NorCal Issue 141, November 2017

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Kazmeir Allen is the new state TD record holder

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Aquira DeCosta & Haley Jones are why the term ‘marquee matchup’ exists

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EXCLUSIVE: NorCal Top 20 Girls Hoops Rankings

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Campolindo girls hoops had a stunning season last year. Now it wants more.

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SportStars Preseason All-NorCal Girls Hoops

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EXCLUSIVE: NorCal Top 20 Boys Hoops Rankings

Dominant Dublin 32 The Gaels and Robby Beasley won the EBAL last year, but they aren’t some one-season wonders. They’re back. Pg. 24

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Grant boys hoops lost a star, but not expectations SportStars Preseason All-NorCal Boys Hoops

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Final girls volleyball state rankings during the week following the CIF State Championships on Dec. 2-3.

Wall-to-wall football postseason coverage through mid-December, including a State Bowl SportStars Extra on Dec. 19.

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JOIN OUR TEAM PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 EDITORIAL Editor@SportStarsMag.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsMag.com Assistant Editor Mike Wood Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Dave Kiefer, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn, Mark Tennis, James G. Kane, Harold Abend, Jill Daniels, Anthony Trucks, Erika Westhoff Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography James K. Leash, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Berry Evans III, Samuel Stringer, Jim Johnson, Dennis Lee Interns Joshua Howser, Krishna Gomatam Marketing/Events Ryan Arter

Haley Jones, left, and Aquira DeCosta

BIG PLAYERS

BIG PLAYS A s an editor, very few of my issue-to-issue tasks are a bigger pain in the neck than organizing photo shoots.

The first step is to make sure the kids are available.

And finding a one-hour window in the schedule of a high-level high school athlete, while they’re IN season?

Good luck. Now try arranging a meeting of two or three of them at once, with all of them coming from different geographic regions? You’ll need more than luck.

Oh, and just for an extra needling, there’s always the chance that you match up the athletes’ schedules — but none of your usual photographers are available. Trust us, photo shoot scheduling is evil. So much so that I didn’t have high hopes for our plan for this issue’s cover.

We knew the cover story was going to be on the season-long race for NorCal supremacy between nationally-ranked girls programs, St. Mary’s-Stockton and Archbishop Mitty-San Jose. Naturally, that called for the teams’ two celebrated stars: Aquira DeCosta of St. Mary’s and Haley Jones of Mitty.

DeCosta in Stockton. Jones in San Jose. SportStars HQ and most of its available photographers in Concord.

And a timeframe of 10 days to make it come together.

DeCosta and Jones made it work in four days. They quite literally were The Best.

Both players worked together to find a time window that matched up — it helped that they are friends after having played a season together on the Cal Stars Nike Elite club team last summer — and then messaged me

saying they could both meet us in Concord. It’s all we could do not to buy us some Rams and Monarchs gear on the spot.

There was still the hurdle of needing to find a photographer on less than 18 hours notice, but Berry Evans III of Foto-Pros came through. And then delivered with the camera as well.

In spending roughly 90 minutes with Aquira and Haley during the shoot, there was no denying why the two players are as successful as they’ve become — and why practically every college coach would want them in his or her program. DeCosta, a senior, signed her letter of intent to play for Baylor. Jones is the No. 6-ranked recruit in the nation for the Class of 2019. She’s got a very long line of suitors.

Both girls, despite the driving distance, weren’t just on time — but were early. They were also already in uniform, brought a ball with them, and were ready to go. Some might think this is the norm. It is not.

They were both extremely responsive to Evans as he ran the shoot, and gracious throughout. They were also very flexible as it took us a few tries to find an outdoor setting we liked for the shoot. I feel confident saying these two will absolutely be successful at the next level, and not just because of their supreme athletic talents.

In the meantime, I look forward to watching them lead their teams to what seems an inevitable clash of titans. Let’s get hoops season underway. Enjoy our deep dive into the next season of roundball. ✪

CREATIVE DEPARTMENT Art@SportStarsMag.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsMag.com PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsMag.com ADVERTISING Sales@SportStarsMag.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsMag.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com READER RESOURCES/ADMINISTRATION Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Info@SportStarsMag.com INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsMag.com COMMUNITY SPORTSTARS™ MAGAZINE A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsMag.com www.SportStarsMag.com

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Can’t Catch Kaz NorCal Or Not, Tulare’s Kazmeir Allen Is New State TD Record Holder

S

o who’s got the record for scoring touchdowns in one season in Northern California high school football?

I was headed to Tulare on Friday, Nov. 16 to see Tulare High’s Kazmeir Allen break the state record of 64 that was set in 2001 by Ventura’s Tyler Ebell and while I didn’t get there (more on that later), Allen himself wasn’t denied as he scored three touchdowns to break Ebell’s record.

Allen headed into the CIF Central Section Division II final with 66 for the season, including 15 he scored in Tulare’s last regular season game and first playoff game.

But does Tulare count as Northern California? Geographically, Tulare is about 30 minutes south of Fresno, and based on the number of Giants fans compared to Dodgers fans, is clearly NorCal. Bakersfield is where it gets more confusing. Down there, especially since Bakersfield was the Dodgers’ California League team for many years, there’s Dodgers fans galore and not many in orange-and-black.

Since the California Interscholastic Federation has for most sports included the CIF Central Section in Southern California regionals, most of the media in the Bay Area and in the Sac-Joaquin Section don’t tend to think of Fresno/Bakersfield as NorCal. In the CIF football bowls, however, there will be three Central Section teams in the north and three in the south and for Cal-Hi Sports state record keeping purposes the Central Section (including Bakersfield) has always been in the north.

Plus, just to better even out the number of schools in the north and south, it makes more sense to put the Central Section in the north. And even with those schools added in, the south is still much larger in the number of schools.

If Tulare is in the north, then Kazmeir Allen is the TDs scored record holder. If it’s not, the highest on the state list (which was updated two nights after Allen put his name at the top) from NorCal would be Andrew Brown, a running back from Ripon Christian in the Sac-Joaquin Section, who scored 55 times in 2013.

The next highest on the list from the Bay Area, Sac-Joaquin and Northern sections would be Onterrio Smith of Grant-Sacramento (53 TDs in 1998) followed by Ryan Robards of Elk Grove (50 TDs in 2015), Alex Laurel of Manteca (49 TDs in 2013) and then Jahvid Best of Salesian-Richmond (48 TDs in 2006).

It’s always great to see a young man like Kazmeir (who has offers from 14-15 colleges, including Wisconsin) break a state record. This time, though, my drive down Highway 99 was halted when a van plowed into the back of my car in stopped traffic just outside of Madera. Luckily, the other driver hit the brakes for maybe one second and swerved slightly so the impact wasn’t direct. Still, the right rear area of my car was torn up and undrivable, although I was able to move it to the opposite shoulder.

Instead of being there in person, I did see Allen’s record-breaking touchdown on the Fresno Friday night TV shows from a hotel room in Madera (my car was totaled). As they say, the show must go on.

More records will be broken soon in both football and basketball, and whether they are NorCal, SoCal or state, it’ll always be an honor to keep them as updated as possible. ✪

Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Cal-Hi Sports is the authority in state rankings for football, basketball, baseball and softball, as well as the recognized state record keeper for all high school sports. Contact him at markjtennis@ gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

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CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL STATE TOP 20

Sam Sanders of Oak Ridge After games of Saturday, Nov. 18 *Season complete 1. (1) — Mater Dei-Santa Ana 12-0 Hard to say what’s more impressive: offense or defense. This ranking was done prior to the CIF Southern Section Div. I semis between Mater Dei-Mission Viejo, and St. John Bosco-Centennial. It’s the first time since state rankings began in 1975 that all four semifinalists of a bracket are also top four in the state.

2. (2) — St. John Bosco-Bellflower 10-2 Sophomore D.J. Uigalelei stole the show as he hit on 24-of-34 passes for 375 yards and four TDs in 55-28 win over Rancho Cucamonga.

3. (3) — Centennial-Corona 10-1 The Huskies won their quarterfinal game 77-34 over Murrieta Valley and rushed for 603 yards.

4. (4) — Mission Viejo 12-0 The Diablos have now beaten three Trinity League teams this season after a 48-35 victory over previous state No. 16 Lutheran-Orange in the CIFSS Div. I quarterfinals.

5. (5) — De La Salle-Concord 10-1 A win in the CIF North Coast Section Open Div. final vs. Pittsburg would give DLS 26 straight NCS titles and should put the Spartans in their ninth straight CIF Open Div. Bowl game.

6. (6) — Folsom 12-0 The way the Bulldogs have been beating teams is very similar to the way the big three has been blasting opponents in SoCal. 7. (7) — Upland 12-0 The CIFSS Div. II bracket isn’t close to Div. I, but top seed Upland, Heritage-Menifee, Valencia and Oaks Christian are all legit state Top 20 squads.

8. (10) ▲ Central-Fresno 10-1 Recent scores, combined with having a 45-30 competitive loss to De La Salle, means a bump ahead of No. 9 Mission Hills.

9. (9) — Mission Hills-San Marcos 11-0 The Grizzlies got hopped this week by some other Grizzlies after their 52-42 win over Grossmont-La Mesa in the first round of the CIF San Diego Section Open Division.

10. (14) ▲ Santa Margarita-Rancho SM 7-4* At this point, even at No. 10, we’re going to have to consider teams that have been mashed or likely would be mashed by one of the SoCal big three. They are just that good.

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Elijah Badger of Folsom 11. (8) ▼ Rancho Cucamonga 10-2* Head coach Nick Baiz’s team doesn’t drop that far in the rankings despite the lopsided score in loss to St. John Bosco because it still has a strong win over San Clemente from the week before.

12. (12) — San Clemente 9-2* The Tritons’ case to continue to be ranked fairly high is that their losses are to Mission Viejo and Rancho Cucamonga, coupled with a lopsided win over No. 16 Murrieta Valley.

13. (18) ▲ Pittsburg 8-1 After 16-7 win over San Ramon Valley in NCS Open Div., Pitt must obviously play much better on offense if it’s to have a chance at knocking off state No. 5 De La Salle in the final.

14. (11) ▼ Long Beach Poly-Long Beach 9-3* After big loss to No. 1 Mater Dei, the Jackrabbits drop this week to a spot right above the JSerra team it beat in the first round.

15. (14) ▼ JSerra-San Juan Capistrano 7-4* The Lions are still up there for having wins over Servite and Lutheran in the Trinity League, and knocking off both Bishop Amat and Norco in nonleague games.

16. (13) ▼ Murrieta Valley-Murrieta 9-3* Marquis Spiker caught two more TD passes in the loss to Centennial and ends his career with 72. That is six more than Earvin Johnson of Cathedral-Los Angeles in 2000.

17. (20) ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 11-1 The Trojans remained on track to perhaps get a rematch with state No. 6 Folsom in the SJS Div. I finals with a 38-0 shutout of Antelope on Nov. 17.

18. (19) ▲ Narbonne-Harbor City 8-3 If Narbonne goes on as expected to win the L.A. City Open Div. title, the best bet for CIF SoCal bowl placement is still D1-A behind CIFSS Div. II and San Diego Open for D1-AA. 19. (22) ▲ Servite-Anaheim 6-5* With Lutheran eliminated from the CIFSS Div. I playoffs, Friars have been elevated back in front due to a head-to-head win.

20. (16) ▼ Lutheran-Orange 6-6* Five of the six losses were to Trinity League opponents; the sixth was to Mission Viejo in a game that was tied 35-35 in fourth quarter.

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STORY BY CLAY KALLAM | PHOTOS BY BERRY EVANS III

S

ince Valentine’s Day of 2006, Archbishop Mitty and St. Mary’s of Stockton have played six times – and though there’s plenty of respect, no candy grams have been exchanged.

Of those six meetings, the two teams have each won three times — and the average margin of victory has been 2.7 points.

This year, the two Northern California girls basketball titans are on track to meet once again, but not until the NorCal finals in midMarch — assuming that both manage to get that far. Of course, since St. Mary’s is starting the season No. 2 in the nation, according to MaxPreps, and Mitty begins at No. 5, they are unlikely to be derailed from that collision course.

In fact, most of the other top teams would like nothing better than to avoid both powerhouses in postseason by staying out of the Open Division. The reason is simple: Both Mitty and St. Mary’s are extremely well coached and loaded with talent, and unless they’re playing each other, will be prohibitive favorites in every game played in Northern California — except when and if they meet. And in that case, it’s the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, and given their wildly divergent styles, it’s pretty much an impossible choice.

“They’re very different teams,” said Salesian-Richmond coach Steve Pezzola.

Coach Sue Phillips and Archbishop Mitty are deep, disciplined and versatile, while coach Tom Gonsalves and St. Mary’s possess elite talent and athleticism, but lack depth.

“Sue can mix and match,” says Pezzola. “She can go big or small, she can dictate tempo.” As for St. Mary’s, “I hope no other team has five starters better than them — there’s nowhere to hide a bad defensive player.”

There’s also nowhere to hide a shaky backcourt, even though Gonsalves probably won’t be

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able to unleash his devastating full-court press for 32 minutes this season. Though St. Mary’s starts three NCAA Div. I-level seniors — Aquira DeCosta, one of the top players in the nation who play at Baylor; Neenah Young, who turned down multiple major offers to play at Princeton; and Ariel Johnson, who will go to Florida — the feared 2-2-1 zone press will likely not be seen as much as in the past.

“We won’t walk the ball up court,” Gonsalves said, “but we will play a lot more halfcourt defense. Still, I can’t coach without applying pressure, though we may have to pick and choose when we press.”

As for depth, “I have to get the other players better,” Gonsalves adds. “That’s my job.”

But it looks likely he will lean heavily on the three seniors, transfer Anna Blount, returner Jada Moss and Neenah Young’s sister, Nicole. Yet in all honesty, DeCosta and Neenah Young are a one-two punch few teams could match, and by themselves would make St. Mary’s a state title threat.

“Aquira’s relentlessness on the boards is remarkable,” Pezzola said, “and she can get to the rack from anywhere on the court. But Neenah for some teams is the toughest matchup. She’s really strong and she can get to the rim, but if you put a bigger player on her, she’ll just shoot 3s.”

Mitty has its own superstar in Haley Jones, one of the top juniors in the country. “In practice, she plays every position on the floor,” Phillips said. “The beauty of Haley is her versatility. You can build around that.”

And Phillips has plenty of building blocks, starting with Penn State-bound Karisma Ortiz, a 6-footer like Jones, who is long, skilled and versatile. Then there’s 6-2 Nicole Blakes, who can guard one through five, and a deep supporting cast.

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And yes, there’s a lot of depth even though Mitty graduated four Division I seniors from the team that lost to Clovis West-Fresno in the CIF Open Division finals last season. And as if returners such as Krissy Miyahara and Ashley Hiraki weren’t enough, two 6-footers with serious college potential will move up from the powerful junior varsity and freshman Hunter Hernandez should also make an immediate impact.

All of this means Mitty epitomizes modern basketball, combining the ability to switch all screens in a man-to-man, going big when necessary and small when necessary, and possessing a roster filled with 3-point shooting threats. Translation: Expect the unexpected. “You could see us one night,” says Phillips, “and the next night we could look completely different.”

Well, there won’t be a night you don’t see Haley Jones leading the way, especially now that last year’s four seniors are gone.

“Last year, I had a different role on the team,” Jones said. “A lot of times I was deferring to the seniors.”

And though the seniors were very good, there are those who feel Mitty might have been better last year — and maybe won that state championship game — had Jones asserted herself more.

“We think back on that game, and we’re able to be critical of ourselves,” she says.

“We want to get back there and win — it’s a revenge season.”

Did someone say “revenge”? A battered St. Mary’s team lost by 17 to Mitty in the NorCal playoffs last March, and don’t think anyone in Stockton has forgotten.

“There’s for sure a rivalry,” DeCosta quipped. “We all want to win a state championship.”

Adding spice to the rivalry is the fact that DeCosta, Young, Johnson and Jones all played on the same Cal Stars club team during the summer. It was Jones’ first year with Cal Stars, and she was a little uncertain how things would work out — but the Ariel Johnson team quickly accepted her. That said, they all know which high schools they play for.

“There was some trash talk,” Jones said, “and at the end of the summer, they said ‘We’re going to whip you.’”

But will they? What would it take for St. Mary’s to win? What does Mitty have to do to get past St. Mary’s and back to the state championship game?

“I gave the girls three weeks off,” said Gonsalves, fully aware he has to keep his team healthy and enthusiastic.

Almost the first words out of DeCosta’s mouth were these: “The main goal is to stay healthy.”

And though Phillips knows Mitty has more depth, she says, “You can only play five at a time, and their five create a lot of problems.”

Gonsalves has a similar respect for Mitty and its deep and versatile roster. “They’re more structured than we are,” he said, “but whatever they do, they do it well.”

Of course he couldn’t help adding “Whatever we do, we do well,” which is why the potential matchup of these two elite high school teams is so compelling. There’s definitely respect, but there’s definitely an edge as well, as neither side will even consider backing down. And no one will be sending Valentine’s cards.

And though Mitty may be looking for revenge in the state championship, the road to Golden 1 Arena is going to go through St. Mary’s, and no one in that program has forgotten what happened last March.

“We really want revenge for last year,” DeCosta said.

If NorCal basketball fans are lucky, the debate will end on the court in March. ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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SPORTSTARS GIRLS PRESEASON TOP 20

RECORDS FROM 2016-17 INCLUDED

1. ST. MARY’S-STOCKTON (21-9) The No. 2 team in MaxPreps’ national Xcellent 25 has one of the most talented starting lineups in the country. It starts with elite senior Aquira DeCosta (left) (who has signed with perennial national power Baylor), and also contains two more Power 5-level seniors: Ariel Johnson (Florida) and Neenah Young (many Power 5 offers but decided to go to Princeton). Depth is a bit of a concern, but only five have to play at a time.

5. CARONDELETCONCORD (28-5) Losing Michaela VanderKlugt and Bri Simonich will hurt, but Carondelet still has 6-3 Ali Bamberger in the paint and 10 other returners. Look for Maaeva Dwiggins (above) to take on a bigger scoring role this season, and the usual roster full of top-shelf talent allows coach Elgin Leslie to mix and match as needed.

6. FOLSOM (27-5)

Krissy Miyahara

Klara Astrom

Taisia Fleming

2. ARCHBISHOP MITTYSAN JOSE (28-3)

3. PINEWOODLOS ALTOS HILLS (25-4)

4. SALESIAN-RICHMOND (24-9)

Despite losing four Division I seniors to graduation, Mitty starts the season No. 5 on the Xcellent 25 list, and two of the reasons are junior Haley Jones (a MaxPreps’ preseason All-American) and senior Karisma Ortiz (Penn State). Add in great depth, outstanding coaching and a tradition of success, and Mitty, like St. Mary’s, is a big step ahead of the rest of Northern California.

In a normal year, without two teams ranked in the top five nationally, this edition of Pinewood would be considered a regional powerhouse. With junior Hannah Jump leading the usual horde of 3-point shooters (and strong defenders), the strong freshman class will add enough depth and size for Pinewood to be a serious threat to knock off one or both of the top two.

The Pride’s 6-5 center Angel Jackson has improved significantly, which is a scary thought, as she dominated games defensively last year. Oh, and the other top five scorers are also back for Salesian, which is another team that can threaten the big two of Mitty and St. Mary’s.

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McKenzie Forbes (Cal next season) is one of the top players in Northern California, and 6-6 transfer Shayley Harris (UCLA) will open things even more for the versatile Forbes. But the Sac-Joaquin Section is loaded with quality teams, so holding onto this ranking won’t be easy.

7. CAMPOLINDOMORAGA (27-7) A veteran team (five senior starters) that played for a state title last year is primed to make another deep postseason run. Haley Van Dyke (Washington) and Ashley Thoms (Weber State) lead the way for a school that has won four state crowns.

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10. MIRAMONTEORINDA (30-4)

8. BISHOP O’DOWDOAKLAND (26-5) Even though Bishop O’Dowd lost some key seniors, coach Malik McCord has plenty of returning talent. Dailey Dunn, Zakiya Mahoney and Jada Holland (above) lead a pressing, running team that will be able to overwhelm many opponents with sheer athleticism.

9. WEST CAMPUSSACRAMENTO (30-4) Kiara Jefferson (UCLA) and Nia Johnson lead an undersized but talented group that won a small school state title last March, and is ready to make some noise in the Open or Division I this year. (Remember that this year teams will be placed in NorCal brackets according to competitive equity, not enrollment.)

Miramonte can count on senior Clair Steele (above) (Lehigh) for consistent scoring and point guard play, but last season’s Division II NorCal finalists will rely on eight freshmen and sophomores this season, which could lead to inconsistency against top opponents.

11. Sacramento (23-10) 12. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (30-4) 13. Eastside Prep-East Palo Alto (23-8) 14. McClatchy-Sacramento (31-5) 15. St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda (29-6) 16. Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco (18-9) 17. Heritage-Brentwood (27-6) 18. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (23-11) 19. California-San Ramon (22-8) 20. Aptos (26-5)

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Story by Clay Kallam Photos by Dennis Lee 16

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Aubrey Wagner ampolindo girls basketball coach Art Thoms III reflects candidly on the 2016-17 season of his Moraga program.

“Last year, our goal was to make the state championship,” he said — and the Cougars did just that.

“Looking back, I wish I’d said ‘win the state championship.’”

This season, that 62-45 loss to Rosary-Fullerton in the CIF Division III title game at Golden 1 Center serves as motivation for a Campolindo team that returns almost all of its firepower from last year, and is hungry for a return trip to Sacramento.

“We know what it feels like,” says forward Haley Van Dyke, who will play for Washington next year, “and we want to feel that way again. We were so close, and now we want it more.”

Van Dyke, who averaged 23.9 points and 15.4 rebounds a game last year, struggled in the state championship game, as did her teammates. Yet after two summers playing at the highest level of club basketball, she feels more prepared than ever.

She’s added a more perimeter flavor to her game, which will make her even more difficult to guard, and she’s become very happy to mix it up inside. “I like being physical,” she says. “When I first started, I hated it — I faded away.”

Defenses can’t focus on Van Dyke because of the presence of Ashley Thoms (the coach’s daughter), who will play at Weber State next year. Thoms averaged 15 points a game last season, and she too enjoys the physicality of the game. “I like drawing contact and getting a foul,” she said, and coupled with her 3-point shooting (34 percent last year on 224 at-

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Ashley Thoms tempts), she is a tough cover.

She is also the reason that Thoms III is involved in girls basketball, as his father, Art Thoms Jr., was a star defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders, and Thoms III played football in college.

“In second grade, Ashley started CYO basketball,” says Thoms III, and since his father had coached his sister Kristen at Berean Christian, it quickly became a family affair. “We coached together for three years — he had such a wealth of knowledge.”

“We had a lot of fun,” says the older Thoms. “At one point, Art said ‘I’d like to be a head coach,’ and I said ‘Go for it.’

Art’s pretty innovative and he took it to another level.”

But those early years weren’t that easy on Ashley, as Thoms III admits he was tough on his daughter. “During her pre-high school years, I was hard on her. ‘High expectations’ is the right phrase.”

Now, however, there’s no need to push her. “She does things the right way,” he says. “She’s probably the easiest player I have to coach.”

Speaking of easy, point guard Aubrey Wagner makes life easier for both Van Dyke and Thoms by focusing on getting each of them the ball. She averaged 5.2 assists per game last year with an exceptional 1.9 assist/turnover ratio, while still managing to score 9.2 points a game.

“She doesn’t get as much credit as she deserves,” says Thoms III. “She’s part of our big three.”

Then again, Thoms III doesn’t want to ignore other returners like senior Grace McGuire, a fine athlete who’s developed into a consistent 3-point shooter. “She’s a fantastic player,” says Thoms III. “She never has any issues — she can

Haley Van Dyke not score and be happy.”

But happiness was not always part of the story for Campolindo — it took a while for the team to gel, but now the bonds are strong.

“It’s been one of the best experiences ever,” says Ashley Thoms, “from going with a team with no chemistry to being inseparable.”

“Our team chemistry is great,” says Van Dyke. “We all care for each other.”

But since all five anticipated starters – Van Dyke, Thoms, Wagner, McGuire and Kailey Meyer — are seniors, it’s now or never for Campo.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that a state championship will come this season, or even that Campolindo can get back to Golden 1 in the new order at CIF. If Campo is judged to be one of the top eight teams in Northern California, the Cougars will wind up in the Open, and have to get past nationally ranked Archbishop Mitty and St. Mary’s-Stockton to even return to a state title game. And if not the Open, then it’s hard to see Campolindo dropping much farther than the Division I bracket (it’s all done by competitive equity now, not by enrollment), and Division III, where the Cougars were last year, is pretty much out of the question.

“You can’t count on (getting back),” says Thoms III, “because everything has to go right, and that doesn’t always happen.”

Still, “We all know exactly what we need to do,” says Ashley Thoms, a feeling echoed by Van Dyke.

“We’re just going to play,” the Washington-bound senior says. “Last year, we took it game by game, and we’re definitely going to do that again.” ✪

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SPORTSTARS GIRLS PRESEASON ALL-NORCAL TEAM

AQUIRA DECOSTA

HALEY JONES

St. Mary’s-Stockton, senior

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, junior

POSITION: Forward

POSITION: Whatever’s needed

HEIGHT: 6-2

HEIGHT: 6-0

COLLEGE DESTINATION: Baylor 2016-17 STATS: 18.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.7 steals The latest in a long line of brilliant players for St. Mary’s, DeCosta is a tremendously athletic frontcourt player who is unbelievably quick off the ground and a rebounding machine. A lefthander, she’s not a great outside shooter, but no one yet has kept her away from the rim for long.

COLLEGE DESTINATION: Wherever she wants 2016-17 STATS: 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 62% shooting, 43% from beyond the arc With her size, length, skill and knowledge of the game that comes from being a coach’s daughter, Jones is Archbishop Mitty’s Swiss army knife. She can shut down a point guard, make a post disappear and harass a wing into invisibility – oh, and she can shoot (62% from the field) and rebound too.

MCKENZIE FORBES Folsom, senior POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-0 COLLEGE DESTINATION: California 2016-17 STATS: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots Forbes is a versatile, high-IQ player who has helped Folsom vault into the top tier of Northern California teams. She’ll take her all-around game to Cal, but first she’s looking to get Folsom deep into postseason, if not all the way to a state championship.

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HANNAH JUMP

HALEY VAN DYKE

Pinewood-Los Altos Hills, junior

Campolindo-Moraga, senior

POSITION: Wing

POSITION: Post

HEIGHT: 5-11

HEIGHT: 6-1

COLLEGE DESTINATION: Undecided

COLLEGE DESTINATION: Washington

2016-17 STATS: 15.5 points, 44% 3-point shooting, 1.6 assist/turnover ratio

2016-17 STATS: 23.9 points, 15.4 rebounds, 4.9 steals, 3.8 assists, 3.5 blocked shots

The latest in a long line of Pinewood shooters tutored by Doc Scheppler, Jump’s height and length make it much easier for her to get her shot off against perimeter defenders. She’s a very good ball-handler, as her assist/turnover ratio attests, and will play a key role at both ends of the floor for Pinewood this year.

The numbers are dazzling, but especially so for a girl who proves you don’t have to start grinding year-round at age 10 to develop into an elite player. Van Dyke didn’t start to take basketball seriously until she was a sophomore, and in two short years, she’s elevated her game to the Pac-12 level.

SPORTSTARS SECOND FIVE Bamberger

Jackson

Jefferson

Young

ALI BAMBERGER | Carondelet-Concord | Post | 6-3 | Junior ANGEL JACKSON | Salesian-Richmond | Center | 6-5 | Junior KIARA JEFFERSON | West Campus-Sacramento | Guard | 5-9 | Senior KARISMA ORTIZ | Archbishop Mitty | Guard | 6-0 | Senior NEENAH YOUNG | St. Mary’s-Stockton | Guard | 5-10 | Senior

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Stay Warm At Concord’s Many Hoops Facilities

A

s the weather turns cold and wet, the City of Concord is more than happy to invite you into its several warm and cozy gymnasiums to play some hoops — or maybe just watch some while drinking a hot cocoa.

December will mark the start of three busy months for Concord’s gymnasiums. First of all, Concord is home to six prominent high school basketball teams, including Concord High, Mt. Diablo, Ygnacio Valley, Clayton Valley Charter as well as defending North Coast Section boys champion De La Salle, and defending NCS girls champion, Carondelet. Many of these programs will begin their seasons during the last week of November and first week of December.

During the last week of December, from Dec. 28-30, a number of these schools will be host sites to the largest high school girls basketball tournament event in the country — the West Coast Jamboree, which in its 18th year will include more than 160 teams. In fact, Clayton Valley will play host to the tournament’s most elite bracket, the Platinum Division.

The City of Concord has been a proud sponsor of the Jamboree for many years, and continues its support as the host hotel location. If your team will be traveling to the Jamboree from outside the area, be sure to check out the Host Hotel link on the event homepage, WestCoastJamboree.org.

Concord’s support of the local hoops scene doesn’t stop at the high schools, either. The city is also a partner with the Ultimate Fieldhouse, a two-year old basketball haven located on the border of Concord and Walnut Creek. The facility sports four full-length state of the art basketball courts, a training center, team and study rooms. The Fieldhouse hosts tournaments, camps, leagues, training, shooting machine rentals, court rentals, birthday parties, drop-in play and more.

Notably, the Ultimate Fieldhouse was selected as a Jr. NBA Flagship Facility — one of just 15 in the country. It will host the Jr. NBA 3-on-3 League for age groups 10-13 beginning in January, as well as the regional playoffs in early March. Be sure to visit UltimateFieldhouse.com to view everything going on at the facility.

And once you’re exhausted from your many hoop outings these next couple months, you might just choose the couch for a night to watch the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Well, Concord is a supporting sponsor of them as well.

So join us in our love of roundball and come visit our many houses of hardwood. ✪

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Story by Mike Wood | Photos by Dennis Lee 24

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Robby Beasley

T

he rise of Dublin High School’s boys basketball program can be viewed in distinct measurables.

And though the climb has been steady over the past decade, last season made that barometer soar. Here’s what the Gaels did: ›› Set a school record for wins with a 29-5 record ›› Won the East Bay Athletic League title for the first time since 1973 ›› Nearly captured the program’s first North Coast Section championship, falling short 5351 to De La Salle-Concord in March’s Division I title game. ›› Earned the No. 1 seed to the CIF Div. I Northern regionals.

With a new season upon them, the Gaels won’t look back — or too far ahead. To them, November is no time to be preoccupied with championships. Instead it is time to absorb each step as the season turns.

“Our mantra is the whole process; to love the process and fall in love with the process,” said Dublin coach Tom Costello, starting his 12th season with the Gaels. “If you are just concentrating on the goals at the end, you never will be satisfied.”

This season Dublin is buoyed by two returnees of a stellar backcourt, senior Conner Jackson and sophomore Robby Beasley. And by its center, 6-foot-7 senior Jack Nielsen.

They did lose last season’s top scorer, guard Tim Falls, now at Montana. He’s the latest in a list of recent Gaels — JoJo McGlaston at Bradley, Jamir Andrews at Northeastern State and Devin Koeplin at Cal State San Marcos — at the next level.

“With Tim, it wasn’t always what you saw on the court; he took on a lot of responsibility and leadership,” Costello said. “What was underrated with him was his defensive ability. He makes guys around him better, and that’s tough to replace.”

The recruiting of Falls meant college coaches also looked at players like Jackson and Beasley.

Jackson has interest from San Francisco State and Seattle Pacific, and Beasley has the attention of Nevada, San Jose State and Davis, Costello said.

Jackson contributes in a myriad of ways, averaging 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game last season. This year he’ll be playing a lot of point guard, working hard to bring along a half-dozen sophomores, including his younger brother, Devon.

“He’s the hardest working kid in practice, and when your hardest working player is one of

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your best players, that bodes well,” Costello said.

Said Beasley: “Conner is a very unselfish player. He’s a shooter, and I know if I drive he can shoot it. It’s an easy partnership.”

Beasley excelled in limited time as a freshman, averaging 12.3 points per game despite missing eight weeks with a fractured wrist. “He’s quick as lightning and can shoot and drive it,” Costello said.

The guards have known each other since elementary school and that pays off. “Rob and I in the backcourt are like one,” Jackson said. “The two of us have known each other nearly our whole lives. We know what the other is thinking and always are on the same page.”

Nielsen was the Gaels’ No. 2 rebounder (4.8 per game) behind now-graduated Steven Houston. Costello noted Nielsen’s

strong work ethic, particularly in workouts. The senior is aware the Gaels’ rising profile means opponents take them very seriously.

“People are going to know we are one of the top dogs,” Nielsen said. “It won’t be easy.”

Added to the mix is Virginia transfer Kyle Brown, a 6-4 wing whose mother is now stationed at Camp Parks in Dublin. Sophomores Cole McMahon and Jaden Saunders figure to be in the mix after contributing as freshmen.

“What I would like for us to be is a more defensive-minded team,” Costello said. “You have to be able to defend and make stops. We know we can score a lot of points.”

Close games were a running theme, particularly during the last half of the 2016-17 season.

Conner Jackson In the EBAL’s new league playoffs last February, it came down to Dublin and De La Salle, which had edged the Gaels 51-45 in their regular-season meeting. The second time, it was Dublin winning 64-60 in overtime in the championship game.

It was the first EBAL title for Dublin in 44 years, and although Dublin had just rejoined the league after a lengthy absence, the victory showed the school would be a formidable member of one of Northern California’s top leagues.

“Winning the EBAL meant a lot to us,” Beasley said. “For me it was my first year of high school basketball competition, so it also meant a lot personally. It was good preparation for what will be in store in the year to come, with the competition there.”

Round 3 of Dublin-De La Salle came in the NCS Div. I finals, and the Spartans prevailed 53-51 on a Justin Pratt tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. Dublin still earned NorCal’s No. 1 seed in Div. I. But after opening with a 72-54 win over Lowell-San Francisco, the Gaels’ season suddenly ended with an 83-80 loss to No. 9 seed Palo Alto in the NorCal quarterfinals.

“We went in there with too much confidence, and you could tell by how we were at practice (before the game),” Beasley said.

“Now when we practice, our energy is at the top right now. We play like we’re facing the best competition we’ve faced.”

That competition starts when Dublin opens against Berkeley on Nov. 25 as part of the NorCal Tip-Off showcase at Newark Memorial. After matchups with Antioch and Pittsburg, the Gaels head to the Gridley Invitational, which Costello said is “probably the top tournament in Northern California.”

The program’s acceleration has been steady, advancing to an NCS quarterfinal or better in eight of the past 10 seasons.

In 2007-08 (Costello’s second season at the school), Dublin went to the Division III finals, losing to Campolindo-Moraga.

The Gaels made their way to Division II, and in 2012-13 went to those NCS finals, falling to Newark Memorial. Last season was their second in Division I. Excitement in the program has grown, paralleling the surge in population in one of the state’s fastest growing cities.

“We’ve really brought out the community. Everybody knows this team in the community and it’s brought us together,” Nielsen said.

Adds Beasley: “The school and the city itself have already progressed and it really is the community that has helped us put this together.” ✪ 26

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SPORTSTARS BOYS PRESEASON TOP 20

RECORDS FROM 2016-17 INCLUDED

1. BISHOP O’DOWD-OAKLAND (19-11) Last year’s Dragons were a talented team which had some big wins but could never stay consistent. However, the roster was still predominantly young (only five seniors), and returns an array of talent. Leading the way for O’Dowd is arguably the most talented backcourt in all of NorCal with Pac-12 commits, Elijah Hardy (right) (Washington) at point guard and Naseem Gaskin (Utah) at shooting guard. Hardy and Gaskin are both three-year starters and are complemented by juniors Will Chavarin and Inko McNeil. Top-rated 2019 big man, Raymond Hawkins, makes this group truly formidable. However, CalHiSports.com reported in its preseason rankings that Hawkins had not been practicing with the team to start the year.

2. FOLSOM (22-9) Anyone who watched the Bulldogs over the last month of the 2016-17 season could see this was a team that was starting to really click. Now, that team returns all of its heavy-hitters from a season ago, beginning with Harvardbound post Mason Forbes (below) who led the team in points, rebounds and blocked shots. The team’s other two top scorers, Martis Johnson (14.6 ppg) and Jayce McCain (13.6), both return as well.

3. MODESTO CHRISTIAN (22-8) Some preseason rankings have Crusaders as the top team in the Sac-Joaquin Section over Folsom. The impressive list of returnees includes 6-foot-4 point guard Tyler Williams (below), the post tandem of Gabe Murphy (6-9) and Tsotne Tsartsidze (6-8), and sophomore guard Mike Pearson. The Crusaders returning talent also includes 6-6 junior Aaron Murphy (back from injury) and 6-3 junior guard Dathan Satchel (ineligible last season). Oh, and they picked up talented guard transfer Junior Ballard from Lathrop.

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4. SALESIANRICHMOND (27-5) Our Preseason No. 1 a year ago is still very much a threat to finish as the region’s top team. Outgoing transfers change the Pride’s look a little bit, but UConn-bound senior guard James Akinjo (right) remains, as do the McClanahan twins, juniors Jaden and Jovan.

Coach Bill Mellis also has a stable of talented sophomores that include 6-5 wing Tyler Brinkman, 6-6 post Te’Jon Sawyer and 6-2 guard Shane Bell.

5. ST. IGNATIUS-S.F. (23-7) The Wildcats appear to be the consensus preseason favorite in what most consider the toughest league in NorCal, the West Catholic Athletic League. The returning senior guard tandem of Darrion Trammell and Brandon Beckman will power the St. Ignatius engine. Overall, the team lost just four seniors from a 15-man roster that won 23 games.

6. JESUIT-CARMICHAEL (15-13) The Marauders arguably picked up the biggest transfer of the offseason when 6-8 senior post Elias King came over from bitter rival, Christian Brothers-Sacramento.

The double-double machine joins an already strong roster and makes Jesuit serious SJS Div. I contenders.

7. ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE (18-11) Riley Grigsby, a 6-6 sharp-shooting senior wing, is one of three returning starters for the defending Central Coast Section Open Division champions. There’s also a considerable amount of buzz around 6-2 incoming frosh, Mike Mitchell.

8. SHELDON-SACRAMENTO (30-4) The Huskies suffered just two NorCal losses a season ago, both to NorCal Open Div. champion Woodcreek-Roseville. While some key talent graduated, new junior transfer Kaito Williams (Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento) should immediately fit into a senior-laden backcourt and keep Sheldon very dangerous.

9. ST. MARY’S-STOCKTON (21-12) Bryce Johnson, a 6-6 wing, is one of the top juniors in the region and returns to lead a sneaky-good team that eliminated Folsom from both the section and regional playoffs last season.

10. DUBLIN (29-5) All-State guard Timmy Falls is now at Montana, but several pieces of the team which set a program record for wins still remain. Among them are seniors Conner Jackson and Jack Nielsen.

11. Capital Christian-Sacramento (23-8) 12. Bellarmine-San Jose (25-3) 13. Palo Alto (26-5) 14. St. Francis-Mountain View (21-10) 15. Heritage-Brentwood (27-5) 16. De La Salle-Concord (28-6) 17. Grant-Sacramento (20-10) 18. St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda (30-2) 19. Las Lomas-Walnut Creek (22-7) 20. Lincoln-Stockton (20-8)

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Tips On Making Yourself More Recruitable — And Just In Time

T

he fall season can be an emotional rollercoaster for an unsigned/uncommitted senior volleyball athlete (and for juniors in the same situation). As the author of CollegeVolleyballCoach.com, I receive numerous emails from volleyball families who are a bit panicked because college coaches are telling

them they are done recruiting, or not responding at all.

Families must remember that this is the most important time of the year for college volleyball coaches; the collegiate playing season. College coaches are trying to not get fired, to secure a raise, get a contract, or pushing for a great record so they have the opportunity to move up the job ranks, etc. While recruiting never ends, the coach’s focus is almost exclusively on the players in the gym and achieving the best possible season right now.

As the collegiate playing season comes to a close, the collegiate recruiting season starts. College volleyball programs will have immediate roster spots and scholarship positions to fill for seniors and juniors.

From NCAA Division I to junior colleges, injuries, academics, homesickness, playing-time issues or job changes can all create immediate roster spots and scholarship opportunities which may not have been available one month ago.

The active collegiate recruiting season begins in late November, when the collegiate seasons come to a close. Make sure you are ready to be recruited. ›› Be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center and have your NCAA ID number listed on all your recruiting literature/profile. ›› If you are a junior or a senior, have a current copy of your high school transcript and ACT/SAT test score ready to send to colleges. ›› Use the small window of time between the end of high school volleyball and the start of club volleyball to address any injuries or physical issues. Rest does not fix problems, it only masks them. ›› As a senior, you need to be at the top of your game early in the club season. College coaches are looking to make immediate recruiting decisions on seniors, so you don’t have time to play your way into shape. ›› Use practice to improve your weaknesses, but always play to your strengths in early tournaments: Show your best skills to watching college coaches. ›› Re-examine your list of outreach schools. If you have been contacting a certain level of program and no school is getting back to you, then it is time to adjust. Responses or lack of responses from a grouping of schools, provides valuable feedback. ›› Create a five-minute highlight or skills video of your most recent court time to have available for collegiate coaches. Don’t show clips/repetitions from September of your high school season, as it will be too old. Film the last matches of high school, or better yet, film the first few club volleyball practices. ›› Stay active in your outreach to colleges and communication. Roster openings will be occurring all through the holidays. Even though you may have already written a school, college coaches don’t go back through all of their emails when they have an opening, they respond to the next incoming email.

There is still time on the recruiting clock for seniors (and definitely juniors), but no more time to let slip by. Use these next couple of weeks to prepare for the opening of the collegiate recruiting season. ✪ — Matt Sonnichsen for NCVA

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Despite Losing Its Best Player To An ACL Tear, Grant-Sacramento Has Never Felt More Confident Heading Into 2017-18 32

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n an instant, everything came crashing down for TreShon Jones-Smoots.

The three-time All-Delta-League selection and leading scorer for the Grant Pacers last year landed awkwardly after going up for a layup during AAU competition over the summer and heard a pop.

“We were playing in L.A. and I went up for a layup,” Jones-Smoots recalled. “I got contact with the big man up top and came down wrong. I just landed wrong on a foul and I heard a pop.

“Medical staff at the tournament thought it was my hamstring.”

But it wasn’t his hamstring.

Upon his return to Sacramento, Jones-Smoots saw his own doctor, who revealed a torn ligament in his knee and broke the news that he would not be able to play basketball again for at least nine months, ultimately ending his fourth and final season in a Pacers’ blue and yellow jersey.

TreShon’s step-brother, A.J. McGee, a sophomore for Grant, was in the same tournament, playing on a different court

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at the time of the injury. But the devastating news hit both of them at the same time.

“We all thought it was a hamstring injury until we got home about a week later and he went to the doctor and they said it was an ACL tear,” McGee recalled. “That was tough because he was supposed to be a big part of the (Grant) team this year.

“So I was just trying to be there for him because I could see that he was hurting. He was really upset about that, especially because it’s his senior year. But we believe everything happens for a reason, so hopefully there’s a better plan for us.”

Jones-Smoot had nine offers coming into the year — most coming from the Mountain West and Big Sky conferences — including offers from San Jose State, Montana State, Northern Colorado and interest from Boise State.

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few,” he acknowledged. “I’ve texted back and forth with Northern Colorado, but I don’t know where the offer stands.”

After averaging 23 points and seven assists per game last season, Jones-Smoots will have to watch his team contend in a competitive Delta League this season as they look to top last year’s 20-10 record and playoff berth. He will be relegated to the sideline, left to wonder what could have been after a productive offseason.

“That was my first year playing with Team Lillard,” Jones-Smoots said. “And it was going really well. I haven’t really played with skilled big men before, so coming off screens and getting free to shoot was much easier. It really opened my game.”

Despite the season-ending injury, the prolific scorer is keeping his head up, focusing on the positives and waiting for a chance to return. He’s also willing to help his teammates.

“I’ll help coach throughout the year, and hopefully I can learn a thing or two just from watching,” Jones-Smoots said. “I’m in the rehab phase now, so I just have to keep working at it.”

While Jones-Smoots is regaining motion in his leg during sessions at Kaiser Permanente’s Golden 1 Center location, Grant is preparing to rely on underclassmen. Their leading scorer from a year ago is their only senior, and without him they’ll be young. But that hasn’t stifled coach Deonard Wilson’s enthusiasm as the team approaches the start of the regular season.

“Honestly, I think this is a team that will contend for the section title,” the veteran leader said. “So for me, anything less than getting an invite for the state tournament would make us feel like we underachieved.”

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The team returns 60 percent of its starters after losing their second-leading scorer, Cameron Davis, to graduation and Jones-Smoots in the offseason. “Not having those two is tough, but we return the rest of our guys and we got a few talented transfers,” Wilson pointed out.

Wilson will lean on his backcourt duo of McGee and Steven Richardson, who was the team’s third-leading scorer last year at 14.5 points per game. Those two will get the Pacers in their offensive sets and control the tempo of the game — something they’re accustomed to doing.

“Fortunately for us, we’ve got a lot of high-basketball IQ guys with a lot of AAU experience,” Wilson acknowledged. “So they’ve picked up the system pretty quick.”

Richardson, a junior, is a lengthy shooting guard with a pterodactyl-like 6-9 wingspan. He has the size to block shots, and the speed to blow past defenders on offense and finish at the rim. But he’s really improved his shooting stroke this offseason. “I spend an hour before almost every practice just shooting and dribbling,” said Richardson, who has garnered a lot of attention from the Mountain West Conference. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot.”

Much like McGee and Jones-Smoots, Richardson was traveling with an AAU squad over the summer. He joined fellow Grant product David Jones — a 6-foot-6 forward — on Team Lillard in the 16 age-group. That sort of experience should pay dividends in a competitive league.

“In my 20 years of coaching, this is definitely one of the deepest teams I’ve had,” Wilson said.

“I really believe this is my most talented team, top to bottom. Now obviously we had Cameron Oliver, who went to the (NBA), we had Charles Jackson, who went to the (NBA).”

Oliver played for the Houston Rockets during the NBA Summer League and was waived at the close of training camp in October. He was recently claimed by the Wisconsin Herd, the G-League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson spent a season in the G-League with the Delaware 87ers, a Philadelphia 76ers affiliate. “But those guys were one- and two-man ponies,” Wilson admitted. “This team is so deep that every day in practice is a battle.”

With a strong junior varsity group, Wilson knows it will be tough to rotate so many talented players next year — a good problem to have, in his eyes. “The problem is we have six sophomores on JV that could have played varsity this year,” Wilson pointed out. “We just didn’t have room. Because the football team missed the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, we had 36 guys try out. That’s the most I’ve seen.”

The Pacers, coming off a state playoff berth a year ago, could be in the mix for a championship this season. Wilson considers his team one of the top three in the Sac-Joaquin Section this year, and the players have similarly high hopes.

“I want to win a section title — that’s the ultimate goal,” McGee confessed. “If we go further than that, that will be great, but that’s my number one goal.” ✪ — Story by Steve Wilson, photos by Dave Lawicka

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SPORTSTARS BOYS PRESEASON ALL-NORCAL TEAM

JAMES AKINJO

LOGAN JOHNSON

Salesian-Richmond, senior

St. Francis-Mountain View, senior

POSITION: Guard

POSITION: Guard

HEIGHT: 6-0

HEIGHT: 6-2

COLLEGE DESTINATION: UConn

COLLEGE DESTINATION: Cincinnati

2016-17 STATS: 13.2 points, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 2.5 rebounds

2016-17 STATS: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1.5 blocks

Among the top senior point guard recruits in the state, Akinjo is coming off a stellar year of leading Salesian to a 27-5 record and the program’s first NCS Div. III title (after being moved up from Div. IV due to competitive equity alignment). After the Pride lost a pair of key players via transfer, Akinjo may take on more of a scoring role for a team which starts among NorCal’s Top 5 in most rankings.

There was a brief stretch last spring when it seemed Johnson and his family were going to move to Florida where his older brother, Tyler, plays for the Miami Heat. But a change of heart brings the 2016-17 West Catholic Athletic League co-MVP back for his final season with the Lancers. Johnson’s presence alone makes St. Francis a serious league and section title threat.

NASEEM GASKIN Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, senior POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-3 COLLEGE DESTINATION: Utah 2016-17 STATS: 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

The future Ute has an arsenal of ways to frustrate opposing defenders. He can use his quickness to get to the basket where he’s an excellent finisher, or he can score from both mid-range and the perimeter. His 6-3 frame also allows him to occasionally post up smaller guards in the half court. Gaskin’s biggest strength may be on the defensive end of the floor. He prides himself in being one the best on-ball defenders in the area.

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M

E

SPORTSTARS SECOND FIVE

Chappell

MASON FORBES Folsom, senior POSITION: Forward HEIGHT: 6-8 COLLEGE DESTINATION: Harvard 2016-17 STATS: 15 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 1.4 assists The son of a former Harlem Globetrotter, Forbes has been living and breathing hoops with his siblings — his twin sister, McKenzie, can be found on the girls Starting 5 — since he could walk. Mason is explosive on the block and excels in running the floor. His average of nearly four blocks per game speaks to his ability as an excellent rim protector as well.

AARON KELLY Lincoln-Stockton, senior POSITION: Forward HEIGHT: 6-8 COLLEGE DESTINATION: Cal 2016-17 STATS: 24 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks Kelly, and Lincoln as a whole, spent much of last season under the radar despite going 20-8 with wins over some strong SJS programs. With Woodcreek’s Jordan Brown having transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, Kelly is arguably the most prolific big man in the section. The Trojans also begin in SportStars’ NorCal Top 20, and with Kelly leading the way, should contend for league and section crowns.

Hardy ZACH CHAPPELL | Capital Christian-Sacramento | Guard/Forward | 6-4 | Senior RILEY GRIGSBY | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | Guard/Forward | 6-5 | Senior ELIJAH HARDY | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland | Guard | 6-2 | Senior ELIAS KING | Jesuit-Carmichael | Forward | 6-8 | Senior KAITO WILLIAMS | Sheldon-Sacramento | Guard | 6-1 | Junior

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November 23, 2017

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