El Cerrito and O’Dowd rolling at the right time
Bishop O’Dowd- Oakland boys coach Lou Richie lost all five starters from last season’s state championship team to graduation, including fouryear starters and Metro CoPlayers of the Year Ivan Rabb and Paris Austin.
“Like starting over,” Richie said.
El Cerrito coach Michael Booker lost two starters to graduation from his 29- 4 team, including four- year starter Tyrell Alcorn, before first- team All- Metro forward Carlos Johnson transferred to Findlay Prep in Nevada for his senior season.
“Three freshmen, two sophomores and four juniors with no varsity experience,” Booker said. “Lots of adjustments.” Lots of losing, too. O’Dowd lost eight of its first 12 and El Cerrito four of its first five — by nine points, five, four and two.
“Just figuring out how to finish,” Booker said.
El Cerrito and O’Dowd, despite a combined 27 losses, have figured it all out and are finishing with a flurry. Both play for Northern California championships Saturday.
It helps, no doubt, that neither is playing in the Open Division; El Cerrito is in Division II, O’Dowd in Division III. But, just the same, few saw this happening.
“People were saying this was the worst team in O’Dowd history,” Richie said. “I kept saying I think we can still be playing on March 24 ( date of the state final). The kids just grew up and trusted the process.”
O’Dowd definitely had the pieces, but just needed game experience. The tandem of 6- foot Elijah Hardy and 6- 2 Naseem Gaskin is one of the best sophomore backcourts in the state. Add BJ Shaw, a 6- 4 wing and son of former NBA player Brian Shaw, and talented 6- 8 freshman Raymond Hawkins, and the Dragons have been, at times, very good.
El Cerrito, meanwhile, had three solid building blocks, led by All- Metro guard Sayeed Pridgett, a 6- 5 Montana signee and two- time league MVP. After Johnson left, Pridgett “knew he had to pick up the slack. He’s completely taken on the challenge. Even with double teams, he’s literally carried us into the NorCal finals,” Booker said.
He’s averaging more than 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. Tre Gray, a 6- 1 junior, has been another explosive scorer, including Tuesday when he tallied 25 in a 65- 38 win over West Catholic Athletic League power Mitty. Aaron Banks, a 6- 7, 300pound third- year starting post, led El Cerrito’s defense.
Six of the Gauchos’ 13 losses have been by two points or in overtime. The average margin of defeat is 4.1 points.
“We’ve played all the best teams in Northern California,” said Booker, whose team plays another WCAL juggernaut Serra in the NorCal final. “We weren’t changing our schedule once Johnson left. ... If we play defense like we did ( Tuesday), we’ll be hard to beat.”
O’Dowd found its groove, Richie said, on the road with a 62- 39 North Coast Section semifinal win over Drake- San Anselmo. At NorCals, it won at top seed Weston RanchStockton ( 72- 64) and at fourth seed Sacred Heart Cathedral ( 67- 64 in overtime) after falling behind 17- 5. Gaskin had a combined 55 points in the two wins.
“We seem to relish the adversity on the road,” said Richie, whose team plays Manteca at American Canyon High School for the Division III NorCal title. “We love taking the show on the road.”