High school notes: Whitney boys basketball team returns from holiday trip with tournament title

Nick French could not imagine a better way to spend the post-Christmas holiday season.

The Whitney High School boys basketball coach took his team to San Diego, where the upstart Wildcats won one of the four brackets in the 32-team Surf ’N Slam tournament.

The Wildcats’ 76-73 victory over Lake Stevens (Wash.) to cap the week led to Whitney debuting this season in The Bee’s Top 20 rankings at No. 14.

“Great time,” French said Monday. “We flew down the day after Christmas. We were picked up in a charter bus, and there was a karaoke night one night, dancing another. It’s about opportunities and experiences, things you want your players to talk about 25, 30, 35 years later, and to be proud.”

Whitney beat Sprague of Salem, Ore., 76-61 to open the event, then defeated Auburn (Wash.) 80-74. The Wildcats (10-2) have lost only to Sac-Joaquin Section powers Woodcreek in the season opener 66-57 and St. Mary’s of Stockton 68-63 in the St. Hope Elite Hoop Classic last month.

French now wants his team to strive for more. Whitney won two playoff games in 2009, its third varsity campaign. The Wildcats’ only other postseason victory came in 2014 – the end of French’s first season. In the 1990s, French played at Clovis West in Fresno, where Vance Walberg, the architect of the dribble-drive offense, was the coach. Walberg is in his second season as a Kings assistant coach.

“Vance is my basketball father,” French said. “If you look at how teams play now, in the NBA and everywhere, it’s guard-oriented. Spread the floor, shoot a lot of threes.”

Still, there’s always room for post play. French was an interior player in his day, and he has a promising center now in Kyle Price, a 6-foot-7 senior.

“Kyle maybe played three minutes all of last year,” French said. “He made himself better, worked his butt off over the summer, and he’s run with it. He’s a great example of getting better.”

Whitney guard Brian Sterri was the MVP of the Wildcats’ bracket in San Diego.

“He’s actually a great golfer,” French said. “Basketball is his secondary sport, but he’s really good. He’s really smart, a great leader, calm.”

Guard Jashon Lewis is the team’s most gifted player, French said, so much so “he might be the best player to come out of here when it’s all over.”

Lewis has been slowed by a knee injury but is rounding into shape.

“He’s really smooth and has a great basketball IQ,” French said.

Whitney also has two impressive sophomores among the 12 regulars: guard Matt Willis, a shooter, and Justin Kraft, a quick guard coming off a stellar football season at wide receiver.

The Wildcats visit No. 15 Bella Vista on Wednesday to open Capital Valley Conference play.

Honoring Nishio – At halftime of No. 16 McClatchy’s home game against rival Kennedy on Friday, Lions athletic director Rob Feikert will recognize the achievements of Mike Nishio, a beloved former Lions player, teacher, coach and athletic director who died in 2014. Nishio is in the McClatchy Athletic Hall of Fame. Members of Nishio’s family will attend the ceremony.

Father Kelly – No. 5 Jesuit will host the 14th Father Kelly Tribute on Saturday, with many area programs playing Bay Area powers. The schedule: Pleasant Grove vs. No. 20 Foothill, noon; Clovis North vs. St. Mary’s of Albany, 1:30 p.m.; No. 7 Capital Christian vs. Newark Memorial, 3 p.m.; No. 4 Granite Bay vs. Monte Vista of Danville, 5 p.m.; No. 2 Folsom vs. St. Francis of Mountain View, 6:30 p.m.; Jesuit vs. El Cerrito, 8 p.m.

Titans uprising – The No. 2 Antelope girls are 12-0 after winning two tournaments. The Titans beat Bishop Manogue of Reno 57-41 to win the West Coast Jamboree’s Gold Division as sisters Nadia and Nia Johnson combined for 28 points and 18 rebounds. Antelope beat No. 10 Franklin 63-21 and once-ranked Sheldon 73-33 to win the Running with the Pack event at Cosumnes Oaks. Angelica Baylon also has played well for the Titans, who open CVC play on Tuesday by hosting No. 14 Ponderosa.

Holy Court – No. 5 Christian Brothers will host No. 4 St. Francis on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the annual Holy Court girls basketball showdown, a rivalry carried over from the schools’ spirited volleyball matches.

Christian Brothers, which visits El Dorado in a nonleague game Wednesday, has been led by Kalani Mark (12.8 points per game) and Brianna Juniel (12.2). St. Francis, which meets Pleasant Grove and Davis in Delta League play this week, has been led by Lauren Craig (16.7), Janae Fairbrook (12.5) and Kyra Huffman (12.0).

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "High school notes: Whitney boys basketball team returns from holiday trip with tournament title."