From the football season we dive right into the basketball season.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Actually the season has been going on for a good week and it really kicks in this week.
A weekend in December means High School Basketball tournaments and since this is the first weekend of December you know what that means.
Most of the local teams travel out of the area for tournament play.
The Montgomery Boys and Cardinal Newman Girls are each hosting a tournament.  They are the only local team in each tournament.   Who they have invited are some of the best programs in the state and in one case another state.
 
MONTGOMERY PETERICH TOURNAMENT
FIRST ROUND-THURSDAY
4 pm—McClymonds vs. Folsom
5:30—Escondido vs. Monte Vista
7 pm—Campolindo at Redwood
8:30—Montgomery at Acalanes
Six of the eight teams won at least twenty games last season, two of those hit the thirty win mark. There is also a state champion and a state runner-up.
Monte Vista won this tournament last season, defeating Montgomery 54-49 in the championship game.
After that they virtually won everything else.
The Mustangs went 32-1 and won the Division 1 state crown.   The only loss was 59-56 in overtime to league rival San Ramon Valley.

They meet Escondido in the first round, which after three straight seasons under .500, finished 21-9 last year.
McClymonds, who is the same school that beat Analy during the football season, was one of the teams that had their season last year ended by Monte Vista.   They have had two straight twenty win seasons and have won the Oakland Section six of the last seven years.
Folsom was the 2014 State Division 2 runner up and had a 32-3 record.  In 2009 they went 31-2.   In between they were under .500 each year.
As a Sophomore Jordan Ford was the leading scorer at 22.5 a game.
While the Campolindo’s football team goes for a North Coast Section championship, the basketball team is spending the weekend in Santa Rosa.  Five of the last six seasons, Campolindo has won at least twenty games.   The only season they didn’t was 2011, when they went 19-11.
Since finishing 29-3 in 2010, Redwood has finished over .500 in three of the last four years.   In 2010, the Giants went through the Marin Catholic League undefeated and wont the school’s first NCS championship.
Acalanes end the first night of the tournament against Montgomery.   A 27-5 season in 2007 started a streak of seven of eight seasons over .500.
Head Coach Tom Fitchie starts his 31st season as head coach at Montgomery.   The Vikings have hit the twenty win mark in four of the last five seasons.  During that time they won three NBL titles and one NCS crown.
There are three games each day, with the first game starting at 4 pm on Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, the action starts with the 7th Place game at 1 pm.  The Championship Game starts at 5:30.
 
CARDINAL NEWMAN CLASSIC GIRLS TOURNAMENT
THURSDAY
3:30…Sacred Heart vs. Brookside Christian
5 pm…Scotts Valley vs. Piedmont
6:30…Oakland vs. Oregon City
8 pm…Cardinal Newman vs. McKinleyville
(Click here for Tourney Bracket Updates)
 
One of the teams is the best progam in its state.
That is Oregon City, who is the defending Oregon State 6A Champions.   They are the De La Salle football team of Oregon in Girls Basketball.
Well not quite. but they are pretty impressive.

Since 1992, the program has twelve State Championships and has been to the state playoffs every season.  Last season, during a 22-6 year they met teams from five other states, including three teams that are in the Eastern Time Zone.   Two of its losses were to Salesian and Bishop O’ Dowd.
The school holds about 2,500.  They meet Oakland, who finished 13-13 last year.
The opener between Brookside Christian and Sacred Heart is between programs who know how it is to go deep into the state playoffs.
In the past few years Brookside Christine has had a remarkable turnaround.   In 2009-2010 they were a combined 12-35.  Since then they are 110-21, including a Division 5 State Championship in 2012 and reached the Division 5 championship game last season.
Brookside Christian has two players that have signed for Division 1 programs and another who has a verbal agreement.
Sacred Heart has been to the Division 3 state championship game six times since 1998 and has won it three times, the last two in 2007 and 2008.  In 2013, they lost in the State Championship game.
They have two players heading for Division 1 schools.
Last year Scotts Valley ended Cardinal Newman’s season in the Nor Cal Playoffs with a 58-48 win.
Piedmont has won at least twenty games in four of the last five seasons.   They won four straight section titles from 2003-2006 and won back to back State Championships in 2004 and 2005.
Oregon City won the State Championship last year.  It is the school’s 12th state title since 1992.  The have been in the Oregon State Tournament twenty four straight seasons.
McKinleyville did qualify for the NCS playoffs last season, but has been down the last two years.  They had won at least 20 games in each of the eight years before.
Cardinal Newman has almost everyone back from a team that tied for the NBL championship and went to the Nor Cal playoffs.
Friday’s action also starts at 3:30.   On Saturday the first game starts at 3 pm, with the championship game wrapping up the tournament at 7:30.
8 of the games over the three days will be broadcast LIVE here at ysn365.com.
The Cardinal Newman Girls Tournament is the first annual event.   On the other end of the spectrum is the 57th annual Redwood Classic at Anderson Valley High School.  It is the oldest tournament in California.
This is just the beginning of the basketball season.
Just like football we do updated scores on the Facebook and Twitter page.   To do that, we need your help.   If you want to help with your team in the reporting of scores contact me via facebook or e-mail..
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net