High School Basketball teams from the North Bay League are heading into North Coast Section Playoffs this week. However, some schools are forced to face much larger schools in larger divisions, while some schools are facing smaller schools in lower divisions. This goes both ways in both the men’s and women’s brackets at NCS. To explain the new “competitive equity” rules, teams are sent back to their base division based on school population and can only go up or down two divisions based on their MaxPreps rating at the end of the season. The one caveat is if a team plays incredibly and sets themselves apart from the rest in NCS, they can qualify for the Open Division which automatically qualifies them for the NorCal/CIF State Tournament. For example, in the boys, Salesian is base Division 4, but their rating puts them at third overall in NCS, so they are playing in the Open Division. As for the girls, Cardinal Newman, another base Division 4 school, has set themselves apart from the rest this year, earning the #4 seed in NCS Open, and now will play host to Piedmont, the 5 seed, another Division 4 school. This new format is expected to make games more interesting and take out the human aspect of rankings, relying on MaxPreps Power Rankings and Ratings.
Let’s go division-by-division, analyzing each Sonoma County team and their chances in the NCS Playoffs. We will start with the NBL Oak Girls Champions for the eleventh consecutive season and NCS Open #4 Seed Cardinal Newman.
NCS OPEN GIRLS:
CARDINAL NEWMAN (24-3, 10-0)
1ST ROUND: v. #5 PIEDMONT (Feb. 20th, 7 PM, Live on YSN)
The Cardinals have echoed one thing all year: DOMINANCE. Coach Monica Mertle won her eleventh consecutive league title, going undefeated once again in the Oak, extending that win streak to well over 180 games. Newman heads into the NCS Open as the defending champions and look to do damage again this year. Santa Clara commit Kate Schat has been the superstar on this Cardinal Newman squad, leading them in scoring in nearly all of their games this year. Schat would catch fire anytime Newman needed quick points. In the NBL Oak Championship, Montgomery played hard and were at one point in the third quarter, tied with the Cardinals. Schat quickly drained three three pointers and took over the game, leading Newman to a 62-46 win putting up a clutch 26 points in a game where turnovers were an issue for both teams. A senior, Schat is very excited to make one final playoff run as a Cardinal, “My mindset heading into my last round of playoffs as a cardinal is to do everything that I can for my team. I know we can accomplish anything we put our minds to, and I truly believe this team is going to make an incredible run. I'm very excited!”
Offensively, Newman looks to shoot the three ball quite often, and their shooting can be compared to the dart throwing of Luke Littler or Michael Van Gerwen. They are a team that you do not want to get into a shootout with Schat, sophomore Macie Flores and freshman Deanna Rock-Salas having hot hands that can make threes anytime anywhere. Newman can also work down low with quick drives to the rim and clutch finishing from players like Junior Valor Queen and Sophomore Avery Vinson. The Cardinals are great this year rebound wise with 6’2” freshman Saundra Jordan and 6’2” Senior Destin Emmert bullying the competition down low and racking up more boards than Sabonis. Defensively, Newman is super strong with Queen and Flores guarding passing lanes like Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins, and Jordan guarding the rim down low, sending shots back like Dikembe Mutombo. This Newman team is a lot younger than last year, but still very deep, restocking their experienced 2024 graduates with underclassmen that have bright futures. Four freshmen and three sophomores are on the Cardinals’ twelve woman roster and they play significant minutes.
Newman lined their schedule with tough competition as they do every year, winning the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic and the Cardinal Newman Classic. They went 2-1 in the Paris Twins Classic with a close loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep from San Francisco. They finished second in the Justin Siena Tournament, falling to #17 Clovis in the championship game. Their other loss came to a stacked #21 McClatchy team at the start of the year in a tough, closely played game. Outside of those three losses, the Cardinals have been incredible this year winning at both the Mater Dei Showcase against Rolling Hills Prep and in the MLK Showcase at St. Mary’s against Lincoln-San Diego.
Heading into their game against Piedmont, Newman is on a 17 game win streak dating back to 2024 and are looking to make it 20 with an NCS Open banner. They are the dark horse in my opinion in this bracket. Newman, who are undefeated at home so far this year, are favored to beat Piedmont on Thursday and move on to the second round to face the #1 seed, Acalanes. CN dominated Acalanes last year without star Tissa Queiroz and could upset the Dons this year. The Dons have only one loss, which came at the hands of Oregon’s South Medford. Acalanes beat both SHCP and McClatchy, but something to look at is their big win over Maria Carrillo, 74-40. CN beat Carrillo by about the same margin the second time the two teams met, so it is not crazy to think that if the Cardinals knock off the Highlanders Thursday, and Newman gets their shooting going early, CN could overwhelm the Dons. Newman is focused, though, on taking it game-by-game, and they are currently locked in on the opponent at hand, Piedmont.
DIVISION 1 BOYS
MONTGOMERY (19-8, 8-2)
1ST ROUND: @ #2 REDWOOD (Feb. 18th, 7 PM)
Competitive Equity takes its first victim. The base Division 2 Montgomery Vikings have been up and down all season, playing a tough pre-league along with a tough league schedule. The Vikings come into the playoffs in a mini slump, losing back to back to Newman to close out the regular season and Maria Carrillo in the NBL Semifinals. This can be credited to sickness hitting the team hard with star Junior Guard Jackson Picard sitting out and numerous starters attempting to play through the sickness. Monty is a tough team that can come alive quickly with great shooting from Picard and Senior Jaden Greer as well as Junior Sovonn Eng. In terms of physicality, the Vikings are a big team with the average height on their roster being 6’2” and no player being smaller than 5’11”. Michael Ule is the tallest player in the NBL, standing 6’8” and racking up loads of boards and put backs. Ule is averaging a double double this season.
Head Coach Steve Arrow has built an incredible program at Montgomery, winning the NBL last year, and prepared his Vikings for the reality of this year’s postseason by playing tough competition like Campolindo (#3 seed in D1) and Redwood. The Vikings fell to Redwood at home by only 13 in January and look to make up some ground in the first round of NCS. However, Redwood is stacked to the brim with talent, headlined by Cal commit Semetri Carr, and the Giants are undefeated at home, so the Vikings’ chances are thin.
The Vikings are pretty deep, though, with 14 players on the roster and can compete at the Division 1 level, but they are more of a D2 team, finishing 3rd in D2 behind Northgate and Redwood, two teams who played much tougher competition throughout the season, especially in league. Cardinal Newman is the toughest team in the NBL, ranked tenth in NCS, well ahead of Northgate, but behind Redwood (#8). Newman is the only NBL team inside the Top 25 in NCS while the MCAL (Marin County Athletic League), Redwood’s league, has three other teams, San Domenico, Archie Williams and Branson. The Diablo League, which Northgate (#27) is a part of, also has four teams in the Top 25, Acalanes, Ygnacio Valley, Campo and Clayton Valley Charter. Northgate and Monty are controversial promotions to D1, but regardless, both the Broncos and Vikings will have to shock Northern California come Tuesday or face an early exit after great seasons.
DIVISION 1 GIRLS
MONTGOMERY (16-10, 7-3)
1ST ROUND @ #3 ARCATA (Feb. 18, 7 PM)
Much like their men’s team, the Lady Vikings became a victim of competitive equity, but unlike their boys team, they’re faced with a very long road trip all the way up to Arcata. The Vikings fought hard and valiantly against CN on Saturday in a game that completely caught my color commentator Dylan Kattengal and I off guard. The Vikings came into the game heavy underdogs, coming off a 70-18 loss to CN the last time they faced each other. Something was in the air, though, as big plays from Seniors Emily Mathis and Kylin DeVries, committed to Masters, kept the Vikings afloat in the game. The Vikings had a very strong first half and came out of the locker room hyped, but Newman went on a big run in the third quarter widening the gap between the two teams and the Vikings never recovered. Nevertheless, Montgomery played really well and showed that they deserved to be there. The Vikings weren’t even favored to make the championship game until Maria Carrillo sat out four of their five starters in the playoff game due to sickness. The Vikings took full advantage of this, and played incredibly in both games, earning the chance to play in D1.
Monty loaded their schedule up this year, playing teams like Redwood, Monterey Trail and Buchanan to prepare themselves for a tough league schedule. The Vikings split league games with Carrillo and lost both games to CN, finishing 7-3in the Oak, tied with Carrillo. The Vikings now face tougher competition in Arcata, a team that dominated the Humboldt-Del Norte League BIG 5, going 8-0 and winning it in the regular season. They lost the league tournament championship, however, to St. Bernard’s, the Little 5 champion. That league is stacked with three top teams in Northern California, St. Bernard’s, Eureka and Arcata. Outside of league, Arcata played a few tournaments around the Bay Area, facing tough competition like Northgate, Miramonte and Cardinal Newman. Focusing on the common opponent of Newman, Arcata gave the Cardinals a run for their money, keeping the game close until the 4th and only losing by nine. Arcata and Monty should be one of the better games in the Division 1 bracket, and the Vikings will have to look to DeVries and Mathis to make the difference in the game. Something to mention, like the boys team, Monty will be playing with a lot of heart, as this might be their last season as a school, and that might help them make a run. Nevertheless, Coach Darryl LaBlue will put the best product on the floor and try to get the Vikings to score a big upset up North.
DIVISION 2 BOYS
CARDINAL NEWMAN (23-5, 10-0)
1ST ROUND: v. #15 BENICIA (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
The Cardinal Newman Cardinals have been terrific this year, playing tough competition, and proving to be a top team in Northern California. The Cardinals are deep, balanced and look lethal this postseason. The base D4 team has climbed to D2 behind dominant performances and a 14 game win streak. Newman and Carrillo were in a shootout Saturday until the 4th when the Cardinals took Head Coach Travis Taylor’s “4-Quarter Game Mindset” to heart and overwhelmed the Pumas, pulling away to win 65-54. Newman started the year at the NorCal Tip-Off, going 1-1, beating Oakland, but falling to Santa Cruz. Then in the Clovis North Tournament, the Cardinals came in second, losing to the state 16th ranked hosts by three. The Cardinals then won the Rose City before moving onto the Clayton Valley Tournament where they faced tough competition and injuries that plagued them, causing a 4th place finish. They bounced back finishing in second at the Sonoma County Classic losing to Christopher (now 21-2) from Gilroy in the championship game. Newman has not lost a game since, taking care of Tamalpais and Rancho before sweeping their league competition.
Newman is a dynamic team with a bunch of solid players who can score on any given night. Their leading scorer is 6’4” Senior combo guard Tatum Kurpinsky, who can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc and score efficiently inside the paint. Kurpinsky is also a big rebounder on the team along with the team’s center Mahdi Camara who is a 6’1” forward that plays like he’s 6’7”. Camara leads the team in rebounds, snatching them out of the air like a frog catching flies. Diego Flores Gonzalez rounds out the team’s big three of Seniors with elite ball handling, fantastic finishing, great defense and solid shooting from beyond the arc. Everyone on the Newman roster can shoot the three effectively, and much like the Cardinal girls team, you don’t want to get into a shootout with them. Rounding out their starting lineup, Sophomore AJ Cole and Junior Legend Haile add phenomenal passing, elite ball handling, eccentric finishing and good shooting, common themes with CN. Newman also utilizes their balance of veteran leadership and youth when it comes to the bench as the first players off the bench are sophomores Carmine Guevara and Cade Taylor along with Senior Andy Oandason. All three of them add their respective skills of rebounding and shooting to the lineup, allowing Newman to stay consistent even with starters out.
The Cardinals are going to be a tough team to beat, but face a worthy first round opponent in Benicia. The Panthers play in the Diablo League and have been facing tough competition all year. If Newman does not start quickly per usual, fans could be in for a good one on Wednesday in Santa Rosa. The path to the championship game is tough for CN, but with how they’ve been playing and with how many seniors are on the roster, Newman doesn’t look like they’ll be losing any time soon. Mahdi Camara stressed the fact that Newman needs to stay locked in in these playoffs, “We have to stay focused, play hard, and take it one game at a time.”
With a win Wednesday, Newman would play in the 2nd Round against either Lick Wilmerding or Rancho at CN, and if they win that, they would most likely play St. Mary’s Berkeley in an enticing semifinal game. The Championship in D2 is projected to be either St. Mary’s or Newman against Moreau Catholic, a team that has been red hot all year and look unbeatable in D2. With the way Newman has been playing, though, they are looking at an unbelievable run that would hopefully, for the Cardinals, end up in an NCS Championship and a top spot in NorCal.
MARIA CARRILLO (16-11, 5-5)
1ST ROUND @ URBAN (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
Carrillo nearly pulled off the unexpected upset on Saturday, playing a very solid game against a tough opponent in Cardinal Newman. Now, heading into a tough game against Urban, the Pumas look for another big game from their starting five of star Seniors: Otto Lenhares, James Hillestad, Jackson Hunt, Eli Jamieson and Henry Peters. This season has meant a lot to Carrillo’s starting five and they don’t want it to end. They are a dynamic team that could shock Northern California with some upsets in D2. They pose a threat to #1 Moreau Catholic in the 2nd Round, especially following their hard fought game against #2 Cardinal Newman. Carrillo is going to need elite shooting from Hillestad and Jamieson, paired with great defense and finishing from Hunt and Lenhares. Under the rim, the 6’6” Peters will look to battle for the boards and give Carrillo some second chances. Everyone on Carrillo’s roster can shoot from beyond the arc, even the big man Peters, who sank two three pointers against Newman. They are dynamic in the starting lineup, but their bench isn’t very deep which hinders them.
Something to mention is with that depth, Carrillo brings a balance of experienced Seniors and inexperienced underclassmen. Senior James Hillestad voiced the importance of getting the underclassmen involved in the playoff effort as the Pumas try to make a run, “We are obviously confident we can make a run and get some of these younger guys some playoff experience.” Carrillo is a tough team that balanced their tough league schedule with a lighter non-league schedule.
Outside of league, Carrillo only faced one top 30 team, San Domenico, whom they lost to by a lot, but it didn’t seem to phase them. They kept it close for most of the game in all four games against Cardinal Newman, and they were able to beat Montgomery in the playoffs with a defensive masterpiece. Carrillo needs to play perfectly to try to make a run in Division 2, especially against Moreau Catholic. If the Pumas pull off the unthinkable and make it all the way to the final, beating Urban, Moreau and University, they could get an insane 5th chance against Newman. Carrillo is good enough to be considered a dark horse in D2, but their 2nd Round matchup against Moreau makes it hard to believe that they could do it.
RANCHO COTATE (21-4, 9-1)
1ST ROUND v. #7 LICK-WILMERDING (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
Speaking of dark horses, Rancho Cotate is the perfect fit. The Cougars won their league, so they earned the home game against Lick on Wednesday and they have a very good chance to win. However, the Cougars have some peculiar losses. Rancho fell in non-league competition to Carrillo at home and then Newman in Santa Rosa a month later which was expected. What wasn’t expected was a three point loss to Piner and then another three point loss to Ukiah in the NBL Semifinal at home, eight days after beating them by 19. Rancho’s star player has been Senior Adam Pengel who is averaging over 20 points a game. Pengel’s brother, Andrew, is doing the same for the Santa Rosa Junior College this year. Paired with his elite ability to score is Freshman Izayah Rush who averages 15 while leading the team in rebounding with 6 per game, steals with 3 a game and field goal percentage at 58%. Rancho is a speedy team and has given the Oak teams tough games, playing Cardinal Newman and Carrillo hard in the second halves of those games after having a lackluster start. Still, the Cougars only lost by 11 to CN and 12 to Carrillo.
Outside of those games, the Cougars dominated non-league competition, winning the Cloverdale Tournament and going 10-2 before starting league in the rough Redwood Division with Piner, St. Vincent and Ukiah looking good. The Cougars now coming out of that loss face a tough Lick-Wilmerding team at home which should give them some advantage as some teams find it difficult to shoot in Rancho’s gym due to hoop placement. Lick-Wilmerding has faced tough competition all year, however, especially in the Bay Counties League, playing San Domenico, Urban and University. Outside of league, they played Branson and Head-Royce along with a few small school tournaments, in which they cruised to wins.
Rancho will have a loaded plate with Lick, but could pull it off Wednesday to advance to a potential rematch with Cardinal Newman. Rancho is never out even if they’re down by a lot which will help them in playoffs. They are used to playing down and can come back quickly, but it’s not ideal. They will need to start strong if they have hope for success during these playoffs.
DIVISION 2 GIRLS
MARIA CARRILLO (15-12, 7-3)
1ST ROUND v. #11 ALHAMBRA (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
Despite losing to Montgomery in the first round of the NBL Playoffs, the Pumas have been granted the six seed by the committee and look to take full advantage of it. In D2, Carrillo looks to be a dark horse in the hunt for one of the 3 NorCal spots, especially following their strong season. Despite the 15-12 finish, the Pumas have played tough competition all year, and are a team who can be a snake in the grass for higher seeds like Marin Catholic who they are projected to play in the 2nd Round.
The Pumas bring a lot to the table offensively. Carrillo is a fast paced team and can overwhelm their opponents easily with their quick offense, going on run after run. First, their two guards, Juniors Dani Silacci and Kiera Cangson can shoot well from beyond the arc and can catch fire quickly. Defensively, Cangson and Silacci press their opponents’ guards and look to block passing lanes. Second, down on the blocks, the Pumas bring Junior Hanisi Daveta who is an incredibly talented forward. Daveta pulls down rebound and rebound and rejects tons of shots inside. She’s also pretty quick and can score in transition easily for Carrillo.
Carrillo played a tough schedule, with non-tournament games against top teams in NCS like Redwood, Miramonte and Acalanes as well as teams from Southern California like Inglewood’s St. Mary’s Academy. The Pumas played in the Clovis West Tip Off (4th), their own Jeff Paul Invitational (2nd) and the West Coast Jamboree (2nd). In these tournaments, they faced competition from Eureka, Monache and even Hawaii’s Hanalani. This all geared them up for a rough league schedule in the NBL. In NBL play, Carrillo split games with Montgomery, but they were focused on Cardinal Newman and possibly ending the streak. In their first matchup, at CN, Carrillo played aggressive basketball and were up nine in the third quarter. The Cardinals caught fire, though, and went on a 33-5 run to end the ball game, winning 52-37. The second time around, Newman came out hot and set the pace all game, winning 74-33. Carrillo could’ve had a third chance, but fell to Montgomery in the first round after sitting 4 of their 5 starters due to illness.
Carrillo is not very deep and has been dealing with injuries and sickness, but the Pumas seem ready for playoffs. The one starter who played for Carrillo against Montgomery was Keira Cangson and in her junior year, she is charging head first into playoffs with the rest of the Pumas, “I’m excited for playoffs. I mean everyone is. It’s a great opportunity for my team and I to show what we can do even after this season with some tough games, but we just got to leave it all out there for these games.” The Pumas are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs and seem to have the right pieces to do it. They’ll be gunning for a spot in the Championship or third place game with only Alhambra and Marin Catholic standing in their way.
UKIAH (20-8, 10-0)
1ST ROUND: v. #7 CAMPOLINDO (2/19, 7 PM)
Despite having a rough start to the season, Ukiah added a critical piece in Cardinal Newman transfer Lexie Aguilar, and proceeded to go on a 14 game winning streak heading into their championship game Friday. The Wildcats lost to Healdsburg in Rohnert Park Friday in a great game, 39-33, causing them to drop in the rankings. Nevertheless, the Wildcats have the upper hand in this matchup. They are at home in a night game against an opponent that they are familiar with. The Wildcats battled the Cougars in December with the Cougars coming out victorious, only by five. Since then, Ukiah has added Aguilar and look like another dark horse in a Division 2 bracket that seems wide open.
The NBL Redwood Regular Season Champions started their season in the Sonoma Valley Tournament, playing Archie Williams, Granada and Campolindo, finishing 6th. Then, they played the historic REIBT, taking 7th place, before going up north to the Sutter Tournament where they finished 2nd, losing to Chico in the championship. The Wildcats wrapped up tournament play playing in the same bracket as Carrillo in the West Coast Jamboree and finishing 5th.
Ukiah has the pieces to build a playoff run with Aguilar, Senior Ava Reinhart, Sophomore Lainee Delapo and Senior Emily Page. They shoot the ball well and play great, scrappy defense. The team is confident heading into playoffs and they’re giving it their all according to Aguilar, “Heading into playoffs I'm focusing on giving my best effort into each practice and game in hopes to lead my team farther into playoffs to make the season last longer for my team and I. Our team and coaches have been putting in extra work preparing for playoffs.” The Wildcats are 9-2 at home this year, and could send Campo home early on. Their 2nd round matchup would be a tough one, against University at Kezar, but the Wildcats’ seeding doesn’t reflect their quality of play this year and how it changed with the addition of Aguilar. This is very similar to what happened to St. Patrick-St. Vincent last year. They had a tough beginning to the season, but added three transfers midway through the season, earning the #10 seed and going on a run deep into playoffs, upsetting #2 Cardinal Newman in the 2nd Round. Ukiah is looking to shock the NCS, and could be in the semifinals against fellow North Bay League member Maria Carrillo.
HEALDSBURG (19-7, 7-3)
1ST ROUND: @ #4 MOREAU CATHOLIC (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
The Hounds had a really strong start to the season, going 8-1 before losing three straight to Marin Catholic, Pinole Valley and Kelseyville. Nevertheless, Healdsburg persevered through this and played tough competition, finishing 17-7 in the regular season and looking for vengeance in the NBL Redwood Playoffs. They got it, playing great defense, soaring to wins over St. Vincent and Ukiah, and winning the championship.
Healdsburg is not the highest scoring team in the NBL, but they play fantastic defense that allows them to win games. However, the Hounds aren’t the deepest team which means they could face some problems down the line with teams that are quicker and deeper. The Hounds have a lot of experience and All-Leaguers line their roster with Seniors Ruby Leffew, Allie Espinoza, Ashley Behrens and Hannah Sellards all starting for the Hounds. Along with Junior Claire Berry, the Hounds are a taller team than most and can bully opponents in the paint. 5’10” Espinoza, 5’11” Leffew and 5’11” Berry all play incredibly well down low, but can also shoot the ball from the perimeter efficiently.
The Hounds are another Sonoma County victim of the new rules. Despite being base Division 4, the Hounds got bumped to D2 to face a top team in Moreau Catholic. Moreau is a quick team and come into the playoffs on a 13 game win streak. The one common opponent between the two teams is Justin-Siena. Both played them hard, but lost in close games that the Braves were able to pull away in.
Healdsburg has played tough competition all year and are used to playing as underdogs on the road, something they’ve taken advantage of towards the end of the season. Healdsburg is looking to disrupt the NCS with a big upset Wednesday in Hayward as underdogs. Ruby Leffew, who has been terrific all year for the Hounds is looking for a big win to continue her Senior campaign, “I want to carry the same mindset and intensity that we brought during the NBL playoffs and continue working together as a team to pull through as the underdogs.” If Healdsburg can upset the Mariners, it would set up another game where the Hounds would come in as the underdog. Heritage and McKinleyville play Wednesday for the right to play the winner of the Moreau-Healdsburg game, and that 2nd round game will be tense as it will feature some legendary programs fighting for the CIF spot.
DIVISION 3 BOYS
SANTA ROSA (15-12, 5-5)
1ST ROUND: @ #7 COLLEGE PARK (FEB. 18, 7 PM)
This is the most enticing first round matchup in my opinion as Santa Rosa and College Park have already played. That game was at Piner in the Sonoma County Classic, and Santa Rosa upset College Park in OT. SR looks to do it again Tuesday, coming off their best season in some time. Arlo Mischke and Gabe Airoldi have dominated for Madison Lott’s Panthers this year and much like Healdsburg, Santa Rosa has been the underdog in a lot of their games this year. The Panthers played well this year in Oak play, culminating in a fantastic buzzer beater win over Maria Carrillo. They fell to Newman in the first round despite an impressive first quarter.
In non-league, the Panthers battled the best of the best with games against #4 Dublin, #7 Dougherty Valley, #8 Redwood and Christopher. They were the consolation champions in all tournaments they played in: Napa Tournament, Rose City and Sonoma County Classic. Despite a loss to St. Vincent later on, the Panthers haven’t had many miscues and are very well coached, giving them a great chance at making a run. Santa Rosa is going to need Mischke, who is averaging a double-double, to hold it down down low in the playoffs. They didn’t get to him a lot against Newman and it shut their offense off.
As far as the second round goes, if the Panthers can replicate their big win earlier season, they will most likely face the 2 seeded San Domenico who look unstoppable in D3. As for College Park, the Falcons play in one of the toughest leagues in Northern California (See Montgomery boys for more info), the Diablo League. Teams like Acalanes, Campolindo, Ygnacio Valley, Clayton Valley, Northgate and Miramonte all took on the Falcons in tense matchups. It’ll be a good one Tuesday in Pleasant Hill as the Panthers look to keep their season alive.
PINER (19-9, 8-2)
1ST ROUND: v. #5 SAN RAFAEL (Feb. 18, 7 PM, @ Terra Linda HS)
Piner is a team that dropped to the Redwood this year, but have been incredible, winning the NBL Redwood Tournament Friday. They beat St. Vincent to get there, beating Ukiah on Friday, 63-50 to clinch the championship plaque. Their first round matchup is another enticing one, against San Rafael, a team they beat in a nailbiter in December in Santa Rosa. San Rafael is a team that has been consistently solid this year much like Piner, with Seniors Giovanni Brovelli, Luke Shapiro and Asher Urban carrying the team to larger victories in non-league competition. The Bulldogs went 4-5 in the tough MCAL, but outside of conference play, they shined, going 13-4 and beating many NBL teams in the process.
Piner is led by Seniors Apollo Pereira, Brendan Walker and Tyler Coester. Pereira is an acrobatic and athletic player averaging nearly 24 points per game for the Prospectors along with six and half boards and three steals. Apollo is all over the place for Piner with speed akin to the Saturn V. Down low, Brendan Walker averages a double-double with 12.5 points and ten boards. Coester averages nine points per game along with 60% shooting from beyond the arc. Piner is incredibly deep and this depth will help them make a deep run if they can knock off San Rafael. Nevertheless, they will need the big three of Pereira, Walker and Coester to perform at an elite level to get by the Bulldogs.
Following their game against San Rafael, Piner will look to play either Mt. Eden or Cornerstone Chrsitian if they beat the Bulldogs. The Prospectors are confident and it was echoed by the words of Pereira, “I’m really confident with our team and our matchup. We have already seen them once this season. And if we do our job, I’m really confident we will get the job done.” Piner has serious potential to go deep into NCS this year and compete for a State bid even as a Cinderella.
DIVISION 4 BOYS
WINDSOR (12-14, 1-9)
1ST ROUND: v #5 GATEWAY(SF) (Feb. 19, 5 PM, @ KEZAR)
The Windsor Jaguars find themselves in a spot that no one expected; Division 4 twelve seed. Because of the new rules, the Jaguars, a base Division 2 team, fell to Division 4 and will face Gateway Charter from San Francisco. The Jaguars had a great non-league campaign, going 11-4 with big wins over Montgomery, Casa Grande and American Canyon. However, their league campaign was the exact opposite as the Jaguars faced the NBL Oak gauntlet, beating only Analy in their 10 league games. The Jaguars consistently came close to winning more games against big opponents like Cardinal Newman and Monty with home court advantage playing a huge factor in their near upsets of these teams. However, Windsor fell short numerous times, mostly having to rely on one player, Zakk Woolsey, to score their points. In games that he was on fire, Windsor played incredibly, but in games where he was missing, the Jaguars seemed to deflate.
Nevertheless, due to their impressive non-league campaign, they clinched a playoff spot in D4 and are looking to take full advantage of it. Windsor has faced tough teams all year in league with Newman and Monty and outside of league, facing juggernauts like #6 Cal from San Ramon and #3 in the Central Coast Section, Valley Christian. The Jags look to build off these games heading into playoffs and make a run. They’re in the right spot after all.
With regards to Gateway, the Gators are 19-7 on the year, with impressive wins over Lick-Wilmerding, Corona and Arroyo. The Gators finished tied for first with International in the Bay Counties-Central League. Like the Jaguars, the Gators have faced tough competition this year from teams like Piedmont and Lincoln-SF, a common opponent between the two teams. Both Windsor and Gateway fell to the Mustangs by similar margins, and gave up the same amount of points, 69 (Don’t say it).
Looking at the Division 4 bracket, Windsor will have to diversify their scoring if they want to make a deep run. Utilizing Joey Ceja, Liam West and Charlie Kramer will help the Jaguars score more points and gain more confidence in themselves. They have a good balance of youth and veteran talent that makes this playoff experience critical for the team, especially looking to the future. Gateway will be tough, but if the Jags survive, they will face 25-3 Redwood Christian, a team that also matches up well with the Jaguars. If Windsor can get some strong scoring performances from Kramer, Ceja and Woolsey paired with great rebounding from West, the Jags could have a chance to make state.
UKIAH (8-20, 5-5)
1ST ROUND: @ #1 PIEDMONT (Feb. 19, 7 PM)
Despite a tough non-league campaign, the Wildcats went 5-5 in league and shocked the world, upsetting Rancho Cotate in the NBL semifinals. The Wildcats have developed well over the year, seeming to be pretty strong currently, finishing second in the NBL Redwood Tournament. The Wildcats got a tough spot in the Division 4 playoffs, being knocked down from D2, and are set to play the one seeded Piedmont Highlanders. This game will be a very hard battle for Ukiah, but maybe, just maybe, the Wildcats can squeeze out some more heroic upsets like last Wednesday.
Ukiah has lined their schedule with tough competition leading to tough losses against big opponents like Cardinal Newman, Alameda, Monty, Carrillo, College Park and Marin Catholic. In league, they swept Healdsburg and Elsie Allen, and also split with St. Vincent to secure a 5-5 record and a spot in the NBL Playoffs. Kaleo Olson and Zach Martinez led the Wildcats this year with Martinez averaging 10 pts and 9 rebounds and Olson leading the team with 11 points per game paired with six and a half rebounds.The big issue for the Wildcats has been turnovers as they have turned the ball over on average 15 times a game and average about 33% from the field.
Their opponent Piedmont is a weird case where the new rules benefit a school as the Highlanders are 12-14. Granted, the Highlanders do play a tough league schedule with Alameda, Bishop O’Dowd and Berkeley, and have competed well against those teams, amassing a load of close losses just from their league schedule. Ukiah has also played a tough schedule and could pose a threat to the Highlanders, but Piedmont will be a large mountain to climb for the Wildcats.
DIVISION 4 GIRLS
RANCHO COTATE (15-11, 3-7)
1ST ROUND: v. #13 NOVATO (Feb. 19, 5:30 PM)
Rancho Cotate had a rough league schedule, but like Windsor’s boys team, they were saved by their solid non-league campaign. In non-league, the Cougars went 12-4, dominating their way to a West Coast Jamboree Championship and third place in the Piner tournament. Rancho found it tough, however, to get past the big three in the NBL Oak, Cardinal Newman, Montgomery and Carrillo, getting swept by all of them and splitting with Analy.
Rancho brings this experience with tough opponents into a tough Division 4 bracket. The Cougars are led by Senior PG Daniela Campos who is averaging 11 points and 2 steals per game. Junior Isabella Scardina and Senior Nina Boblitt round out the top three Rancho players, leading numerous Cougar stat categories. Scardina averages 6.6 points per game paired with a team leading 6.5 boards a game and 2.6 steals a game. Boblitt also averages 6.6 points per game, paired with 5.3 boards a game.
The Cougars are looking to make the most of their playoff seeding, and have a decent chance at making state. If they take care of business against Novato, which they are favored to, they will face either Sonoma Valley or JFK Richmond at Rancho this weekend. Rancho always has a huge advantage playing at home because of the way the court is formatted and how the baskets are hanging and far away from the wall. At the four seed, the Cougars are favored to make a deep run and have a chance to compete for one of the three spots at NorCal.
SANTA ROSA (15-9, 5-5)
1ST ROUND: v. #9 ARCHIE WILLIAMS (Feb. 19, 7:00 PM)
Santa Rosa is an interesting case when it comes to playoff seeding. The Panthers are 15-9 on the year and face a rematch in Round 1 against Archie Williams. The Panthers took care of Archie in January 56-44, and in their game the night before, Santa Rosa lost by one to the D4 4 seed, Rancho (see above). Earlier in the season, the Panthers lost by two to the D4 5 seed, Sonoma Valley. These close losses really underline how closely the seedings are chosen and how Division 4 is wide open in the girls bracket. In league, Santa Rosa split with St. Vincent, but were swept by Healdsburg and Ukiah, giving them a 5-5 record and the 4 seed in NBL Playoffs. They faced a tough task, facing Ukiah in Mendocino County, and lost, ending their season on a four game skid. However, Santa Rosa looks to end that skid against Archie Williams Wednesday.
The Panthers are led by 5’7” Linfield commit Kate Townsend. Townsend averages double digits and contributes largely to the Santa Rosa offense. Townsend is a sharpshooter and handles the ball at an elite level which will help her blossom at the next level. Rosa also brings Peyton Patrick as the second part of their 1-2 punch of guards. Patrick and Townsend getting open shots will be the key to the Panthers securing victory in the NCS Playoffs, and fighting for a State spot.
As for Archie Williams, they faced a tough schedule this year and played tough league games in the MCAL. Still, Santa Rosa is the favorite in this first round playoff game between the two schools as Townsend and Patrick look to down the Falcons a second time this year. The team that awaits the winner of the SR-AW game is the 1 seed, Encinal from Alameda. Encinal has had a weird season, beating both Montgomery and Windsor, but losing to the #5 seed in this bracket, Sonoma Valley. Seniors Jazzy Alcantar and Surina Castro will try to lead their very veteran heavy Jets to an NCS Championship and a state bid. Nevertheless, Santa Rosa will try to shock the world in the D4 playoffs.
DIVISION 6 BOYS
ST. VINCENT (17-10, 6-4)
1ST ROUND: BYE; 2ND ROUND: v. Averroes/Valley Christian (Dublin) (Feb. 22, TIME TBA)
You might as well punch the Mustangs ticket to NorCal right now. At the two seed in the 12 team D6 bracket, St. Vincent looks to overpower their competition in route to the final, likely against a tough opponent they’ve faced already in St. Bernard’s. The Mustangs lost to St. Bernard’s 50-43 when the two teams met in Petaluma on January 20th. The Mustangs, at the time, were in the midst of a four game skid that they cleaned up by winning six of their last seven before NBL Playoffs. In NBL play, the Mustangs swept both Healdsburg and Elsie Allen, but split with both Piner and Ukiah, earning the three seed and a game three with Piner which they lost, 59-40. However, they are now in a great spot and poised heading into NCS.
Coach Nick Iacopi is in his first season after taking over for the legendary Tom Bonfigli, a common theme throughout the Redwood this year. Piner’s new Head Coach Marc Anderson has done a fantastic job taking over for the greatest Piner coaches and one of the greatest Sonoma County coaches ever, Mike Erickson. AJ Crosby has done a great job taking over at Healdsburg and has started rebuilding the program. Coach Iacopi is pretty confident in his guys heading into the playoffs, “I think we’re peaking at the right time. Defensively, we’re way more connected and offensively, some of our guys are finding their way.” He’s also pretty happy with the strength of schedule that they’ve built, facing teams like Rancho, Santa Rosa and Piner and how that will help them make a deep run in NCS, “I’m super excited for our chances in Division 6. I think playing the Santa Rosas, the Ranchos, the Piners has really prepared us well.” The Mustangs shocked Sonoma County with a big win over Santa Rosa in January which was a part of that big streak towards the end of the season.
The Mustangs are led by Dylan Chelew and Jack Ellis, two incredibly skilled athletes that have played huge parts in the Mustangs’ wins this year. Chelew averages 13 points and 4 rebounds per game as well as nearly 2 takeaways per game. He also averages 36% from beyond the arc. Ellis, who stands at 6’4”, averages 12.8 points per game with 7.2 rebounds, a stat that he leads the team in. The Mustangs will need both Chelew and Ellis to catch fire if they want to win D6. In the first game against St. Bernard’s, Chelew had 18 points and shot incredibly well, but Ellis had 6 points with 11 rebounds, but didn’t shoot very well. Junior George Chaput added nine to the Mustang effort. Fouls were a problem for the Mustangs as they committed 16 personal fouls with Dylan’s older brother Tyler fouling out and Anton Rocco picking up 4 fouls. Without these mistakes, St. Vincent probably wins the game, so they will be looking for revenge in D6.
DIVISION 6 GIRLS
ST. VINCENT (16-11, 6-4)
QUARTERFINALS: v #4 Grace Christian Academy (Feb. 22, 3 PM, @ LAGUNA HS)
This year has been tough for St. Vincent. After starting 7-1, they went on a skid winning only two of their next nine. On top of that, Head Coach Will “Bull” Bullard, a former Harlem Globetrotter, was diagnosed with cancer. He completed chemotherapy 8 weeks ago and has shown the utmost resilience in the face of a challenge, fighting hard to get back on the sideline and lead his Lady Mustangs to a NorCal bid. In NBL Redwood play, the Mustangs split with Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, but were swept by Ukiah. Outside of Redwood play, the Mustangs faced tough competition like Sonoma Academy, Branson, Las Lomas, Encinal and McDermitt (NV) that has prepared them for NCS Playoffs.
The Mustangs are a team that are very diverse in their scoring with three stand out leading scorers, Senior Amya Sims with ten per game, Senior Hailey Sarlatte with nine per game and Junior Andrea Hartmann with seven per game. Any one of these three can heat up quickly for the Mustangs and get them points which makes them one of the most dynamic teams on this list in both girls and boys basketball. Sarlatte and Sophomore Claire Ellis rack up the boards for the Mustangs with Sarlatte averaging 8.8 and Ellis averaging 7.9. Defensively, Sims averages nearly three steals a game and Hartmann averages over two and a half. Sims has only played 14 games this year after a delayed start to her season due to transfer rules as she is a transfer from San Marin.
As for their opponent, Grace Christian from Santa Rosa, the Lions have had an incredible season, going 12-2 in the NCL III and finishing with a 17-3 record. Their three losses have come at the hands of Point Arena, Round Valley and Clear Lake. Both teams are 7-0 against common opponents, but the strongest common opponent they have is Elsie Allen whom SVdP blew out both times while Grace only beat the Lobos by three. This begs the question of why Grace is ahead of St. Vincent, especially because St. Vincent has played a much stronger schedule. Nevertheless, the Mustangs have the pieces and the heart to make a deep playoff run.
*** Something to note is the final four of D6 makes NorCal, meaning that, because of the 8 team bracket, the winners of the Quarter Final/1st Round games make NorCal.
MY PREDICTIONS FOR NORCAL BIDS
BOYS
DIVISION 1: Dougherty Valley, Redwood, Clayton Valley
DIVISION 2: Moreau Catholic, Cardinal Newman, St. Mary’s Berkeley
DIVISION 3: Branson, San Domenico, Berkeley
DIVISION 4: El Cerrito, Piedmont, Windsor
DIVISION 5: Alhambra, International, Kelseyville
DIVISION 6: St. Vincent, St. Bernard’s, Point Arena, Rio Lindo
GIRLS
DIVISION 1: Clayton Valley, Bishop O’Dowd, California
DIVISION 2: Justin-Siena, University, Carrillo
DIVISION 3: St. Mary’s, Branson, St. Bernard’s
DIVISION 4: Encinal, Head-Royce, Rancho Cotate
DIVISION 5: SPSV, Cloverdale, Urban
DIVISION 6: Ferndale, Cornerstone Christian, St. Vincent, Round Valley
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