Two players to watch in games being shot this week are Andriana Avent of Sacramento and Darrius Kendall of Rocklin. Photos: Mark Tennis & Hudl.com.
So far, the choices of games written up in this feature have all been great to see. This time, we’re doing our first Fantag Game of the Week for one team from outside of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section, although it will be for one of the featured girls games at Saturday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Showcase being staged at St. Mary’s of Stockton. We also begin with a state Top 20 girls team on Wednesday night in Sacramento and on Friday there will be a camera at the boys rivalry game between host Whitney of Rocklin against Rocklin.
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(Note: Most up-to-date information on any player injuries not available)
Wednesday, Jan. 16 Girls Basketball
Sacramento at Christian Brothers (Sacramento)
Prior to this season, Sac High’s girls faced intense league matchups from their rivals at McClatchy (Sacramento). This year, the Dragons will now have to perhaps worry about Christian Brothers. Don’t let the teams’ records — Sacramento 12-6 and Christian Brothers 11-5 — fool you. It would be an upset if the host Falcons were to win. Sacramento began its season by winning the Gridley Invitational, then went 1-3 at the Nike TOC in Arizona and then in the top division at the West Coast Jamboree upset state-ranked Etiwanda before losing to state-ranked Pinewood and Carondelet. The Dragons also have played and lost by a big margin to state No. 3 Archbishop Mitty. Head coach Michele Masari’s club has been led by guard Ryanne Walters (headed to UC Santa Barbara) and forward Andreana Avent (New Mexico). Christian Brothers also has a lopsided loss to Archbishop Mitty with its best win probably being the one against Oak Ridge (which won in one of our Games of the Week last week). The Falcons’ top returnee off their 2018 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D3 title team is senior Bria Shine, averaging 11.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Senior Chance Sims (14.4 ppg) and freshman Donnelli Allen (12.6 ppg).
Friday, Jan. 18 Boys Basketball
Rocklin at Whitney (Rocklin)
It’s been a very good season for the Thunder (19-2), who have been near the top of the Sacramento Bee rankings in recent weeks. Going to play their arch-rivals on the road is never easy and it should be a great environment to play for both squads. Whitney had dropped back-to-back Sierra Foothill League games to Folsom and Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) prior to playing Granite Bay on Wednesday. The Wildcats still had a respectable 14-7 record, including a win over Folsom at the McDonald’s Winter Classic and a two-point loss to Clovis West (Fresno) at the NorCal Tip Off tourney. Clovis West is currently the No. 1 ranked team in the CIF Central Section. Rocklin junior point guard Darrius Kendall has been MVP of two tournaments, including the Mel Good tourney in Yuba City. He and teammate Evan Terry both had 20 points in that tourney’s title game, which helped the Thunder roll over Jesuit of Carmichael 87-52.
Saturday, Jan. 19 Girls Basketball
Carondelet (Concord) vs. Folsom at St. Mary’s (Stockton)
This game is part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Showcase held annually at St. Mary’s of Stockton and gives us the chance to introduce the Fantag app to one team from outside of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section for the first time in this initiative. Carondelet enters this week at No. 7 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Top 20, rewarded with a two-spot bump after a win from the week before over Pinewood of Los Altos Hills, which was unbeaten and ranked No. 1. The Cougars (15-2) are especially effective when they are shooting in well from the outside. They were in the win vs. Pinewood as guard Erica Miller hit for 20 points. Even when they aren’t shooting well, Carondelet has the inside strength to battle anyone with 6-foot-3 University of Washington-bound Ali Bamberger. She had 23 points and 12 rebounds in a win later last week vs. state-ranked St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda. The schedule of the event changed this week so that Folsom is now playing Carondelet and Etiwanda is now playing Centennial of Las Vegas (Nev.).
We earlier wrote up this week’s games with Carondelet and Etiwanda playing each other. The Bulldogs already have been featured in this series and will be underdogs against the Cougars. Folsom (15-3) won an overtime game two weeks ago at home vs. West Campus of Sacramento. The team is one of the best in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section at 15-3 entering a Wednesday game this week vs. Del Oro (Loomis), but lost last Saturday 52-43 to Miramonte (Orinda).
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Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He also is author of “High School Football In California,” which was No. 1 on Amazon.com’s list of bestsellers in the teen/young adult football category for several weeks after it was released. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
