Editor's note: Sac-Joaquin Section media director Will Deboard was one of the finest high school journalists in the state before taking his new position more than a year ago. Here is a list of his notes heading into the SJS semifinal games.
Only two dozen basketball games (plus two D4 boys makeup games tonight) and four days remain before the annual Sac-Joaquin Section/Les Schwab Tires Championships Presented by Farmers Insurance begin their two-day run at Arco Arena (renamed Power Balance Pavilion as of March 1).
Ali Gibson leads St. Mary's team that
has made 14 straight SJS playoff
appearances.
Photo by Chris Pondy
More than three-fourths of the games in this year's tournament have been played, and 24 remain between now and the beginning of the finals, which will be played on Friday (four games, Divisions III and V) and Saturday (six games, Divisions I, II and IV).
This is the 13th year both boys and girls finals have been played at Arco Arena/Power Balance Pavilion. There should be some outstanding basketball.
As usual, the Sac-Joaquin Section tournament has had its share of expected and unexpected results in the first week of play.
* 89.2 percent (nearly 9 out of 10) of the higher seeded teams have been victorious, which is well above the norm. Here are the winning percentages of the higher seeds for the past several years: 2010 – 83.4; 2009 – 80.2; 2008 - 78.1; 2007 – 76.8; 2006 - 75.3.
* The boys have been slightly more predictable with the higher seeds winning 90.2 percent of the time, while the girls' higher seeds have won 88.3 percent of the time.
* Two brackets have seen the top seeds win all of their games (D4 boys and girls), and five divisions have seen the top seeds lose only once (D1 boys, D5 boys, D1 girls, D3 girls and D5 girls).
* Division I girls' higher seeds have struggled so far, winning only 8 of 12 games (66.7 percent), while the other nine brackets have gone 99-9, 91.7 percent.
* The No. 1 seed is still alive in all 10 divisions, while seeds 2, 3 and 4 are alive in nine divisions each. Only one five, two sixes and two sevens remain. And, a 6 and 7 play tonight against a 2 and 3 to make the semifinals. That makes only five seeds remaining below No. 4. That number could go as low as three if the higher seeds win tonight. Either way, that is a record for the fewest number of non-top 4 seeds remaining in the Final Four. The previous record of seven was set in 1999 and tied in 1995.
* In seven divisions, the top four seeds remain.
* Eight of last year's champions remain alive in the tournament. On the boys' side, Sheldon (D-1), Woodcreek (D-2), Sacramento (D-3) and Modesto Christian (D-4) are still playing. On the girls' side, Oak Ridge (D-1), St. Mary's (D-3 champ playing in D-2 this year), Modesto Christian (D-4) and Bradshaw Christian (D-5) are still playing.
* There are three possible repeat finals matchups.
* Boys: D-1 –
Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.)-
Franklin (Elk Grove).
* Boys: D-4 –
Modesto Christian-
Colfax.
* Girls: D-5 –
Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento)-
Turlock Christian.
* Six different schools have both their boys and girls teams still playing. They are
Sacramento,
St. Mary's (Stockton),
Colfax,
Modesto Christian,
Bradshaw Christian and
Vacaville Christian. Fourteen times boys and girls teams from the same school have won titles in the same year, last accomplished by Modesto Christian last year.
* Sixteen of the 42 remaining teams have never won a Section title in basketball. They are: boys –
Granite Bay Franklin-EG,
Antelope,
Weston Ranch (Stockton),
Ripon,
Capital Christian (Sacramento),
Summerville (Tuolumne), Vacaville Christian and
Valley Christian (Roseville); girls –
Armijo (Fairfield),
Lincoln (Stockton),
Vanden (Fairfield),
Vacaville Christian, Turlock Christian and Brookside Christian.
* Seven of the remaining teams have never made an appearance in the finals. They are: boys – Granite Bay, Antelope, Vacaville Christian and Valley Christian. Girls – Armijo, Vacaville Christian and Brookside Christian.
* There is no guarantee of any first-time winners because in every division at least one remaining team in each half bracket is a former champion. In two divisions (D-2 and D-4 girls) are all four remaining teams are former champs.
* The Sheldon boys are looking for their third championship in five year. They and
Jesuit (Carmichael) have history on their side as well: A team from the DRL has won the D1 boys championship each of the last four years. Franklin-EG is looking to make its third straight appearance in the championship game.
*
Woodcreek (Roseville) is looking to defend the championship it won last year, when the boys team stopped Oakmont. Facing it in the semis is Antelope, a school that will graduate its first senior class this year. Cordova is looking to make its first finals appearance since the Lancers won the D1 championship in 1984.
* The Sacramento boys are gunning for their third D3 championship in a row, their fourth in five years and their seventh straight finals appearance. They face Weston Ranch in a rematch of the 2007 championship (Sac won 62-58). And the other semifinal, Center-Foothill, is a rematch of the 2004 Section championship (won by Center, 53-52).
* Modesto Christian's boys have won 11 Section titles in a row, including the last three in D4. Should Modesto Christian and No. 2 seed Summerville meet in the finals, then the Crusaders would have played all Mother Lode League teams in the postseason this year (Bret Harte, Calaveras, Amador, Summerville).
* Ripon Christian's boys had quite the run in the mid 1990s. The Knights took six championships in a row from 1991-96, and appear to be drawing from their glory days this year. Their opponent, Vacaville Christian, has scored 177 points in its first two wins.
* The
St. Francis (Sacramento) girls won two titles and made three finals in D2 over the last four years. Now, the Troubadours are in D1 and face an Armijo program that has never made the finals. It's the same type of matchup in the other semifinal, as a seasoned Oak Ridge team that won the D1 state championship last year faces a Lincoln-S team that is looking for its first finals appearance since 1981
* The top-seeded St. Mary's girls are in D2 after winning the last three D3 championships. They face a Bella Vista program looking for its first finals appearance since 1993. El Camino coach Bill Baxter just won his 600th career game and he's got a one-loss team facing Del Oro in what should be an outstanding semifinal.
* The top-seeded Sacramento girls have made it to the finals for seven straight years; they're facing off against a Christian brothers team that won the D4 title in 2008. The other semifinal features teams that mark most of their success in the deep past. El Dorado won the D2 title in 1979, and haven't been back to the finals since. Vanden was a Section runner-up in 1980 and 1988.
* The Modesto Christian girls are looking for their sixth Section title in seven years. They face a Colfax team that was a Section runner-up in 2006. Calaveras won the 1975 D2 title, but hasn't been back to the finals since 1986; the Redskins' opponent Bear River was the 2006 and 2007 D4 champ.
* The top-seeded Bradshaw Christian girls have won the last three championships, and face a Vacaville Christian team that has never made the finals. Turlock Christian lost to Bradshaw Christian in last year's final, while the Eagles' opponent – Brookside Christian – is looking for its first trip to Power Balance Pavilion.
COACHES* Twelve coaches with multiple titles to their credit have teams still playing. They are Gary Porter (13), Tom Gonsalves (8), Bill Baxter (5), Derek Swafford (4), Mike Ruble (4 – one boys and three girls), Robb Spencer (4), Steve White (3), Mike Takayama (2), Victor Pitton (2), Joey Rollings (2 – one boys and one girls), Greg Harcos (2) and Drew Hibbs (2).
* Center's Ray Gagnon is trying to join a short list of coaches who have guided both boys and girls teams to Section titles. Paul Gonzalez did it at Roseville, Harvey Tahara at McClatchy, Mike Ruble at Bradshaw Christian and Joey Rollings at Sheldon.
Sheldon's Darius Nelson is fifth on
the SJS all-time scoring list.
Photo by David Steutel
* Darius Nelson (Sheldon) has moved into fifth place on the all-time career playoff scoring list with 265 points. He needs just 10 to tie Chuck Hayes of Modesto Christian fame, 54 to tie third place Reeves Nelson (no relation) of Modesto Christian. Reaching second (360 points) or first (377) seem unrealistic, as he would need 105 and 122 to tie those spots with just one or two games remaining. Nelson's older brother DeMarcus sits atop the career points list with 377.
* Freshman scoring sensation Tiara Tucker of Brookside Christian has scored 34 and 35 points in her first two games. A couple more similar efforts would allow her to join elite company (Kellie Cook, Jacki Gemelos, Ashley Moore and Danielle Viglione) of players that have scored 100 points in a single playoff season. The girls' single season record is 149 held by Cook of Nevada Union in 1991.
TEAMS* The longest streak of consecutive playoff appearances for girls' teams ended last year at 30 when Bret Harte failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1980. One year later, the Colfax girls have tied that mark with consecutive appearances from 1982 to 2011.
* Modesto Christian boys have extended their incredible record of consecutive playoff wins to 46, 25 ahead of second place Ripon Christian.
* St. Mary's and Bradshaw Christian girls have extended active playoff winning streaks to 14 apiece. That's a tie for sixth on the all-time list, 16 behind the St. Mary's streak of 30 from 1999-2006.
