St. Mary's gets by Cloverdale

Robby Rowland and Company almost pulled it off. Here are a couple of game reports:

Rowland's ride comes to an end
Record-setting forward has 26 points, 14 rebounds, but third-seeded St. Mary's edges No. 6 Eagles
Eric Branch
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
February 27, 2010

CLOVERDALE – The Cloverdale boys' basketball team's memorable season and the historic career of Robby Rowland ended here Saturday night thanks to an opponent that in the end was quicker, fresher and two baskets better.

The sixth-seeded Eagles, the smallest public school among the North Coast Section's 24 Division IV teams, fell to No. 3 St. Mary's, 64-60, in the NCS quarterfinals. Cloverdale led 30-27 at halftime and was tied at 56 with three minutes left, but the Eagles (27-3) missed five of their final six shots and their upset bid fell short. The Panthers (21-9), winners of two NCS titles in the past three years, escaped despite making just 7 of 18 second-half free throws. St. Mary's helped offset their free-throw woes by corralling four missed foul shots...

Go here for the remainder.

and

St. Mary's Rebounds To End Cloverdale's Season
Joe Pasquini
YSN365.com
Sunday, 28 February 2010

Cloverdale met a team that was quicker, bigger and stronger in a game that was called to that teams advantage. But in the end, one of the most basic things in basketball, getting a rebound when the other team is shooting free throws, cost them a epic upset as St. Mary's pulled out a 64-60 win.

The loss not only ended Cloverdale's hope for the school's first Nor Cal berth since the mid 80's, but ended the great high school career of Robby Rowland. Rowland scored a game high 26 points, so his Sonoma County scoring career scoring record target will sit at 2,548 points, which unofficially is 26th All-Time in the State...

Go here for the remainder.

Rocklin takes down Yuba City

Zach Nelson and Yuba City tried but couldn't prevail:

Rocked by Rocklin
Fans enthusiastic, but Honkers fall
Ashley Gebb
Appeal-Democrat
February 27, 2010

A collective heartbreak echoed through the Honkers gymnasium Friday night when the Yuba City boy's basketball team was dealt a 77—70 blow by Rocklin in overtime.

The loss — which many proclaimed was unfair — was not from a lack of energy and enthusiasm. Honker fans hemorrhaged brown and gold through the last seconds of the clock as they cheered on the team in its third and still-unsuccessful bid to reach the semifinals...

Go here for the remainder.

Here's more of a game report.

Manteca falls short to Vista del Lago

Kiwi Gardner and Ernie Pimental notwithstanding, Vista del Lago triumphs:

Buffaloes Bounced
Manteca’s upset bid falls short to Vista del Lago
Jagada Chambers
Manteca Bulletin
February 27, 2010

FOLSOM – Ernie Pimentel nailed a 3-pointer with 15.8 remaining to pull Manteca High within six, but that would be as close as the Buffaloes would come in its 68-62 Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Championship loss to Vista del Lago Friday...

Go here for the remainder.

Center High tops Del Oro

Center High is continuing its march for more respect:

Cougars hope victories quiet their doubters
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
February 27, 2010

Center High School stars Connor Haysbert and Elliot Herald know they have a lot to prove.

There are plenty who are skeptical of who they have played and if they are truly deserving of being The Bee's top-ranked team. They also understand why they got a No. 6 seed in the 16-team Sac-Joaquin Section Division III field, even though they don't agree with it.

Center may have won over some of the doubters Friday night in Loomis...

Go here for the remainder.

NCL honors

Eric Branch has posted the NCAL boys basketball honorees:

Most Valuable Player: Robby Rowland, Cloverdale, Sr.

First team

Jerod Domenichelli, Cloverdale, Sr.
Beau Gastineau, Cloverdale, Jr.
Michael Meiswinkel, St. Vincent, Jr.
Ryan Richardson, Clear Lake, Sr.
Will Saladin, St. Helena, Sr.

The OAL honors

Jimmy Durkin has posted the honorees of the Oakland Athletic League:

MVP

T.J. Taylor (Oakland) Jr.

First team

Jabari Brown (Oakland) Jr.
John Green (Castlemont) Sr.
Alfred Thomas (Fremont) Sr.
Tobias Royal (Fremont) Sr.
DiAndre Campbell (Oakland Tech) Sr.

The West Catholic Athletic League honors

Here you go with the West Catholic league honors:

WCAL All-League Player of the Year:

Tyler Johnson - St. Francis

First Team

Jordan Reudy - Serra
Ryan Tana - Serra
Connor McGrath -Serra
Madu Cole - Bellarmine,
Freddie Eberhardt - Bellarmine
Stephen Meade - Archbishop Mitty
Ivan Dorsey - Riordan
Patrick Crowley - St. Francis
Spencer Britschgi - St. Francis

Second Team

Aaron Gordon - Archbishop Mitty
Matt Carroll - Valley Christian
Aaron Anderson - Riordan
Johnny Mrlik - St. Ignatius
Taylor Johns - Sacred Heart Cathedral

Attention: Southbay basketballers

Here's a heads up to you ballers in the Southbay and surrounding areas:

2010 SPRING Skills Camp

Days: Sundays, March 7th to June 6th. 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Place: De Anza College Main Gym
Contact: Phone (650) 451-8141
Email: bigdogwvbc@sbcglobal.net
Cost: $480.00 (entire Spring) or $40.00 per session.

Team Rates are available as well for schools.

This elite camp consists of skill work in ALL areas of Basketball.

This camp is designed to make a difference. Players of all ages -- boy’s and girl’s -- will have an opportunity to LEARN THE GAME as they will be taught the art of footwork, ballhandling, shooting, creating shots off the catch and dribble, spacing, defensive stance, footwork and position while receiving instruction from some of the most experienced coaches in the Northern California. This includes former Cal great Al Grigsby, Tom (Mr. Shot Science) Curtiss and Bob Bramlett.

You will be able to use the Spring to work on your skill level, and prep for Summer Leagues, Traveling Teams and next year’s school season.

Every Sunday will be dedicated to working on different skill, while continuing your progress towards becoming a COMPLETE BASKETBALL PLAYER.

As a special bonus, each player will be able to correspond directly with a staff member on a weekly basis for individual guidance. We will be able to answer questions and assist with weekly training regimens

More love for Kiwi

Here you go:

Kiwi's sweet game
Manteca junior turning heads with flashy play
Jason Anderson
Stockton Record
February 22, 2010

MANTECA - Kiwi Gardner has a unique name, a unique game and a reputation that precedes him with referees.

The 5-foot-7 guard can dunk, make imaginative passes and dribble circles around defenders, sometimes going between his legs, sometimes going between theirs. Already a mild YouTube sensation, the Manteca High School junior is featured in no fewer than 15 videos with more than 130,000 views.

One video shows him taking one stride inside the free-throw line and launching himself toward the rim for a left-handed jam, creating a roar and an air of astonishment at East Union's Dalben Center. Another highlights his 52-point game against Pitman.

"People like to watch his style of play," East Union coach Brett Lewis said. "He's flashy. Getting after it, dunking, shooting long 3s - he's very tough to guard. You can't double team him and you can't put a box-and-one on him because he's so creative he'll skewer you with his passing..."

Go here for the remainder.

Josh Akognon is in...Estonia

Life is an adventure and sometimes basketball too. Former Casa Grande star Josh Akognon is combining both with a jump into adventureland:

Josh Akognon's basket-Baltic adventure
Phil Barber
The Press Democrat
February 16, 2010

Soon after Josh Akognon signed his first pro basketball contract, the former Casa Grande star was hanging out with his family and his new wife, Ariana, when they decided it would be a good idea to pull out a globe and locate the young couple's destination.

They couldn't find it.

“Ya'll going somewhere that ain't on the map,” Josh's mother, Alfreda, exclaimed, shaking her head. “Oh Lord, help us...”

Go here for the remainder.

Most Valuable Player Joe Slocum

Vallejo's Slocum MVP
Times-Herald staff report
2/23/2010

Vallejo High basketball star Joseph Slocum beat out Frankie Johnson and the rest of his rivals in the Solano County Athletic Conference to capture the MVP award Monday when coaches voted on the all-league teams.

Slocum finished the regular season second in scoring in the SCAC with 18 points per game, just behind Vanden's Johnson, according to Maxpreps.com.

Go here for the remainder.

A Kyle Odister feature

Former Rio Americano backcourter Kyle Odister is updated here:

Unorthodox move worked for Odister
Joe Davidson
Sacramento Bee
February. 23, 2010

A year ago, Kyle Odister was on the East Coast, ankle deep in snow, a continent away from the comforts of home.

To get there, he did something you just don't see in high school sports, particularly in this region. Odister transferred in midseason out of Rio Americano, where the point guard was the leading talent of a playoff-bound bunch, and headed to the great unknown...

Go here for the remainder.

A column on Kiwi Gardner

Here is a column we should all read and take to heart and mind:

The Kiwi Gardner Syndrome
jcampbell
Manteca Bulletin
February 20, 2010

Its no secret: Kiwi Gardner -- the Manteca High junior standout that can make defenders fall on the floor while trying to cover him -- has attained SuperStar status.

But I'm not talking about the bling-laden, luxury car driving, club hopping superstars that command the ridiculous salaries that we're all responsible for (ticket sales and merchandise are what covers the cost of that Cristal.) I'm talking about how people either already love him or hate him even though they've never actually spoken to the young man. He has become, as a high school junior, the savior to some and the devil to others -- all for just being able to dribble a basketball a little bit better than the next guy.

Now this season there was an incident that made Kiwi Gardner a household name for Valley Oak League basketball fans, and some have chosen to take that incident (with no video proof) as a sign that he's a bad kid and he doesn't deserve the enormous amount of respect he earns...

Go here for the remainder.

Here's an amazing story

This one is impossible to top for grit and determination:

Gunderson amputee Derek Norris 'like any other kid on team'
Dennis Knight
Mercury News
2/16/2010

Statistics — seven points, two rebounds and one assist this season — fail to tell the story of Gunderson junior Derek Norris.

Those numbers can't measure the heart of the 17-year-old basketball player, who had his right leg amputated above the knee at age 6...

Go here for the remainder.

Tyler Johnson and St. Francis

Here is a kid and a school not receiving that much attention:

Start to finish, top to bottom, St. Francis is a title contender
Mitch Stephens, Special to The Chronicle
February 19, 2010

St. Francis boys basketball coach Mike Motil often tells the story of how his team's lone Division I-bound player, Tyler Johnson, missed a layup in his first game on the freshman team.

And how he cried.

"Real tears ... on the bench," said Motil, who was then the freshman coach. "I told him if he didn't stop crying I couldn't put him back in. Ever."

Motil likes telling the tale of Johnson's humble beginning, not to embarrass the 6-foot-2 guard, who will play at Fresno State next season, but to illustrate two points:

One, Johnson is a tremendously passionate player.

And two, at St. Francis, it's not about where you start, but where you finish...

Go here for the remainder.