VACAVILLE BOYS BEAT WOOD, SECURE TITLE

Bulldogs beat the Wildcats 65-57, ties Vanden for MEL crown

For the second time in three years, the Vacaville High boys basketball team are Monticello Empire League champions.

The Bulldogs defeated rival Will C. Wood on Thursday night 65-57.

Vacaville improved to 20-7 and 8-2 in the MEL with the win and will now wait for its playoff seeding in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Vacaville and Vanden ended up with indentical 8-2 league records but Vacaville won both matchups against the Vikings this year. The two squads will likely play in different divisions of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

The Bulldogs went up 22-15 in the first quarter and then stretched out the lead even more to 40-24 at the half.

Wood crept back into the game with a 19-11 third-quarter run, but Vacaville held on to win the game.

“Last night was a great night for us,” Vacaville head coach Duane Kamman said. “We got a piece of the title and got EJ

Groves back from a broken wrist. We will be going into playoffs close to full strength.

“We have only played 11 games will the whole team together and we are 11-0,” the coach continued. “We did a great job filling in roles and competing all year long. We are a very deep team with guys that can fill in at all spots and we don't lose much. I know we slipped up in a couple games but we feel very confident going into the playoffs.”

Gavin Hamill led the Bulldogs with 33 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the 3-point line.

“The team did a great job finding him and keeping him in rhythm as the night went on,” Kamman said. “I am sure he credits his teammate with a lot of that.

Kamman said that Nathan Schnell only scored one point but led the defense while also having 11 assists and 10 boards.

“He was getting a strong double team the second time through league and adapted well tonight with distributing the ball and finding the open guy,” Kamman said. “He is one of the best passing big men I have ever been around.”

Grove came back for this first game in 5 weeks

in limited minutes and got 11 points. Larry Lewis had eight points.

“We played one bad second quarter and the last two minutes of the first quarter and got down,”

Wood head coach Mark Wudel said.” We came out the second half got within four points with three minutes to go. We missed some free throws and they hit some key

shots.”

Isiah Dixon led Wiid with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jayden HamiltonHolland added 15 points and Ryan Sison poured in 11 points.

JOEL ROSENBAUM — THE REPORTER Will C. Wood's Cory Edwards (3) secures the ball as he fights for control of a rebound with Vacaville High's Jake Knight (22) during the third quarter of the Bulldogs' 65-57victory over the Wildcats Thursday at Harold Youngblood Gymnasium. With the win, the `Dogs secured a tie for the Monticello Empire League title with Vanden High, and wait for its seeding in the Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs that will be released this afternoon.