This was a big weekend for events at SRJC. On back to back nights they were hosting two major basketball events, one on Friday Night, one on Saturday Night.
Apparently people didn’t get the memo about the Friday Night event.
I am open to suggestion as to why the SRJC Basketball Programs don’t draw better. I understand that High School sports is king around here, but this Friday Night there wasn’t much of that going on. I went there expecting a fairly big crowd. After all the Men were playing for the League Championship.
Let’s just say it wasn’t a very big crowd. A good portion of it was from Cloverdale, and was there to support SRJC Head Coach Craig McMillan. It didn’t have a big game atmosphere. Actually it didn’t have much of an atmosphere at all.
It is a head scratcher.
It isn’t like SRJC doesn’t have successful programs. The Men won their third straight league championship and the Women have made a few runs deep in the State Playoffs, including taking the State Championship in 2011. Add to that there are several players who played high school in the area, including all the players on the Women roster.
It is a head scratcher.
Twenty four hours later it was NBL Championship night. It had its expected crowd, which means close to Standing Room Only. Although it wasn’t a lot more than Standing Room Only because of the changing of the crowd between games. SRO #1 was set by halftime of the Girls game. After it ended some of the Cardinal Newman and Santa Rosa fans headed out and was replaced by the fans coming for the Boys game.
With all the people coming and going, the parking lot between games was a mess.
The local sports event of the year was just that.
It is a great way to end the season.
WELL ACTUALLY DOESN’T QUITE END
Of course the high school basketball season isn’t over. The North Coast Section playoffs are next on the high school basketball agenda.
I’m more of a fan of the league races then these playoffs. I wouldn’t have a problem if the season did end with NBL night. I know the kids love playing in it and we will be there to cover it. But seems, especially in the early rounds, there are more games decided by over 20 points than under. Then we get to the through the first week most of the top four seeds will still be going.
That probably isn’t true, but it is my perception.
FIGURE THIS OUT
I can’t say I know enough to say if all that many teams weren’t treated unfairly by the process, but one did stand out. During the season when posting the YSN365.com rankings, I commented once or twice not to take them all to seriously, it won’t have an effect on the powers at be that decides the playoffs.
The playoff seeding, one in particular proved that point. Willits was the No. 2 ranked team in the YSN365.com. It is obvious by the seedings the committee didn’t agree with that.
Willits got the dreaded No. 9 seed in Division 4. I have called the No. 9 the dreaded one because most of them have to go on the road in Round One and then if they won they would have to travel to No. 1.
A quick recap of the Willits season. They are 24-2, which is a record for the most wins in school history. In the pre-season they defeated Maria Carrillo 54-37. Maria Carrillo is the No. 7 in the Division 2 playoffs and by the way didn’t lose by that big of margin in three losses to Montgomery.
Willits also defeated Ukiah, who is the No. 11 seed in Division 2, has two 26 point wins over Rincon Valley Christian (No. 2 in D6) and a ten point win over Piedmont (No. 11 in D4).
One of the two losses was to Roseland University Prep, who they go on the road to meet in the first round. That was one of the surprise scores of the season and has a story to go with it.
The two teams met in the St. Helena tournament. That was one of the few times this season we had a winter. Cold weather and ice closed many roads, so Willits could not get to St. Helena. The next day they played two games, seven hours apart and lost the game 56-52.
Yes I know that sounds like an excuse.
Another thing that hurt Willits was its schedule. That is mainly because they are in the NCL I, which doesn’t do well in the power rankings. Still they went 14-0 through league play and besides a three game run in the middle of the race; they won every other game by double figures.
I have some experience with the NCL I world and thought Willits would make a pretty good showing.
It is too bad they didn’t get a better draw.
NCS LOCAL SCHEDULE
TUESDAY (7 PM UNLESS NOTED)
DIVISION 1 GIRLS
No. 14 San Leandro (10-15) at No. 3 Santa Rosa (25-3)
DIVISION 2 BOYS
No. 16 Arroyo (12-14) at No. 1 Montgomery (23-5)
No. 9 Redwood (15-13) at No. 8 Casa Grande (14-12)…6:30
No. 15 Windsor (13-13) at No. 2 Newark Memorial (19-7)
No. 10 Clayton Valley (16-10) at No. 7 Maria Carrillo (19-9)
No. 11 Ukiah (16-11) at No. 6 Dublin (13-12)…6:30
DIVISION 2 GIRLS
No. 15 Mt. Eden (16-10) at No. 2 Windsor (19-8)
No. 11 College Park (14-12) at No. 6 Casa Grande (15-12)…8 pm
No. 9 Montgomery (13-13) at No. 8 Northgate (20-6)
No. 10 Ukiah (12-13) at No. 7 Redwood (20-8)
DIVISION 3 BOYS
No. 6 Miramonte (15-11) at No. 11 Analy (20-8)…6:30
No. 15 Piner (17-10) at No. 2 El Cerrito (25-3)
No. 16 Elsie Allen (18-9) at No. 1 Bishop O Dowd (22-4)
DIVISION 3 GIRLS
No. 12 Albany (10-10) at No. 5 Analy (17-10)…8 pm
No. 11 Sonoma Valley (14-13) at No. 6 Petaluma (18-10)
WEDNESDAY
DIVISION 4 BOYS
No. 10 Lick Wilmerding (13-13) at No. 7 Cardinal Newman (16-11)…6:30
No. 9 Willits (24-2) at No. 8 Roseland University Prep (22-7)
No. 12 Cloverdale (16-9) at No. 5 Fortuna (23-2)
No. 13 Middletown (15-9) at No. 4 St. Mary’s (18-10)…6:30
No. 14 Clear Lake (17-9) at No. 3 Salesian (17-13)
DIVISION 4 GIRLS
No. 12 Cloverdale (19-7) at No. 5 Cardinal Newman (22-6)…8 pm
No. 13 Roseland University Prep (18-7) at No. 4 Arcata (22-3)
No. 15 St. Helena (16-10) at No. 2 St. Mary’s (22-7)…8 pm
No. 16 Middletown (19-7) at No. 1 Salesian (24-5)…8 pm
DIVISION 5 BOYS
No. 12 St. Vincent (13-14) at No. 5 Bentley Upper (21-6)
DIVISION 5 GIRLS
No. 12 Upper Lake (16-11) at No. 5 S.F. University (17-9)
No. 11 Sonoma Academy (14-7) at No. 6 St. Vincent (22-6)
DIVISION 6 BOYS
No. 15 San Francisco Waldorf (6-14) at No. 2 Rincon Valley Christian …8 pm
No.13 Laytonville (9-14) at No. 4 Archbishop Hanna (22-4)
No. 9 Tomales (13-8) at No. 8 Point Arena (17-7)
No. 10 Summerfield Waldorf (13-12) at No. 7 St. Elizabeth (15-13)
No. 11 Anderson Valley (12-11) at No. 6 El Sobrante Christian (18-6)
No. 12 Mendocino (13-13) at No. 5 Ferndale (8-17), 7
DIVISION 6 GIRLS
No. 12 El Sobrante Christian (12-11) at No. 5 Rincon Valley Christian (13-12)…6:30 p.m.
No. 6 Summerfield Waldorf (16-5) at No. 11 Contra Costa Christian (13-9) 5:30 p.m.
No. 9 Laytonville (11-10) at No. 8 Rio Lindo Adventist (15-7)
No. 13 Anderson Valley (10-9) at No. 4 CSFD (19-8), 7 p.m.
No. 14 Mendocino (9-8) at No. 3 S.F. Waldorf (14-6)
No. 15 Point Arena (9-16) at No. 2 St. Bernard Catholic (18-11), 8 p.m.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net