Entering league play, the Half Moon Bay Cougars are the lone team in the PAL North with a winning record, and it isn’t a product of facing a soft schedule. Having seen their string of three straight outright league titles come to an end last year, the Cougars are the favorite to retake the league this season, led by an undersized but talented junior class headed by Mykola Ediger. He’s averaging 18.5 points per game so far this year and scored 30 in a win over Hillsdale. As last year showed, though, the league is wide open. With El Camino’s talent, Jefferson’s hustle and a handful of other challengers, the division is anything but a foregone conclusion.
Rankings are as of Prep2Prep’s latest CCS rankings, updated January 7.
El Camino (4-7)
The Colts have perhaps the most talented roster in the league in terms of size and athleticism, but they’ve yet to put it together as a team. With struggles stopping opponents from hitting 3-pointers and scoring droughts popping up at inopportune times, the Colts have a sub-.500 record but also have the talent to knock off top teams. Christian Viana, who transferred from Serra last year, has a mix of size and shooting ability that can give defenses fits while Jovaughn Williams is one of the best all-around athletes in all of San Mateo County.
Players to watch: G Thomas Haysbert (Jr.), G Antonio Roussanov (Sr.), F Christian Viana (Sr.), W Jovaughn Williams (Sr.)
Nonleague highlight: The Colts won their opener over a Lick-Wilmerding team that’s off to a 13-3 start, 66-60.
No. 12 Half Moon Bay (7-4)
The junior-heavy Cougars are back with a vengeance after last year’s uncharacteristic third place finish, led by Mykola Ediger. With a team of players not used to taking charge, finding an authoritative leadership role has been an obstacle so far for head coach John Parsons, but the team has started to gel with a win over Hillsdale nine days after a loss to the Fighting Knights and a tournament championship at the Aptos High/Santa Cruz Warriors Nor-Cal Invitational. Depth has started to come into focus for HMB as of late thanks to the play of sophomores Zeke Syme and Owen Wooliever, as well as freshman Drew Dorwin.
Players to watch: G Mykola Ediger (Jr.), G Sean Ediger (Jr.), G Sean Kennedy (Jr.), G Ben McKnight (Jr.)
Nonleague highlight: The Cougars won their division of the Aptos High/Santa Cruz Warriors Nor-Cal Invitational, playing stellar defense in a 42-39 win over defending CCS Division II champion Mountain View.
Jefferson (5-7)
The defending PAL North champions have played a loaded schedule so far, facing the likes of Menlo-Atherton, Sacred Heart Prep and Urban while trying to replace the talents of three excellent guards, including Marquez Costiniano. TQ Byrd has established himself as a main scorer for the Grizzlies and Saif Fara’s post defense has been a constant, but more players will need to produce on a consistent basis in order for Jefferson to repeat as league champs.
Players to watch: G TQ Byrd (Sr.), F Saif Fara (Sr.), G Kingsley Uzoma (Jr.)
Nonleague highlight: The Grizzlies erased a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Galileo in the quarterfinals of their own Bud Bresnahan Blue and Gold Classic, then beat Aragon in the semis the following night.
Oceana (1-9)
With a pair of sophomores on the roster, the Sharks hope to establish some consistency and lay a framework for the future under second-year head coach Jon Mercado. By far the smallest school in the PAL by enrollment, numbers can be an obstacle at Oceana.
Players to watch: G Tino Baldassare (So.), F Diego Ochoa (So.)
Nonleague highlight: The Sharks avenged one of last year’s defeats with a 55-50 victory at Design Tech on Dec. 2.
South San Francisco (3-5)
The future is now for the Warriors as a trio of three-year varsity players lead an experienced core on a team that can play fast and score in bunches. Jesse McCowan’s team rattled off a 31-8 third quarter in a win over Leadership and forced a barrage of turnovers to beat Burton last week. Lefty shooter Anthony Vanderbur is always a threat to knock down a chain of threes at any time and take over a game, while Nico Alimorong has become a stable presence at the point.
Players to watch: G Angelo Abulencia (Jr.), G Nico Alimorong (Sr.), G Anthony Vanderbur (Sr.)
Nonleague highlight: The Warriors posted a 63-51 win over Burton last week behind 18 points from Nico Alimorong.
Terra Nova (4-8)
Finding secondary scoring has been an obstacle for the Tigers, but junior wing Justin Milch and senior point guard Jordan Salgado provide one of the best 1-2 punches of any team in the entire section. Milch, the third of head coach Kenny Milch’s sons, is averaging 22.1 points per game this year.
Players to watch: G Chase McKnight (Sr.), W Justin Milch (Jr.), G Jordan Salgado (Sr.)
Nonleague highlight: Justin Milch and Jordan Salgado combined for 47 in a 77-62 win over Galileo on Dec. 10.
Westmoor (3-9)
With four sophomores on the roster, the Rams have had an understandably rocky start to the season, but their ability to scrap for loose balls and rebound is second-to-none. Controlling turnovers and finishing layups will be key for Westmoor to factor into the league title race.
Players to watch: G Nate Cote (Jr.), G Jasiah Cox (Sr.), F Niko Martinez (Sr.)
Nonleague highlight: The Rams made 12 fourth-quarter free throws for a 45-36 win over Mills at the Bambauer Classic.
