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WASHINGTON-FREMONT: LEADER ON FOOTBALL FIELD, BASKETBALL COURT
While many football players enjoy long breaks after the season, Washington-Fremont quarterback Esean Johnson has not taken a winter off in four years.
The 5-foot-11 standout has been a varsity starter for the basketball team for the last three seasons, routinely trading in his cleats for sneakers once football season ends.
After earning all-league first-team honors this past season at quarterback, Johnson is looking to finish his senior year by leading Washington’s basketball team to a deep run in the North Coast Section playoffs.
“He’s a one-of-one guy,” basketball coach Eddy Mangonon said. “He’s the oil to our engine. We’re 11-4 not just because of him, but he’s a lot of what we are. If I may say, he just has the it factor.”
Washington’s Esean Johnson (0) drives to the hoop past American’s Arman Mahavni (25) during a game at Washington High School in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Even though he’s on the court, Washington expects Johnson to continue to play like a quarterback as one of the team’s lead point guards.
As one of the more talented passers on the team, he’s still trying to find chemistry with his teammates but still uses the intangibles needed to play quarterback in his role as a point guard.
“Sometimes I get turnovers because I think someone is supposed to be where I passed it, but they’re not quite at the spot yet. That’s my football thinking,” Johnson said. “So mostly I’m just trying to be a leader and be more vocal because that’s what I did on the field.”
Johnson is having an all-league type of year through the first half of the season. The senior is averaging 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 53% from the field. He recently won the Forest Hill Tournament MVP and made the all-tournament teams at the Rob Vares Jr. and Tim Cole tournaments.
According to Mangonon, Johnson had been dealing with a bad flu that could have sidelined him for weeks during the holiday break, but the senior has yet to miss any time on the floor.
“He literally took himself out of a game and vomited and put himself right back in,” Mangonon said. “He just told me, ‘I have to be there for my guys.’”
Johnson has aspirations of becoming a football player at the next level, but said he wouldn’t mind playing basketball in college.
“I want to play football, but if an opportunity comes in basketball, I would play at the next level for sure,” Johnson said.
– Nathan Canilao
BRUCE-MAHONEY CLASSIC: NEW SF MAYOR SHOWS UP TO SUPPORT
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie sits in his courtside seats during the St. Ignatius game against Sacred Heart Cathedral in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Given that he’s only in his first full week in office, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie certainly has a busy calendar.
But that didn’t stop the new city leader from carving out time to attend a high school basketball doubleheader on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Lurie was among the thousands who filled much of the arena’s lower bowl to watch St. Ignatius sweep the boys and girls Bruce-Mahoney rivalry games against Sacred Heart Cathedral.
In an exclusive interview that night with the Bay Area News Group, Lurie discussed why he took the time out of his post-inauguration schedule to come out to the prep basketball showcase.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie chats with others during a break in action during the St. Ignatius game against Sacred Heart Cathedral in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“It’s a tradition,” Lurie said. “It’s something that brought these two schools together. I was a little concerned about them filling Chase, and they did an amazing job. SI and SHC students brought it, fans brought it, parents brought it. It was a good atmosphere. The Warriors opening up Chase is wonderful. Our high school sports are excellent in this city, and so it’s always great to celebrate that.”
Lurie attended University High School in San Francisco, so he didn’t find himself rooting for either team. Instead, he was there to witness the brilliance of both schools and the event at large.
“I didn’t go to either school, so I’m just a fan of high school athletics here in San Francisco,” Lurie said. “And anything that’s gonna bring eight, 9,000 San Franciscans out cheering for their team, I’m a fan of that. This was awesome. This was great.”
— Christian Babcock
WESTMONT BOYS SOCCER: SENIOR STAR BACK FROM EXCHANGE TRIP TO SPAIN
Westmont’s Sebastien Aranda (7) celebrates his goal with Westmont’s Kota Brown (10) against Mt. Pleasant in the first half at Westmont High School in Campbell, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Soccer players can gain valuable experience in a number of ways.
There are of course practices and games, but sometimes, seeing the world and all its possibilities can change the course of a young athlete’s life.
That’s what Westmont senior forward Sebastien Aranda did last school year, taking a trip to Valencia, Spain to study abroad and train with an academy team in one of the Iberian Peninsula’s greatest cities.
“It was a great experience,” Aranda said. “I was able to go on trial with a professional academy over there.”
Aranda spent time with Club Deportivo Castellon, a club in the Segunda División of the Spanish football pyramid, just below La Liga, the top division. It rounded out his experience one year after he scored 25 goals for Westmont during his sophomore soccer season.
“He didn’t play for us last year, took some time off to study abroad,” Westmont coach Matt Schembri said. “We have him back this year. It’s been a welcome sight to him back. He wanted to go experience something new, so his family decided, ‘Let’s go for a year.’”
On Wednesday, Aranda scored two goals as Westmont beat Mt. Pleasant 6-0 and nearly missed a hat-trick when his wide-angle shot before the half glanced off the crossbar. Suffice to say he’ll be a big part of whatever success is ahead for the Warriors down the stretch.
— Christian Babcock
RIORDAN BOYS BASKETBALL: CRUSADERS PACE THEMSELVES WITH DEEP BENCH
Many coaches encourage their players to push through pain and fatigue when times are tough.
But sometimes, that can be counterproductive. Especially when there are talented contributors on the bench waiting to get into the game.
That’s the luxury Archbishop Riordan has. The No. 1 team in the BANG Top 20 has so many good players that whenever one needs a break, there’s another right there to spell him.
“We need you to go as hard as you can,” Riordan coach Joe Curtin said. “You should be asking me for a sub. That means you’re playing really, really hard.”
In the second quarter of a recent game against Bellarmine, that’s exactly what Jasir Rencher did. Rencher, Riordan’s best player who has signed with Texas A&M, is the key to the Crusaders’ ultimate success. But that doesn’t mean he has to play every minute.
“He was guarding (Bellarmine’s Will) Corbett and he was scoring. That’s a lot,” Curtin said. “He’s running the floor. He’s catching dunks and shooting 3s. It takes a lot of energy to do that. But that’s a testament to him. He’s going 100%. He needs a sub, we’ll get him back in. No worries. It’s not a problem. That’s exactly how we want to play.”
— Christian Babcock
BAY AREA HOOPERS SHINE FOR NO. 1 JUCO TEAM
The top men’s college basketball team in the Bay Area is not who you think it is.
It’s not Stanford or Cal. Not St. Mary’s or Santa Clara, or San Jose State.
Las Positas College, in the midst of its best season in school history, currently holds that title. The junior college located in Livermore is 16-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the state on Monday after beating community college juggernaut and No. 2 City College of San Francisco last Friday.
Leading the charge are a few local products that were standouts at the prep level. Washington-Fremont’s Jorren Edmonds (10.3 points, 7 rebounds), Dougherty Valley’s Jayden Doty (46.2% from 3) and Menlo-Atherton’s Mecca Okereke (4 points, 4 rebounds) are all playing key roles for the Hawks, who are the only undefeated team in the state.
James Giacomazzi – a Washington alum – is in his 10th season as coach and will be looking to guide LPC to its first state championship in program history.
– Nathan Canilao
ST. IGNATIUS GIRLS BASKETBALL: FRESHMAN STAR HAS CURRY RANGE
St. Ignatius’ Lulu Giometti (5) takes a 3-point shot against Sacred Heart Cathedral in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Lulu Giometti may just be a freshman, but her ability to hit from distance is beyond her years.
St. Ignatius’ 5-foot-9 first-year standout took the Bruce-Mahoney Classic by storm on Tuesday night, leading all scorers with 18 points and six 3-pointers as SI took down Sacred Heart Cathedral 58-48. Many of those attempts were launched from around or beyond the NBA 3-point line on the Warriors’ home floor.
Afterward, Giometti was asked if she realized how far away she was from the rim.
“Yeah, definitely,” she said.
Her coach begged to differ.
“Lulu doesn’t notice that line,” SI’s Maya Fok said. “She shoots from wherever.”
She may have noticed, but she wasn’t going to let it affect her concentration.
“I’m just playing, so I don’t really think about that type of stuff,” Giometti continued. “Wherever I catch the ball, if it’s open, I’m going to shoot the ball.”
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Prep roundup: Westmont breezes past Mt. Pleasant at home, Aragon, Clayton Valley take home league wins
Whatever works. On the home floor of the team whose best player made shooting from distance an art form, Giometti put a prep twist on the splash legacy.
“Just a regular day for Lulu,” Fok said.
— Christian Babcock
MLK SHOWCASES TO WATCH
The MLK Classic at De La Salle will be played on Monday. Here is the lineup: San Ramon Valley vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 9 a.m.; Redwood vs. Monterey Trail, 10:30 a.m.; Moreau Catholic vs. Riverside Poly, noon; Modesto Christian vs. St. Joseph-Santa Maria, 2:30; De La Salle vs. Sunnyslope-Arizona, 4 p.m.; Salesian vs. Clovis West, 5:30 p.m.; Salesian (girls) vs. Carondelet, 7 p.m.
The Bishop O’Dowd MLK Classic will be played on Saturday and Monday, featuring some of the top girls teams in NorCal. Saturday’s lineup: Castro Valley vs. Tracy, 9 a.m.; St. Mary’s-Berkeley vs. California, 10:30 a.m.; O’Dowd vs. Riordan, noon; San Joaquin Memorial vs Priory, 2 p.m.; Oakland Tech vs. Centennial-Las Vegas, 4 p.m.; Salesian vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral, 5 p.m.; Monday’s lineup: St. Mary’s-Berkeley vs. Castro Valley, 9 a.m.; Centennial-Las Vegas vs. Piedmont, 10:30 a.m.; O’Dowd vs. California, noon; Sacred Heart Cathedral vs. San Joaquin Memorial, 2 p.m; Inderkum vs. Pinole Valley, 4 p.m.; Ygnacio Valley vs. Moreau Catholic, 5 p.m.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Classic at Merritt College will take place on Monday. Here’s the lineup of boys games: Santa Cruz vs. University-San Francisco, 2:15 p.m.; Grant-Sacramento vs. Liberty, 4 p.m.; Branson vs. Piedmont, 5:45 p.m.; Clayton Valley vs. Oakland, 7:30 p.m.
The Terra Nova MLK Classic will be held at City College of San Francisco on Monday with girls programs from all over the Bay Area set to compete. Here’s the lineup: Crystal Springs Uplands vs Terra Nova, 12:30 p.m.; Lick-Wilmerding vs Oakland, 2 p.m.; Tracy vs Lowell-San Francisco, 3:30 p.m.; Oakland Tech vs St. Ignatius, 5 p.m.; Menlo School vs Summit Shasta, 6 p.m.
– Nathan Canilao
