americano (14-9); Nevada Union (15-10); Twelve Bridges (20-4); West Campus (17-6); Colfax (19-5); Bella Vista (13-10); Marysville (19-5); Victory Christian (18-2).