NEWARK, CA – Jarin Edwards only made one shot for Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland against Grant-Sacramento, but it was the one shot that mattered in their Saturday afternoon matchup at the 12th annual Nor Cal Tip Off Classic at Newark Memorial.
With 1.3 seconds left Edwards converted a putback of a shot by Will Chavarin and the result was a thrilling 60-58 comeback victory in the season opener for both teams.
In a lot of respects it’s a new beginning for Dragons coach Lou Richie with Division 1 guards Elijah Hardy (Washington) and Naseem Gaskin (Utah) graduated and power forward Raymond Hawkins leaving for Findlay Prep in Nevada.
The good news for the O’Dowd faithful is a new big emerged on Saturday and a name to watch this year and next is Monty Bowser. The 6-5 junior forward was an easy choice for game MVP after recording double-double 21 points and 13 rebounds. Bowser also showed outside skills as he was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Brenden Patrick had a solid showing for the Dragons, as the senior guard scored17 points while passing out two assists. Bishop O’Dowd (1-0) will have another test right away, as the Dragons travel to Fresno to square off with 2020 No. 1 prospect Jalen Green and San Joaquin Memorial on Thursday.
Grant (1-0) will be a threat in the Sac-Joaquin Section this season, with Beejaun Pruitt and David Jones bringing two-way energy from all angles of the court. Jones had a team high 14 points while grabbing nine rebounds. Pruitt struggled with foul trouble in the first half, but finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Each side struggled from the free throw stripe, with shooting percentages below 60 percent with well over 20 attempts for both teams.
Dublin holds off Riordan
Without one of the top young players in the Bay Area, Dublin was still able to slip past a solid Archbishop Riordan-San Francisco, 73-69, but it wasn’t easy against a Crusaders team that itself was shorthanded.
Dublin (1-0) exploded for 32 points in the second quarter and pulled far enough away to hold off a late challenge from the Crusaders. Leading the way for the Gaels was Elijah Alonso. He was on fire to start and just couldn’t miss in the first half. The 6-2 guard was 8-of-8 in the first two quarters including 5-of-5 from on three-pointers. Alonso finished with a team high 24 points with two rebounds and was named MVP of the game.
Dublin was without 2020 guard prospect Robby Beasley as he was dealing with a minor ankle injury. The aliment was described as non-serious and if was deeper into the season, the young guard would have been able to suit up for the Gaels.
Riordan (0-1) was also without a key piece, as 2020 Sacred Heart Cathedral transfer Bryce Monroe still has until January until he can play for the Crusaders.
Je’Lani Clark was the main weapon for Riordan and the 2020 prospect almost willed his squad back for the victory. Clark ended up with a game high 31 points while grabbing six rebounds. A combo of Monroe and Clark could be a scary combo in the West Catholic League this season. Riiny Riiny had a solid showing off the bench for the Crusaders, with the lanky 6-9 wing scoring 12 points while grabbing six rebounds.
Host Newark Memorial gets a solid win over St. Patrick-St. Vincent
Over the years Newark Memorial has had many ups and downs at the NorCal Tip Off Classic, but after two straight losses that were preceded six straight winning years, the hosts turned in a solid and spirited performance in front of a surprisingly raucous crowd in a 77-64 victory over a shorthanded St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo team that gets Coach Craig Ashmore and his boys back on the winning track at the Classic.
“It was a good win for us to begin the season and a confidence builder for the kids,” said Ashmore, who recorded career coaching win No. 595 according to the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book.
Leading the way for the Newark Memorial (1-0) was feisty lead guard Isaiah Cabrera. The senior scored a team high 29 points while pulling down seven rebounds and passing out five assists. He was a unanimous choice by the assembled media and college scouts as MVP of the game
Newark Memorial trailed by six at the break, but came out with new energy to start the second half. The Cougars held the Bruins offense to only nine points in the third while scoring 23 points themselves. From there the hosts started the third quarter on a 15-4 run to pretty much seal the deal.
The Bruins Dishon Jackson, a big and powerful 6-10 post that can also handle the rock, showed why he has so much promise in the defeat. Jackson finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds with eight statement blocks. St. Patrick-St. Vincent (0-1) was without point guard Akil Edwards because of football. Edwards was heavily missed, as the Cougars used a strong press in the second half against the Bruins. Jalen Scott, a promising 2020 shooting guard for St. Patrick-St. Vincent, had a game high 30 points while grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Bruins only had two players score over six points.
Newark Memorial had two solid lane cloggers in Jeylen Slaton and Caleb Beltz. The duo was able to put enough pressure on Jackson, so that he wasn’t able to take over the game. Slaton finished with 10 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Beltz wasn’t far behind, as the senior had eight points while picking up 15 rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Moreau Catholic too much for Capital Christian
Moreau Catholic-Hayward was in full control on Saturday, as the Mariners put the clamps on Capital Christian-Sacramento in a 60-46 victory that wasn’t really that close. Coach Frank Knight and his boys played some vice-like defense early on and led 34-13 at halftime while holding the Cougars to below 30-percent shooting
Moreau Catholic (1-0) may not have a star studded roster like in some recent past years, but they will be a formidable foe this season in Northern California, and although Knight has an extremely young squad with six freshmen and four sophomores on the roster, they still have a strong group of four seniors to lead the way.
In fact, it was the seniors that took over the contest. Leonard Turner was everywhere for the Mariners. He had 15 points with nine steals and four rebounds to earn MVP honors. Glyn Byrd had a solid outing and finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 from the field. Amil Fields had 11 points and six rebounds, and David Hector will be trouble for opposing guards. Hector only scored five points but he pulled down 14 rebounds, dished out six assists and had five steals.
Capital Christian (0-1) was out of it by the beginning of the second half, but the still received a solid showing from Preston Hall. The 6-3 shooting guard had a team high 13 points with 13 rebounds and five assists.
Note: Thank you to Daniel Poulter for contributing to this feature
