CIF NorCal basketball playoffs: Folsom boys, Woodcreek girls win; semifinals set
Nothing comes easy at this point of the season, and every field goal, free throw and rebound is crucial to keep seasons alive.
The Folsom Bulldogs can speak from experience in these pressure-cooker CIF Northern California Regional playoffs.
Seeded third in the boys Division I field, the Bulldogs held off the No. 6 Franklin Wildcats of Elk Grove, 62-61, on Thursday night in a state championship quarterfinal, this coming two days after a squeezing out a 68-64 opening-round win over Bellarmine of San Jose.
Jack Shull led a balanced attack with 20 points as Folsom displayed another fine game of ball movement in moving to 27-6 in winning for the 22nd time in the last 24 games under longtime coach Mike Wall.
Folsom advances to Saturday’s semifinal and will host seventh-seeded Dougherty Valley of San Ramon, a 59-55 winner over No. 2 Clayton Valley Charter of Concord.
Parks Weaver scored 12 for Folsom and Scott Nardinelli had 11. Kwali Simmons led Franklin with 19 points, Benjamin Sandy had 17 and all-time program career scorer Aiden Rollins scored 12 in his final prep game as the Wildcats capped their best season in the 24-year history of the program with 28 victories.
For the defending D-II CIF State champion Jesuit Marauders, seeded 16th here in D-I, the end came too soon. Jesuit lost at No. 9 King’s Academy of Sunnyvale 60-49.
Boys Division II
No. 2 seed Sacramento High trailed by 17 in the second half and fell to No. 7 Amador Valley of Pleasanton, 69-64, inside the Dave Hotell Pavilion in Oak Park.
Moshae Ward led Sacramento, a team with just two seniors, with 16 points. William Phillips, a 6-foot-8 freshman guard, had 12, and Adrian Galloway 11. Jaylen Smith led Amador Valley with 22.
Ninth-seeded Woodcreek lost in overtime at top-seeded San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, 60-57, leaving no Sacramento-area teams left in the D-II bracket.
Boys Division III
Top-seeded Natomas beat No. 9 San Lorenzo of Alameda County 73-62 for the program’s 14th consecutive victory as guards Manno Jenkins, Aeron Wallace and Alfred Jenkins and forward Marcus Harris led the charge.
Natomas will on Saturday host No. 4 Priory of Portola Valley, a 71-55 winner over Branson of Ross in Mill Valley.
Boys Division IV
No. 8 Marysville upended top-seeded and host Chico, 65-58, behind leaders Steven Martin, Jordan Witt, Zackary Granger and Davi Perez.
Marysville on Saturday will visit No. 5 Half Moon Bay in a semifinal.
Girls Division II
No. 6 seed Woodcreek topped longtime powerhouse Vanden of Solano County, 48-42, to extend the best season in the 31-year history of the Roseville school.
Senior guard Chloe Preuss scored 26 points, Ariel Thomas provided seven points, and Kate Hull and Summer Hennessy 6 each for the Timberwolves, who on Saturday visit No. 2 Sierra Pacific of Hanford in Kings County, a 66-57 winner over Folsom
The top seed in the bracket, the McClatchy Lions, dropped a tight 49-46 game to longtime Bay Area power Salesian of Richmond. Mikayla Reyes led McClatchy with 18, and Daisy Throckmorton had 12 in her final game as a Lions star.
The other Sacramento City Unified School District program left in the postseason, girls or boys, was West Campus, seeded No. 7 in D-III. The Warriors lost to No. 2 East Union of Manteca, 48-45, capping the career of Naomi Johnson, who played her best games of her career down the stretch.
Girls Division IV
Two regional programs will meet Saturday in a semifinal after top-seeded Faith Christian of Yuba City edged No. 8 Miramonte of Orinda in Contra Costa County, 54-50, to set up a showdown with Liberty Ranch of Galt.
Faith Christian won its 22nd consecutive game and moved to 31-1 as senior 3-point star Lauren Harris scored 22. The most prolific girls 3-point shooter in national prep history made three 3s. Teammates Pressley Berry and Mia Bryan scored 19 and 12 points, respectively.
The Lions won the CIF NorCal D-VI title a year ago and last weekend won the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship before moving up in division per the CIF’s competitive-equity formula. Faith Christian hosts No. 4 Liberty Ranch next after the Hawks beat No. 5 West Valley of Cottonwood of Shasta County, 59-48, behind all-time program scorer and rebounder, Haley Smith.
Girls Division V
Defending CIF state champion Woodland Christian, seeded sixth this season, edged No. 3 Palma of Salinas, 37-35, behind leaders Siena and Sofia Sorbello, Bailee Broward and Annabell Baker.
The Cardinals will on Saturday visit No. 2 John Adams Academy of El Dorado Hills, a 56-47 winner over No. 10 Lowell of San Francisco. Adams Academy has been led by sisters Elliott and Parker Schwartz and Nadaysia Bowlin and Norah Barmby.
CIF NorCal Regional Girls Basketball Tournament
Division I
No. 1 Clovis 62, No. 9 St. Ignatius 55
No. 5 Priory 45, 13 Clayton Valley Charter 44
No. 6 Central East 51, No. 3 Piedmont 49
No. 7 Saint Francis 68, No. 15 Bishop O’Dowd 65
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 5 Priory at No. 1 Clovis
No. 7 Saint Francis at No. 6 Central East
Division II
No. 8 Salesian 49, No. 1 McClatchy 46
No. 6 Woodcreek 48, No. 14 Vanden 42
No. 2 Sierra Pacific 66, No. 10 Folsom 57
No. 4 Oakland Tech 70, No. 5 Del Oro 54
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 8 Salesian at No. 4 Oakland Tech
No. 6 Woodcreek at No. 2 Sierra Pacific
Division III
No. 8 Scotts Valley 45, No. 16 Notre Dame 42
No. 4 Valley Christian 45, No. 12 Los Gatos 43
No. 11 Menlo-Atherton 56, No. 14 St. Bernard’s 43
No. 2 East Union 48, No. 7 West Campus 45
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 5 Scotts Valley at No. 4 Valley Christian
No. 11 Menlo-Atherton at No. 2 East Union
Division IV
No. 1 Faith Christian 54, No. 8 Miramonte 50
No. 4 Liberty Ranch 59, No. 5 West Valley 48
No. 3 Lathrop 49, No. 6 University Prep 42
No. 10 Benicia 56, No. 2 Bret Harte 53
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 4 Liberty Ranch at No. 1 Faith Christian
No. 10 Benicia at No. 3 Lathrop
Division V
No. 1 Modoc 53, No. 9 Marin Academy 44
No. 4 Escalon 48, No. 5 Durham 37
No. 6 Woodland Christian 37, No. 3 Palma 35
No. 2 John Adams Academy 56, No. 10 Lowell 47
Division VI
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 4 Ferndale at No. 1 Cornerstone Christian
No. 3 Forest Lake Christian at No. 2 Redding Christian
CIF NorCal Regional Boys Basketball Tournament
Division I
No. 9 King’s Academy 60, No. 16 Jesuit 49
No. 13 Oakland 77, No. 5 Clovis North 75
No. 3 Folsom 63, No. 6 Franklin 61
No. 7 Dougherty Valley 59, No. 2 Clayton Valley Charter 55
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 13 Oakland at No. 9 King’s Academy
No. 7 Dougherty Valley at No. 3 Folsom
Division II
No. 1 Memorial 60, No. 9 Woodcreek 57 (OT)
No. 13 Clovis West 84, No. 5 University 69
No. 6 Oakland Tech 69, No. 14 Clovis 67
No. 7 Amador Valley 69, No. 2 Sacramento 64
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 13 Clovis West at No. 1 Memorial
No. 7 Amador Valley at No. 6 Oakland Tech
Division III
No. 1 Natomas 73, No. 9 San Lorenzo 62
No. 4 Priory 71, No. 5 Branson 57
No. 3 Cornerstone Christian 56, No. 6 Palma 46
No. 2 Willow Glen 59, No. 7 Los Gatos 48
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 4 Priory at No. 1 Natomas
No. 3 Cornerstone Christian at No. 2 Willow Glen
Division IV
No. 8 Marysville 65, No. 1 Chico 58
No. 5 Half Moon Bay 56, No. 13 Sanger West 54
No. 11 Burlingame 52, No. 14 Bret Harte 38
No. 2 Sacred Heart 59, No. 10 Soquel 48
Saturday’s semifinals
No. 8 Marysville at No. 5 Half Moon Bay
No. 11 Burlingame at No. 2 Sacred Heart Prep
Division V
No. 1 Mission San Jose 56, No. 8 Oroville 46
No. 13 Weed 59, No. 5 Eureka 52
No. 3 San Marin 69, No. 6 Woodland Christian 30
No. 2 Rancho Cotate 44, No. 7 Sonoma Academy 42
Saturday semifinals
No. 13 Weed at No. 1 Mission San Jose
No. 3 San Marin at No. 2 Rancho Cotate
Division VI
Saturday semifinals
No. 4 Mendocino at No. 1 Redding Christian
No. 3 Victory Christian at No. 2 St. Vincent de Paul