GIULIANO ORSI, MITTY
Prep2Prep Student Contributor

December 16, 2016

SAN JOSE - By use of stellar late-game defense and clutch shots, Sheldon High was able to make a two-hour afternoon commute on Wednesday well worth it with a 71-64 win over Archbishop Mitty in their first game of the season.

With the game even with about four minutes to go, the visiting Huskies forced turnovers on the press that led to big buckets to give them a sustainable double-digit lead. By the time Mitty was starting to hit shots, it was too late for them to catch up.

“We hit a couple threes to stretch it out and had some key defensive stops,” said Sheldon head coach Joey Rollings. “It built momentum and we just used that to keep going until the end.”

The Husky offense was led by the Duplechan twins, with Elishja leading the team with 22 points and Isaiah following with 16. The senior guards hit big shot after big shot down the stretch, which came clutch in a time where first-game jitters might’ve been affecting some of the Sheldon players.

Senior small forward Drew Cobb was a true playmaker, scoring 15 points, dishing out six assists, and snagging three boards.

“He’s a warrior,” said Rollings on Cobb. “If he’s not shooting well, he’s getting loose balls, battles down low, guards anyone, gives nice dishes- he’s just a great all-around player.”

The only other Sheldon player with more rebounds was 6’4” athletically-gifted Ronald Agesbar, who led all players on the night with seven.

The Monarchs had plenty of reason to be happy with how most of the game went. 6’5” junior sharpshooter Riley Grigsby hit three first-quarter treys and finished with 16 points and five rebounds.

While senior big men Travis Friar (6’7”) and Mike Diaz (6’6”) had double digits in points and each tallied five boards, freshman guard Devan Sapp caught some attention from the crowd by hitting big shots and getting big rebounds. The Husky defense adjusted well to the hot streak Grigsby was getting on in the first half, but Sapp was able to fill in the three-point shooter role well while Grigsby was getting clamped in the third and fourth quarters.

Although the Monarchs weren’t able to pull out the win, coach Tim Kennedy knows there’s something positive to take away after watching his young guard ball out.

“The great thing about [Sapp] is that he still has so much to learn,” said Kennedy. “He’s able to contribute and he’s not afraid of the moment, even if it’s late in the game.”

Sapp would finish the game with 13 points and four rebounds.

Mitty looked to be in control for much of the first half, even though the score was tight. The Monarchs looked more comfortable, especially after following a 2-1 performance at the Gridley Invitational just a few days prior. However, once the Huskies were able to shake off the opening game nerves, Mitty struggled to maintain a steady lead.

Grigsby was the center of Mitty’s offensive game, scoring nine of the 16 first-quarter Monarch points. In the second quarter, Mitty's lead started slipping away ever so slightly. Sheldon stuck with the flow, hit a few late shots, and was only down by one going into the locker room with the score at 29-28 at the half in favor of the Monarchs.

Both teams traded blows throughout the third quarter, but in the fourth was where Sheldon found the pace they were looking for. Big shot after big shot and multiple forced turnovers while running the press stretched the Huskies out ahead by just enough. Sheldon stifled Mitty on the press, which gave them plenty of open layups to add to their growing advantage.

With a few minutes remaining, the Monarchs were still within striking distance. They earned opportunities through some open looks, but weren’t able to hit the shots. Eventually, it was too late to catch up, and the Huskies survived their first game in their 2016-17 campaign on the road, 71-64.

“I told the boys to have fun and be patient,” said Coach Rollings about his pre-game pep talk. “We were a little nervous in the first half, and if you’re not shooting well, the only thing you can do is try to stick with it.”

The Monarchs fall to 4-2 in preseason play in their first home game since defeating a tough Moreau Catholic squad a week ago.

“Any time we turned the ball over, [Sheldon] was getting run-outs and breakaways,” said Coach Kennedy on the loss. “They made the plays down the stretch, hitting a couple shots that separated them from us.”