SAN JOSE — Valley Christian has plenty of methods to beat you.
When the Warriors are on, as they have been Friday evening towards Menlo-Atherton, they’re powerful to cease. Star ahead Brayden Harris can rating from wherever on the ground, and Justin Hampton, Bryant Clark and Teniola Bamisebi are all succesful contributors.
However Friday, Valley additionally acquired contributions from Hudson Dennison and Jadon Shabaglian, and that was an excessive amount of for M-A to deal with in San Jose. The Warriors jumped out to an 11-point lead early within the second quarter and managed the motion the remainder of the way in which, finally profitable 65-51.
“We’ve had a hard time with M-A in the last two years,” stated VC coach Colin Pfaff. “They’re really tough. They’re so well-coached. The kids play so hard. They’re just such a scary matchup. But our guys played really well.”
Valley Christian basketball coach Colin Pfaff offers directions to his crew within the second period- of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport towards Menlo-Atherton in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
The sport, an opening-round matchup within the CCS Open Division, was a matchup of No. 4 VC and No. 5 M-A. With the part’s pool play format, it was not an elimination sport.
Each groups will play the opposite two groups within the bracket, No. 1 Riordan and No. 8 Mitty, in a round-robin format. The crew with one of the best report advances to the CCS Open title sport.
Riordan is the heavy favourite to emerge from Valley and M-A’s facet of the Open subject. So whereas it wasn’t only a ethical victory, Friday’s win was extra about what it arrange for VC down the highway within the CIF NorCal match, which all Open groups are assured to make.
“When you play teams like M-A and the Serras of the world, you have to match their physicality and their toughness, and we hadn’t done that in the past,” Pfaff stated. “And tonight, I felt like we actually did that for the first time, and that was great. And then we shot the ball really well. That always helps.”
Valley Christian’s Teniola Bamisebi (20) and Menlo-Atherton’s Aiden Atkins (20) attain for the ball as Valley Christian’s Bryant Clark (4) grabs a rebound within the third interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
Each time the Bears (18-7) made a run, Valley Christian (18-7) had a response able to go. Numerous these photographs got here from Harris, who led VC with 16 factors.
By no means was it extra obvious that it was Valley’s evening than within the fourth quarter. After VC led by as many as 14 factors, M-A engineered a fast run to chop the deficit to 9.
The Bears performed 34 seconds of phenomenal protection on VC’s subsequent offensive possession. However with the shot clock about to run out, Harris heaved a deep 3-pointer towards the rim and banked it in.
The desperation chuck put the Warriors up double digits as soon as once more, and so they by no means led by lower than 10 factors the remainder of the way in which.
Valley Christian’s Brayden Harris (24) makes a basket as Menlo-Atherton’s Axel Pilette (33) blocks within the fourth interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
“The sky’s the limit for us,” Harris stated. “We can make a deep playoff run. We have to keep building on this. We have a great team. We all support each other, and we’re all here for each other. That shows out on the court. We build off of each other.”
With two extra video games nonetheless to go in its Open slate, M-A has loads of alternative to study from the loss transferring ahead. Whereas it could take a miracle for anybody aside from Riordan to advance to the championship sport, each the Bears and VC have a possibility to place themselves for a better seed within the NorCal bracket.
“We’ve got 12 quarters of basketball against three very good teams, and we’re just looking to really get ready for NorCal,” stated M-A coach Craig Carson. “The PAL is great. It’s a power league and all, but it’s not teams like this. So we’ve got to get used to playing against bigger, stronger, faster guys. Stuff we got away with against some of the lesser teams, it’s not going to work against these teams. We’ve got to adapt to a new style of play.”
Valley Christian acquired double-digit scoring contributions from Clark (15) and Hampton (13), plus eight apiece from Bamisebi and Dennison. Jerry Williams led all scorers with 18 factors for M-A.
Menlo-Atherton’s Jerry Williams (32) passes the ball previous Valley Christian’s Bryant Clark (4) within the third interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
For the Warriors, the late season was outlined by some disappointing losses. VC, which has loved a resurgent yr total, dropped its final two regular-season video games to Riordan at house (83-36) and Bellarmine on the highway (67-46).
Each are high quality opponents. Riordan is the clear favourite to signify CCS within the NorCal championship, and Bellarmine is the No. 3 seed in Open.
However VC felt prefer it left plenty of meat on the bone in these video games.
Valley Christian’s Bryant Clark (4) passes the ball as Menlo-Atherton’s Aiden Atkins (20) and Menlo-Atherton’s Jerry Williams (32) block within the second interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
“We weren’t tough in those losses,” Harris stated. “Coach and us, we decided to really lock in on ourselves, and we watched a lot of film. We were really lazy. So to come out here and show the team we are and be tough, it was great to see.”
Watching on Friday, it was exhausting to consider that Menlo-Atherton beat VC 73-60 in Atherton on Dec. 28. However quite a bit can change in two months – or this time of yr, in a single sport.
“It started in practice,” Harris stated. “We had a great week of practice. Every day, we focused on toughness and getting it done. And it all showed tonight. That last loss at Bellarmine, we left a lot out there. We were all pretty disappointed in ourselves, and we just took it out in practice and in this game. We’re not going to let that happen again.”
Menlo-Atherton’s Luca Auer (1) tries to dam as Valley Christian’s Brayden Harris (24) takes a shot within the second interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group) 
Valley Christian’s Teniola Bamisebi (20) passes the ball as Menlo-Atherton’s Aiden Atkins (20) tries to dam within the first interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group) 
Valley Christian’s Justin Hampton (1) tries to dam Menlo-Atherton’s Trevor Cadigan (14) as he takes the ball downcourt within the third interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group) 
Menlo-Atherton’s Aiden Atkins (20) takes a shot as Valley Christian’s Hudson Dennison (3) blocks within the third interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group) 
Valley Christian’s Jadon Shabaglian (12) seems to be for a shot whereas being guarded by Menlo-Atherton’s Axel Pilette (33) within the first interval of their first-round CCS Open Division basketball sport in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Space Information Group)
