Mater Dei, Stanley Johnson complete mission with fourth straight title

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Here are recaps of the state (CIF) championship games Saturday at the Open, Division II and IV levels at Sleep Train Arena.

Open Division
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 71, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 61

Mater Dei celebrates its fourth-straight and 11th state title overall.

Photo by David Steutel

There’s no shame in losing to the best, and that is precisely what Bishop O’Dowd did Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.

Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei

Photo by David Steutel

The Dragons were done in by the nation’s No. 1 team, arguably California’s most accomplished player ever Stanley Johnson and successful coach Gary McKnight in a 71-61 Open Division finals loss.

Johnson scored 25 points and added eight assists as he led Mater Dei (35-0) to a fourth straight CIF title and 11th overall. The Arizona-bound 6-foot-7 Johnson was a starter on all four teams, the first player of a large-division boys team to accomplish the feat.

O’Dowd (28-5) got a team-high 23 points from junior point guard Paris Austin, 11 by Juwan Anderson and outrebounded Mater Dei 52-26, but had its 23-game win streak snapped.

Mater Dei will almost assuredly be selected mythical national champion by MaxPreps early next week.

“Stanley is a manchild and we couldn’t quite get it done,” O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said. “We had 14 turnovers in the first half and that was unacceptable. You can’t beat the best team in the country doing that.”

Johnson had a lot of help from 6-10 sophomore M.J. Cage, who had 16 points and eight rebounds, and helped double O’Dowd blue chip 6-10 junior Ivan Rabb, who finished with 10 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.

All but two of his points came in the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, Rabb had two points and four shots.

“They did a good job of defending him and we didn’t do a good job getting him the ball,” Richie said. “But our effort was supreme. There’s a reason they’re No. 1 in the land.” 

O’Dowd started out strong with a 10-4 run, finished off with a Rabb dunk and 3-pointer by Jackson Kalmbach. Mater Dei closed to 13-10 after the first quarter, but O’Dowd coach was upbeat.

“Just win quarters,” he told the team. “Just three more.”

Ivan Rabb, Bishop O'Dowd

Photo by David Steutel

But Johnson asserted himself on a variety of jumpers, slams and spinning buckets. Worse for O’Dowd, the Monarchs defense really cramped down, especially on Rabb, who had just two points on three shots.

By half, Johnson had 13 points and Mater Dei had Mater Dei took a 28-21 lead.

O’Dowd closed the gap to four in the third quarter, but Johnson came through with either a bucket, pass or steal to turn the tide.

McKnight, who won his 995th game and 11th title, said it was a dream season orchestrated by a dream player.

“To go unbeatem, to beat that team, to win the fictitious national championship, I never would've guessed it,” he said. “I was feeling stressed before the game, but the kids played well."

On Stanley he said: “He's the best we've ever had. He's one of a kind. Tomorrow he's got a 6 a.m. flight to Chicago for the McDonald's All-American game. He's special. he's well spoken, intelligent, loves his teammates. One of a kind."

Richie, whose team dropped to 1-8 in state title games, was upbeat as usual afterward. For good reason. Austin and Rabb are among other seven who should return next season.

“It hurts now, but we’ll learn from this,” he said.

Mater Dei 71, Bishop O'Dowd 61

MATER DEI (35-0)
Charles Pflueger 1-9 2-2 5, La'Vette Parker 3-4 1-1 8, Isaiah Juarez 5-8 1-1 11, M.J. Cage 8-14 101 16, Stanley Johnson 9-17 6-14 25, Matthew Weyand 1-5 0-0 3, Liam Shillington 1-1 0-0 3.

BISHOP O’DOWD (28-5)
Paris Austin 9-17 3-5 23, Shane Farley 2-5 1-2 5, Juwan Kalmbach 2-5 0-0 6, Ivan Rabb 5-10 0-5 10, Desmond Chatman 2-5 0-0 4, Jeevin Sandhu 1-1 0-0 2.

Mater Dei           10 18 17 26 - 71
Bishop O'Dowd 13   8 13  27 - 61

3-point goals: Mater Dei 5-17 (Plfueger, Parker, Johnson, Weyand, Shillington). O'Dowd 4-21 (Austin 2, Kalmbach 2). Rebounds: Mater Dei Cage 8m Johnson 4, Juarez 4). O'Dowd 52 (Rabb 16, Farley 10). Turnovers: Mater Dei 9, O'Dowd 20.

Win streaks: Mater Dei 34, Bishop O'Dowd 23
State record: Mater Dei 10-4, Bishop O'Dowd 1-7
Points per game (allowed): MD 74.2 (50.9), BOD 77.0 (54.1)
Terrific trios: Mater Dei — G Stanley Johnson, C M.J. Cage, F Rex Pflueger. Bishop O'Dowd — C Ivan Rabb, G Paris Austin, F Shane Farley
Notes: Mater Dei is ranked No. 1 in the country by most polls. … MD coach Gary McKnight has won 10 titles and is the state's winningest coach with 994 wins. … MD has won three straight state titles. … MD defeated BOD 63-59 in OT of the Tarkanian Invitational in Las Vegas Dec. 21.
Predicted winner: Mater Dei

Division II
St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 63, Folsom 54

St. John Bosco had a tough time but finally held off a feisty Folsom squad.

Photo by David Steutel

There’s no secret to what St. John Bosco does. The rely on a strong dosage of Arizona-bound Tyler Dorsey, Connecticut-bound Daniel Hamilton and elite sophomore Vance Jackson.

Tyler Dorsey, Bosco

Photo by David Steutel

“That’s how we roll,” coach Derrick Taylor said. “We have the big three and we ride them.”

Its been a roller coaster ride all season, said the Braves, so it was appropriate that the trio scored all but four of their points in a hard-earned win over a feisty but cold-shooting Folsom team.

Dorsey, a super smooth 6-4 guard, had 24 points and seven rebounds, Hamilton, a 6-8 wing built like a power forward but with guard skills, added 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jackson a 6-8 low post load, contributed 13 points and 17 rebounds.

It was enough to hold off the spirited Bulldogs (32-3), who led 28-24 at halftime, and got 20 points by super 6-foot sophomore guard Jordan Ford and 11 points and nine rebounds by Colin Russell.

But Folsom couldn’t overcome a 30 percent performance from the field (20 of 66) or going 7-for-15 from the line.

Despite forcing 22 turnovers, nine in the fourth quarter, and taking 19 more shots, Folsom’s dream season with primarily a group of underclassmen fell a little short.

Daniel Hamilton, St. John Bosco

Photo by David Steutel

“They’re length and quickness and ability to close on shoot on shooters definitely made us uncomfortable,” Folsom coach Mike Wall . But I know they didn’t close at the free throw line.”

“We knew we were going to have to make shots.

“You can’t fault our effort or heart to the end. All I love about them as a whole, I saw it tonight. … We just lost to a great opponent.”

The Braves seemed to take control in the third, with an extended zone and focus on Ford.

But in the fourth, Folsom pressured full court and an 11-point Bosco lead shrunk to three.

“They were more physical than I thought,” Taylor said.

But down the stretch, Dorsey and Hamilton connected on free throws and Bosco, which earlier won a state football championship, captured its first title in its first try.

This after not winning a league or section title this season.

“We got a little reckless with the ball and we just had to settle down,” Dorsey said. “We closed the game and hit some big free throws.

“It was a roller coaster season but we never lost sight of winning a championship.”

Gavin Smith, Folsom

Photo by David Steutel

For Folsom, who graduate two seniors, this was an experience it will take with it into next season.

“We had a lot of fight in us but came up a little short in the end,” Deguara said.

St. John Bosco 63, Folsom 54

ST. JOHN BOSCO (23-11)
Tyler Dorsey 7-13 8-11 24, Daniel Hamilton 8-17 5-7 22, Vance Jackson 5-11 1-2 13, Rodney Henderson 0-3 0-0 0, Jesus Zesati 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 22-47 14-20 63.

FOLSOM (32-3)
Jordan Ford 6-21 5-8 20, Josiah Deguara 3-11 0-0 9, Alec Anders 1-8 0-0 2, Lukas Hendricks 1-6 0-2 2, Colin Russell 5-6 1-2 11, Gavin Smith 2-6 0-0 4, Jared Wall 2-8 1-3 6. Totals 20-66 7-15 54.

SJB       12  12   14  25  — 63
Folsom 19   9     6   20  — 54

3-point goals: SJB 5-12 (Dorsey 2, Jackson 2, Hamilton), Folsom 7-28 (Ford 3, Deguara 3, Wall). Rebounds: SJB 49 (Jackson 17, Hamilton 13), Folsom 29 (Russell 9). Turnovers: SJB 22, Folsom 10.

Preview
Win streaks: SJB 4, Folsom 22
State record: SJB 0-0, Folsom 1-0
Points per game (allowed): SJB 69.2 (61.5), Folsom 72.4 (55.2)
Terrific trios: St. John Bosco — G Daniel Hamilton, G Tyler Dorsey, F Vance Jackson. Folsom — G Jordan Ford, F Jared Wall, C Colin Russell
Notes: SJB is the defending state Open Division football champion. … Hamilton, a 6-7 senior, averages 20.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. … Dorsey (21.1 ppg) is one of the state's top juniors. … Ford (22.6 ppg) is one of the state's top sophomores.
Predicted winner: St. John Bosco Division IV
Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 85, Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 44

Bishop Montgomery coach Doug Mitchell said he looked at the Western basket as he entered Sleep Train Arena and felt ill.

That was the basket Salesian made a game-winning basket just before the horn to win the 2009 state championship. It was the last time Mitchell and the Knights had frequented Sleep Train.

“I had a sick feeling in my stomach,” he said. “Luckily today, these guys took the pressure off. I just stayed out of the way. I didn’t have to coach much.”

Indeed, the youthful Knights, playing an even younger Moreau Catholic squad, put on a clinic of record proportions with the most lopsided boys margin of victory in state history.

Stephen Thompson, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, had 20 points, and dynamic 5-9 senior Justin Bibbins, added 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Trailblazers (28-6) raced to leads of 17-9 and 36-19 after the first two quarters before going on a 26-13 run in the third quarter. Eleven different players scored, they shot 47 percent from the floor and outrebounded a highly athletic Moreau team 50-35.

The performance was thorough, balanced and complete.

Though the margin was surprising, Bishop Montgomery’s excellence didn’t catch Moreau Catholic coach Frank Knight off guard. His team, with a combination of 17 freshmen and sophomores, was led by 6-6 sophomore Oscar Frayer (10 points, six rebounds, three blocks) and 6-1 freshman Damari Milstead (nine points, seven rebounds).
 
“It’s not a coincidence that they’re the No. 9 team in the state. Look at their wins. They’re a very, very good team. I think people looked at their size and said they were beatable. But even beyond their main guys, they have some excellent role players. That’s a very good team.”

As is Moreau Catholic, which made the decisive win so impressive.

“It was a great season for us,” Knight said. “We won our first NCS and NorCal title. No one that we would do that. This is probably the best group I’ve ever had. This game is not indicative of the season that we’ve had.”

Bishop Montgomery 85, Moreau Catholic 44

BISHOP MONTGOMERY (28-6)
Christian Oshita 4-9 1-2 9, Stephen Thompson 8-18 2-2 20, Ethan Thompson 5-8 2-2 14, Blake Miles 3-6 0-0 6, Justin Bibbins 4-11 4-4 12, Morgan Means 2-4 0-0 4, Matthew Mondesir 1-1 2-2 4, Chris Barnes 1-3 0-0 2, Jordan Schakel 3-6 1-2 7, Austin Cole 2-3 0-0 4, Anthony Langston 1-1 1-1 3. Totals 34-72 13-15 85.

MOREAU CATHOLIC (27-7)
Damari Milstead 4-10 1-2 9, Armond Simmons 2-8 4-6 8, Brandon Lawrence 1-8 0-2 2, Oscar Frayer 4-9 2-3 10, Dyan Molden 1-4 0-0 2, Jullen Ison 0-3 2-2 2, Alex Johnson 0-2 1-2 1, Terrell Brown 1-4 4-4 6, Ryan Regner 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 14-56 16-26 44.

BM 17  19  26  23  — 85
MC   9  10  13  12  — 44
3-point goals: BM 4-15 (S. Thompson 2, E. Thompson 2), MC 0-10. Rebounds: BM 50 (Bibbins 9), MC 35 (Frayer 6). Assists: BM 16 (S. Thompson 4, Bibbins 4), MC 2. Turnovers: BM 14, MC 22.

Preview
Win streaks: BM 3, MC 9
State record: BM 3-3, MC 0-0
Points per game (allowed): BM 70.8 (53.7), MC 71.7 (56.4)
Terrific trios: Bishop Montgomery — G Justin Bibbins, G Stephen Thompson Jr., G Ethan Thompson. Moreau Catholic — G Damari Milstead, F Oscar Frayer, G Brandon Lawrence
Notes: MC's girls made one appearance in the state final, defeating Bishop Montgomery 73-66 in 1992 in double overtime. … In BM's last appearance at state it lost at the buzzer to Salesian (Richmond) in 2009, 65-64. Cal guard Justin Cobb was a BM standout. … All BM's losses came to teams in the SoCal Open Division. … MC has no seniors and one junior on its 18-man roster.
Predicted winner: Bishop Montgomery


Open Division
Long Beach Poly 70, Salesian (Richmond) 52

For an improbable four-minute span of the third quarter, the Salesian-Richmond Pride had the queens of girls basketball reeling and even down.

But in the end, Long Beach Poly, led by a 6-foot-2 freshman post Ayanna Clark, gutted out a foul-filled 70-52 CIF Open Division championship at Sleep Train Arena Saturday night.

Clark came off the bench to record game-high totals of 19 points and 15 rebounds in only 17 minutes, as the nation’s fourth-ranked team won its sixth state championship.

Salesian (30-7), which got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Mariya Moore before she fouled out with 5:47 to play, scored the first 16 points of the second half to take a 39-36 lead.

But Poly weathered the storm, took back the lead 48-41 lead by the end of the quarter and then just grinded out an ugly fourth quarter that featured 18 fouls.

“In the history of Poly basketball, I don’t if we’ve ever had a span like that,” Poly coach Carl Buggs said. “I still don’t know what the heck happened to us. But we withstood it, I called up some people we don’t normally use and everyone stepped up.”

Salesian, which also got 11 points by Kian McNair and 10 from Minyon Moore, really stepped up after a listless first half. A pair of 3-pointers to start the game by Tania Lamb (13 points) and some shaky turnovers, put the Pride in a 36-23 hole.

But McNair and the Moore sisters turned Poly over and a three-point play by Mariya Moore gave Salesian its first lead 37-36.

Two free throws by Mariya Moore (she was 10 of 13 from the line), increased it 41-38, before Poly ended on a 10-0 run. When Mariya Moore, a McDonald’s All-American, was called for a charging call with 5:47 left, the Pride was essentially cooked.

Afterward, Moore didn’t blame the referees — there were 77 free throws taken (Poly was 28 of 39 and Salesian was 29 of 38) — but instead reflected on her team’s last flurry.

“I think we knew this was our last chance to be on the court together and we left it all out there,” she said. “We really buckled down. We had to go and we did. We made it a game.”

As far as all the fouls, Mariya Moore said: “I don’t blame the refs. I probably shouldn’t have gone so hard and probably should have pulled up.”

Summing up her career and the fact Salesian lost three straight years in the state finals, Moore said. “Each year has bee7n a journey and even though this was a tough loss and it’s hard to swallow, just to make it to the last game of the year makes it a great season and career.”

Long Beach Poly 70, Salesian 52

LONG BEACH POLY (27-3)
Tania Lamb 3-5 4-6 13, Lustyce Dawson 0-1 8-10 8, Lajahna Drummer 3-9 5-6 11, Jada Matthews 1-2 0-0 2, Arica Carter 2-4 0-0 5, Briana Johnson 2-5 0-0 4 2-5 0-0 4, Danae Miller 0-2 1-2 1, Airica Carmon 1-3 0-0 2, Emoni Jackson 0-6 1-2 1, Ayanna Clark 5-9 9-13 19, Averjenee Jeanmard 2-3 0-0 4.

SALESIAN (30-7)
Kian McNair 3-12 4-6 11, Minyon Moore 1-3 8-10 10, Mariya Moore 3-11 10-13 16, Alana Horton 1-2 0-1 2, Zoe Correal 1-3 4-4 6, JulieAnne Martin 0-3 1-2 1, Deja Stallworth 2-4 2-2 6. Totals 11-45 29-38 52.

Long Beach Poly 19  17  12  22 — 70
Salesian                9  14  19  10 — 52

3-point goals: Long Beach Poly 4-10 (Lamb 3, Carter), Salesian 1-11 (McNair). Rebounds: Poly 48 (Clark 15), Salesian (Mariya Moore 10). Turnovers: Poly 23, Salesian 24

Win streaks: Poly 3, Salesian 3
State record: Poly 5-1, Salesian 0-2
Points per game (allowed): Poly 68.4 (33.7), Salesian 66.0 (44.0)
Terrific trios: Long Beach Poly — C Lajahna Drummer, G Arica Carter, C Ayanna Clark. Salesian — F Mariya Moore, G Kian McNair, C Zoe Correal
Notes: Carter and Moore have each signed to Louisville. … Poly's losses have been two to Windward (Los Angeles) and to Mater Dei (Santa Ana). … Eleven Poly players average between 4-11 ppg. ... Correal, a 6-4 post headed to Colorado, must contend with Poly's massive front line. ... Poly, the defending champion, won a Division I record four straight titles starting in 2006. ... Drummer and Moore are McDonald's All-Americans.
Predicted winner: Salesian

Division II
Chaminade (West Hills) 80, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 51

Devin Stanback kept up a family tradition and Chiminade pulled off a rare triple, by shooting a remarkable 67 percent from the field while winning its first state title.

Stanback, a 6-3 senior, made 12 of 18 shots, scored 27 points and added 10 rebounds as the Eagles won a state crown a day after the boys team won a state Division II title.

Stanback’s younger brother Trevor Stanback was a key 6-10 sophomore on that team and their older brother Chase Stanback led Fairfaix to a state Division I championship in 2007.

Combined with a football title Chaminade won in the fall, it has now won three state titles in a calendar year.

“I got a lot calls and texts from my family saying I better win,” Devin Stanback said. “I’m just glad we did.”

Though Stanback had plenty of help — Natalie Valenzuela and Valerie Higgins scored 15 apiece and Kaylie Fandino added 12 — her attitude was what set the tone, said Chaminade coach Kelli DiMuro.

“She said before the game ‘I’m not even nervous, let’s get going,” DiMuro said.

Stanback was looking forward to play against Mitty’s Kelli Hayes,  6-1 guard and UCLA-signee. Mayes had 13 points, three assists, three steals and four rebounds. Her teammate Madeline Holland made all five of her shots and scored 11 points.

But it wasn’t nearly enough to stop the onslaught of shooting put on by Chaminade, who made 32 of 48 shots and 6 of 10 on 3-pointers. Sleep Train is notoriously tough place to shoot for high school players, who have trouble with the large backdrop.

That wasn’t a problem for the Eagles (29-4). Mitty finished 20-12.

“You have to give it to Chaminade to shoot like that,” said Mitty coach Sue Phillips, who was after Mitty’s sixth state title in its 10th game. “They really came to play. Unfortunately, I think we didn’t really get after it until the second half. By that time it was too late.”

DiMuro said her team has focused on shooting almost exclusively the last three weeks.

Chaminade 80, Mitty 51

CHAMINADE (29-4)
Natalie Valenzuela 6-7 1-2 15, Kaylie Fandino 3-5 4-6 12, Valeriie Higgins 7-9 1-3 15, Devin Stanback 12-18 3-3 27, Isabel Newman 2-2 1-2 6, Paige Fecske 2-7 0-0 5. Totals 32-48 10-16 80.

MITTY (20-12)
Jahnay Anderson 0-8 0-0 0, Regina Chi 2-5 1-1 5, Lauren Mewes 3-6 0-1 7, Kelli Hayes 5-15 3-6 13, Taylor Todd 1-12 3-5 6, Heleyna Hill 2-3 0-1 4, Madeline Holland 5-5 0-1 11, Conner Bennett 0-0 1-2 1, Katlyn Griffin 2-6 0-1 4. Totals 20-63 8-17 51.

Chaminade 26 20 19 15  - 80
Mitty           9  12  23  7  - 51
3-point goals: Chaminade 6-10 (Valenzuela 2, Fandino 2, Newman, Fecske), Mitty 3-23 (Mewes, Todd, Holland 1). Rebounds: Chaminade 42 (Valenzuela 10, Stanback 10), Mitty 27 (Todd 10). Assists: Chaminad 13 (Higgins 4), Mitty 5 (Hayes 3). Turnovers: Chaminade 27, Mitty 17.

Preview
Win streaks: Chaminade 4, Mitty 5
State record: Chaminade 0-0, Mitty 5-4
Points per game (allowed): Chaminade 60.6 (42.3), Mitty 56.0 (47.7)
Terrific trios: Chaminade — F Natalie Valenzuela, G Valerie Higgins, C Devin Stanback. Mitty — G Kelli Hayes, G Jahnay Anderson, F Taylor Todd
Notes: Mitty has won more section titles than any girls basketball team in the state (28). … Chaminade lost in the Southern Section quarterfinals to Long Beach Poly 75-57. … The Chaminade boys are in a different classification and play Drake (San Anselmo) in the D-III state finals Friday. …. Stanback's brother is a 6-10 post Trevor Stanback, considered one of the best sophomores in the country. ... Mitty coach Sue Phillips has led the Monarchs to five state titles.
Predicted winner: Chaminade

Division IV
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)  64, Justin-Siena (Napa) 37
Cheyanne Wallace had 21 points and 18 rebounds and Zoe Goss added 15 points as Sierra Canyon (28-4) won its second straight state title with an emphatic and impressive early morning victory.

The Trailblazer took control with a 16-4 run in the second quarter and eased to its 28th win in 33 games.

Alexis Griggsby, a freshman, added 13 points and Kennedy Burke, a 6-2 guard considered one of the top juniors in the nation contributed 12 points.

The scary part for opponents is that Sierra Canyon graduates only one senior and that is Goss.

"We started our season with three goals," Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. "Win league, win section and win state. We didn't get the first two (it played in the same league with national power Windward), but we got the one that counted."

Senior center Haley Cremen had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Justin-Siena (29-7), which lost its second state title game, the first and only other game coming in 1985. The Braves managed just 16 of 54 shots while Sierra Canyon made 22 of 55 including 6-for-17 on 3s. Justin-Siena missed all three of its eight 3-point attempts.

"They played better than us but our kids our resilient," Justin-Siena coach Mike Boles said. "We played hard to the final horn. But this isn't the end. They made a lifetime of memories."

Sierra Canyon 64, Justin-Siena 37

SIERRA CANYON (28-4)
Gabi Nevil 1-4 0-0 3, Cheyanne Wallace 8-12 4-5 21, Kennedy Burke 5-11 1-2 12, Zie Goss 6-9 3-5 15, Alexis Griggsby 5-6 0-0 13. Totals 25-55 8-14 64.

JUSTIN-SIENA (29-7)
Morgan Malloy 2-6 0-0 4, Tina Moore 2-7 1-2 5, Sadie Irvine 4-13 0-0 8, Haley Cremen 7-22 3-7 17, Melissa Castellucci 0-0 1-2 1, Andrea Mallari 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-54 5-13 37.

SC  16  16  15  17 — 64
JS   11   4    9   13 — 37

3-point goals: SC 6-17 (Griggsby 3, Nevil, Wallace Burke), JS 0-8. Rebounds SC 41 (Wallace 18, Burke 11), JS 37 (Cremen 12). Turnovers: SC 16, JS 22.

Preview
Win streaks: SC 4, JS 4
State record: SC 1-0, JS 0-1
Points per game (allowed): SC 60.4 (44.2), JS 54.0 (38.7)
Terrific trios: Sierra Canyon - G Kennedy Burke, F Cheyanne Wallace, F Shivon Ganther. Justin-Siena — C Haley Cremen, G Sadie Irvine, G Morgan Malloy.
Notes: Sierra Canyon won last year's D-V title game over Pinewood, 47-33 behind 15 points by Burke. … SC has won nine straight state playoff games over two seasons. … Justin-Siena lost 59-57 in overtime to Woodlake in the 1985 state finals at the Oakland Coliseum. That's a 29-year span between appearances. ... Justin-Siena won its NorCal final game over Arcata 47-26, the least amount of points allowed in any of the 24 regional title games.
Predicted winner: Sierra Canyon.