BOD over Sacramento 57-50

It was the Dragons versus the Dragons and the Bay Area firebreathers finished ahead at the end:

Bishop O'Dowd overcomes turnovers, shooting woes to beat Sacramento, win NorCal Division III boys title
Jimmy Durkin
Oakland Tribune
3/20/2010

SACRAMENTO — Early foul trouble for Brandon Ashley, poor free throw shooting and 25 turnovers isn't typically a good sign for the Bishop O'Dowd High boys basketball team.

A dominant effort on the glass was the great equalizer though as O'Dowd beat Sacramento 57-50 Saturday in the California Interscholastic Federation Division III Northern regional championship game.

"You try not to take it for granted because it's a hard thing to do," O'Dowd coach Doug Vierra said of his team's 57-28 rebounding advantage. "For us to win that battle, it's huge. It's the difference in the game..."

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Here's Bill Paterson/Sacramento Bee with his early game report.

Here are a number of game photos from the Sacramento Bee.

Inside Derek Swafford

Derek Swafford is one of the most fascinating coaches in the high school ranks with an inspiring backstory, some of it told here.

Sac High boys play, win by coaches' rules on and off court
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
March 19, 2010

They didn't realize they were creating a basketball monster.

Sacramento High School head coach Derek Swafford and his key assistant Earl Allen took over the boys program in the 2000-01 season. It was wracked by turmoil, "with no schedule, no uniforms, no money and no discipline," Swafford said. It won nine of 26 games. Four players were booted off the team for behavior problems.

Since then, Swafford and Allen have engineered Sac High's metamorphosis into a perennial power. Now excellence is not just expected but demanded by their ever-growing fan base...

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A Travon Abraham feature

Sac High point Travon Abraham in interviewed in the following:

Senior guard Travon Abraham expounds on Sac High basketball
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
March 19, 2010

Sacramento High's Travon Abraham is a four-year varsity player and the leader of a Dragons team that is trying to reach the CIF state boys basketball championship game for the second time in three years.

In less than 24 hours (noon Saturday) at Arco Arena, Abraham and his teammates will play Bishop O'Dowd of Oakland for the Northern California Division III championship.

Abraham, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, averages 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Next season he will play for former Cal basketball coach Ben Braun at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Here are some of his thoughts during an impromptu question and answer session on Thursday...

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Woodcreek tops Chico / Sacramento over Miramonte

Depth on bench helps Woodcreek overcome Chico
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
March 12, 2010

There may be Academy Awards for supporting actors in film, but there are no Oscars for role players in high school boys basketball.

But if Woodcreek High School coach Burnel Pinkerton had any golden hardware to give out, he'd break it into at least 10 pieces.

Woodcreek's big three of seniors Nik Milani, Mike Kurtz and Ryan Milat – the Timberwolves' top three scorers – certainly would each get their piece...

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and

Sac High girls, boys win in NorCal playoffs
Joe Davidson
Sacramento Bee
March 10, 2010

Sacramento boys 87, Miramonte 84 – Not to be completely outdone by his cousin Brittany Shine, Josiah Turner keyed a fourth-quarter rally to hold off the Matadors of Orinda in a second-round game.

A nationally recruited 6-foot-3 junior guard, Turner scored seven of his 37 points in a fourth-quarter run that put the Dragons (25-6) ahead to stay. He had a steal and layup, a three-pointer and another steal and score to make it 85-78 as second-seeded Sac High withstood the play of forwards Chris Hatfield (28 points) and Ross Anderson (20)...

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Sac High versus Oakland High game report

Bill Paterson has a game report on the matchup between 'host' Sac High and Oakland:

Sac High's defense goes missing against Oakland
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
Jan. 10, 2010

With two of the nation's best junior prospects exchanging baskets and remarkable feats of athleticism in Saturday's Father Kelly Tribute at Jesuit High School, the Oakland vs. Sacramento High boys basketball game proved a crowd pleaser.

Sac High guard Josiah Turner scored 34 points, but Oakland wing Jabari Brown had 33 as the Wildcats won 88-81. Brown transferred to Oakland from national power Findlay Prep of Henderson, Nev., earlier in the week...

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Josiah Turner returns

That was quick:

Stay at Sheldon is over for Sac High's Turner
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
November 10, 2009

The biggest mystery on the high school rumor mill appears to have been solved.

Doris Ward, the mother of Josiah Turner, one of the nation's top junior boys basketball recruits, says her son will return to Sacramento High School today after spending eight days at Sheldon...

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