The only positive coming from the news is that a change of setting perhaps could boost shooting percentages.
After 10 games at Arco, I staggered out into the Sacramento night Saturday with the sound of rattling rims reverberating through my head. The 20 teams playing for state titles combined to shoot 36.7 percent from the field. That includes a sizzling-hot Windward-Los Angeles team that made 53 percent of its attempts in a 69-53 victory over St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda in the Division V boys final.
The only thing worse than the shooting percentages was the quality of the games.
If it were not for the Salesian-Richmond and Bishop Montgomery-Torrance Division IV boys final that ended with a buzzer-beater by the Pride and Mater Dei-Chula Vista's comeback victory over Modesto Christian in the Division IV girls championship, the finals would have amounted to a series of drama-less games.
Regardless of the entertainment value, though, the finals still resonated in the way they provide closure to historic seasons for so many students and coaches - win or lose.
Monte Vista-Danville girls coach Ron Hirschman's team was getting blown out at the end of the Mustangs' loss to Long Beach Poly, but he still was calling out plays to his bench players as he hugged his seniors coming off the court.
The postgame news conferences had the usual emotion. Sacred Heart Cathedral seniors Kevin Greene and Jerry Brown eloquently reflected on four-year varsity campaigns that were filled with friendship and personal growth.
Bishop Montgomery senior Justin Cobbs - a top-notch recruit headed to Minnesota - missed a free throw with 7.9 remaining and then made a defensive gaffe that allowed Salesian's Kendall Andrews to make a wide-open layup at the buzzer for a 65-64 win. Nevertheless, his future coach, Tubby Smith, (who was in attendance) probably learned something about the gifted guard. Cobbs exuded remarkable humility as he described the waning seconds.
"It was two bad things in the last 10 seconds," Cobbs said. "That's on me."
LACROSSE IN THE CITY: St. Ignatius' boys team was handed its first defeat by a California school since 2006 when it lost to Coronado 7-6 on Saturday in Southern California. The Wildcats, though, remain one of the top teams on the West Coast. According to Westsidelax.com, St. Ignatius (5-1) will host undefeated Mullen, the No. 2 ranked team in Colorado, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Kezar Stadium.
CITY ALL-STAR GAMES: The second annual City All-Star basketball games will be April 20 at City College of San Francisco. Tournament organizers have added a girls game to the schedule.
by Will McCulloch
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