St. Bonaventure High boys basketball team gets its shot at first CIF-SS title

It wasn't a clutch victory that convinced the St. Bonaventure High boys basketball team that this season could be special.

It wasn't a tournament title or league championship that made the Seraphs believers.

It was a loss, actually three losses, that told St. Bonaventure's coaches and players that this season could end in an exclamation point.

"It was the Damien Tournament," said coach Wolfgang Wood. "We finished 1-3, but we were in the Silver Division and lost to three very good teams. We went up against Crean Lutheran, Campbell Hall and Whitney and played them very tough. That showed us we could compete with anybody. That showed us what we're capable of doing."

Standout junior forward Dylan Benner agreed.

"Our confidence went way up after Damien," he said. "We played really good teams and were right there with them. We became believers."

Two months later, St. Bonaventure stands on the cusp of a grand achievement and the third-year head coach is poised to make history.

The Seraphs, at 23-8, have qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division 4AA championship game and will take on top-seeded Valencia (21-10) beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach. St. Bonaventure, seeking the program's first section crown, returns to the title contest for the first time since 2018.

The Seraphs lost in the 4AA finals that year to Hillcrest, 55-38.

Even before the opening possession, Wood will be part of a prodigious accomplishment for Ventura County athletics. Santa Paula will play in the Division 5A championship game, which means that Wood and Cardinals coach Keith Epps become the first two black head coaches to guide their teams to Southern Section finals in the same year.

More:Santa Paula ready to end long wait for a CIF-Southern Section basketball final

"Its great," said Wood. "Keith and I came in about the same time, and he's an excellent coach. It's good to be a part of this and I'm just happy to be a part of the St. Bonaventure community. I'm enjoying all of this."

Wood's basketball genes are stronger than any two-handed slam.

He's the son of Leon Wood, a veritable Los Angeles legend who starred at St. Monica High, the university of Arizona and Cal State Fullerton before becoming a first-round NBA draft pick in 1984. He played in the NBA for eight seasons from 1984 to 1991. Since 1966, he's been one of the league's most respected referees.

"He's so excited for me," said Wolfgang, a Santa Margarita High graduate whose position with the Seraphs is his first as a head coach. "We talk a couple times a day and he reminds me to enjoy the moment. That's exactly what I'm doing."

The Seraphs boast a star big in 6-foot-7 Benner, who averages 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. But St. Bonaventure truly thrives on a team-first mentality that stresses unselfishness and camaraderie.

Benner said the favorite part of his game has nothing to do with putting the ball through the hoop.

"It's passing," he said. "I really enjoy setting up my teammates to score. I like that better than scoring points."

Point guard Sam Seiden, emerging as a clutch sophomore, averages 8.5 points and 4.0 assists (105 total), junior Jeremy Goodcase puts up 7.4 points per game, and senior Nico Macias averages 7.7 points. Freshman Kaden Glover pounds the boards at 6.7 rebounds per game.

Only the Seraphs' real strength is an uncanny team chemistry.

"We're a family. We all care about each other," said senior co-captain Nate Loomis. "We're friends off the basketball court, too. We hang out together, eat meals together. That definitely makes us a better team."

Macias agreed.

"A lot of us have played together for three years," he said. "We were here when (former coach) Pat Frank resigned, and we wondered what would happen next. Coach Wood has come in and made everything even better. He's so much fun to play for."

Since the Damien Tournament, St. Bonaventure has won 14 of 15 games, with the lone loss coming in overtime in the Tri-Valley League to Bishop Diego, 62-57. The Seraphs avenged that defeat two weeks later, 67-47.

The Seraphs' most decisive characteristic is a hard-nosed defense that takes pride in shutting down opponents. In four postseason games, St. Bonaventure has allowed no more than 53 points.

The Seraphs won at No. 2 seed Flintridge Prep 52-44, then dominated host Long Beach Wilson in the semifinals, 70-53. A surprise zone defense stymied Wilson, which went 1 of 15 from 3-point range for three quarters.

"Coach has taught us that defense wins championships, and we take pride in putting so much effort on that end of the floor," said Loomis. "We don't let up."

St. Bonaventure faces a tough challenge Saturday in No. 1 Valencia, honed by the rugged Foothill League. The Vikings own victories over Calabasas, Maranatha and St. Paul.

The star is 6-6 senior Mikah Bellew.

"They're good," said Wood. "But we're pretty good, too. Our guys are fearless. They don't back off any challenge. They'll be ready to go Saturday."

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: St. Bonaventure boys basketball team gets shot at first CIF-SS title