It seems like just moments ago, nonleague games and tournaments were getting underway as teams were filled with hope for a new season. Now, just 12 teams in Northern California remain, and that number will be cut in half with Saturday’s regional finals.
Open Division: #4 Sheldon (28-5) vs. #2 Bishop O’Dowd (27-5), 8 pm @ Santa Clara University
For the Huskies, it’s a shot at redemption. Sheldon lost last year’s NorCal Open title game to Woodcreek after carrying a a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. O’Dowd will certainly be ready to handle the Huskies’ size and athleticism, considering that Lou Richie’s guard-heavy team got by a similarly-built opponent in Tuesday’s win over Modesto Christian. Both these teams offer so much depth that it can be a different individual player or matchup that decides a game on any given night. There’s no telling how this one will go, but it’s almost certainly going to come down to the wire.
Division I: #8 Palo Alto (26-3) vs. #2 Las Lomas (30-3), 4 pm @ Santa Clara University
Las Lomas’ tremendous trio of Devin Payne, Robert Prince and Nathan Robinson will be awfully difficult to slow down, even for a Palo Alto team that has a lot of athleticism and length. If the Vikings do manage to handle those three, there’s still the matter of containing 3-point machine Jason Holman. Palo Alto’s got what it takes to do it, though. Traditionally an up-tempo team, the Vikings slowed it down in a second-round win over Heritage, a team with similar firepower to the Knights. Whatever pace Palo Alto plays at, Max Dorward will be a constant. He’s proven himself to be one of the most consistent, reliable and fundamentally sound players in the entire state, and he scored 22 in Tuesday’s win over Menlo.
Division II: #2 St. Mary’s-Stockton (26-8) @ #1 Alameda (27-5), 6 pm
Can Alameda’s dream season continue, or will the Rams get over the hump to reach the state title game? The Hornets have a trio of seniors to rely on in Benno Zizic, Ryan Cibull and Kingsley Obiorah, but it may be up to sophomore Dejon Marks to step up against a youthful St. Mary’s team. With juniors Bryce Johnson and Carson Simi, along with sophomore Jamar Marshall, this may be just the beginning for the Rams. There’s no doubt that this St. Mary’s group can handle pressure, which there will surely be tons of Saturday night on the island. The Rams have won three heart-stopping games to reach the championship, with Tuesday’s win over Campolindo just the latest exciting installment.
Division III: #4 Central Catholic (31-2) @ #2 Pleasant Valley (30-2), 7 pm
It’ll be quite the contrast of teams in the Division III game. Central Catholic wears teams down by attacking the lane and getting to the free throw line repeatedly. As a team, the Raiders average nearly 20 free throw attempts per game, and that’s with 13 wins of 20 points or more in which they weren’t getting fouled down the stretch. Pleasant Valley, on the other hand, lives on the perimeter, attempting an average of 19 3-pointers per game. The Vikings are considered to be a very similar team to University, who they beat on Wednesday, and with University winning against Central Catholic in late December at Marin Catholic’s Bambauer Classic, the hosts would seem to have the upper hand in this one based on performance against mutual opponents.
Division IV: #9 Stuart Hall (22-11) @ #3 St. Mary’s-Albany (19-14), 6 pm
When teams don’t play up to their potential against an opponent, it seems the rematch always delivers on the anticipation that the initial meeting failed to. If that’s the case, the Division IV game may be the best one of the night. Stuart Hall laid an egg in the second half of the first meeting with the Panthers, failing to convert at the free throw line and constantly turning the ball over after a tightly-contested first half. Shutting down Darius Jackson and Jason Roche, who combined for 42 points in the NCS quarterfinal, will be key if the Knights want to get revenge and advance to the state championship game.
Division V: #3 Colfax (24-9) @ #1 Argonaut (28-5), 6 pn
One of the major results of the new competitive equity format is that the Division V field is largely made up of small-town public schools instead of elite private schools blowing other small schools out of the water. Saturday’s NorCal final, which will be a rematch of the Sac-Joaquin Division V Championship, will be all about small-town pride as the Falcons and Mustangs match up once again. Argonaut shot the lights out in that section title game, a 74-57 win at the Alex G. Spanos Center, and the Mustangs will get to play at home this time. Adison Cramer scored 21 for Argonaut three weeks ago, while Garren O’Keefe scored a game-high 22 for the Falcons.
