Boys Saturday State Championship Preview
The CIF California High School State Championships are upon us. The final games of the high school season will be held in Sacramento at the brand new Golden 1 Center.
Six boys and girls games are part of a loaded weekend of action on Friday on Saturday.
Here is a preview of the boys games for Saturday, headlined by battle of top teams from the north and south in Bishop Montgomery and Woodcreek in the CIF Open Division.
By Brandon Tatera
Division 4: Helix vs. St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Saturday at 12 noon
Helix travels to Sacramento from La Mesa in their first state title berth. They face a St. Patrick-St. Vincent team that is also looking for their first ring on the boys side.
Helix is led by Miles Norris. The 6’9 5 star junior forward had 19 points and 12 rebounds last week. 6’2 senior Dylan Lee led the team with 22 points in the win to advance to the final.
St. Patrick-St. Vincent advanced to the state final in style rolling Palma 73-48 in the regional final. The senior laden squad had three seniors in double figures, led by 6’4 Tavian Henderson’s 16 points and 8 rebounds, both team high’s in those categories.
The Pick: Helix.
Division 2: Esperanza vs. Moreau Catholic, Saturday at 4 P.M.
Esperanza travels to Sacramento from Anaheim in their first state title berth. They face a Moreau Catholic team that is also looking for their first ring.
Esperanza is led by Stanford forward signee Kezie Okpala. The 6’8 four-star forward has risen to a top 50 player nationally and averages just under 31 points and 11 rebounds per game. He is joined by 6’6 junior Brendan Harrick, who averages 12.2 PPG.
Moreau Catholic is led by Grand Canyon point guard signee Damari Milstead. Fab freshman Kyree Walker completes the potent offensive duo with each averaging over 21 points per game. Milstead’s 41 point performance carried the Mariners in the regional final.
The Pick: Moreau Catholic.
Open Division: Bishop Montgomery vs. Woodcreek, Saturday at 8 P.M.
The premier matchup of the weekend is the last of the two-day 12 game slate. 30-2 Bishop Montgomery of Torrance is looking for its fourth state title after an impressive playoff run defeating the likes of Mater Dei and Chino Hills in the south. Woodcreek is looking for its first state title and has not lost since December 30th.
Bishop Montgomery is led by the big three of Oregon State signee Ethan Thompson, San Diego State signee Jordan Schakel, and 4-star junior David Singleton. The trio are joined by a group of talented young players such as sophomore Gianni Hunt.
Woodcreek is led by the highest ranked player in the event in the nation’s #4 ranked junior 6’11 Jordan Brown. He had 31 points and 17 rebounds to lead his team to the final. Senior guard Tyrell Roberts leads the team from the guard spot and is the team’s other double figure scorer.
The Pick: Bishop Montgomery.
