Basketball: Woodside closes great season Basketball: Woodside closes great season (March 16, 2005)

** Boys make it to the second round of NorCal tournament.

By: Max Schneider

Woodside High student

After a demoralizing CCS championship loss, one may have expected the Woodside boys basketball team to be down in the first round of the Northern California Division I playoffs.

Such was not the case. The Wildcats (27-9) beat fifth-seeded Laguna Creek of Elk Grove, 78-69, on March 8 in Elk Grove (near Sacramento) to go to the NorCal semi-finals.

Then two days later, due to an unexpected fourth-quarter collapse at home, Woodside lost to Oakland's Castlemont, 65-54, to end an amazing season.
Contrasting games

Woodside kept pace with the higher-ranked Laguna Creek during the first half, with neither team staking much of an advantage. The story was the same in the third quarter and well into the fourth, as Laguna Creek grabbed a 69-66 lead with 3:11 to go in the game.

Suddenly, however, Woodside erupted on a game-ending 12-0 run and won it.

Juston Smith led Woodside with 24 points after scoring only six in the CCS championship loss. Dominic Cruz-Duncan added 19 points to continue his streak of dominance, and Adam Wood had 21 points for Laguna Creek.

The Castlemont game started out much like the Laguna Creek contest, with no team taking a big lead in the first half. Woodside turned up the intensity in the third period, going on a 14-4 run that gave it a 44-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Less than a minute into the fourth, center J.R. Valdez had a sudden extreme asthma attack, and had to be carried off by paramedics. When play resumed, the Wildcats were much slower and less mobile. Castlemont used its height and efficient shooting to pull away, raking up runs of 15-4 and 10-0, and winning 65-54.

Cruz-Duncan had 23 points to lead Woodside, while Smith added 12 (half of which came in the fourth quarter). Derieck Moseby had 18 points to pace Castlemont, which ended up losing the NorCal title game to red-hot Serra, 65-59.
Great season

Woodside had an extraordinary season. Co-champions of the PAL South Division, they went 22-5 (13-1 in league play) during the regular and pre-season, routinely winning by double-digits.

This feat was more impressive given the talent in the division: Burlingame, Sequoia and Menlo-Atherton, all excellent teams.

Woodside's success continued into the PAL tournament, with the Wildcats beating Burlingame, 51-46, for the title. Woodside was a possession away from a similar ending in the CCS Division I tourney, losing in the closing seconds to eventual regional champ Serra.

The Wildcats were led this season by seniors Cruz-Duncan, Smith, Mayfield and Eric Berman, and junior James Sandoval (all starters). Next year, Sandoval returns, with support expected from current juniors Jim Moors and Valdez, and sophomore Matt Pelesasa.
Woodside girls

The Woodside girls basketball team finished the year strong and will have much talent returning.

Led by seniors Jasmine Lewis, Arianne Smith and Ashlei Burley, and junior Courtnei Taylor, the Wildcats compiled an 18-12 (7-7) record, ending in fifth place in the loaded PAL South Division, which included such standout schools as Mills, Aragon, and Sequoia.

Woodside finished on a high note, winning four of the last five games, and despite not making the PAL tournament, reached the second round of the CCS Division I playoffs, where Woodside lost to Wilcox.

Next season, the team (which will be without graduating seniors Lewis, Smith, Burley, Maria Haga and Stacy Laws), will feature a more guard-oriented lineup led by current juniors Taylor and Mika Kosaka, and sophomore Joanna Ingebritsen.
M-A boys

The Menlo-Atherton boys had another successful campaign, although not matching last season when they were division co-champs.

Led by seniors Dan Trautman, Carson Finkle and Chris Dallmar, M-A went 15-13 (9-7) and reached the PAL tournament as the fourth seed. M-A made the second round before losing to Woodside.

In the CCS Division I playoffs, the squad again got to the second round, but lost to Serra.
M-A girls

The Menlo-Atherton girls had a middle-of-the-road season, but will lose no players next season (they had no seniors on the team).

Current juniors Karley Marty, Ann Sbardellati and Sigourney Jellins, and sophomore Christina Dixon led the Bears to a 12-14 (4-10) record, and a seventh place finish in the PAL South Division.

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