Two years ago, Antioch coach Andrew Riva thought his boys basketball program had turned the corner, had started to learn how to win, after advancing to the North Coast Section Division 1 playoffs. That notion might have been dispelled last year, when the Panthers dipped to a five-win program, but with a hungry group of returners and two key out-of-state transfers, Antioch is back in the discussion as a contender in the playoff field for 2017.
Without question, the biggest impact this year has come from senior transfer Kirmarje Trent, who moved from Portland just prior to the start of this school year, having been a successful three-year varsity player at Jefferson High in Portland, the alma mater of current NBA players Terrance Jones and Terrance Ross.
As a freshman, Trent was a key contributor for Jefferson, who won a state title that season, led by current Gonzaga sixth-man Silas Melson. He was joined in the backcourt by then-freshman Geno West, who has led this year’s team to a number-one ranking in the state of Oregon. Last season, however, Trent missed roughly half the season due to injury, and then decided to move to Antioch, and move in with his godfather, Kirkland Smith, whose son Kaleb is the Panthers’ other leading scorer.
“I had played AAU with Kaleb since after my freshman season, and it was an opportunity for a better life situation, living with my godfather, who is also a pastor,” Trent said.
This season, the burden of playing with the expectation of success has been something he has transferred to this year’s team.
“There was a lot of pressure my freshman year,” Trent said. “But I adjusted quickly, and we had a lot of success.”
This year, Trent joined forces with Smith and sophomore transfer Eric Donaldson, who moved from Utah right at the start of the season. Those three, along with players such as freshman Jayvewon Quinn and senior Deontay Currie, have formed a formidable group on the court. There were ups-and-downs during the non-league portion of the schedule, but the Panthers sit in second place in the BVAL, and handed league champ Heritage its only BVAL loss to this point.
Riva has been thrilled with the contributions from his newcomers.
“They are ‘yes sir, no ma’am’ type of kids,” Riva said. “Very respectful, they listen well, and work hard. They have been a breath of fresh air. I just really like being around these kids.”
For Trent, the success on the court this season has validated his move, and some recent adversity has only made the team stronger and re-focused.
“I knew we had a lot to prove to people, to show people what we were capable of,” Trent said. “We’ve gotten closer since the season started. I’m just thankful to Coach Riva for having faith in my game, and letting me do what I can.”
In the win over Heritage, Trent hit a massive three-pointer just before time expired to knock the Patriots from the ranks of the unbeaten in league play. Antioch then suffered back-to-back losses in league play, but after a sluggish first half against Liberty earlier this week, reverted back to form.
“We had no energy in the first half against Liberty, and we talked about that at the half,” Riva said. “(Deontay) Curry had a huge slam early in the second half, and that sort of re-energized us, brought more energy.”
The Panthers went on to win that game 57-43, after trailing by four points entering the final quarter. They finish the regular season this Friday night against Deer Valley, looking for a share of second place with Freedom. In the first game between cross-town rivals, Trent scored 27 points, and Antioch needed every one of them in a 72-71 win, overcoming a 27-point effort by Deer Valley’s Jacob Long. Beyond this Friday, they will be focused on the upcoming section playoffs, with a more experienced group.
“Kirmarje came from a successful program, and his playoff experience is huge,” Riva said. “We also have a couple seniors who experienced the playoffs a couple years ago, who expect to win now. And Donaldson tasted the playoffs as a freshman in Utah last year.”
If the Panthers can pick up their 17th win of the season this Friday against Deer Valley, they figure to have a strong bid for a top-eight seed in the playoffs.
Moreau, Logan settle MVAL auto berth
Prior to this week, it appeared that Moreau Catholic and James Logan might have to play one extra game this Saturday, to settle the Mission Valley Athletic League’s automatic berth to the section playoffs, though they will share the league title if each team wins this Friday night.
With both schools in separate divisions, and staring at top four seeds regardless of league designation, that was an unattractive option, only in place because of the lack of a tie-breaker system. Things were settled this week, though, when Moreau agreed to give Logan the automatic berth designation in exchange for getting to determine the order of the home-and-home series next year, and that was approved by school and league administration.
Showdown in the TCAL-Rock
Albany High will host the big showdown in the TCAL-Rock boys tournament title game, as Salesian and St. Patrick-St. Vincent will meet for the third time this season, having split the previous two meetings.
Last time, BJ Standley nailed a contested three-pointer at the end of the game to hand SPSV a three-point win. The game will be covered by Prep2Prep’s Scott Giorgianni, and also will be streamed live by NorCalSports TV, featuring Monte Vista football coach Chris Babcock on the play-by-play call.
