WASHINGTON-FREMONT: LEADER ON FOOTBALL FIELD, BASKETBALL COURT
Whereas many soccer gamers take pleasure in lengthy breaks after the season, Washington-Fremont quarterback Esean Johnson has not taken a winter off in 4 years.
The 5-foot-11 standout has been a varsity starter for the basketball crew for the final three seasons, routinely buying and selling in his cleats for sneakers as soon as soccer season ends.
After incomes all-league first-team honors this previous season at quarterback, Johnson is seeking to end his senior yr by main Washington’s basketball crew to a deep run within the North Coast Part playoffs.
“He’s a one-of-one guy,” basketball coach Eddy Mangonon mentioned. “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 ring previous American’s Arman Mahavni (25) throughout a recreation at Washington Excessive Faculty in Fremont, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Space Information Group)
Although he’s on the courtroom, Washington expects Johnson to proceed to play like a quarterback as one of many crew’s lead level guards.
As one of many extra proficient passers on the crew, he’s nonetheless looking for chemistry together with his teammates however nonetheless makes use of the intangibles wanted to play quarterback in his position as a degree 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 mentioned. “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 kind of yr by the primary half of the season. The senior is averaging 14.8 factors, 5.7 rebounds and three.7 steals per recreation whereas taking pictures 53% from the sphere. He just lately gained the Forest Hill Event MVP and made the all-tournament groups on the Rob Vares Jr. and Tim Cole tournaments.
In response to Mangonon, Johnson had been coping with a foul flu that would have sidelined him for weeks in the course of the vacation break, however the senior has but to overlook any time on the ground.
“He literally took himself out of a game and vomited and put himself right back in,” Mangonon mentioned. “He just told me, ‘I have to be there for my guys.’”
Johnson has aspirations of changing into a soccer participant on the subsequent stage, however mentioned he wouldn’t thoughts enjoying basketball in faculty.
“I want to play football, but if an opportunity comes in basketball, I would play at the next level for sure,” Johnson mentioned.
– Nathan Canilao
BRUCE-MAHONEY CLASSIC: NEW SF MAYOR SHOWS UP TO SUPPORT
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie sits in his courtside seats in the course of the St. Ignatius recreation towards Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral within the second quarter on the Chase Heart in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Provided that he’s solely in his first full week in workplace, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie actually has a busy calendar.
However that didn’t cease the brand new metropolis chief from carving out time to attend a highschool basketball doubleheader on Tuesday evening at Chase Heart.
Lurie was among the many hundreds who crammed a lot of the sector’s decrease bowl to look at St. Ignatius sweep the girls and boys Bruce-Mahoney rivalry video games towards Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie chats with others throughout a break in motion in the course of the St. Ignatius recreation towards Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral within the second quarter on the Chase Heart in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
“It’s a tradition,” Lurie mentioned. “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 College Excessive Faculty in San Francisco, so he didn’t discover himself rooting for both crew. As a substitute, he was there to witness the brilliance of each colleges and the occasion at giant.
“I didn’t go to either school, so I’m just a fan of high school athletics here in San Francisco,” Lurie mentioned. “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 objective with Westmont’s Kota Brown (10) towards Mt. Nice within the first half at Westmont Excessive Faculty in Campbell, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Soccer gamers can acquire precious expertise in numerous methods.
There are in fact practices and video games, however generally, seeing the world and all its prospects can change the course of a younger athlete’s life.
That’s what Westmont senior ahead Sebastien Aranda did final faculty yr, taking a visit to Valencia, Spain to check overseas and practice with an academy crew in one of many Iberian Peninsula’s best cities.
“It was a great experience,” Aranda mentioned. “I was able to go on trial with a professional academy over there.”
Aranda frolicked with Membership Deportivo Castellon, a membership within the Segunda División of the Spanish soccer pyramid, just under La Liga, the highest division. It rounded out his expertise one yr after he scored 25 targets for Westmont throughout his sophomore soccer season.
“He didn’t play for us last year, took some time off to study abroad,” Westmont coach Matt Schembri mentioned. “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 targets as Westmont beat Mt. Nice 6-0 and practically missed a hat-trick when his wide-angle shot earlier than the half glanced off the crossbar. Suffice to say he’ll be an enormous a part of no matter success is forward for the Warriors down the stretch.
— Christian Babcock
RIORDAN BOYS BASKETBALL: CRUSADERS PACE THEMSELVES WITH DEEP BENCH
Many coaches encourage their gamers to push by ache and fatigue when instances are robust.
However generally, that may be counterproductive. Particularly when there are proficient contributors on the bench ready to get into the sport.
That’s the luxurious Archbishop Riordan has. The No. 1 crew within the BANG High 20 has so many good gamers that every time one wants a break, there’s one other proper there to spell him.
“We need you to go as hard as you can,” Riordan coach Joe Curtin mentioned. “You should be asking me for a sub. That means you’re playing really, really hard.”
Within the second quarter of a latest recreation towards Bellarmine, that’s precisely what Jasir Rencher did. Rencher, Riordan’s finest participant who has signed with Texas A&M, is the important thing to the Crusaders’ final success. However that doesn’t imply he has to play each minute.
“He was guarding (Bellarmine’s Will) Corbett and he was scoring. That’s a lot,” Curtin mentioned. “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 highest males’s faculty basketball crew within the Bay Space just isn’t who you assume it’s.
It’s not Stanford or Cal. Not St. Mary’s or Santa Clara, or San Jose State.
Las Positas Faculty, within the midst of its finest season at school historical past, at present holds that title. The junior faculty positioned in Livermore is 16-0 and was ranked No. 1 within the state on Monday after beating neighborhood faculty juggernaut and No. 2 Metropolis Faculty of San Francisco final Friday.
Main the cost are just a few native merchandise that had been standouts on the prep stage. Washington-Fremont’s Jorren Edmonds (10.3 factors, 7 rebounds), Dougherty Valley’s Jayden Doty (46.2% from 3) and Menlo-Atherton’s Mecca Okereke (4 factors, 4 rebounds) are all enjoying key roles for the Hawks, who’re the one undefeated crew within the state.
James Giacomazzi – a Washington alum – is in his tenth season as coach and can be seeking to information LPC to its first state championship in program historical past.
– Nathan Canilao
ST. IGNATIUS GIRLS BASKETBALL: FRESHMAN STAR HAS CURRY RANGE
St. Ignatius’ Lulu Giometti (5) takes a 3-point shot towards Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral within the first quarter on the Chase Heart in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Lulu Giometti could be a freshman, however her capacity to hit from distance is past her years.
St. Ignatius’ 5-foot-9 first-year standout took the Bruce-Mahoney Traditional by storm on Tuesday evening, main all scorers with 18 factors and 6 3-pointers as SI took down Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral 58-48. A lot of these makes an attempt had been launched from round or past the NBA 3-point line on the Warriors’ house flooring.
Afterward, Giometti was requested if she realized how distant she was from the rim.
“Yeah, definitely,” she mentioned.
Her coach begged to vary.
“Lulu doesn’t notice that line,” SI’s Maya Fok mentioned. “She shoots from wherever.”
She could have observed, however she wasn’t going to let it have an effect on her focus.
“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.”
No matter works. On the house flooring of the crew whose finest participant made taking pictures from distance an artwork type, Giometti put a prep twist on the splash legacy.
“Just a regular day for Lulu,” Fok mentioned.
— Christian Babcock
MLK SHOWCASES TO WATCH
The MLK Traditional at De La Salle can be performed on Monday. Right here is the lineup: San Ramon Valley vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 9 a.m.; Redwood vs. Monterey Path, 10:30 a.m.; Moreau Catholic vs. Riverside Poly, midday; 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 (women) vs. Carondelet, 7 p.m.
The Bishop O’Dowd MLK Traditional can be performed on Saturday and Monday, that includes a few of the prime women groups 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, midday; San Joaquin Memorial vs Priory, 2 p.m.; Oakland Tech vs. Centennial-Las Vegas, 4 p.m.; Salesian vs. Sacred Coronary 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, midday; Sacred Coronary 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 Traditional at Merritt Faculty will happen on Monday. Right here’s the lineup of boys video games: Santa Cruz vs. College-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 Traditional can be held at Metropolis Faculty of San Francisco on Monday with women packages from all around the Bay Space set to compete. Right 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 Faculty vs Summit Shasta, 6 p.m.
– Nathan Canilao
