HOMESTEAD: STEADY AT THE LINE
Except for the hundreds of eyeballs and screaming spectators, the easiest shot in basketball – at least in theory – is the free throw.
After seventh-seeded Homestead’s 69-63 stunner at No. 2 seed Los Gatos on Tuesday night in the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs, the Mustangs didn’t buckle under the pressure and put the easiest shots in the basket.
Drew Hamburger was 14 of 18 from the free-throw line, paying no heed to the dozens and dozens of boisterous Los Gatos students, as he scored a team-high 23.
“He missed 20 games with an injury, and he came off the bench tonight and was just phenomenal,” Homestead coach Matt Wright said.
Drew’s brother Will dropped in 16 points, and savvy point guard Brian Chou scored 19 to give Homestead a three-headed attack.
The Cupertino school went into Los Gatos with a 21-4 record and an unwavering belief in itself. Despite hailing from the second tier of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, the Mustangs knew it could take down one of the top team’s from the SCVAL’s upper-tier league.
“We knew it was an A-league team, and that their program has had a lot of success over the years,” Wright said. “But we felt like we can match up with anyone. A-league, B-league, it doesn’t really matter. ”
The Mustangs are no strangers to postseason success. Homestead reached the Division I title game in 2021. Four years later, Wright has a chance to get back there if it defeats No. 3 Carlmont.
“I know that Carlmont gym, because I lost in the quarterfinals there a few years ago, and it’s a hard gym to play in,” Wright said. “But we’re not afraid of anyone, and we’ll see what happens.”
– Joseph Dycus
Monta Vista’s Stanley Du #21 shoots against Homestead’s Will Hamburger #22 in an SCVAL basketball game, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in Cupertino, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
MILLS GIRLS BACK IN CCS TITLE MIX
Before Mills’ CCS quarterfinals game against El Camino on Tuesday night, head coach Justin Matsu visited the cemetery where his father and former longtime Mills coach Dave Matsu is buried.
While there, Matsu reflected on how far the Mills program has come and the legacy his dad built. Dave built the groundwork for a Mills program that has been to three consecutive CCS title games and on the verge of a fourth.
Now in first full season as head coach, Matsu is continuing to inject excellence into the small Milbrae school.
“It’s just been about sustained success,” Matsu told the Bay Area News Group on Tuesday night. “When my dad first took over this program in 2004 I think, he made something like 13 straight quarterfinal games and couldn’t get over the hump. … It just speaks to the culture my dad built, and the girls willingness to buy into that culture and to play big when we need them to late.
“He built this program hoping to play our best ball in March and February in the playoffs, and we’ve been fortunate to do that the last couple years.”
No. 2 Mills breezed past No. 7 El Camino 54-34 in the CCS Division III quarterfinals behind a balanced scoring performance from Kelly Ho (13 points) and Sofia Kwan (12).
Mills will play No. 3 Santa Cruz in the semifinals, a team Mills has been very familiar with over the last few years. The Vikings beat Santa Cruz in the 2022 CCS semifinals and the 2023 CCS championship game. Mills lost to the Cardinals in 2024 in non-league play, but beat them 54-29 earlier this year in the first game of the season.
“They’re well coached, they’re a good team and we know they’re going to get after it,” Matsu said. “It’s fun. It’s kind of built up into, like, a little postseason rivalry.”
If Mills can get the win on Thursday and seeds hold, the Vikings will get a rematch with Notre Dame-San Jose in the championship game. Mills fell to Notre Dame in heartbreaking fashion last season in the Division III finals.
– Nathan Canilao
Mills head coach Justin Matsu instructs his team during a timeout in the fourth quarter at Menlo Atherton High School Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Atherton, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
RECORD-BREAKER: HUGE NIGHT FOR PALO ALTO STAR
Jorell Clark didn’t just lead top-seeded Palo Alto to a 58-40 victory over ninth-seeded Evergreen Valley in the quarterfinals of the CCS Division I playoffs on Tuesday night.
The senior made history.
He broke Palo Alto’s single-season scoring record, which David Weaver had held since he led the Vikings to a 31-0 record and Division III state championship in 1993.
Weaver scored 589 points for Palo Alto that season.
With 28 points on Tuesday, Clark has 609 points this season and 1,449 for his career.
He’ll try to keep the Vikings’ season going on Thursday when they play fifth-seeded Leigh in the semifinals. As of late Tuesday, the CCS hadn’t announced the site or time for that game.
– Darren Sabedra
Palo Alto’s Jorell Clark (12) smiles near the end of a game against Los Gatos in the fourth quarter at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
DOUGHERTY VALLEY GIRLS PULL HUGE UPSET IN EUREKA
Dougherty Valley was not going to come home without a win – especially after driving 300 miles up the California coast for its NCS Division III semifinal game.
No. 5 Dougherty Valley upset top-seeded St. Bernard’s-Eureka 47-45 on the road in front of a packed gym to advance to the section championship game and secure its spot in the NorCal playoffs. The Wildcats will play St. Mary’s-Berkeley on Saturday at home.
“We don’t care where we play,” Dougherty Valley coach Kris Birco told this news organization on Tuesday night. “We just have to show up. The better team has to show up. That’s the team that wins.”
Keira Tom, Mikala Caston and Charice Kay Bute all had standout performances.
According to Birco, the team arrived in Eureka a day early and had a shootaround on Tuesday morning.
Dougherty Valley will be aiming to capture its first second NCS title and first since 2011. The Wildcats have a shot to make school history on Saturday as both the girls and boys teams will be aiming to capture NCS crowns.
“I just got off the phone with Mike Hansen and he said he’s super proud of us,” Birco said. “We’re both super excited. The girls are pumped and it’s just been a good ride.”
– Nathan Canilao
CALIFORNIA GIRLS UPSET TOP SEED in 2 OTS
Clayton Valley Charter looked every bit like a No. 1 seed in the first quarter on Tuesday night as the home team roared to a 10-point advantage over California in an NCS Division I semifinal.
But in a game filled with ebbs and flows, California got that last punch.
After Clayton Valley made 1 of 2 foul shots late in the first overtime to keep the game going, the fifth-seeded visitors from San Ramon heated up from beyond the arc in the second OT frame to advance to this weekend’s final with a 75-63 victory.
The Grizzlies will play second-seeded Bishop O’Dowd at San Leandro High School on Friday or Saturday for the championship.
Taylor Lim, Sofie Addiego, Mary Dilling and Lauren Yee each made a 3-pointer to account for all the scoring in the second overtime.
California will be seeking its first section title. O’Dowd will be aiming for its 13th NCS crown.
– Darren Sabedra
GIRLS: WESTMONT STUNS TOP-SEEDED HILLSDALE
Trevor Naas didn’t put in a special gameplan or try out anything new in No. 9 Westmont’s 49-43 CCS Division II shocker over top-seeded Hillsdale. His Warriors just played the same gritty, tough-nosed defense that has not allowed a single opponent to score more than 57 points in a game.
“Our girls have been awesome at stepping up to challenges all year, so they were excited for the opportunity,” Naas told the Bay Area News Group on Tuesday night. “We were trying to have our defense carry us. It has been our key all year, and that held true tonight.”
In a game where every point mattered, point guard Lara Macian was particularly crucial. The sophomore scored eight points, but it was her ballhandling and ability to get Westmont set up that stood out to her coach.
“She just carried the load for us against their defensive pressure,” Naas said. “We knew they were going to keep fighting and sending out waves of pressure, and she just kept handling and staying composed.”
Ireland Elerath led the Warriors with 11 points, while fellow sophomore Avery Naas scored nine. Up next is Prospect, which Westmont outlasted 47-43 in overtime on Jan. 9.
“I would expect, very much, for the game to be the same again this time,” Naas said.
– Joseph Dycus
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NCS: SEMIFINAL LOSERS STILL ALIVE
In years past, when an NCS team like Frank Allocco Jr.’s Clayton Valley Charter or Willis Gardner’s Amador Valley lost in the semifinals, there were no guarantees that their season would continue. But thanks to a change to the NCS format, programs that fall in the semis are given a second chance.
The two semifinal losers in Divisions I through V will play one another in a third-place game, with the winner advancing to regionals. So Amador Valley, which lost 49-47 on a last-second shot at Redwood, will now take on Allocco’s Clayton Valley team for a spot in NorCal.
“We just have to prepare and prepare,” Clayton Valley sophomore Zion Grissom said about a matchup with Amador Valley. “We just have to do what we have to do.”
– Joseph Dycus
Clayton Valley’s Elijah Perryman (1) shoots a free throw after a technical foul during their North Coast Section semifinal playoff game against Clayton Valley at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
LOOKING AHEAD TO WEDNESDAY
After more than a week off, the top-seeded De La Salle boys and No. 2 seed Salesian will be back in action. The NCS Open Division’s top seeds will take on No. 4 Dublin and No. 3 San Ramon Valley, respectively. … In the NCS girls Open, No. 1 Acalanes takes on Cardinal Newman and San Ramon Valley faces EBAL rival Carondelet for the third time in a month. … Barring the upset of all upsets by Valley Christian in the boys CCS Open Division pool play, No. 1 Riordan will clinch a spot in the title game against No. 2 St. ignatius, which has already won its pool. … No. 1 Archbishop Mitty is expected to beat Riordan and roll into the girls final, while No. 2 Pinewood will need to dispatch a tough Priory squad for the right to face its biggest nemesis. … In NCS Division II, No. 1 Moreau Catholic plays host to University and No. 11 Marin Catholic will attempt to stun No. 2 Cardinal Newman. …On the girls side of that division, Moreau will go on the road to play at Justin-Siena. … It could be an all-Alameda County final in the NCS Division IV girls bracket if chalk holds. No. 1 Encinal plays host to No. 5 Sonoma Valley, and No. 2 Head-Royce takes on No. 3 Sonoma Academy.
– Joseph Dycus
