Northern California boys face daunting task against Southern California

Northern California boys have a huge deficit to make up. And they likely won't be making any of it up Friday and Saturday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

Since the CIF state playoff started in 1981 – pitting Southern and Northern regional champions in the finals – the South has won 98 of 146 state title games, including five of six last year. (The North girls own a 77-69 edge). All the games were tight last season, however, with an average margin of victory of 5.0.

Fifteen shooting Southern stars

The South boys are favorites in five of the six games — St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) boys (30-5) has a higher ranking than Renaissance Academy (La Canada) (24-7) – but here are six reasons why Northern California teams have hope.

1. History (Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland) — The Dragons (28-4), led by the inside-outside punch of 6-foot-10 Ivan Rabb and 6-foot guard Paris Austin, have methodically but forcefully emerged as one of the Bay Area's most dominating teams. They've won 23 straight by an average margin of 28.4, with only two games inside double digits, nine and six.

Their opposition 8 p.m. Saturday is at another level, however, in three-time defending state champion Mater Dei-Santa Ana (34-0), coached by 10-time champion Gary McKnight and Arizona-signee Stanley Johnson, a 6-7 guard who scored 26 in last year's state title game against Mitty's Aaron Gordon. Johnson is a McDonald's All-American and considered a strong candidate for National Player of the Year.

"They have the best nation's best coach, the nation's best player and they're ranked No. 1 in the country," O'Dowd coach Lou Richie said. "We have no business being on the same court as them. No one will give us much of a chance."

The fly in the argument is that O'Dowd took Mater Dei to overtime in the finals of the Tarkanian Invitational in December, losing 63-59. Rabb had 25 point, 19 rebounds and five blocks in that game, while Johnson had 25 points and eight rebounds.

"From a motivational standpoint, Lou Richie's job should be pretty easy this week," said MaxPreps national basketball editor Jason Hickman, who attended the game. "I'm sure Bishop O'Dowd came out of that December game thinking it should have won and they definitely had their chances."

2. Experience (Monte Vista-Danville) — There's no substitute for experience at the high school level. And the Mustangs, ranked 26th in the MaxPreps national computer rankings, will need all of theirs against No. 12 Centennial (Corona), which is blessed with an abundance of quickness and shooters, led by Sedrick Barefield and Deontae North.

Monte Vista (31-1) starts seniors Spencer Rust, a 6-8 post, along with Trevor John, Brendan Pedley, Grant Jackson and Rishi Satoor, all scrappy and savvy guards no taller than 6-3. John (6-3) has signed to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Pedley, who was thought to be lost for the season with a knee injury, epitomizes the team’s grit.

“We’re blue collar,” Monte Vista coach Nick Jones. “We’ll have to play especially tough and smart Friday. These guys are athletic, excellent scorers and get after it.”

3. Carpe diem. (Folsom) — With just two seniors on a roster of 16, the Bulldogs’ year was supposed to be next season. Even the year after that. Instead, led by a high-scoring do-it-all sophomore Jordan Ford (22.6 points per game) and a gritty, superbly coached squad, Folsom isn’t waiting around.

After back-to-back defeats by a total of seven points to teams with combined current records of 54-10 (including state D4 NorCal champion Moreau Catholic), Folsom (32-2) has won 22 straight and appear more than ready to take on all-comers.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs take on a vastly talented and battle-tested St. John Bosco (Bellflower) club (22-11) led by one of the nation’s top senior forwards in 6-7 Daniel Hamilton (20.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.1 apg), 6-4 junior shooting guard Tyler Dorsey (21.1, 6.2, 4.6) and 6-8 sophomore Vance Jackson (14.3 ppg).

Folsom Mike Wall is both realistic and undaunted by the challenge. The Bulldogs go for their second state title and first since 1983.

“We’re preparing to play a lot of tall, talented players, a very athletic team,” he said on Saturday after a second decisive win over a talented Cosumnes Oaks team. “We’ll watch video and prepare and we’ll play our best. … How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” 

Click here to see three more reasons for Northern California hope.