RIORDAN: ROAD BACK TO OPEN STATE FINAL STARTS NOW
Archbishop Riordan has made its expectation clear this season: Get back to the Open Division state title game.
Through two games, the San Francisco school has shown that it has more than enough to make another run. Riordan has opened the season with wins over La Mirada and California, doing so with multiple key transfers not playing.
“This is an opportunity for us to get better, so we have to take advantage of it,” Riordan coach Joey Curtin said. “The guys that are not playing are really supporting the guys that are playing. And I think that’s just been kind of our special sauce, you know, and part of our culture of guys just supporting each other.”
The Crusaders went on a magical run last season, going 29-2 and hosting the NorCal Open Division title. But in the Open state title game, the Crusaders were uncompetitive against Roosevelt-Eastvale in an 80-60 loss.
Riordan graduated significant contributors from that team, including Jasir Rencher, Nes Emeneke, John Tofi, Ryder Bush and Kirby Seals. Curtin acknowledged that his defense might take a step back, but believes the team will get better as the season progresses.
“We’ve also been scoring in the 80s, so we’re a little bit more potent offensively,” Curtin said. “It’s just all in the want to get back to the level of last year, which we won’t get to in the preseason, but we want to make sure we get that by league and playoffs.”
– Nathan Canilao
ST. IGNATIUS: BALL PLAYS FOR SELF, DAD
You could say Charlie Ball was meant to play for St. Ignatius.
Despite growing up two minutes from Serra in San Mateo, SI’s senior linebacker opted to follow in his father’s footsteps by enrolling at the City school.
He was primed for a big junior year last season but tore his lateral collateral knee ligament and missed out on SI’s run to the CCS Open Division championship. He was still there to support on the sideline all season long, but it wasn’t the same.
Now healthy and on the field, he’s led SI to a Central Coast Section Division II championship and is the Wildcats’ leading tackler with 89 stops.
In the Cats’ championship game win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, his pick-six was the crucial play that tied the game and got SI back in it en route to a 24-21 win.
“It’s awesome,” Ball said. “This is what I dreamed of all rehab, all recovery. This was a special moment, especially for me. To win a section championship, I watched these guys do it last year, and I just wanted to get back to this moment and win one with these guys. It felt good. It’s even better than I dreamed of.”
– Christian Babcock
ACALANES: SENIOR POINT GUARD LEADS YOUNG GROUP
Last season, Lexi Le was content being a role player.
The shifty guard played alongside a starting lineup that included four seniors in a year in which the Dons went 28-3.
But now, Le will be Acalanes’ featured player.
She made strides to work on her offensive game over the summer and now runs the show for the Lafayette school as the team’s starting point guard.
“It was a lot to get used to at first,” Le said after scoring 20 points in a win over University-San Francisco on Tuesday. “I’m gonna have to be more of a playmaker. Last year, I was just kind of a role player – touched the ball when I needed to, shoot when I needed to. So it’s definitely really different, but it’s good to know that my coach trusts me as much as she does.”
– Nathan Canilao
AMADOR VALLEY: STILL TRYING TO FIND IDENTITY
It’s no secret that Amador Valley is loaded with talent.
Between crafty point guard Jaylen Smith, sharpshooting off guard Cade Krueger and shifty wing Elijah Stanley, the Dons have plenty of scoring in their lineup.
But even after impressive showing against James Logan, Sunnyslope-Arizona and Carlmont, coach Willis Gardner wants to see more out of his team.
“We’ve got good individual players, but we’re not a good team playing right now,” Gardner said. “We’re still not putting it together yet, and it’s early but I’m just not liking the flow.”
In their last two games against Sunnyslope and Carlmont, the Dons have struggled playing a full game through with consistent execution – especially on the defensive end.
Gardner is hoping Dublin transfer Cameron Anderson and American transfer Arman Mahavni can get cleared in the near future to add to an already potent lineup.
– Nathan Canilao
TKA: SOPHOMORE SENSATION BLOCKS OUT NOISE
The Kings Academy sophomore Boss Mhoon has had quite the summer.
The 6-foot-5 guard made a name for himself on the AAU circuit and was invited to participate in the USA Basketball U16 Camp. ESPN recently labeled Mhoon as the 22nd-ranked prospect in the country for the Class of 2028.
But with all the hype, Mhoon hasn’t cared much for the extra noise.
“I’m just trying to keep my head down and keep working,”Mhoon said. “I know there’s a lot of hype around me right now, but I’m just trying to block out the noise and look at what is in front of me.”
TKA, ranked fourth in the Bay Area News Group’s preseason rankings, is expected to be one of the top teams in the section with Mhoon as the Knights’ featured player.
“The sky’s the limit for Boss,” TKA coach Cameron Bradford said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the section that can stay in front of him.”
— Nathan Canilao
MOUNTAIN VIEW: COACH WINS 400TH GAME
Mountain View boys soccer coach Jim McGuirk won his 400th career game on Tuesday night as the Spartans opened their season with a 4-0 win at Milpitas.
McGuirk has coached Mountain View for over three decades. The Spartans won the CIF NorCal Division II championship last season, the first NorCal title of McGuirk’s tenure.
– Christian Babcock