Basketball State Finals Preview: The Matchups for Sacramento
The final weekend of high school basketball will take place Friday and Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. It’s the state championships, with six games each day.
Here’s a look at the matchups:
friday games
Children
Division I: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (26-10) vs. grenade grenade (26-10), 8 pm Notre Dame is seeking its first state title. The Knights see themselves as an Open Division team with the talented trio of Caleb Foster (Duke commitment), Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga) and Mercy Miller (Houston). Grenada was the No. 9 seed in Northern California and is led by 7-foot Andrew McKeever.
Division V: Lynwood (26-11) vs. Tollhouse Sierra (31-5), noon. This might be the most entertaining singles matchup, featuring Lynwood freshman phenom Jason Crowe Jr. against Sierra’s four-sport athlete Logan Kilbert. Kilbert has scored 54 points in a game this season. Crowe has scored 60 points.
Division III: Ventura Buena (31-5) vs. Oakland (26-8), 4 pm Buena survived three thrilling overtimes in the regional final and now must face Oakland’s star player with a big name, Money Williams, a senior guard averaging 17.6 points. Zane Carter is averaging 16.7 points for Good.
Girls
Division IV: Shalhevet (25-2) vs. San Anselmo San Domenico (27-7), 10 am It’s a rematch of last year’s Division V final won by San Domenico. This time Shalhevet hopes top scorer Yalee Schwartz, averaging 20.6 points, will be able to play more after suffering an injury in the first quarter of last season’s final. Coach Ryan Coleman is one of the few teams to coach both men and women simultaneously. Shalhevet will take a charter bus to Sacramento, then fly home at 2 pm to make sure the players return for the Jewish Shabbat.
Division III: Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos (28-5) vs. Colfax (34-2), 2 pm Freshman point guard Jackie Polk is the player to watch for the Bears, averaging nearly 14 points per game. Colfax is the only team from the Sacramento area playing at the Golden 1 Center this weekend, so the Falcons have home field advantage and also a 22-game winning streak to rely on.
Division I: Corona Santiago (26-9) vs. Oakland Tech (29-5), 6 pm The Sharks are making their first appearance in the powerful Big VIII League finals and received 24 points from McKinley Willardson in a 52-39 regional finals victory. Oakland Tech is seeking its third straight state championship and has three players who are taller than 6 feet.
saturday games
Children
Open Division: Harvard-Westlake (32-2) vs. Santa Maria St. Joseph (28-6), 8 pm As good as the Wolverines have been this season, their challenge will be dealing with one of California’s best sophomores, 6-foot-6 6 Tounde Yessoufou. 210 pounds, who is averaging 28 points. Harvard-Westlake opens with five future Division I college players, led by standout junior point guard Trent Perry and top senior forward Brady Dunlap. The Wolverines won Division III titles in 1996 and 1997, led by twins Jason and Jarron Collins.
Division IV: Valencia (26-10) vs. Half Moon Bay (10-21), noon. The Vikings have been growing behind the scoring of Mikah Ballew (6-6) and the rebounding of Bryce Bedgood (6-10), son of coach Bill Bedgood. Half Moon Bay advanced as the No. 10 seed in Northern California and has its own big man in 6-8 junior Jaeden Hutchins.
Division II: Newport Beach Pacifica Christian (27-9) vs. San Joaquin Memorial (25-9), 4 pm Pacifica Christian has been playing against the best teams in the Southern Section all season under coach Jeff Berokoff, serving as a great build. Mike Davis Jr., a 6-7 senior, scored 25 points for the San Joaquin Memorial in an overtime regional final victory.
Girls
Open Division: Etiwanda (31-3) vs. San Jose Archbishop Mitty (28-2), 6 pm Etiwanda has already accomplished the improbable, taking out two nationally ranked teams at undefeated Sierra Canyon and La Jolla Country Day to reach the final. Kennedy Smith & Co. know how to adapt, compete and win. Only the coaching matchup is elite, with Etiwanda’s Stan Delus competing against nationally respected Sue Phillips. Junior Morgan Cheli and freshman McKenna Woliczko have offers from Stanford. Woliczko had 29 points and 21 rebounds in the regional final for Mitty.
Division V: Huntington Beach Marina (21-15) vs. bret harte (25-7), 10 am Freshman guard Rylee Bradley has been a key contributor to an amazing Marina team that relies on defense and forced turnovers. Junior Makenna Tutthil and freshman Maddie Kane have gone strong for Bret Harte.
Division II: Chula Vista Bonita Vista (23-9) vs. Central Fresno (22-12), 2 pm This is the only game not to include a team from the South Section.