Believe it! Mission San Jose wins first NCS title in boys basketball
To completely comprehend what unfolded Friday night in Santa Rosa – Mission San Jose winning a section championship in boys basketball – consider the facts:
The Fremont public school is renowned for being ranked among the state’s best in academics but far from it in athletics.
So driven are its students about hitting the books that on the eve of Friday’s North Coast Section Division IV final, basketball coach Mike Kenney said that at least two of his players had academic commitments and might not make the trip to Santa Rosa to play Rancho Cotate.
Fortunately for the Warriors, their best players were there and they did what they had done every step of the way during this improbable playoff run:
They grinded their way to beat the odds. They didn’t let the scoreboard affect their desire. And when the opportunity finally presented itself, they pounced.
They scored nine of the final 12 points to win 46-40 in a game played at Montgomery High, about 10 miles from Rancho Cotate’s campus in Rohnert Park.
Instead of second-seeded Rancho Cotate celebrating its first NCS title in boys basketball, it was fourth-seeded Mission San Jose spilling onto the court as its players raised their arms in triumph and hoisted the first-place trophy.
“The feeling is awesome,” said Kenney, who graduated from Mission San Jose in 1977. “A great day for our kids. Not something we started out thinking we were gonna do. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of effort. I give nothing but credit to those kids.”
Joseph Standfield was sensational for MSJ, finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds. He had 11 points in the fourth quarter, which included pressure-packed free throws.
The Warriors also got nine points from Will Chapman and seven points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals from Brandon White.
They forced 20 turnovers.
“We’ve always taken pride in our defense,” Kenney said. “It’s kind of old-fashion because I’m one of the older ones around here. Pressure defense, that’s us. These guys have bought in. I’ve got 20 phone calls the last two days and all I’ve talked about is how much these guys have bought in.”
NCS D4 CHAMPIONS
Mission San Jose 46, Rancho Cotate 40
MSJ wins its first NCS title in boys basketball. Incredible.
Video: NFHS
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Kenney went to Mission San Jose when athletics were part of the school’s fabric, when the football team competed for championships, winning its only NCS title in 1977.
But the sports fabric weakened over time. About a decade ago, the school dropped football. The boys basketball team has had only three winning seasons the past two decades, including one last season and another this year.
But something certainly changed this winter, with the school’s girls basketball team reaching the NCS semifinals and the boys going all the way.
“We just happened to get a good group, obviously,” Kenney said.
Even so, the coach understands the school’s culture and basketball’s place in its ecosystem.
“To be honest, it’s just different at Mission,” Kenney told the Bay Area News Group on Thursday. “We play tomorrow night and one guy’s got a calculus test. Another guy is in LA for DECA (educational club). Basketball is not on the top of the list. But I have a couple of guys that it is. It’s really important, and they kind of drag everybody else along. They’re wired different than me. I would have never missed an NCS championship game.”
MSJ trailed by 13 points in the first half but closed the second quarter on an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 23-22. Standfield’s jumper with 1:25 left in the third quarter gave the Warriors their first lead, 29-28.
Tied 37-37, Mission went ahead for good when Aadi Yadav scored on a backdoor cut. Standfield then hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to widen the advantage to 42-37 with 1:18 left.
Jordan Alvarez’s corner 3-pointer pulled Rancho to within 43-40 with 49 seconds to go. Standfield’s three free throws closed it out and ignited the celebration.
That it was Standfield leading the way only made the story sweeter. He played in just 15 games during the season because of injury.
“He was our guy last year,” Kenney said. “It was really kind of sad to see. He hurt his leg, played two games and then hurt his leg again and was out another four games. I didn’t think he was coming back and what a difference he makes.”
Santa Rosa Press Democrat’s Gus Morris contributed to this report.