For all the traditions that were forgone this year – no jam-packed Bruce Mahoney Game or Jungle Game, among other things – one event of yesteryear is making a comeback for 2021.
With the WCAL split into North and South Divisions to accommodate for a condensed schedule and travel restrictions that were in place at the time the schedule was drawn up, the league tournament is back for the first time since 2014, set to be played from Monday through Wednesday.
In past years, the tournament was meant to be a conclusion to the season before teams went their separate ways in section tournaments, spread throughout various enrollment divisions.
With the advent of the CCS Open Division in 2013, the tournament essentially became redundant and was scrapped after 2014, meaning that Monday’s games will be the first league tournament games the WCAL has played since a Mitty team led by Matt McAndrews, Connor Peterson and future San Jose State defensive back Dakari Monroe posted a 61-56 win over a Sacred Heart Cathedral team with freshman wing Alfred Hollins and junior guard David Parsons on February 22, 2014 at Foothill College.
This year’s edition will be more akin to a unification bout in boxing, as most of the teams in the North and South have yet to face each other, save for a couple of non-league games (Bellarmine beat Serra and St. Francis beat Sacred Heart Cathedral). The three-game whirlwind will be a throwback to the old league schedule’s three-game weeks, but even those usually had at least one day off in between. This will be a whirlwind unlike any other.
North 1: Riordan (10-2, 5-1)
Both of the Crusaders’ losses came when the team was missing Fresno State commit Robert Vaihola and sophomore guard King-Jhsanni Wilhite. With the pair, Riordan is undefeated, currently riding an eight-game winning streak. A 77-38 pasting of St. Ignatius certainly turned some heads, but the non-league results put up during the current run are just as impressive, with a 72-48 beatdown of Half Moon Bay and a 77-66 road win at Capital Christian.
Even during the ongoing streak, though, there have been some close calls. Two nights after destroying SI, Riordan got in an early double-digit hole and had to fight down the stretch for a 51-47 win, and on Saturday the Crusaders trailed at halftime against University, ultimately winning 68-59. The biggest determining factor for Riordan’s success will be the performance of seven-foot junior center Mor Seck. When he’s on his game, he combines with Vaihola to form an absolutely unstoppable tandem that crushes teams in the paint.
South 4: St. Francis (4-7, 1-5)
The Lancers are finally nearing full form, with a healthy Harlan Banks and Nick Weitzel. Even in Wednesday’s blowout loss to Mitty, Banks threw down one of the best dunks of the year, and if Kerr plays, it allows Banks to play off the ball, rather than need to create plays for himself. Sharpshooter Vince Barringer drained six threes in the first half of a non-league win over Christopher, and if he’s left open, the Lancers are hard to beat. A strong game from him helped St. Francis rally from an 18-point halftime deficit in a 64-61 loss to Bellarmine, but when the Bells covered him two nights later, they won comfortably.
Defending the post may be an obstacle for the Lancers, who lack significant size. Junior center John Frazier is 6-foot-5, but there’s little depth behind him in the post. Barringer is 6-6 but plays more of a wing role, and while Brylan Lundy has been strong on the glass, the junior guard is only 6-3.
South 2: Bellarmine (6-5, 4-2)
The biggest question entering the postseason for the Bells is undoubtedly the health of senior center Ryan Kiachian. The Cornell commit is probable for Monday’s tilt with Serra, but reaggravated an upper body injury during Friday night’s win over Valley Christian after initially suffering it during a defeat to Mitty.
At their best, the Bells can hang with anyone, nearly beating Mitty in the second leg of their home-and-home, which would have forced a tie atop the league standings. At their worst, though, it’s not pretty. A 76-39 loss to Dublin exposed a lack of experience and other flaws that come with graduating the likes of Quinn Denker and Ian Elam.
It should be noted that point guard Theoren Brouillette missed the Dublin loss, and both he and Kiachian missed a surprising 51-50 loss to Sacred Heart Prep and Saturday’s defeat at Campolindo. Brouillette is also an exceptional volleyball player and had to balance commitments between the two sports, but he won’t have any conflicts during the league tournament. Aside from Kiachian, there are hardly any health questions for the Bells now that forward Zach Turner is back on his feet. Not only does Turner provide a 6-5 frame, he’s an excellent athlete and shot-blocker.
North 3: Serra (6-5, 3-3)
The Padres haven’t played up to their usual standards this year, but unlike last year’s team, the 2021 bunch has figured out how to win close games. They’re 4-1 in games decided by less than 10 points this year, a welcome sight for a team that lost four games in which they had a chance to win at the buzzer in the 2019-20 campaign.
While transfers often struggle to acclimate to Serra’s high defensive pressure, Miles Klapper has been a natural fit since coming in from Burlingame. The junior was quickly inserted into the starting lineup and has shown promise at both ends of the floor. Not only is he a solid 3-point shooter, he’s able to unleash a series of crafty moves, whether it’s with his right or left hand. Chris Garcia has been the other consistent offensive producer this year, establishing himself as a lethal outside shooter with a penchant to pick up steals on defense. When Menlo transfer Garret Keyhani is producing, he adds length that the otherwise undersized roster lacks.
South 1: Mitty (11-1, 6-0)
Always in the mix for league and section championships, the current edition of the Monarchs is arguably the best one Tim Kennedy’s had since Aaron Gordon’s senior year. They graduated four of five starters from last year’s roster, but returned Pepperdine-bound point guard Mikey Mitchell and three key reserves while adding reinforcements from the JV unit.
Mitchell, the reigning WCAL Player of the Year, has taken his game to unbelievable heights as a senior, firing off full-court passes with ease. Recipients of those passes include Nigel Burris, who had 21 points and 16 rebounds in a win at Dublin, 6-foot-9 center Arrish Bhandal and sophomore wing Derek Sangster, who’s become a huge weapon off the bench.
Perhaps the best representation of this year’s Mitty team is Zach Granberry, a 6-5 shooter who was buried on the depth chart last season. While undersized guards defined the 2019-20 team, this year’s group has far more length, with players like Granberry at the core. The one holdover from the way last year’s team played is Aidan Burke, a 6-2 junior guard who hits the boards relentlessly.
North 4: Sacred Heart Cathedral (1-9, 0-6)
While their record certainly raises some eyebrows, the Fightin’ Irish have two major weapons: They can score at will, and they’ve got a 1-2 punch that can hang with the best of them. Junior point guard Ray-John Spears and senior Kyle Crawford don’t just regularly reach double figures, they often combine for upwards of 40 as the undersized SHC team runs and guns opponents. Tre McPherson has established himself as a sharp rebounder on a roster lacking in height, while sophomore Jerry Mixon, brother of Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon, is a remarkable physical specimen.
Sacred Heart Cathedral typically plays in high-scoring games, but it’s been games in the 50s where the Irish have come far closer to knocking off high-caliber opponents. Despite not scoring more than 57 points in their losses to St. Ignatius and Serra, none of the defeats were by more than nine points, with the two to the Padres coming by a combined six. That included a gut-wrenching 57-53 defeat in San Mateo, where SHC held a 28-11 halftime lead.
North 2: St. Ignatius (10-5, 4-2)
There are balanced teams, and then there’s the Wildcats. First-year head coach Jason Greenfield often rotates 12 players in and out, and any one of them could be the leading scorer on any given night. In Wednesday’s win over Serra, the high scorer was Alex Rike, who came off the bench and scored 13.
No individual player typically dominates for SI, but if a star had to be picked out of the guards, it would either be Riordan transfer Sean Quanico or GC Toledo Rivera. The one other player who typically stands out is senior center Ethan Jew, the one true post on the roster. The 6-foot-5 senior played one of the best games of his career in Friday’s win at Serra and has become a key passer in Greenfield’s offense, kicking out to open shooters with regularity. As a guard-heavy team, the Wildcats boast a strong press break and the ability to run with teams, whether that’s on a full-length court like the one at McCullough Gym or a smaller one like Serra’s.
If there’s one real weakness within this St. Ignatius team, it’s the habit of laying an egg every now and then. With only one senior in the starting lineup, there have been nights where very little has clicked, including the 77-38 beatdown at Riordan and in losses to Marin Catholic, Redwood and University.
South 3: Valley Christian (4-6, 1-5)
Though the Warriors are often considered to be the afterthought of the league, they’re on a positive trajectory, even after losing major pieces to out-of-state transfers. Senior guard Pawllos Habtom has established himself as a leader who can slash through the lane, and junior center Will Hook plays bigger than his 6-foot-5 frame. Chidi Onu, who fills in for Hook off the bench, is a solid shot-blocker, and 6-4 guard Kainoa Mayo can create mismatches with both his size and ability to score from tough areas on the floor.
If Valley Christian is going to make waves in the tournament, it’s going to come down to strong play from the youngest members of the roster. Sophomore Jurrion Dickey has made a name for himself with his football skills and is a tremendous athlete, but the most important cogs in the machine are sophomore shooter Pasha Goodarzi and freshman Marcus Washington. Goodarzi, who has an offer from DePaul, seldom misses open shots and Washington is built like a grown man despite being too young to drive.
Girls
It’s clear that Mitty is the heavy favorite on the girls side, having crushed almost all competition throughout the year, including a pair of lopsided wins over North Division champion St. Ignatius. South Division runner-up Valley Christian did keep the Monarchs close in the teams’ second meeting, losing only 56-43, but the Monarchs led 36-19 at halftime that night and won the first game 74-34.
The more intriguing games on the girls side will come in the earlier rounds. Can Riordan top St. Francis with a team led by freshman and sophomores and earn a chance to play the powerhouse Monarchs, or will the Lancers show that the South was the better division from top to bottom? Tuesday’s semifinal between SI and Valley Christian should also make for an entertaining game.
With just seven WCAL schools playing girls basketball, and both Presentation and Sacred Heart Cathedral opting out of the tournament, the girls tournament will be much smaller, but both the Riordan-St. Francis and St. Ignatius-Valley Christian games will be worth seeing. Still, it would be a shock if anyone knocked off a Monarchs team led by the likes of Hunter Hernandez, Amelia Scharpf and Olivia Williams.
Monday’s quarterfinal games
Boys
North #4 Sacred Heart Cathedral (1-9, 0-6) @ South #1 Mitty (11-1, 6-0), 6 p.m.
South #4 St. Francis (4-6, 1-5) @ North #1 Riordan (9-2, 5-1), 7 p.m.
North #3 Serra (6-5, 3-3) @ South #2 Bellarmine (6-4, 4-2), 7 p.m.
South #3 Valley Christian (4-6, 1-5) @ North #2 St. Ignatius (9-5, 4-2), 7 p.m.
Girls
South #3 St. Francis (2-7, 0-6) @ North #2 Riordan (1-5, 1-3), 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinal games
Boys
Serra/Bellarmine winner vs. St. Francis/Riordan winner
Valley Christian/St. Ignatius winner vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral/Mitty winner
Girls
St. Francis/Riordan winner @ South #1 Mitty (9-1, 6-0), time TBD
South # 2 Valley Christian (6-2, 4-2) @ North #1 St. Ignatius (11-3, 4-0), time TBD
