Eagles soaring in league
Three games into Central California Athletic Alliance play has landed the Elliot Christian High boys basketball team into first place.
Tonight, the Eagles are looking to continue to soar in another CCAA game against Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage. The game will be played at Venture Academy.
Elliot is one of five area high school boys basketball teams in action tonight. Lodi and Tokay open Tri-City Athletic League. Liberty Ranch and Galt open Sierra Valley Conference action at the Hawks’ gym. Lodi Academy is also three games into Mountain Valley League action.
One week ago, Elliot Christian (3-0 in the CCAA, 11-3) used solid play on defense in the fourth quarter to knock off defending CCAA champion Brookside Christian, 76-56. The Eagles’ win over the Knights was the first time since February 2012.
A “tough pre-season schedule” is the reason why Elliot Christian is more than ready for its CCAA games, Eagles coach Jason Hitt noted. That included playing at the Father Barry Tournament at Jesuit High of Carmichael, the Merrill West Shoot-Out and the St. Hope Elite Classic during the holiday break. The end result was playing for tourney championship titles in two of those tourneys — West and St. Hope Elite Classic.
To built Elliot for the long haul, it played Division I schools in non-league games and tourneys in Lincoln and Elk Grove. According to MaxPreps, Elliot is currently ranked No. 13 among all section high school boys basketball teams, and No. 1 for Division V and the same number in California among D-V schools.
“Elliot Christian heads into league with a CCAA title as the goal,” Hitt said. “Though it’s exciting to win big games in the preseason (Hitt) feels it is the perfect time to reflect on losses such as the ones from Lincoln (lost 70-60 on Dec. 13) and St. Francis (of Mountain View, which beat Elliot 80-47 in early December) ... the CCAA is one of the toughest small school leagues in our respected area.”
Becoming stronger as a team was important for Hitt, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, in the off-season.
“It is a disservice to players when coaches are afraid to challenge higher more competitive teams in the means to increase a win total,” Hitt said. “I understand the need for confidence, but false confidence promotes absolute failure.”
Elliot features five players who are averaging doubledigit scoring, plus a frontcourt that has bulked up in rebounding and players coming off the bench to contribute toward its success. Finding their way to the net are guards Jimmy Beltz (20.5 points per game) and Nate Bond (15.8). They are followed by more backcourt players in Jalen Valverde (15.2) and Onkar Sidhu (11.2).
Valverde has 128 assists, which leads the team, and second in rebounds at 103 behind Sidhu at 109. Bond has 88 and Cody Doell has 66.
“Our guys continue to work hard everyday,” Hitt said. “The competition we have played thus far continues to strengthen our basketball IQ's as we learn from our mistakes. We have yet to play our best game, and if and when we do, it will be more than worth the price of admission.”
Lodi
Winning a share of the TCAL title with St. Mary’s last season, Lodi (3-14) will host Tracy in the league opener for both teams at The Inferno. The Flames are riding on a nine-game losing skid.
“We’re just young,” said Lodi coach Dave Nutting, whose squad won its last game against Bethel, 54-50, on Dec. 8. “We have a lot of inexperienced players. We just have to keep playing with our system. Eventually, it will start to click.”
The Flames face a Tracy squad (11-4) that Nutting feels is solid in the front court.
“They’ve had some good quality win,” said Nutting of the Bulldogs. “We have to play really well in order to beat them.”
Five seniors have been starting, or coming off the bench, for Lodi this season. Those players are guards Raees Khan and Nathan Foster, forward Jake Yarbrough and centers John Durham and Jordan Vanness.
Tokay
For the first time in recent years, the Tigers have a better overall record than Lodi going into league play.
Tonight, Tokay (7-10) plays
at St. Mary’s. The Tigers have won three of their last five preseason games. Out of its 17 games, some of which include tournaments, Tokay has played only one home game.
Top players for the Tigers are forward Aidan Green, who is averaging 19.1 points per game this season. Next is another front player in Jorge Hernandez at 16.2 points per game, and Austin Dongon at 13.7.
Liberty Ranch
At this time last year, the Hawks were in the middle of school history, winning all of their regular season and SVC games for a perfect 27-0 mark.
But entering tonight’s game against cross-town rival Galt, Liberty Ranch (11-6), which has beefed up its pre-season schedule this season, looks to repeat as the conference champions.
Three Hawks lead the team in scoring. Freshman guard Jalen Patterson at 15.5 points per game, senior forward Corey Potthoff at 13.6 and junior guard Chandler Garcia 10.7. Potthoff is a double threat for Liberty Ranch; he’s averaging 11.9 rebounds per game.
Galt
A much improved Galt (7-7) is what the Hawks will face tonight.
Under first-year coach Phil Ricci, Galt has shown hustle on the court with a roster that half is filled with underclassmen. Part of that squad are senior forward Tyler Rickenbach, guard Franky Vivanco and three freshmen in guards Robert Bulahan and Isiah Ricci, and center Logan Mayfield.
Lodi Academy
On Thursday night, Lodi Academy (2-1 in the MVL, 4-4-) played its fourth league game at Stockton Christian.
Leading the Titans in scoring are Tony Olivarria at 21.4 points per game, William Dos Reis at 13.4 and Rami Abu-Ramaden at 11.6. Abu-Ramaden is also another threat on the boards for the Titans, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game.