Archbishop Mitty unanimous No. 1
Team went undefeated against Northern California opponents
There is no denying Archbishop Mitty built a résumé worthy of unanimous selection as best of the best when it comes to girls basketball in the Bay Area.
Or for that matter, Northern California.
Contenders for the crown — from near and far — couldn’t dethrone the Monarchs, who punched their ticket as Norcal Open Division champion to the California Interscholastic Federation state final at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The dream rematch with La Jolla Country Day, ranked No. 1 in the nation by Maxpreps, never materialized after the CIF canceled each state championship game a week ago. Maxpreps ranked Mitty at No. 2 in the nation.
“We were so close, we were only one game away,” Mitty junior Olivia Williams said. “Two more practices and we would’ve been on the bus down to Sac.”
Mitty suffered its first loss against LJCD — 62-54 — at the Nike Tournament of Champions. In fact, the Monarchs fell three times over a four-game span at showcase tournaments in late December.
The rest of the way turned into a breeze for the five-time reigning Central Coast Section Open Division champion.
Mitty’s season-ending 19game win streak began with back-to-back victories over No. 2-ranked St. Joseph Notre Dame — 75-39 and 60-39 — and was book-ended with a 69-53 triumph over SJND in the Norcal Open Division title game. That’s the only time the Monarchs didn’t defeat a Norcal foe by at least 20 points.
Others had their shot at Mitty.
• Third-ranked Cardinal Newman fell 64-40 on the road in the Norcal semifinals;
• Fourth-ranked Bishop O’dowd, the back-to-back Norcal Division I champion, lost 64-44 on the road on Jan. 8;
• Sixth-ranked Pinewood, the back-to-back Open Division state runner-up, couldn’t keep up in the CCS Open final, 76-44;
• Eighth-ranked Menlo School, last year’s Division II state champion, was doubled up 74-37 on Dec. 11;
• Tenth-ranked Oakland Tech, last year’s Division IV state champion and current D-II Norcal titleholder, got crushed 8030 on Dec. 10.
The résumé speaks for itself. As always, votes were cast by the Bay Area Preps HQ’S staff, with first-place votes worth 25 points, second-place 24 points and on down the line.
On to the rankings …
No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (26-3)
VOTING POINTS >> 100
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 1
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 4
RECAP >> O ye, of little faith. Voters were spooked by the fact Haley Jones, the 2019 Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School Player of the Year, moved on to Stanford. Then news came that junior Hunter Hernandez suffered a serious knee injury over the summer. Plus, the Monarchs only had two seniors on a young roster. In the end it didn’t seem to matter. Mitty finished the season on a 19-game win streak and didn’t lose to anyone from Northern California, including a trio of double-digit victories over our second-ranked team. Cal State Northridge-bound point guard Ashley Hiraki and a deep bench led the Monarchs to the CIF Open Division state final for a much-awaited rematch with La Jolla Country Day, only to see coronavirus concerns cancel the contest.
No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame (24-8)
VOTING POINTS >> 96
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 2
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 5
RECAP >> Only days after a statement victory over Salesian, St. Joe’s coach Shawn Hipol stepped away from the team after a disagreement with an administrator over lopsided routs in league play. Longtime assistant Brian Sato filled in admirably as the girls rallied around a common cause and conquered the East Bay by becoming the first North Coast Section Open Division girls champion. Its biggest nemesis was Mitty, which defeated the Pilots twice around New Year’s and then again in the Norcal Open final, which was relocated to Miramonte at the last minute due to coronavirus concerns.
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (29-4)
VOTING POINTS >> 90
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 3
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 15
RECAP >> UC Santa Barbarabound Anya Choice was a force to be reckoned with for the entire season, highlighted by a 43-point performance in a win over Salesian to reach the NCS Open Division title game. Half of the losses for the Cardinals came at the West Coast Jamboree. Finished as the NCS Open runner-up before falling at Mitty in the Norcal Open semifinals.
No. 4 Bishop O’dowd (23-7)
VOTING POINTS >> 89
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 5
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 1
RECAP >> The dynamic duo of junior Kennedy Johnson and sophomore Amaya Bonner, along with eight seniors on the Dragons’ roster, fought their way back to the Division I state final for some unfinished business. The back-to-back Norcal champions, though, were denied a return trip to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento after the state finals were canceled.
No. 5 Salesian (28-5)
VOTING POINTS >> 85
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 4
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 7
RECAP >> Without 6-foot-5 center Angel Jackson, a Mcdonald’s All-american last season and freshman at USC, a youth movement at Salesian nearly parlayed itself into a trip to the state finals. The ride allowed Salesian to avenge its loss in last year’s Norcal Open final to Pinewood — twice. But the Pride, which during the regular-season edged Bishop O’dowd, lost a rematch in the Norcal Division I final by a two-point margin.
No. 6 Pinewood (25-5)
VOTING POINTS >> 80
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 6
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 6
RECAP >> A young core anchored by a quartet of juniors, including point guard Annika Decker, couldn’t claim a third straight Nocal Open Division crown after Hannah Jump (Stanford) and Klara Astrom (Yale) bolted for college. For the fifth year in a row, the Panthers fell to Mitty in the Central Coast Section Open Division final. Salesian then eliminated Pinewood in the Norcal Division I semifinals.
No. 7 Miramonte (23-6)
VOTING POINTS >> 76
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 7
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 2
RECAP >> With junior point guard Mia Mastrov running the show, the Matadors averaged nearly 69 points per game. Miramonte closed the regular season with impressive wins over Oakland Tech and at Pinewood. But the momentum didn’t carry into the playoffs, which consisted of only three games, including losses in rematches against O’dowd and Pinewood.
No. 8 Menlo School (21-6)
VOTING POINTS >> 68
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 9
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 3
RECAP >> Last year’s Division II state champion notched its signature moment in January, as the Knights ended Pinewood’s 66-game regular-season win streak in the West Bay Athletic League. Poised for a quarterfinal showdown at O’dowd between reigning Norcal champs, Menlo became the first team forced to withdraw from the state playoffs due to the coronavirus.
No. 9 Heritage (22-7)
VOTING POINTS >> 66
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 10
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 12
RECAP >> Boise State-bound Abigail Muse, a 6-foot-2 post, was joined by younger sister Amanda, a freshman who is an inch taller. This allowed the Patriots to tower over most of the competition, even pushing St. Joseph Notre Dame to the brink during the regular season before falling 63-60. Heritage qualified for the inaugural NCS Open Division bracket and bowed out in the Norcal Division I quarterfinals.
No. 10 Oakland Tech (26-8)
VOTING POINTS >> 65*
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 11
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 11
RECAP >> A year ago, Oakland Tech announced itself as the CIF Division IV state champion. The battle-tested Bulldogs got bumped up to the Division II bracket and passed every test as the No. 1 seed. They won a second consecutive Norcal title behind the presence of Stephanie Okowi in the paint. This meant Tech didn’t lose in two consecutive postseasons, with the state final canceled due to the coronavirus.
No. 11 San Ramon Valley (27-5)
VOTING POINTS >> 65*
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 8
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 13
RECAP >> Three of the losses for the Wolves, the NCS Division I champion, came at the hands of No. 3 Cardinal Newman, No. 6 Pinewood and No. 5 Salesian — the latter during the Norcal Division I quarterfinals. The other setbacks came against unranked California and the team that SRV finished just above in the rankings: American.
No. 12 American (28-3)
VOTING POINTS >> 55
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 12
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >>
Unranked
RECAP >> Maybe the biggest surprise of the season, the Eagles lost once before the playoffs, to Lincoln-stockton at the West Coast Jamboree. American stumbled as the top seed in the NCS Division I semifinals against San Leandro, then nearly upset Oakland Tech in the Norcal Division II quarterfinals before falling 61-60.
No. 13 St. Mary’s-berkeley (27-7)
VOTING POINTS >> 47
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 16
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> Unranked
RECAP >> The three-headed monster of senior Kayla Rosemon, junior Jasmine Farmer and sophomore Anela Thomas, who each averaged double-digits in scoring, helped the Panthers claim the Norcal Division III trophy as the No. 2 seed. But the coronavirus canceled St. Mary’s bid for a state title.
No. 14 Sacred Heart Prep (16-10)
VOTING POINTS >> 44
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 22
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> Unranked
RECAP >> Arguably the most memorable moment for SHP came during a four-point OT victory against Menlo, its Atherton rival and neighbor. The moment that Gators most likely would prefer to forget is a fourpoint OT loss at Clovis as the No. 10 seed in the Norcal Division II quarterfinals.
No. 15 Woodside Priory (21-10)
VOTING POINTS >> 35
PREVIOUS RANKING >> Unranked
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 19
RECAP >> Paced by point guard Aniyah Augmon, the Panthers claimed a fourth-straight CCS Division V title and reached the Norcal Division III final. But Priory fell behind early and finished as the runner-up as it couldn’t catch up to St. Mary’s.
No. 16 St. Ignatius (16-11)
VOTING POINTS >> 34
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 17
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 17
RECAP >> The Wildcats won 12 of 13 games until a 58-24 setback to Oakland Tech at an MLK showcase turned the tide for both teams. St. Ignatius lost three times to Mitty, including in the CCS Open Division semifinals, then drew the short straw as the No. 14 seed in Norcal Division I bracket. The Wildcats fell in the opening round at Clovis North.
No. 17 San Leandro (24-7)
VOTING POINTS >> 32
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 14
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >>
Unranked
RECAP >> The Pirates pulled off an upset of No. 1 seed American in the NCS Division I playoffs and eventually claimed runner-up status, then lost to Sacred Heart Prep in the opening round of the Norcal Division II bracket.
No. 18 Aptos (27-5)
VOTING POINTS >> 31
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 18
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >>
Unranked
RECAP >> Cal Poly-bound Natalia Ackerman averaged a double-double (19.1 points, 10.5 rebounds) for the CCS Division III champion. The Mariners reached the semifinals of the Norcal Division III playoffs, but lost in overtime to Woodside Priory.
No. 19 Valley Christian (16-11)
VOTING POINTS >> 24*
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 23
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 9
RECAP >> The Warriors proved worthy of lofty expectations after the first time through the rugged West Catholic Athletic League. But Valley Christian lost six of its last seven games, including back-to-back meetings with St. Ignatius, then in the opening round of the Norcal Division I playoffs against Salesian.
No. 20 Lick-wilmerding (29-3)
VOTING POINTS >> 24*
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 19
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >>
Unranked
RECAP >> With only one senior on its roster, Lick flew under the radar at the beginning. But the Tigers continued to amass momentum during a oneloss regular season. St. Mary’s knocked off Lick in the NCS Division IV semifinals, but the Tigers bounced back as the No. 16 seed in the Norcal Division III bracket with an upset in OT at top-seeded Menlo-atherton before falling in the quarterfinals to Aptos.
No. 21 Lynbrook (21-6)
VOTING POINTS >> 19
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 15
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 25
RECAP >> The backcourt tandem of Lydian Li and Maison Yee powered the Vikings to a league title during a three-loss regular season, which earned Lynbrook a spot as the only public school in the CCS Open Division bracket. That’s where the eighth-seeded Vikings ran into Mitty.
No. 22 Alameda (24-6)
VOTING POINTS >> 13
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 13
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> Unranked
RECAP >> Alameda senior Lexie Givens helped guide her team to the NCS Division II title, as the battle-tested Hornets faced off against Pinewood and Bishop O’dowd during the regular season and defeated San Leandro in overtime. Alameda lost in the opening round of the Norcal Division II playoffs.
No. 23 Sacred Heart Cathedral (11-16)
VOTING POINTS >> 12
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 24
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 24
RECAP >> The only sub-.500 squad to crack the rankings, SHC’S brutal schedule included closes losses to Cardinal Newman and Salesian in December, then to Menlo in the CCS Open Division quarterfinals. The Fightin’ Irish defeated Alameda in the opening round of the Norcal Division II playoffs before losing to Del Oro in the quarterfinals.
No. 24 Presentation (19-9)
VOTING POINTS >> 11
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 21
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> 23
RECAP >> After jumping out of the gate by going 11-0, Presentation suffered its first loss against Lynbrook. The Panthers also fell twice against Sacred Heart Cathedral and finished next-to-last in the WCAL. Presentation rebounded to earn the CCS Division II title, then lost at Del Oro in the opening round of the Norcal Division II playoffs.
No. 25 Branson (26-9)
VOTING POINTS >> 9
PREVIOUS RANKING >> 20
SEASON-OPENING RANKING >> Unranked
RECAP >> The Bulls found their groove in the postseason, finishing as runner-up in the NCS Division V bracket. Branson advanced to the CIF Division V state title game in Sacramento, which was never played due to coronavirus concerns, after upending No. 1 seed West Valley for the Norcal trophy.
ALSO RECEIVED VOTING POINTS >> Los Gatos 8, Menlo-atherton 6, Palo Alto 6, St. Patrick-st. Vincent 5, Montgomery 4, Mission San Jose 1.
*-Tiebreaker determined by each team’s highest and lowest vote totals.