NorCal Issue 178, March 20, 2020

MARCH 20, 2020 NORCAL EDITION VOL. 11 ISSUE 178

Where The Streets Have

No Games

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N

ow what?

In a world suddenly devoid of all sports, I’ve fielded questions from quite a few friends and relatives about what our magazine will have to write about now.

I take pleasure in answering, “Plenty.”

Yes, COVID-19 has forced the sporting world into an indefinite hiatus. As tough as it was for us to see, at this point I believe we can all admit it was for the best. However, while the games may have disappeared, the athletes are still around.

We’ve been known to profile an athlete or two.

The questions and setting will be a little different, but many of these talented kids have stories to tell.

For instance, how do 16- and 17-year old super-competitive gym rats adjust to being sheltered in place for three weeks? What kind of home-training are they doing? Is there an athlete out there right now who has been motivated by this crisis to consider a career in science, medicine or politics?

Those are just a few questions percolating here at HQ. That’s for the months ahead. As for March, we’ve stayed plenty busy. Winter has come and gone and we’ve dedicated this online edition to a season wrap up of the boys and girls wrestlings seasons.

In addition, we talked to a number of the basketball teams that saw their state championship dreams deferred at the last moment.

As I write this on the morning of March 19, the CIF hasn’t pulled the plug on the entire spring sports season — yet. There’s still hope for those who choose to be optimists. And everyone should practice a little optimism these days.

In keeping with our own optimism, we also produced our 10th Annual Camps & Clinics Resource Guide this month. It’s already on our website and will release in print on Sunday, March 29.

Now, some might think it a bit silly to be publishing a Camps & Clinic Resource Guide now with so much of our immediate social future in doubt, but we like to think it offers a little hope. Perhaps some of those camps can be something for athletes and families to look forward to when the outbreak slows — fingers crossed for sooner rather than later. Optimism, people.

When that happens, we hope our guide — which features more than 25 pages of camps to choose from — will help families find the right outlet to enjoy sports again.

And while you wait, we’ll keep working on getting you content to keep you company. Coming in April we’ll be announcing our All-NorCal boys and girls basketball teams and resuming our Big 10 Anniversary Project featuring lists of the top 10 athletes of each sport from the first decade of SportStars.

Hunker down. Remember that this too shall pass. And when it does, Northern California will be ready to play again. ✪

YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #11, March 20, 2020 Whole No. 178 is published by Caliente!

Communications, LLC, PO Box 741, Clayton, CA 94517. SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Receive FREE Digital Subscription in your inbox. Subscribe at SportStarsMag. com. To receive sample issues, please send $3 per copy, or $8 total for bulk. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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ashley hiraki Archbishop Mitty-San Jose - Basketball - Senior In what would be her final high school game, Hiraki delivered a superb all-around performance to help lead the Monarchs to a 69-53 win over St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda in the CIF Northern Regional Open Division Championship on March 10. Hiraki scored a team-high 18 points and added six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The win improved Mitty to 26-3 on the season and advanced them to the Open Div. state final that was set for March 14. However, all CIF state finals were cancelled due to cautionary measures amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Mitty will finish the year ranked No. 1 in SportStars’ Final NorCal Top 20 Rankings.

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Behind the Clipboard by Clay Kallam

Truth In

CONSEQUENCES The Tough Questions Administrators, Athletes Face Amid Coronavirus Cancellations

T

here’s only one senior season.

But there’s also only one Junior Prom, and one Senior Ball. There’s also likely just one shot at a lead role in the school play – and of course, the list goes on.

So first, try to put the disappointment and frustration of these outbreak-related cancellations in perspective. It’s not just athletes who are losing unique experiences that can never be repeated. It’s not just athletes who are missing out on something important, something irreplaceable.

And of course, it’s not high school students who are likely to get critically ill, wind up on ventilators and even die — which is why we’re all sitting inside right now, keeping our social distance and wishing there were some games to watch on TV. It’s easy to get angry at the people who made the decision to cancel school, and spring sports, and so much else, but try to shift gears a little, and look at it from a different point of view.

If you had the power to reverse the decision and play the state basketball championships, would you? Some will say “Yes” right away. No one’s sick yet, right? No one’s died, right?

True. So you let the games be played, but without fans. The teams travel to Sacramento, and mingle with others from different places. As it turns out, one person has been exposed to COVID-19, and a few players from a team get it. It’s not serious for teenagers, of course, but then a parent comes down with it. It’s like a bad case of the flu, nothing too serious — but then the player’s grandmother winds up in the hospital. And dies.

Maybe you can convince yourself it wasn’t your fault. Maybe the grandmother would have gotten COVID-19 anyway, and died anyway. Maybe your decision didn’t have anything to do with the grief and sorrow that family must deal with.

But maybe it did. Maybe you look in the mirror the next morning and wonder “Is a state championship that important? Is that final game worth someone’s life? Did I actually just kill someone?”

Yes, the odds of that happening are very low, but it’s a classic zero-infinity equation – that is, the chances of a particular event happening are close to zero, but the consequences should it happen are near infinite. So would you roll the dice with someone’s life? Would you let the games be played if the chances of someone dying as a result of your decision were one in a hundred? One in a thousand?

That’s the conversation the administrators had, and it’s not just an organization trying to protect itself from lawsuits — it’s human beings realizing that the decisions they are making are literally a matter of life and death.

Of course, there’s the bigger picture to consider, the chances that travel to Sacramento from all over the state will result in COVID-19 spreading faster than it would have otherwise, and thus putting more pressure on a health system that is simply not designed to deal with a pandemic. Even if there’s no direct impact from the choice to play the games, there’s no way to measure the indirect impact.

So that senior season of softball, the one you’ve been looking forward to, is a casualty of COVID-19. So is the shot at the state track meet. And so is the solo in the spring concert, and the spectacular outfit for the Senior Ball. It hurts. All of those things hurt. None can be replaced.

But would getting rid of the hurt be worth your best friend’s grandmother’s life? Or maybe a lot of grandmothers’ lives?

Those are the real questions, the real issues. And though a state championship might seem pretty important to you right now, it might not seem that important if you had to go to the funeral and watch your best friend sob. ✪

Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and coached numerous sports at a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area. His Behind the Clipboard Q&A Column appears monthly. Email him at claykallam@gmail.com.

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Life Sa NCVA’s Evan Orlando Donates Marrow After Being Marked As A Match Game, set, Be The Match.

The majority of blood cancer patients — people with varying forms of leukemia, lymphoma, or sickle cell — don’t have a matching donor in their family. As a result they require a transplant from a stranger in order to survive.

Their doctors search the Be The Match registry, looking for a matching donor. Unfortunately, that need arises

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every day and approximately 14,000 times every year.

The challenge is in finding the perfect “match” for those patients in need of a transplant. This year, NCVA’s very own Evan Orlando was able to help save the life of one of those patients in need.

Years prior, Evan joined the registry by filling out some information and swabbing the inside of his cheek. It took roughly ten minutes for Evan to join the registry and years

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aver of waiting before he received a call from Be The Match.

After being on the registry for years, Evan was matched with an individual across the globe who was in need of a marrow donation. In true hero fashion, Evan did not hesitate to say yes.

They scheduled a check-up, to make sure he was physically fit, and organized some tests to ensure he was a perfect match. The donation process includes injections of filgrastim, which helps increase the number of bloodforming cells in the body. Once he was set, Evan was asked if he would be willing to travel to the new transplant center in Boca Raton, Florida, to do the donation.

In most cases the donor stays in the state they live in, but occasionally the donor may be asked to fly to a transplant center. The trip is covered by Be The Match, including meals, rental car, and hotel stay for the donor and one other individual to join. Additionally, if an individual misses work it is also covered.

The donation is simple. In 80 percent of cases, marrow donations are similar to donating blood. An IV is inserted into the left arm, and not remotely what individuals see on television. Patients are free to watch movies, surf the web or enjoy some rest while blood is being drawn.

Evan donated in February. He has no idea who his recipient is, and will be unable to know for at least one year.

What is known is, he saved a life. Evan selflessly donated marrow to a stranger in need. When asked if he would donate again should he be needed, he did not hesitate to respond with a simple, “Of course.”

Evan continues to be an advocate and encourages others to join the registry by going to Join.bethematch. org/ncva and ordering a swab kit. Ten minutes or less can potentially give someone years to live, and continue to inspire hope. ✪ — Gilbert Martinez for NCVA and Be The Match

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COUNTDOWN TO National No. 1 And CIF State Champion Chase “Satellite” Saldate Is An Other-Worldly Wrestling Sensation Story by Ike Dodson. Photos by Tony Rotundo

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Gilroy High coach Daniel Cormier, right, embraces Saldate in the immediate celebration of his state championship win.

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The countdown for Chase “Satellite” Saldate’s liftoff into orbit begins now.

After he graduates from Gilroy High, the 152-pound InterMat National No. 1 and 2020 CIF champion wrestler will spend a year in East Lansing getting used to what he calls “man strength” on the Michigan State roster.

This doesn’t mean Saldate won’t be seen. The prep superstar has rocketed to viral viewing on popular social networking platforms, blazing an innovative path that he hopes will elevate the sport as his career flourishes.

Saldate’s redshirt season will also help him get acclimated with collegiate coursework and scheduling, after four years with Gilroy coaches Greg Varela and former UFC Champion and wrestling Olympian Daniel Cormier.

Cormier, known as “DC” to the wrestling and MMA community, is Saldate’s former neighbor. He took over the program when Varela departed the program for Los Gatos followig the 2017-18 season.

“I was super close with DC even before he was the head coach,” Saldate said. “We have a great relationship and I think it’s huge for him to come back and coach high school wrestling.

“It shows how much he really cares for us and how much he cares for Gilroy.”

DC’s prestige creates some remarkable opportunities in the wrestling room. This postseason Saldate had the privilege of training with grappling superstars before his state title run — guys like UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and UFC contender Islam Makhachev. Video of Saldate’s sparring bout with Nurmagomedov flooded Facebook, and on Saldate’s TikTok account (@satellite._), a short clip of their action received 3.6 million views and over 460,500 likes.

Saldate’s “Satellite” brand is a remarkable blend of wrestling and MMA celebrity encounters, fun journals about his prep

career, move tutorials and light-hearted moments with his teammates. He has nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok, and another 24,500 followers on his Instagram page (@chasesaldate). YouTube is home to Saldate’s training videos, highlights and even his own popular podcast (Satellite Talk). Saldate has another 7,440 subscribers on the platform and has posted content with more than 616,800 views.

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IN ORBIT 00 Nearly 200,0 s er w follo More than 5

million likes

ers 1,161 Follow

wers 24,500 follo

ribers

7,440 Subsc

0,000 views

More than 60

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6 “We want more wrestlers to be household names.”

— Chase Saldate

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It’s a targeted effort.

“We want to get more fans in general,” Saldate explained.

“If you really think about it, fans of wrestling are either people who have wrestled before, or they have family members who wrestle.

“The ultimate goal is to get somebody random to know a wrestler, so that the average person knows who (Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs) is. We want more wrestlers to be household names.”

Saldate said Michigan State coach Roger Chandler loves the videos and will support Saldate’s viral efforts at East Lansing.

If Saldate can help Michigan State return to the NCAA top 25, that would also make Chandler’s day — though the Spartans did upset national No. 4 Wisconsin on Feb. 9.

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The entire Saldate family takes a picture in the Chase Saldate T-Shirts they wore to the state championships. (Contributed photo)

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Saldate has the talent to achieve remarkable heights.

The three-time CIF state place winner was undefeated this season with championship medals at the Clovis West Shootout, Reno TOC, Doc Buchanan, Five Counties, MidCals and Central Coast Section championships.

At state, he pinned every opponent but one — Buchanan-Clovis’ Reymundo Raiz — who he beat 14-0 in the semifinals. He had one of only two pins in the CIF boys finals, and the fastest by 40 seconds.

The wrestler Saldate pinned, Rancho Bernardo-San Diego’s Tyler Badgett, was a returning state runner-up ranked No. 8 in the country.

To win Five Counties, Saldate also beat Sonny Santiago of St. John Bosco-Bellflower with a 9-1 score. Santiago, ranked No. 4 in the country, was a returning state champion. He took third this year after losing to Badgett in the semifinals.

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The pressure of being a national No. 1 did little to shake Saldate from his flight path.

“I don’t see myself as the No. 1 kid in the country, even though I am,” Saldate said. “I expected that to change the way I feel but it really hasn’t.

“When people ask me if I am a good wrestler I usually just say, ‘I’m OK.’” Saldate answered the same way when asked if he was any good at golf. He was on the links with Gilroy’s golf program just a week after state.

Considering he shot a 61 across nine holes at Gilroy Golf Course (par 35) on March 2, we can believe his golf assessment a little easier.

Saldate swings clubs alongside golfing greenhorn Henry Porter, a threetime CIF medalist himself, who finished third for Gilroy this year.

If Saldate gets into any trouble, Porter is a likely accomplice.

“We went to the skate park before state, but we couldn’t tell DC,” Saldate admitted. “We were doing tricks down five, six stairs (Porter on a skateboard and Saldate on a scooter). Our parents hate it. We thought about that, breaking an ankle before state. We risked it, but we were lucky.”

Porter is committed to wrestle at Indiana, just a five hour drive from Michigan State. It’s only two and a half hours if they meet at a skatepark in the middle.

“They are going to have to watch us,” Saldate said with a laugh.

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Saldate said he expects his little brother, 2020-21 freshman Logan Saldate, to win a state medal before he wraps up his career at Palma-Salinas.

Logan doesn’t have a storied youth career, but he is Chase’s partner for some of the wrestling training videos he shares, like the sweet Russian tie snap lesson that quickly garnered 72,747 views on YouTube.

Chase’s older sister, Macie Saldate, is waiting for him at Michigan State, already a team manager with the wrestling program. Their parents, Amy and Jimmy Saldate, helped organize a massive entourage of family to cheer Chase on at the CIF tourney.

They all wore matching T-shirts.

“I have to give a huge shoutout to all my cousins for going to state,” Chase said.

“It was so awesome to have like 20 people there for me.”

Chase is also a regular at local car dealerships, and will often test drive his

favorite vehicles.

“My mom gets mad because I tell her I’m just going to get a loan and buy one,” Chase said.

His current pleasure is a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, but a Satellite really needs a rocket ship. ✪

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WRESTLE LIKE James Logan Clutches CIF Championship As Girls Wrestling Builds NCAA “Emerging Sport” Momentum

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E A GIRL Story by Ike Dodson

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CIF Girls State Team Champions from the first 10 years of the event: 2020 — James Logan (NCS) 2019 — San Fernando (LA) 2018 — Selma (CS) 2017 — Alisal (CCS) 2016 — Selma (CS) 2015 — Enochs (SJS) 2014 — Albany (NCS) 2013 — Northview (SS) 2012 — West Covina (SS) 2011 — West Covina (SS)

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››››››››››

ONE DECADE DOWN

S

aturdays are officially for the girls.

Wrestling’s highest divisions have been invaded by college and prep athletes looking to define their generation of athletics with accolades in of the one of the fastest growing sports in the nation.

On Feb. 29, James Logan-Union City became the eighth different champion in the 10-year history of the CIF Girls Wrestling Championships. James Logan is also the second school to claim that honor at the unified boys-girls championship event, in front of a massive crowd at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield.

Girls who achieve prep greatness in California have increasingly better opportunities for glory at the next level.

In January, NCAA Division II and III voted to approve women’s wrestling as an “Emerging Sport” at the NCAA Convention in Anaheim. NCAA Division I will vote in April.

The first Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for Div. I, II and III programs wrapped up March 7 at Adrian College in Michigan and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes wrestlers competed in the NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational on March 14 at Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, North Dakota.

If the NCAA can field 40 girls varsity programs in the near future, women’s wrestling will be eligible for an official NCAA championship event. It’s the logical step for a sport that has been Olympic-level since 2004.

And women’s wrestling has flourished in the U.S. Helen Maroulis became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold at the most recent Games (2016 Rio) and U.S. Women were major players in the 2020 Pan-Am Championships in Ottawa March 6-9.

The collegiate field is littered with California talent, like Alledia Martinez (Selma), Gracie Figueroa (Selma), Tiana Jackson (Central Catholic-Modesto) and Solin Piearcy (Cupertino), all former CIF champions among the nation’s best at NAIA power Menlo College. Menlo’s Precious Bell (third in the 2016 CIF championships for Eastside-Lancaster) is also among the NAIA elite.

Six seniors won their weight classes at 2020 girls state, including NorCal’s Ariana Pereira (Newark Memorial) at 160 pounds, Alia Abushi (Arroyo-San Lorenzo) at 189 and 101-pound champ Lizette Rodriguez of

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CAN’T CATCH THE

COLTS

2020 Girls State Championship team scoring: 1. James Logan-Union City 94 2. San Fernando

90

3. Pitman-Turlock

64

4. Orland

60

5. Silver Creek-San Jose 53.5 6. Albany

52

7. Selma

47

8. Corona

45

8. Northview-Covina

45

8. Upland

45

8. Yucaipa

45

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››››››››››

James Logan.

Rodriguez, also ranked No. 13 in the nation by FloWrestling, beat No. 4 seed and Southern Section champ Brianna Gonzalez of Arroyo-San Lorenzo in a 7-2 finale to win her weight class and ultimately clinch James Logan’s team title.

“Lizette has been a great wrestler since middle school,” James Logan coach Robert Flores said. “She surprised us as a sophomore when she took second in the state, but then as a junior, she was seeded No. 2 but lost a devastating match in quarters and ended up not placing.

“She learned a lot from that experience and she grew from it. I still think we have not seen her full potential.”

Rodriguez got some help from the opening round of the tournament, when No. 1 seed and national No. 2 Paige Morales (A Central-Fresno freshman) was upset and pinned by Abbeygae Cabuag of Sobrato. Morales came back to win seven straight matches (including an 18-3 tech-fall over Cabaug), but she never got her shot at Rodriguez.

James Logan’s state title was aided by six state qualifiers and four total place winners, including Alisha Narvaez (fourth, 126), Beyonce Garcia (eighth, 137) and Tatianna Herrera (fourth, 235). The Colts were an unlikely champion, considering returning state champs San Fernando brought a record 13 wrestlers and placed four, including runner-up Adelina Parra at 189. James Logan edged San Fernando just 94-90 in team scoring.

“I was telling coaches on staff that we could be top three, and didn’t think a championship would be a reality until after the quarterfinals,” Flores said. “I don’t think the girls even realized we were in the hunt.

“After Lizette won her match they announced that we were going to be state champions and the team swarmed her in the warm-up area, hugging her and jumping up and down like maniacs. They were really excited it actually happened.”

Flores said he was excited to see James Logan etch its name onto one of the landmarks of a growing sport.

“It’s the fastest growing sport in America,” he said. “Like I tell girls in middle school looking to wrestle, this sport can take you a lot of places. It also teaches hard work and discipline, and in California, it can get you on the biggest stage for wrestling.”

Flores also credited his staff, Nguyet Tran, Colin Malcolm and Eli Bagaoisan for the program’s success. ✪

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ALL-NORCAL WRESTLING

2019-2020 Ike’s Ironmen & Ironwomen: Saldate, Freitas and 22 NorCal teams represented in SportStars’ Third Annual All-NorCal Wrestling Honors Story & Photos by Ike Dodson Though it again spanned three grueling days, the combined Boys-Girls CIF Wrestling Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield was a resounding triumph for NorCal’s best talent.

The region’s boys escaped with only one champion, but NorCal girls claimed gold in eight of the 14 weight classes.

The North Coast (three qualifiers per weight), Central Coast (five qualifiers) and Northern (two qualifiers) sections combined for just nine total medalists, but the Sac-Joaquin Section impressed with big wins in the “blood round” (top-12) and brought home 20 medals.

Below is a look at the top performers from last week’s CIF championships, and four recipients of special “Most Valuable Wrestler” and “Breakout Wrestler” recognition.

Note: SportStars NorCal coverage includes the Central Coast, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, Northern, Oakland and San Francisco sections.

BOYS MOST VALUABLE WRESTLER CHASE SALDATE, SR., GILROY (CCS) The only NorCal state champion, Saldate also ended the year as the national No. 1 and capped his prep career

Lilly Freitas, 150 poumds

by going undefeated. He will redshirt his first year at Michigan State before aiming for All-American prestige as a redshirt freshman in 2022.

ALL-CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

GIRLS MOST VALUABLE WRESTLER

101 POUNDS (GIRLS)

LILLY FREITAS, SO., PITMAN-TURLOCK Freitas won her second-straight state title after another undefeated season, and still sports a perfect record in prep folkstyle matches. She pinned every opponent at state. Freitas is a cadet national champion who is gunning for a world cadet medal this offseason. She is a 2024 Olympic hopeful when the Games arrive in Paris.

Lizette Rodriguez, Sr., James Logan-Union City (NCS) Rodriguez led James Logan to the girls team title by winning this weight class at state. It helped when No. 1 seed Paige Morales of Central-Fresno was upset and pinned in the first

BOYS BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

round of the tournament, but Rodriguez beat Southern Sec-

CASEY ROBERTS, FR., VACAVILLE

tion champ Brianna Gonzalez of Arroyo-San Lorenzo to win

Only an on-the-bubble name before the SJS Masters and ranked as low as ninth (NorCal) and 31st (state) before the CIF tournament, Roberts exploded with a monster consolation bracket performance at state. He fought off elimination with five consecutive victories, ultimately placing seventh in the bracket. Roberts may be the only SJS wrestler in history to lose both his first match at Masters and his first match at state and come back to win a medal at both events.

GIRLS BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

the crown here. Rodriguez was also the NCS champ.

106 POUNDS (BOYS) Clarence Moore, Fr., Gilroy (CCS) This spot seemed destined for Oakdale sophomore Michael Torres until the consolation quarterfinals at state, where Torres was bested by Temecula Valley’s Ethan Perryman and dispatched to the seventh-place match. It’s the same round

ELENA IVALDI, FR., DEL ORO-LOOMIS (SJS)

where Moore outlasted Vacaville’s Isaiah Medina to reach the

She was only third at state, but Ivaldi beat the eventual repeat state champion (Folsom’s Desinee Lopez) twice dur-

top six. Moore ended sixth and beat two wrestlers who were

ing the postseason. Ivaldi is one of the top freshmen in California and will look to pick up her first gold in 2021.

seeded higher.

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106 POUNDS (GIRLS) Nyla Valencia, So., Sobrato-Morgan Hill (CCS) The CIF championships will probably be the last tournament of Valencia’s prep career where she goes unseeded.

She didn’t get much love for winning the CCS, but she made an immediate impact on the bracket, shellacking the No. 2 seed 9-1 in her second match. The No. 1 seed didn’t fare much better, as Valencia beat Alyssa Valdivia of Frontier-Camarillo 11-4 in the finale.

111 POUNDS (GIRLS) Lexy Beadles, So., Calaveras-San Andreas (SJS) Just third at the SJS Masters a week prior, Beadles stunned SJS champion Adrienna Turner of Davis 3-2 in the quarterfinals and ousted Southern Section champ Leah Gaitan of Yucaipa (No. 2 seed) in a 5-0 semifinals. Beadles ended runner-up at this weight to take the top NorCal honor here.

113 POUNDS (BOYS) Brayden Abell, So., Oakdale (SJS) Abell’s biggest moment of the season came in back-toback consolation rounds. The No. 7 seed faced eliminaFollow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

tion in the blood round, but hustled to a rare 16-1 technical fall in that spot against the No. 11 seed. A round later he overcame the No. 6 seed to make the fifth place match, where he fell in overtime to Dario Lemus of Clovis. Abell was also the SJS champion.

116 POUNDS (GIRLS) Desinee Lopez, Jr., Folsom (SJS) Prior losses to Del Oro’s Elena Ivaldi mattered little at state, where Lopez won four straight decision victories to claim CIF gold. She beat No. 2 seed Charlotte Kouyoumtjian of Monache-Porterville 6-5 in the finals. Kouyoumtjian had pinned Ivaldi in the semifinals.

120 POUNDS (BOYS) Carter Bailey, Jr., Granada-Livermore (CCS) One of only two NCS place-winners, Bailey landed where he was seeded when he finished 4-2 in the bracket and reached the semifinals. He upset No. 4 Richard CastroSandoval of Santa Ynez in the quarterfinals and bested No. 10 Fernando Barreto of Rowland-Rowland Heights in the fifth-place match.

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Damion Elliott, 126

Jennifer Soto , 121 121 POUNDS (GIRLS) Jennifer Soto, So., Orland (NS) After leading her team to a SJS Masters title, Soto successfully defended her state crown with two first-round pins and a 5-2 decision over No. 2 seed Melanie Mendoza of Selma, a returning fourth-place medalist, in the 121-pound finals. Soto also had a 10-second pin in the tournament semifinals and survived a 7-4 quarterfinal decision against the No. 8 seed.

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126 POUNDS (BOYS) Damion Elliott, So., Del Oro-Loomis (SJS) Elliott has the remarkable distinction of winning 16 consecutive matches in his 2020 postseason campaign, before falling 12-3 to three-time CIF champion (and four-time hopeful) Maximo Renteria of Buchanan-Clovis in the 126 finals at state. Elliott’s big triumph was a surprising 3-2 upset of No. 3 seed Wayne Joint of Lemoore in the quarterfinals, but that only guaranteed a medal. A round later he took advantage of No. 7 Kimo Leia’s upset of No. 2 Jason Miranda of Poway by beating Leia 7-3 to make the finals.

126 POUNDS (GIRLS) Adaugo Nwachukwu, Jr., Silver Creek-San Jose (CCS) The CCS champion rolled through the 126 bracket with one of the best single performances of the tournament, including a round No. 1 technical fall, two pins and a 16-6 shellacking of the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Southern Section champion Samantha Barragan of Hemet. Nwachukwu was fourth at state last year.

131 POUNDS (GIRLS) Maya Letona, Sr., Santa Cruz (CCS) Letona came up big in two tight decisions to reach the state finals — a 6-4 win over NCS champ Desirea Tauluuluu of Antioch and a 3-2 decision over Bella Vista-Fair Oaks’s Emily Alderman. In the finals, a close score went the other way. She slipped just 5-4 to state champ Tiera Jimerson of Northview-Covina.

132 POUNDS (BOYS) Adrian Heras, Sr., Turlock (SJS) An injury default from the seventh-place match wasn’t the punctuated ending Heras had imagined, but he made the medal podium at state by beating No. 9 seed Noah Tolentino of Poway, the San Diego Section champ. Heras was also an excellent SJS Masters champ at 132.

137 POUNDS (GIRLS) Joanna Qiu, Sr., Albany (NCS) The NCS champion followed her section title with a No. 3 seed at state. She fulfilled the prophecy after losing in the state semifinals and winning two straight in consolation to take bronze. She beat No. 1 seed Faalia Martinez of Central Catholic-Modesto 7-3 in the third-place match.

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Kendall LaRosa, 160

Nicholas Villarreal, 285 138 POUNDS (BOYS) Henry Porter, Jr., Gilroy (CCS) It’s the same spot his best mate, Chase Saldate, held down last year. Porter is now a three-time place-winner, winning his first two with Oakdale in the SJS. Porter thrived after transferring to Gilroy, but he couldn’t overcome Southern Section runner-up Isaac Salas of St. John Bosco-Bellflower in a 6-3 state semifinal. In consolation, Porter pinned No. 5 finisher Zach Watts of Clovis North-Fresno and outlasted CS champion Kyler Lake of Buchanan in a 5-4 score for third.

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143 POUNDS (GIRLS) Emmily Patneaud, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) The CCS champion rebounded from a semifinal defeat by beating Gianna Anaya of San Fernando in a tight 5-2 score. In the third-place match she outlasted Annie Hua of FremontSunnyvale for the third time in two weeks. They had also met in the CCS finals and state quarterfinals.

145 POUNDS (BOYS) Eli Blake, Sr., Del Oro (SJS) This spot seemed likely in the hands of Oakdale’s Cesar Garza after he took down Blake in overtime to win the SJS Masters finals. At state they met again in the consolation quarterfinals, where Blake sent Garza to the seventh-place match by shutting out his Oakdale rival, 6-0. Blake is a three-time medalist. He beat No. 4 seed Luke Gayer of Calvary Chapel-Santa Ana in the fifth-place match to snare the best of the three.

150 POUNDS (GIRLS) Lilly Freitas, So., Pitman (SJS) The top girl in California, Freitas defended her crown with five straight pins at state. The first four lasted a combined 2:25 before a 3:24 pin of fellow finalist Maddie Konopka (Hannah Ricioli-El Molina-Forestville). Freitas was also the SJS champion.

Desinee Lopez, 116 pounds

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152 POUNDS (BOYS) Chase Saldate, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) National No. 1 Saldate did not disappoint on California’s biggest stage.

He won his first four matches by pin and dominated Reymundo Raiz of Buchanan (ended fourth) in a 14-0 semifinal. In the CIF finals, Saldate muscled Tyler Badgett of Rancho Bernardo-San Diego (a returning state runner-up) into pin position and captured the fall with two seconds left in the opening round.

160 POUNDS (BOYS) Kendall LaRosa, Sr., Pitman (SJS) The SJS champion earned this spot by beating his stiffest NorCal competition, Windsor’s Trent Silva, in a 4-0 consolation semifinal. LaRosa lost his quarterfinal rematch with Rocco Contino of Buchanan in the third-place match, but brought home his first state medal in three attempts. LaRosa has bagged 10 wins at state in three years.

160 POUNDS (GIRLS) Ariana Pereira, Sr., Newark Memorial (NCS) The returning CIF runner-up and NCS champion upheld her No. 1 seed by winning three matches by pin and surviving upsets in the final two rounds of the state tournament. Pereira survived a 5-4 showdown with Alyssa Arana of San Fernando in the semifinals and beat No. 2 seed Francesca LoPresti of Albany 2-1 in the finals. LoPresti was third in CA last year.

170 POUNDS (BOYS) JT Stinson, Sr., East Nicolaus (NS) The football and wrestling star from tiny “East Nic” enjoyed a sensational season punctuated by his fourth trip to state, third section title (one in the SJS for Del Oro) and third CIF medal. He got better each year, placing seventh (2018), fifth (2019) and third (2020). This year’s feat was aided by

Donovan Giangregorio, 195 pounds

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overtime wins in the quarterfinals and consolation semifinals. He also beat Poway’s Alex Hernandez 3-2 in the bronze medal match.

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170 POUNDS (GIRLS) Valerie Osborne, Sr., Oakdale (SJS) Surprisingly the second and final Oakdale wrestler on this list, Osborne excelled as unseeded in the 170 bracket, despite winning the SJS Masters. She won two straight matches before slipping to the consolation bracket, where three straight wins (including a pin of the No. 4 seed) led her to an eventual fourth place.

182 POUNDS (BOYS) Kodiak Stephens, Jr., Bret Harte-Angels Camp (SJS) Stephens won a critical match by pinning NorCal’s next-best, Carston Rawls of St. Francis-Mountain View, in the quarters. Stephens then upset No. 5 seed Jadon Martin of Buchanan to reach the bronze-medal match, where he finished fourth. Stephens’s only losses were to third-place Javen Jovero of Rancho Bernardo.

189 POUNDS (GIRLS) Alia Abushi, Sr., Arroyo-San Lorenzo (CCS) One of the more dominant performers at state, Abushi is a returning state champ who defended her No. 1 seed with a 3:16 pin of the No. 2 seed (San Fernando’s Adelina Parra) in the 189-pound finals. She had three other pins and prevailed 6-2 in a semifinal showdown with Silver Creek-San Jose’s Julianna Bolli.

195 POUNDS (BOYS) Donovan Giangregorio, Jr., Calaveras (SJS) The SJS champ from the Mother Lode League capped his second trek to state with his first hardware. He avenged the loss that dropped him to consolation by beating Selma senior Rudy Garcia 3-2 in the seventhplace match. Giangregorio pinned No. 8 seed Shan Hansen of Oceanside to guarantee a medal.

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220 POUNDS (BOYS) Jacob Christensen, Jr., Durham (NS) The No. 1 seed ended runner-up at state after a 9-4 defeat to Southern Section champ Brandon Leon of Roosevelt-Los Angeles. Christensen was the Northern Section champ and a returning medalist who enjoyed 10 tournament victories and only the lone loss to Leon on the season. Since Leon beat Elk Grove’s Peter Ming (third in the state) in the semifinals, Christensen didn’t have to see a rematch of the wrestler he beat 2-1 in the first action of the season.

235 POUNDS (GIRLS) Lilly McCoy, Sr., Casa Grande-Petaluma (NCS) The NCS runner-up had a terrific run through the consolation bracket after being pinned by state champion Julia Richey of Newbury Park. After the loss, McCoy won four straight matches, including back-to-back pins to close the tournament. She stuck Tatianna Herrera of James Logan (third in the NCS) in the bronze medal match.

285 POUNDS (BOYS) Nicholas Villarreal, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) The CCS champ is a three-time CIF place-winner and now two-time runner-up after being pinned by Josiah Hill of Bakersfield in the state finals. Villarreal is committed to wrestle for Fresno State. He clinched NorCal’s top honor at this weight by beating SJS champion Chris Island (Vacaville) in a 4-2 semifinal. With Lucas Cook (Lincoln-Lincoln) ending fourth and Island fifth, there were three NorCal wrestlers in the top five at state. Villarreal was the best of the bunch. ✪

Kodiak Stephens, 182 pounds

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VIRAL DISRUPTION Twelve NorCal Basketball Teams See State Championship Dreams End After Coronavirus Outbreak Forces CIF To Pull Plug On Finals

By Mike Wood and Jim McCue Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

Paul Kitagaki Jr./ZUMA Wire

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T

he sudden cancellation of the CIF State Basketball Championships brought the stark reality of the Coronavirus pandemic to the high school sports world.

The CIF announced it was shutting down the two-day event nearly 24 hours before championship games were to begin at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The decision came hours after the NBA shut down its regular season indefinitely and the NCAA began cancelling its postseason tournaments, including the eventual cancellation of both of its March Madness tournaments.

Emotions ran high at team meetings throughout California as teams tried to process it all.

“When you see your kids losing it, crying like that, it is really tough,” said Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland girls coach Malik McCord, whose team was slated to face Rosary Academy-Fullerton for the Division I championship on the first night of the championships. “We talked for an hour and a half, and it went from a lot of tears and crying to a lot of positives.

“We ended up looking at other people who have it worse than us not having a state championship game. We looked at what’s important: What about those people working in those arenas who have hourly jobs to get by on? But I am not going to lie ... it was tough.”

Stunned would describe the mood at an impromptu team meeting of NorCal Division III boys champions St. Mary’s-Berkeley.

“Dumbfounded was the feeling; there was more silence than venting, which I could understand,” Panthers boys coach Rich Buckner said. “I was at a loss for words, as I am now. It’s the right thing to do, to cancel this, for the safety and health of all of us.

“I’ve never lost to a pandemic before that ends our season. How do you explain that to kids? You don’t.”

After meetings with its Executive Officers, the CIF cancelled the full slate of championship games March 13-14, and two remaining regional finals, including a March 12 Open Division boys showdown between Sheldon-Sacramento and Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland.

“While we understand this decision is disappointing, we strongly believe that the opportunity to compete in this event does not outweigh our obligation to place the health and safety of our member schools and school communities above all else,” CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti said in a media release.

Suddenly, teams ranging from six-time girls champions and Central Coast Section powerhouse Archbishop Mitty-San Jose to Oakland Tech — which emerged from the tiny Oakland Section to play for a chance at a second straight state title — were shut out of their season-long goal. Players with well-intentioned tunnel vision toward basketball suddenly had to reverse their lense to the broader national and world communities.

“This is bigger than basketball, and that’s the lessons they were learning; the lifelong relationships don’t end here,” said St. Mary’s-Berkeley girls basketball coach Chris Toler, whose team would have faced Paloma Valley-Menifee in a quest to win the program’s first state title. “All of us are going to be here, God willing, and we have other things that are important still to come.”

For Sheldon, winners of the past two NorCal Open Division championships, it was the end of a week-long rollercoaster. The Huskies were originally forced out of the state tournament due to a shutdown of all school activities by the Elk Grove Unified School District, then were reinstated back in the field 24 hours later after a lot of public and political outcry.

A 59-58 win over Dublin sent Sheldon into an Open Division NorCal final against the Dragons set for March 12, two days before the scheduled Open Div. boys state final. Like all teams still playing, they were left to ponder what-ifs.

“The hardest thing is wondering if we, as a public school, could have gotten back to the final and could have beaten them,” Sheldon coach Joey Rollings said of the potential and anticipated third-straight chance to take down Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth, the mighty private school that has attracted multiple NBA offspring in the last three years. “We had a great season and got out and played some great teams. There is a lot to be proud of in this team and the players.”

The decision to cancel the CIF finals was announced the morning after

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Bishop O’dowd boys coach Lou Richie, left, and his staff take in the action during the 2020 MLK Classic at Saint Mary’s College in January (Berry Evans III photo).

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the NBA shut down all its games, including a Sacramento Kings-New Orleans Pelicans game minutes before tipoff at Golden 1 Center. A referee for that contest had worked the March 9 game with the Utah Jazz, whose players Rudy Gobert and later Donovan Mitchell had tested positive for COVID-19.

When the NBA news broke, all concur the state championships’ fate seemed sealed. Even still, McCord said he was up until 2-3 a.m. preparing for a game that was unlikely to happen.

For Sheldon, it was another sudden turn of the rollercoaster.

“Once the NBA and others announced that they were shutting down, we kind of figured that there was a good chance that (the CIF State Championships) would be cancelled,” Rollings said.

“We were privileged to have that last game against Dublin and appreciate everything that the CIF and others did to make that happen. We were hoping to have at least one more game, but it was the right thing to do. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

For O’Dowd and coach Lou Richie, the reality of COVID-19 hit home. Utah Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, a 2003 O’Dowd alum and former star player at the school, had been under quarantine.

“They say there are seven degrees of separation, but now it seems it is down to two degrees,” Richie said. “We are very close, no blood lines but we are like brothers. The Utah coaching tree, like the O’Dowd coaching tree, is so thick. It brings this home.”

There was disappointment that O’Dowd would not have a chance to add to its rich boys basketball history, which includes a record 19 North Coast Section boys championships, 10 state championship appearances and state titles in 1981 and 2015. They were hours away from traveling to Cosumnes River College to face Sheldon, which beat the Dragons 61-60 in the 2018 boys NorCal Open Div. final.

“All this week we were in communication with Coach Rollings, wishing him the best of luck after getting back in, then offering congrats on their win,” Richie said. “After the news of the cancellation, he reached out to me and our team and was so gracious and kind. I responded, and in the spirit of competition, I told him ‘Great job, great season and we can’t wait to meet you again’ and sent our love and prayers to the Sheldon family.”

Campolindo-Moraga was enjoying a storybook boys postseason run. The Cougars, the lone NorCal boys team to win a state title a year ago, moved from Division III to Division I and landed in that final by beating Serra-San Mateo 65-57 at home, followed by road wins over Capital Christian-Sacramento (60-58), Salesian-Richmond (60-59) and De La Salle-Concord (54-49). The team was practicing, preparing to face Ribet Academy-Los Angeles in an improbable matchup of No. 7 vs. No. 8 seeds, when news of the NBA shutdown broke on social media.

“I think there was an uneasy feeling all week but we had hoped that things could fall together and we would play the game,” Cougars coach Steven Dyer said. “During basketball season and especially during playoffs we’re in a bubble from the outside world, but (Wednesday) when the guys saw, ‘Oh wow Rudy Gobert tested positive’ and then the NCAA cancelling some of its tournaments, they were looking at this being serious.”

A team meeting after the CIF games were cancelled was emotional, especially for spirited team leader Carter Mahaney, one of four Campolindo seniors. He’ll play next season at Northern Arizona. “We did everything we could, but there were things out of our control,” Dyer said.

“We will cherish the good times during the season and pay respects to the four seniors who led us this way.”

The St. Mary’s campus was focused on having both its boys and girls team going for state titles.

“Yesterday we were all consoling each other; it was a refreshing sight and it was heartbreaking,” Toler said Friday. “Our chemistry was incredible. We preached this year that there were only two things in basketball you can control: attitude and effort. This was about managing their feelings. It was having them express their feelings and listen to them, and how we could all control what we could and what we couldn’t.”

Buckner said he was still getting text messages from his players on Friday, lamenting that this was the last time they would be playing. And the school had a unique opportunity in that its boys and girls teams were in back-to-back state championship games on Friday.

“We had busloads of students headed up,” he said. “It was one of those things that 10-15 years from now, they can say, ‘Remember when both our boys and girls played for a championship at the Sacramento Kings arena?’”

O’Dowd’s girls have won three state championships, including the inaugural Open Division title in 2013. The Dragons, who had seven seniors, were eager to face Rosary Academy, whom they defeated 43-40 at the Nike Tournament of Champions, and to whom they lost to 75-58 in last year’s State Div. I final. After the cancellation, the players were still trying to figure out a way to face Rosary again. “The girls were saying, ‘Can we play them in a scrimmage, or play in another state?’” McCord said.

Communication was the best remedy for the disappointment of the news.

“They are going to remember this day for the rest of their lives, but you know, kids are resilient,” Richie said. “When we talked to our kids, we said, OK, how are you feeling? … Telling them you did a great job, but you can’t control everything. Their lives will go on. It’s a teachable moment.” ✪ Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Final NorCal Boys Ba Bishop Odowd’s Marsalis Roberson

Previous rank in parenthesis

1. (2) ▲ Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, 23-7 The Dragons first time at No. 1 this season comes in the final ranking. They were denied a shot at No. 3 SheldonSacramento when the NorCal Open final was cancelled along with the rest of the CIF postseason. Prior to that, O’Dowd defeated sitting No. 1 Mitty in the regional semifinals. The Dragons finished the season 18-0 vs. NorCal opponents.

2. (1) ▼ Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, 24-8 In the absence of a head-to-head with Sheldon, we gave the Monarchs the edge based on winning a Central Coast Section Open Div. title in a field that included five teams within the Top 15 of our final rankings.

3. (3) — Sheldon-Sacramento, 28-5 It was a rollercoaster of a CIF postseason for the two-time defending NorCal Open championships. Nearly forced out of the tournament when its district shutdown over COVID-19 concerns, Sheldon was able to get back in for one more game and earn a 59-58 comeback victory over No. 4 Dublin.

4. (4) — Dublin, 24-7 Another stellar year for Tom Costello’s team included eight wins over teams among our final 20. The Gaels came up three points shy of No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd in the North Coast Section Div. I final, but rebounded to defeat No. 5 Bellarmine in a NorCal Open first round game.

5. (5) — Bellarmine-San Jose, 23-5 Bells were probably the best team that got the littlest fanfare this season. They had a 68-56 win over No. 2 Mitty and topped No. 12 Serra twice, including a stunning 65-14 result.

6. (6) — Archbishop Riordan-S.F., 23-5 The Crusaders were the top seed in the CIF Div. I bracket. But after winning their first two CIF Div. I regional contests, they were forced into a virus-related bow out before getting a shot at No. 8 De La Salle.

7. (10) ▲ Campolindo-Moraga, 26-8 After winning the Div. I NorCal title, the Cougars have now won their past nine state playoff games after winning the Div. II state title in 2018-19.

8. (8) — De La Salle-Concord, 24-8 The NCS Div. I champs’ season ended with a 54-49 loss to No. 7 Campolindo in the NorCal Div. I final. A 55-52 head-tohead win kept them one slot above Capital Christian-Sacramento.

9. (7) ▼ Capital Christian-Sacramento, 25-9 Every one of the Cougars’ six NorCal losses came against teams from these final Top 20 rankings, including two to No. 4 Sheldon.

10. (9) ▼ Salesian-Richmond, 25-7 There was no 31-0 start for the Pride this year, but the program remained as consistent as ever. Salesian’s season ended with a 60-59 loss to No. 7 Campolindo in the NorCal Div. I semis.

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asketball Top 20

Mitty’s Nigel Burris

Dublin’s Devon Jackson

11. (11) — Dougherty Valley-San Ramon, 22-7 The Wildcats were as high as No. 4 in mid-February before a knee injury to Montanabound senior Robby Beasley derailed their season.

12. (NR) ▲ Weston Ranch-Stockton, 27-5 This group began the year as our Preseason No. 4 and were out the rankings by January.

But veteran leadership steadied the ship and led the Cougars to a Div. II NorCal title.

13. (13) — Menlo-Atherton-Atherton, 23-5 Three of the Bears’ five losses came against No. 2 Mitty (twice) and No. 5 Bellarmine.

Their season ended in a CIF Div. I-quarterfinal loss to No. 8 De La Salle.

14. (14) — Serra-San Mateo, 18-9 Strength of schedule and wins over No. 11 Dougherty Valley and No. 6 Riordan assured the Padres of a Top 15 finish.

15. (12) ▼ Grant-Sacramento, 25-5 A CIF Div. I first-round win over previously-ranked San Leandro gave the Pacers a second-straight season of at least 26 wins. .

16. (NR) ▲ St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo, 21-10 The NorCal Div. II runner-up to No. 12 Weston Ranch had three wins over NorCal Div. III champ St. Mary’s-Berkeley and two wins over CCS Open-selection Sacred Heart PrepAtherton.

17. (17) — Vanden-Fairfield, 27-7 Before their season ended in a 76-62 CIF loss to No. 6 Riordan, the Vikings put together a resume that included a win over No. 9 Capital Christian.

18. (16) ▼ Granada-Livermore, 24-7 Outside of De La Salle and Dougherty Valley, no East Bay Athletic League team was more consistent than the Matadors. Granada finished as NCS Div. I runners-up to DLS.

19. (19) — Modesto Christian, 20-11 Injuries never really let the Crusaders reach their full potential in 2019-20. They did compile mid-season wins over ranked teams such as Oakland Tech and Gregori-Modesto.

20. (15) ▼ Branson-Ross, 30-3 The Bulls claimed the last spot over Div. III NorCal champ St. Mary’s-Berkeley thanks to wins over No.12 Weston Ranch and the Piedmont team that defeated St. Mary’s in the NCS Div. IV final.

DROPPED OUT: No. 18 Rocklin and No. 20 San Leandro ✪ Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Final NorCal Girls Bas Left to right: St. Joseph’s Sophie Nilsson, Makena Mastora, Talana Lepolo and Malia Mastora

Mitty’s Hunter Hernandez Previous rank in parenthesis

1. (1) — Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, 26-3 There’s no doubt the Monarchs were the best team in Northern California, and coach Sue Phillips and company would have liked nothing more than to prove their worth against No. 1 in the nation La Jolla Country Day in the Open title game. Expect more of the same next year, as only two seniors graduate.

2. (2) — St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda, 24-8 Despite midseason turmoil after the departure of coach Shawn Hipol, the Pilots rolled all the way to the NorCal Open finals, where they couldn’t get past Archbishop Mitty. And note that of those eight losses, three came against the Monarchs.

3. (5) ▲ Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, 23-7 The Dragons’ trip to the state championship game was another casualty of COVID-19, but coach Malik McCord and his team didn’t need anything else to validate another strong season. And like Mitty, the bulk of the firepower returns next year.

4. (4) — Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa, 29-4 Anya Choice carried a lot of the load for the Cardinals, and she carried it a long way. The North Bay’s finest knocked off St. Mary’s-Stockton before falling, like everyone else in Northern California, to Archbishop Mitty.

5. (3) ▼ Salesian-Richmond, 28-5 This year was supposed to be a step back for the Pride after graduation depleted the roster, but the young team stepped forward, only losing by two to Bishop O’Dowd in the NorCal Division I final. And this year, only two seniors graduate.

6. (6) — St. Mary’s-Stockton, 23-5 Some things never change. The Rams are always loaded with talent and are one of the best programs in California. This year, in fact, the biggest loss to a California team was five points.

7. (7) — Pinewood-Los Altos Hills, 25-5 Yet another team with plenty to look forward to, Pinewood returns all but one player from a 25-win team that knocked off Miramonte-Orinda in the first round of the NorCal Open.

8. (8) — Miramonte-Orinda, 23-6 That Matadors were a first-round loser in the NCS Open after posting another fine season, and had wins over both No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd and No. 7 Pinewood.

9. (9) — Menlo School-Atherton, 21-6 Menlo was one of the first teams to withdraw from the postseason due to COVID-19, missing a date with No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd. Still, a year that included a win over No. 7 Pinewood and a Top 10 ranking counts as a very successful season.

10. (10) — Heritage-Brentwood, 22-7 Backcourt injuries had a major impact on the Patriots. Though the perimeter threat wasn’t there, sister act of Abigail and Amanda Muse still powered Heritage into the NorCal Div. I quarterfinals.

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sketball Top 20

Cardinal Newman’s Anya Choice

11. (11) — Oakland Tech, 26-8 The quest for a second straight state title — this time in Division II rather than Division IV — was denied by the pandemic. However, Tech has clearly established itself as one of NorCal’s premier programs.

12. (12)— San Ramon Valley-Danville, 27-5 John Cristiano has built a powerhouse in the Wolves, and the word is that the middle schools are filled with up-and-coming talent — and only three seniors graduate.

13. (13) — Antelope, 29-4 Jzaniya Harriel is just a junior, and so the high-scoring, multi-talented guard will continue to torment opponents next year. The lineup around her will be restructured, but don’t expect much of a dropoff.

14. (14) — Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills, 24-7 The Trojans stormed their way into the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I final before losing to No. 6 St. Mary’s 56-45. No. 9 Menlo edged them 50-47 in the first round of regionals.

15. (15) — McClatchy-Sacramento, 26-5 Only eight teams in NorCal won more than 26 games this year. McClatchy has averaged that many every season since 2012-13.

16. (16) — Del Oro-Loomis, 24-11 Yes, the Golden Eagles had 11 losses, but those losses came at the hands of very good teams. Also, the 35 games were the most played by any NorCal team this year.

17. (17) — American-Fremont, 28-3 The Eagles have quietly become a dominant program in the Hayward/Fremont area. The schedule wasn’t quite as strong as some other teams, but expect that to change next season.

18. (18) — St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 27-7 The Panthers were left hanging, like Mitty and Oakland Tech, just one win away from a state title. After a brief lull, St. Mary’s is back among the East Bay elite.

19. (19) — Laguna Creek-Elk Grove, 28-4 As the youngest team on this list, by far, the Cardinals’ late-season stumbles can be forgiven. Next year, there will be no excuses.

20. (20) — Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, 16-10 While 16-10 is a long way from an unbeaten season, a win over No. 9 Menlo and a convincing NorCal victory over San Leandro earned the Gators this last spot.

DROPPED OUT: None.

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