Elijah rises to save West Valley vs. PC
Porterville High School boys and girls to host state playoff games
It took an effort of Biblical proportions by a player named Elijah to prevent the Porterville College men’s basketball team from pulling off the upset.
West Valley, seeded No. 5 in the Northern California playoffs needed a career game from Elijah Mahi to avoid the upset against No. 12 PC in the second round of the State Playoffs on Saturday at West Valley. Mahi scored a career high 35 points including 28 in the second half to lead the Vikings to the come from behind 67-60 win.
PC used a tenacious defensive effort to take a 30-19 halftime lead. But West Valley turned the game around, going on. 20-4 run to begin the second half to take. 39-34 lead.
Julio Phipps scored 18 points and Cameron Walker added 15 points for PC, which finished the season 17-13 and won the program’s firs state playoff game in 23 years. PHS to host playoff games It will be an historic night at Sharman Gym tonight when the Porterville High girls and boys basketball teams host State Playoff games.
The PHS girls basketball team (17-13), the runners-up in Division III in the Central Section, is seeded No. 6 in the Southern California Regional Playoffs and will host No. 11 Notre Dame Academy at 5 p.m. today.
Notre Dame is 19-7 and the Southern Section Division IV champions.
With a win PHS would advance to the Socal quarterfinals on Thursday in which it would play either at No. 3 Campbell Hill or host No. 14 Granite Hills of Southern California.
The PHS boys were seeded No. 5 and will host No. 12 Beaumont at 7 p.m. today. Beaumont is 23-9 and lost to Valencia 65-51 in the Southern Section Division IV finals. PHS was the Division II Central Section runner-up.
With a win PHS would either travel to No. 4 Jordan or host No. 13 Venice on Thursday.
Despite winning the Division VI Central Section title, Lindsay’s girls (21-12) didn’t receive much respect in the seedings. The Cardinals were seeded No.16 and will travel to No. 1 Gahr in Cerritos for a 7 p.m. game today in the Division V Socal playoffs.
Gahr is 25-7 and finished as the Southern Section Division V runner-up. If Lindsay pulls off the upset it would travel to either No. 8 Marin or No. 9 Lompoc on Thursday
PEREZ TAKES SIXTH
It wasn’t the ending Monache sophomore Jacob Perez wanted but he’s still a state medalist.
Perez lost in the semifinals of the State Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, losing to Clovis North’s Gavin Bauder 3-1. Perez then had to withdraw from the rest of the tournament, so he ended up with a sixth place finish.
Perez also had to withdraw from the Valley Masters finals the week before against Bauder when the match was tied 4-4 late due to an injury.