CONCORD, Calif. – Clayton Valley Charter’s rush towards a North Coast Section Division I title continued in earnest Tuesday night, as the Ugly Eagles played host to a Bishop O’Dowd team that had won 14 straight, including a doubling up of Monte Vista and a rout of Logan in earlier rounds. But the Dragons’ fire-breathing ways came to a halt as Clayton Valley led most of the way, had a huge third quarter showing from Jeremiah Dargan, and iced the game down the stretch from the line in a 68-58 victory in a semifinal matchup.
Dargan scored 19 points – though it was really how he scored those that 19 that mattered – and had six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, all the while staying just clear of foul trouble. Jake King and James Moore tacked on 13 points apiece and made five three-pointers between them, and Jason Zimmer added 12 and Mason Bamberger another nine for Clayton Valley (20-9).
“We knew coming into halftime, we hadn’t played our best in the first half,” Clayton Valley coach Frank Allocco said. “We knew we had to pick up on our defensive intensity, get some deflections.”
Amos Hodgson kept O’Dowd (17-6) within distance all night as he struck from downtown six times and scored 24 points. Cameron Brown added 19 points, including 12 in the second half.
“They made some big shots, we made turnovers,” Bishop O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said. “They were more physical than we were. We should have come out with a lot more pressure.”
The Ugly Eagles had runs of 9-0 and 7-0 in the first quarter but led by only three after one and again at the half. In the third, the tenor changed as Dargan went to work, scoring 13 of his total with some spectacular plays. At the 4:25 mark he leapt for a rebound and in a fluid motion fed a teammate for a layup. He then had three three-point plays, the last of which off came off a steal and catapulted Clayton Valley to a 53-41 advantage, its largest lead of the game.
“It’s kinda what (Dargan’s) done all year,” Allocco said. “I still think he’s a guy they don’t respect enough. He was phenomenal.”
In the fourth quarter, O’Dowd made five field goals to Clayton Valley’s two, but the Ugly Eagles were efficient from the charity stripe, with Bamberger, Zimmer, and Jeremy LaGrave combining to sink nine free throws. The Dragons closed the lead to 59-52 with 1:33 left, but after a pair of Clayton Valley free throws, an O’Dowd turnover, and two more free throws from the home squad, there was simply not enough time for a last-minute comeback.
“We were kind of weak on the boards in the first half, so we just came back stronger in the second half on the boards,” Dargan said. “I think (the win) says a lot for how hard we work for each other and our coaching staff.”
Clayton Valley now vies for the Division I Championship at Dougherty Valley on Saturday at 7 pm. The Wildcats eclipsed Moreau Catholic 68-65 on Tuesday.
“We played a ridiculous schedule this year to prepare for this,” Allocco continued. “We’re men of March, that’s what we’re preparing for. All that learning we did throughout the year is clicking at the right time. My first meeting with these guys last year, I told them, ‘We’re going to think big here in this program. And that’s something they’ve bought into.’”
Richie said amongst all his teams, this one has shown the most improvement, adding, “The pain they feel right now, they remember that because that will propel us into NorCals.”
