Sheldon Huskies aim for NorCal Open threepeat while others seek first hoops titles
The Sheldon Huskies expected to hoist the blue Sac-Joaquin Section championship banner Friday night at Golden 1 Center, and each player and coach fully anticipated Sunday’s news.
Sheldon is the top seed in the 40th CIF Northern California Open Division, the best of the best for the big boys, and now set aim on three-peating as champions. The California Interscholastic Federation released the brackets formulated by a committee of section commissioners and retired coaches and retired section staffers for the “competitive-equity” model of this round of the state playoffs.
That means a team was eligible to be moved up in division from section play if the committee deems that program worthy of being able to compete at that level. Sheldon is every bit worthy of Open status. The Huskies have an opening bye Wednesday and on Saturday host the winner of No. 5 Bellarmine of San Jose and No. 4 Dublin. Mitty of San Jose is seeded second. In some years, the NorCal Open fielded eight teams. The goal is to have between five and eight teams in that bracket while not watering down other divisions.
The real prize is a CIF State championship on March 13-14 for regional teams whose seasons continue, but as coaches like to remind exhaustively, “one game at a time.”
Sheldon (27-5) beat Capital Christian 49-46 in a foul-fest of a slow game for the Division I championship at Golden 1. Each Sheldon player and coach understands the task now, specifically that there is no room for error in this tournament. Missed free throws, not boxing out — anything fundamental — can doom a season. Sheldon made 13 of 27 free throws, a bad number for a team normally much better at the foul line.
“I really like our chances,” Sheldon coach Joey Rolling on Friday. “When we get going, we’re really hard to stop. We’ll work on free throws and then get after it.”
All section semifinalists advance to the NorCal rounds, including Capital Christian, a gritty, skilled young team that is seeded No. 2 in D-I and opens against No. 15 Clovis North at home. Had Capital defeated Sheldon, it assuredly would have been placed in the Open along with Sheldon.
Also in boys D-I, Grant is seeded sixth and opens at home against No. 11 San Leandro. The Pacers on Thursday won their first section title since 1999.
“Oh, man, we can be so good if we play the way we’re capable of,” beaming Grant coach Deonard Wilson said after the section win.
Riordan of San Francisco is the top seed in D-I and opens against Modesto Christian. Section D-III champion Vanden is the No. 9 seed and visits No. 8 Clovis West. No. 14 Rocklin opens at longtime power Salesian of Richmond, seeded third.
In D-II, Jesuit is seeded 11th and visits Branson of Ross, seeded sixth, and No. 16 Whitney plays at No. 1 Granada. In D-V, Bradshaw Christian is the No. 2 seed in D-V
And the girls
The Bee’s No. 1 team much of the season has been Antelope. It is the No. 8 seed in D-I and will host San Ramon Valley of Danville on Tuesday with a likely shot at top-seeded Salesian of Richmond on Thursday. The Titans beat Del Oro on Thursday for the section D-II title, the program’s second such banner in three seasons, and knew they could be moved up a division.
“We’re ready for anything, and we’re excited,” Antelope coach Sean Chambers said after the section win.
Also in D-I, No. 7 Oak Ridge hosts Menlo School, No. 11 McClatchy visits Heritage of Brentwood, No. 13 Folsom visits No. 4 Miramonte and No. 12 Granite Bay heads to powerhouse Pinewood in Los Altos Hills.
In D-II, D-III section winner Christian Brothers as the No. 9 seed visits No. 8 American of Fremont and No. 4 Laguna Creek, enjoying its best start in years, hosts No. 13 Montgomery of Santa Rosa. No. 3 Del Oro hosts No. 14 Presentation of San Jose.
In D-III, No. 3 Placer hosts No. 14 Los Gatos, No. 9 Vista del Lago visits No. 8 Aptos and No. 7 Vanden hosts No. 10 Moreau Catholic.
In D-IV, section champion Colfax earned the No. 1 seed and opens against Lowell of San Francisco. El Dorado, having just played in its first section final in 41 years, is the No. 12 seed and visits No. 5 Pleasant Valley of Chico. D-V section runner-up Golden Sierra is seeded 13th and visits University Prep of Redding.
In D-VI, section champion Forest Lake Christian is seeded third and hosts Credo of Rohnert Park while No. 4 Valley Christian Academy hosts No. 5 Calistoga.
For complete CIF NorCal and SoCal brackets, visit cifstate.org..
CIF Northern California Regional Championships
BOYS
Open Division
No. 5 Bellarmine Prep at No. 4 Dublin, 7 p.m.
Byes: No. 1 Sheldon, No. 2 Archbishop Mitty No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd
Division I
All games 7 p.m.
No. 16 Modesto Christian at No. 1 Riordan
No. 9 Vanden at No. 8 Clovis West
No. 12 Dougherty Valley at No. 5 Menlo-Atherton
No. 13 Memorial at No. 4 De La Salle
No. 14 Rocklin at No. 3 Salesian
No. 11 San Leandro at No. 6 Grant
No. 10 Serra at No. 7 Campolindo
No. 15 Clovis North at No. 2 Capital Christian
Division ll
No. 16 Whitney at No. 1 Granada
No. 9 St. Mary’s at No. 8 Clovis East
No. 12 Menlo School at No. 5 Oakland Tech
No. 13 Piedmont at No. 4 Weston Ranch
No. 14 Alameda at No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep
No. 11 Jesuit at No. 6 Branson
No. 10 De Anza at No. 7 Saint Francis
No. 15 San Ramon Valley at No. 2 St. Patrick- St. Vincent
Division lll
No. 16 Wood at No. 1 Palo Alto
No. 9 Central Catholic at No. 8 Pleasant Valley
No. 12 Lowell at No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral
No. 13 Half Moon Bay at No. 4 Saint Mary’s
No. 13 Sequoia at No. 4 Sonora
No. 11 Foothill at No. 6 Palma
No. 10 Marin Catholic at No. 7 Carmel
No. 15 Bullard at No. 2 St. Ignatius
Division lV
No. 16 Santa Cruz at No. 1 Stuart Hall
No. 9 University Prep at No. 8 Brookside Christian
No. 12 Urban at No. 5 Hillsdale
No. 13 Liberty Ranch at No. 4 Hoover
No. 14 Oakland at No. 3 University
No. 11 Santa Teresa at No. 6 Golden Valley
No. 10 Clear Lake at No. 7 Kingsburg
No. 15 Union Mine at No. 2 Lincoln
Division V
No. 16 Durham at No. 1 Pierce
No. 9 Fresno Christian at No. 8 Calaveras
No. 12 Oroville at No. 5 Eastside College Prep
No. 13 Mt. Shasta at No. 4 Christopher
No. 14 East Nicolaus at No. 3 San Domenico
No. 11 Argonaut at No. 6 Gridley
No. 10 Denair at No. 7 Pacific Bay Christian
No. 15 Los Molinos at No. 2 Bradshaw Christian
Division Vl
No. 8 South Fork at No. 1 Weed
No. 5 Stockton Christian at No. 4 Ferndale
No. 6 St. Bernard’s at No. 3 Fall River
No. 7 California School for the Deaf at No. 2 Ripon Christian
Girls
All games, 7 p.m.
Open Division
No. 5 Cardinal Newman at No. 4 St. Mary’s
Byes: No. 1 Archbishop Mitty, No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame, No. 3 Clovis West
Division I
No. 16 Valley Christian at No. 1 Salesian
No. 9 San Ramon Valley at No. 8 Antelope
No. 12 Granite Bay at No. 5 Pinewood
No. 13 Folsom at No. 4 Miramonte
No. 14 St. Ignatius at No. 3 Clovis North
No. 11 McClatchy at No. 6 Heritage
No. 10 Menlo School at No. 7 Oak Ridge
Division ll
No. 16 Saint Francis at No. 1 Oakland Tech
No. 9 Christian Brothers at No. 8 American
No. 12 Lynbrook at No. 5 Memorial
No. 13 Montgomery at No. 4 Laguna Creek
No. 14 Presentation at No. 3 Del Oro
No. 11 Alameda at No. 6 Sacred Heart Cathedral
No. 10 Sacred Heart Prep at No. 7 San Leandro
No. 15 Merced at No. 2 Clovis
Division lll
No. 16 Lick-Wilmerding at No. 1 Menlo-Atherton
No. 9 Vista del Lago at No. 8 Aptos
No. 12 Marin Catholic at No. 5 Woodside Priory
No. 13 Aragon at No. 4 St. Patrick-St. Vincent
No. 14 Los Gatos at No. 3 Placer
No. 11 San Marin at No. 6 Palo Alto
No. 10 Moreau Catholic at No. 7 Vanden
No. 15 Leland at No. 2 Saint Mary’s
Division lV
No. 16 Lowell at No. 1 Colfax
No. 9 Half Moon Bay at No. 8 Caruthers
No. 12 El Dorado at No. 5 Pleasant Valley
No. 13 Washington at No. 4 Mills
No. 14 Oakland at No. 3 Handford
No. 11 Sierra Pacific at No. 6 Notre Dame
No. 10 Enterprise at No. 7 Cloverdale
No. 15 Chico at No. 2 Argonaut
Division V
No. 16 Le Grand at No. 1 West Valley
No. 9 Upper Lake at No. 8 Portola
No. 12 Head-Royce at No. 5 Calaveras
No. 13 Golden Sierra at No. 4 University Prep
No. 14 Colusa at No. 3 Monte Vista Christian
No. 11 Durham at No. 6 Gridley
No. 10 Hughson at No. 7 Wheatland
No. 15 Ben Holt at No. 2 Branson
Division Vl
No. 8 Fall River at No. 1 Laytonville
No. 5 Calistoga at No. 4 Valley Christian
No. 6 Credo at No. 3 Forest Lake Christian
No. 7 Tomales at No. 2 Redding Christian
