Walter's Basketball Showdown

Cougars relaxed in underdog role
Following a controversial loss to Sacramento in the Sac-Joaquin section Division III championship game, the Weston Ranch high boys basketball team is relaxed and confident heading into today’s CIF State Basketball Northern California Championships first round against Acalanes of Lafayette.Sacramento was ranked 20th in California this week by Scouts.com, and was projected to be seeded first in Division III by the website before CIF released the brackets with St. Ignatius of San Francisco in the top spot.Having played with the Dragons until the final seconds, and knowing that a call (or non-call) in their favor could’ve meant the first section championship in school history, the Cougars are fully aware that they can play with anyone in Northern California.“We’re loose right now,” Weston Ranch head coach Bill Slikker said. “All the pressure is on (Acalanes). At the seven-seed, what do we have to lose?”The Cougars have thrived in the role of underdog during the postseason thus far.Having made their way to Arco Arena as the No. 7 seed in the section playoffs, the Cougars had to win two games on the road against top-notch competition — no easy feet.
“We’re confident,” Slikker said. “We had three good days of practice. It all comes down to tempo. If they try to run with us, we’ll have the advantage. If they slow it down and force us to play their game, we could have trouble.”Acalanes, recently ranked 8th in the Bay Area by Cal-Hi Sports, plays a grind-it-out brand of basketball.Jordan Fillmore, the Dons’ 6-foot-8 senior center is a bruiser at 230 pounds.Acalanes loves to slow the tempo and feed the ball to their towering centerpiece.“(Fillmore) does a lot of things for them,” Slikker said. “He can handle the ball, he can shoot and post up. We’ve got to get help in order to stop him.”Fillmore led the Dons to a 13-1 Diablo Foothill League championship.Ranked as high as 6th in the state at one point, Acalanes is 25-4 and have won 13 straight games.Last week the Dons took down Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland for the North Coast section title, 60-43.Scoring 63 points a game and only giving up 46, Acalanes is 11-1 at home on the year and played a tough preseason schedule.In one of only four losses, the Dons were clipped by De La Salle 37-36. The Spartans were ranked No. 1 in the state in Division I at the time.“They are a good fundamental team,” Slikker said. “They don’t make mistakes. They are methodical, and they take advantage of your mental miscues.”James Nunnally is playing his best basketball of the season at the right time for the Cougars.Averaging 23 points a game in the postseason, Nunnally has led Weston Ranch in scoring in all four playoff appearances, and saved the Cougars’ season in the first round with a game-tying shot with under four seconds left in regulation against Rio Americano.In the section championship, Jerrell Walker and Walter Jackson drew tough assignments against Sacramento’s sizable front court, forcing Nunnally, Brandon Silva and Vinny Devencenzi to step up their games on the offensive end.Look for a similar scenario today, as Acalanes’ front court features 6-foot-4 senior forward Joe Wallace to compliment Fillmore.If the Cougars can pull out the upset, a rematch with Sacramento possibly awaits in the second round.The Dragons drew an extremely tough first-round opponent in Riordan of San Francisco, currently ranked 10th in Northern California.Riordan beat top-seeded St. Ignatius three times in the regular season before falling to their crosstown rival in the section final 51-48 after their best player fouled out with two minutes remaining.Even so, Slikker gives the nod to the Dragons.“Right now I’d have to give the advantage to Sacramento at home,” Slikker said.If the Dragons and Cougars do face off in the second round, Weston Ranch will have unique opportunity to claim a little revenge and find themselves one game away from a repeat appearance at Arco Arena, this time with a state title on the line.By BRANDON PETERSENStaff reporter of theManteca (Calif.) Bulletin

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/03/08/sports/sports4.txt


The votes are in: Nunnally, Gowan are VOL’s best

OAKDALE — After the All-Valley Oak League meeting had ended in Oakdale Wednesday, 26 area basketball players and three area coaches were honored for the efforts on and around the hardwood this season.Highlighting the voting was Weston Ranch’s James Nunnally and East Union’s Christin Gowan who took home the boys and girls Most Valuable Player awards, respectively.East Union’s Brian Goulart and Manteca’s Andrea Hiatt shared Coach of the Year honors for girls basketball, while Sierra’s Scott Thomason took home the honor on the boys side.James Nunnally, Weston Ranch’s junior phenom took home MVP honors after leading the Cougars to second-place finish in league and an appearance in the section finals.Nunnally finished the VOL campaign averaging 18 points a game to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.“James was the leading scorer in league. He never had an off night,” Weston Ranch head coach Bill Slikker said. “He was consistent game in and game out, which I think was the leading factor in the voting.

Senior forward Walter Jackson (Weston Ranch), senior swingman Marvin Cotton (Sierra) and junior forward Adonis Brown (Sierra) took home first team All-VOL honors.“Those two (Cotton and Brown) meant everything to us,” Thomason said. “Adonis’ rebounding and toughness as small as he is was huge. Marvin’s ball handling. He’s just a big time scorer and rebounder. Those guys deserve it.”Manteca’s guard Sughey Cervantes and forward Kym Gause, both seniors, as well as East Union’s junior guard Ellen Parker made the first team on the girls side.Second team honors went to senior guard Derek Kulberg (Manteca), senior center Jerrell Walker (Weston Ranch), senior center Melanie Promes (Manteca), sophomore center Heather Scharmann (Sierra), senior center Kathy Stephenson (East Union), senior forward Kay Bautista (East Union) and senior forward Ashley Bonifacio (Manteca).Highlighting the honorable mentions were senior guard Ruben Cedano (Manteca), senior guard Aaron Gonzalez (Sierra), junior guard Matt Gomez (Manteca), senior center Brett Paige (Sierra), junior forward Kathy Butler (Weston Ranch) and senior guard Shauntey Cliatt (Weston Ranch).

Several players got the nod for the All-Defense squad as well.They include: Cedano, junior guard Eddie Morales (Sierra), senior guard Brandon Silva (Weston Ranch), junior center Mallory McIntyre (Sierra), senior guard Alex Gonzalez (Manteca) and sophomore guard Rachel McDaniel (East Union).Staff reports for theManteca (Calif.) Bulletin

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/03/08/sports/sports6.txt

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Weston in title game
Cougars stage second straight big upset, face No. 4 Sacramento tonight
By Stephen Roberson, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 03/02/2007 02:33:20 AM PST

GALT — You can call them Cinderella or you can call them Lucky No. 7 — one more win and you'll be calling them section champions.

The Weston Ranch boys basketball team, the seventh seed in the 16-team Sac-Joaquin Section Division III tournament, overcame Natomas' 12-0 opening run to beat the No. 3 Nighthawks 72-59 at Galt High on Wednesday.

The victory lifts the Cougars (24-7) into tonight's section championship against No. 4 Sacramento at Arco Arena. By advancing to the finals, Weston Ranch earns an automatic berth in the NorCal tournament. Game time is 9 p.m.

Wednesday night's win was the Cougars' second straight big upset — at least in terms of tournament seeding. They earned a trip to the semifinals with a road win over No. 2 El Camino last week.

But make no mistake, the two wins didn't surprise anyone.

The Cougars played a brutal schedule that included top-notch talent at tournaments in Reno and at Modesto Christian, going a combined 4-4.

The heavy early-season difficult slate damaged the Cougars' chances of earning a high seed, but it also prepared them for the types of battles they're seeing in the playoffs.
"Every step is a learning step," Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said. "Those tournaments were (meant to prepare us) for moments like this."

The Cougars certainly didn't look prepared early.

Natomas stormed out to a 12-0 lead, dominating so convincingly that simply keeping the game from becoming a laugher seemed as if it was going to be a difficult task.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a blowout — Weston Ranch responded, proving it does indeed belong.

The Cougars put together a 14-2 run to tie the game with 1:55 left in the first quarter and entered the second quarter trailing 16-14.
"It was important (to answer fast) so we knew we could play with them," said 6-foot-5 junior forward James Nunnally, who led all scorers with 25 points. "(The poor start) was just nerves. They've been here before, but it's the first time we've been here."

Fittingly, while the Cougars' challenging road to the playoffs served them well, the Nighthawks' schedule probably — at least in part — led to their downfall.
Natomas (28-2) was searching for its 20th straight victory. During that run, the Nighthawks outscored their opponents by an average of more than 27 points per game.
"We talked about that the last two days," Slikker said. "Streaks are meant to be broken.
"We were the battle-tested team coming in."

Center Jerrell Walker, who finished with 13 points, said it was clear the Natomas players didn't know how to react once they were really tsted.
"They weren't used to being down that late in the game," he said. "I guess they kind of lost their composure."

Actually, the Nighthawks' composure went AWOL midway through the first quarter.

Natomas controlled the first three minutes of the game, building the 12-0 lead. Walter Jackson (13 points) got the Cougars on the scoreboard with an inside jumper, and the ice was broken.

Brandon Silva and Nunnally followed with consecutive layups. Walker then hit the first of two free throws and added an inside jumper just 15 seconds later.
In a meret 2:08, the Cougars had cut a 12-point deficit to three points, stealing the momentum and leaving the Nighthawks reeling. Having blown such a big lead in such a short amount of time, the Nighthawks never recovered.

Nunnally had two big field goals — one a 3-pointer — to help the Cougars tie the game 14-14.
Natomas led 16-14 at quarter's end, and the slim lead wouldn't last.
Zach Nelson gave the Nighthawks a 21-18 lead with 5:02 remaining in the half, but then Weston Ranch took control.

Led by Nunnally, Jackson and Walker, Weston Ranch closed out the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 29-21 kead. A back-and-forth third quarter ended with the Cougars in front 48-39.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/prepsports/ci_5338731

Cougars can make history

Weston Ranch High boys basketball coach Bill Slikker said he remained calm when the Cougars' season was in jeopardy.

They trailed Natomas (28-2) 12-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals when Slikker decided to talk things over.

"The kids came in overexcited, and we weren't calm and collected," Slikker said. "We had a timeout and said relax, take a breath and go out there and play ball."

The No. 7 Cougars (24-7) responded and bear the No. 3 Nighthawks 72-59 to the section championship game against No. 4 Sacramento (24-5).

At 9 p.m. today at Arco Anrea Weston Ranch has a chance to win its first section title in any sport.

"Hopefully, we can continue to wear that Cinderella slipper a little longer," Slikker said. "We're very excited, but (Wednesday) night was our night to celebrate. Going into this season, our goal was to get to Arco. We said, 'let's get there and win it'."

Weston Ranch reached the section final in just its third varsity season. After going 1-24 two years ago, the Cougars finished 20-6 and won a share of the Valley Oak League last season. That squad lost to Foothill in the section quarterfinals.

"You stick with your gameplan, work hard and put the time in and it'll pay off," Slikker said of building the program. "We've taken that next step and gone further. (Last year's) senior class set the tone for the program, the senior class this year and has built upon that."

By contrast, the Dragons are a traditional power. They won the section in 2005 and finished as the runner-up last season. Sacramento senior center Fred Ellis leads the Dragons with 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds.

"We've got to bring our A-plus game in order to try to pull another one out," Slikker said. "We can't start the game down 12-0 against Sacramento in order to win."

Junior James Nunnally is the Cougars' leading scorer with 18.5 points, and senior Walter Jackson is averaging 14.5 points. Weston Ranch has seven seniors on its roster, including four starters.
"We've played very tough teams," Slikker said. "We've seen most every scenario in games we've had."
http://recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070302/A_SPORTS07/703020343/-1/A_SPORTS

Weston Ranch ready to make history

Weston Ranch High head basketball coach Bill Slikker saw this one coming.When the Sac-Joaquin section released it’s Division III postseason tournament bracket two Sundays ago, Slikker pegged two teams to meet in the finals — his Cougars, and No. 4 Sacramento.

The logic behind Slikker’s prediction was sound, and as it turns out, right.Both Weston Ranch and Sacramento played top-tier preseason schedules.While the Cougars headed to Reno to play nationally-ranked squads hailing anywhere from Arizona to Utah, the Dragons had their hands full with high-caliber programs like Cornerstone Christian of Texas and Monteverde Academy of Florida.

While both Sacramento and Weston Ranch took a few knocks in the loss column early on, Slikker insists it was those games that prepared both teams to meet tonight at Arco Arena.
“Certain years (a rigorous preseason schedule) works for you, sometimes it doesn’t,” Slikker said. “Obviously this year, it worked for both teams.“When you play tough teams early on, it gives you experience that you can’t replace. Being down by 12, needing a shot in the final seconds. We’ve played through those situations, and it has paid dividends.”It’s not often that a section final pits a four seed against a seven seed, but then again, neither of these teams truly reflect their respective seeding.“The seeding doesn’t really mean too much this year,” Slikker said. “You have teams within the Division with one or two losses and they got the higher seeding, but again, who did they play? Where are they now?”

While the Cougars are excited to be in the final, they know that they have a tough task ahead of them and are not willing to settle for just getting to Arco.“We’ve talked about teams in the past from Manteca Unified who got to this stage, but couldn’t get the win,” Slikker said. “We want to make history here and get the section championship. It’s not good enough just to get there. We have to finish the job.”

In order to do that, the Cougars will have to beat a Sacramento squad that is ranked 9th in Northern California by NorCalPreps.com, and features 6-foot-7 senior center Fred Ellis who averages 17 points, eight rebounds and almost 3 blocks a game.Complimenting Ellis in the post is Cervante Burrell, a 6-0 senior point guard who drops in 13 points a game while dishing six assists and grabbing three steals.

The Cougars have done their homework on the Dragons, having watched them on film and in person.“We started practice a bit late (Thursday) so we could get some film in,” Slikker said. “We’re familiar with them. Obviously it starts with stopping Ellis. We also have to keep Burrell from penetrating. Easier said then done, but those are the keys.“We just need to stay focused and not get in an early hole like we did against Natomas. If we do that, we’ll be fine.”Sacramento is 8-4 on neutral courts this season, and are 24-5 overall.The Dragons score 64 points a game while allowing just 47.The road to the finals wasn’t an easy one for Sacramento.In the first round, they took down Inderkum 65-48, before eliminating St. Mary’s 66-53 in the second.In the semifinals, the Dragons took down No. 1 Union Mine 49-44.Union Mine is ranked 14th in Northern California.

The Cougars coaching staff had a chance in the preseason to get a feel for Sacramento at the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic.“We’ve had our eyes on them,” Slikker said. “We’ll be ready. The kids are just extremely excited, but not yet satisfied.“We want to bring it home.”The Division III section final tips off tonight at 9 p.m. at Arco Arena.

By BRANDON PETERSENStaff reporter for theManteca (Calif.) Bulletin

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/03/02/sports/sports2.txt

posted by aliciacya @ 10:16 AM 0 comments

CINDERELLA GOING TO ARCO
Cougars knock off Natomas to advance to section finalsGALT — It’s still 11:59 p.m. on their clock.The seventh-seeded Cougars of Weston Ranch High gave up the game’s first 12 points and roared back to upend No. 3 Natomas 72-59 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoff semifinal Wednesday at Galt High, earning the school’s first-ever boys basketball berth to the championship round in the process.“We’re the Cinderella, and if you want to look at it that way right now we’re wearing that slipper with pride,” said Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker.Last Friday, the Cougars (24-7) upset No. 2 El Camino 85-78 on the road.Natomas (28-2) came into Wednesday’s contest ranked sixth in Northern California while riding a 19-game winning streak.
During that streak, the Nighthawks were rarely tested having won by an average margin of 26 points per game.Slikker said he scheduled a tough preaseason for his team — which saw some of the top teams in the state and the nation at the George Maldonado Classic in Reno, Nev. and the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoop Classic — to prepare the Cougars for their postseason run.Whether its last two victories were upsets based on seeding or Weston Ranch is simply peaking at just the right time, the Cougars proved that they belong all along.“Yeah they can be called upsets, but with the schedule we played it was hard for us to get a higher seed,” said Cougar center Jerrell Walker, who had 12 points and 15 rebounds. “We saw some of the best big men at those tournaments, so we were used to seeing them.

”Natomas 6-foot-7 center Justin Baker, the team’s leading scorer for the season, was limited to 13 points before fouling out.Zach Nelson, a hard-bodied 6-6 forward, also fouled out, finishing with six points.Nighthawk guard Marquis Robinson poured in all of his 19 points in the second half, but the latter two quarters belonged to Weston Ranch.The Cougars were shell-shocked by Natomas’ combination of size, activity and athleticism before settling in and countering the Nighthawks’ early run with a 9-0 spurt of their own.“We knew that we could play with them,” Weston Ranch wingman James Nunnally said. “I don’t know why we came out so sluggish, but we picked it up on defense.

Once we started scoring, everything started flowing for us.”Nunnally was Weston Ranch’s go-to guy throughout, as he scored the majority of his 25 points with short-range jumpers in the lane and slick drives to the hoop. He also pulled down eight rebounds.

Walter Jackson ended up with 13 points and 10 boards.“We know that we can come back when we get down,” Nunnally said. “We have faith, we believe in each other. It’s not just one person, it’s the whole team.”While Weston Ranch’s Big 3 did what it normally does, it took a complete effort from everybody else who got playing time.Reserve point guard Mic’eal Thomas scored all of his seven points in the second half, and Brandon Silva finished with eight.Khiry Thomas’ only bucket, a fastbreak layup off a cross-court feed from Mic’eal Thomas, with 3:43 remaining pushed the Cougars’ fourth-quarter lead to 59-43 — their largest of the contest.Natomas cut its deficit down to 11 three times down the stretch, but the Cougars nailed nine of their last 12 free-throw attempts.

Weston Ranch, which is guaranteed a spot in next week’s California Interscholastic State Northern California Regional Championships, will face No. 4 Sacramento Friday at Arco Arena.Sacramento defeated top-seeded Union Mine 49-44 Wednesday in the other semifinal showdown. Sacramento is ranked ninth according to NorCalPreps.com, and Union Mine is 14th.“I didn’t go around telling people this, but I thought that the two teams that will still be in it at the end will be Sacramento and us, because we’re the two most battle tested teams of the tournament,” Slikker said. “Our goal at the beginning of the season during our very first practice was Arco — period.“Now that we’re going to Arco, we want to win that game. We’re hungry. We’re playing extremely well right now, and I like our chances.”By JONAMAR JACINTOSports editor of the Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/03/01/sports/sports1.txt

Cougars on course for dream ending

GALT - Weston Ranch's dream season lives on.
The No. 7 Cougars advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship game with a 72-59 upset victory over Natomas on Wednesday at Galt High's Warrior Gym. Weston Ranch (24-7) will play fourth-seeded Sacramento at 9 p.m. Friday at Arco Arena. Sacramento upset top-seeded Union Mine 49-44.
Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said it wasn't easy to prepare for the Nighthawks (28-2), but he said he was proud of the way his defense responded.
"Natomas penetrates (the key) really well, so we worked hard on that over the past few days," Slikker said. "We're playing pretty well right now."
James Nunnally proved difficult to defend, consistently penetrating for his game-high 25 points. The 6-foot-5 forward also impressed Cougars fans by making a 3-pointer. Nunnally said playing the role of underdog, mostly because of Natomas's size, did not faze him or his teammates.
"It didn't matter that they were bigger than us," Nunnally said. "We had position and helped each other on defense."
Walter Jackson (13 points) and Jerrell Walker (12), also scored in double figures, but Walker said the Cougars played with a "defense-first" mentality.
"We had to get back on defense and keep it to one shot," he said. "We wanted to run it because they were bigger."
The game couldn't have started worse for the Cougars, as the Nighthawks jumped out to a 12-0 lead. But Weston Ranch went on a 14-2 run to tie the game on Nunnally's offensive rebound and basket.
Nunnally also was instrumental in the second quarter by scoring four points and distributing three assists during a 15-5 run. But it wasn't until Walter Jackson's follow-up shot in the lane that the Cougars got their first lead, 23-21.

http://recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/A_SPORTS09/703010323/-1/A_SPORTS

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Weston Ranch scores big upset vs. No. 2 Eagles
SACRAMENTO—El Camino drained five first-quarter 3-pointers and went into the second quarter ahead 30-27 after forcing a breakneck pace with the visiting Weston Ranch High boys basketball team Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinals Friday.
“In between (the first and second) quarters, I happened to look over at El Camino’s coach (Justin Clymo) and he just had this big grin on his face,” Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said. “They wanted that pace. I don’t know if they knew it or not, but we wanted that pace as well.”
As the game went on, Clymo’s grin slowly turned into a grimace.
The seventh-seeded Cougars ran with No. 2 El Camino throughout.

By the end, Weston Ranch raced past the Eagles, 85-78, to advance to next week’s semifinals set for Wednesday at Galt High.
“I’d call it a mild upset,” Slikker said. “Anytime you knock off a 2 seed, especially if you’re on the road, I’d call it that.

“We didn’t play perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we played pretty darn good as a team. I thought we played three great quarters, and we’re still looking to put together four.”
Although Weston Ranch outscored El Camino (25-3) 18-16 in the second quarter, Slikker said that was his least favorite quarter of the four.

In the third, the Cougars turned up the defensive pressure and held El Camino to 10 points. In the fourth, it was back to the uptempo pace, as they poured in 27.

James Nunnally (four assists) and Walter Jackson (five blocks) finished with 17 points and eight rebounds apiece for Weston Ranch.

Brandon Silva added 16 points and three steals, while center Jerrell Walker had 13 points and seven boards.
Keith Arrington paced El Camino with 18 points.
After getting past No. 10 Rio Americano 81-75 in overtime Wednesday, Slikker said his team is focused more than ever.

“We didn’t have any of those lulls tonight. We were consistent and relentless and kept attacking the basket. That was the difference.”

Weston Ranch has just one more hurdle to clear before heading to Arco Arena — the site of the section championships.

The Cougars will take on third-seeded Natomas Wednesday after its 80-52 of No. 6 Foothill.
Staff reports of the
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/02/24/sports/sports3.txt

Weston Ranch one win away from Arco

Weston Ranch pulled off an upset in Sacramento and the Cougars are one win away from playing at Arco Arena.
Weston Ranch, the seventh seed, beat No. 2 El Camino 85-78 on Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III boys basketball quarterfinals.

The Cougars will play No. 3 Natomas in the semifinals on Wednesday at Galt High School.
If they win, it's on to Arco for the finals on March 2.

Weston Ranch (22-7) has never gone this deep into the playoffs in its three varsity seasons.
"We're very happy with the win. One of the goals from the beginning of season was to get to Arco, and we're a win from it," Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said. "So we're happy, but we haven't made our goal yet."

James Nunnally and Walter Jackson led the Cougars with 17 points each. Brandon Silva scored 16 points, and Jerrell Walker had 13.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/A_SPORTS09/702240333/-1/A_SPORTS




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Weston Ranch battles into Div. III semifinals
STAFF REPORTS,
Article Last Updated: 02/24/2007 02:31:58 AM PST
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SACRAMENTO — In Weston Ranch's first year, it didn't make the playoffs. In its second season, it reached the second round before being eliminated.
The third year might be the charm, as the Cougars downed host El Camino 85-78 in the second round of the Division III Sac-Joaquin Section boys basketball playoffs.
"We are headed for the third round, and hopefully counting," Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said. "We normally would like to have a big three, but tonight we had a big four."
James Nunnally and Walter Jackson (five blocked shots) led the Cougars with 17 points and eight rebounds. Brandon Silva scored 16 points and had three steals, and Jerrell Walker had 13 points and seven rebounds.
"This was truly a team effort, and that is what you want to win on the road," Slikker said.
Weston Ranch plays Natomas in the section semifinals at Galt on Wednesday.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/prepsports/ci_5296706

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Kulberg’s record-setting effort not enough
WESTON RANCH—Derek Kulberg and his Manteca High boys basketball team couldn’t miss Friday.
Neither could host Weston Ranch.
Kulberg’s eight made 3-pointers set the Manteca program record in a single game, but the defending co-Valley Oak League champions of Weston Ranch broke a record of its own in a 88-79 barnburning victory.
The Cougars’ point total is the most the team has scored in its three-year varsity history. The previous mark was set Dec. 11 in its 82-44 season-opening win over West Campus.
The way Kulberg and Co. were shooting, Weston Ranch had no choice but to flirt with the century mark.
Kulberg, who twice tied the previous mark of seven 3’s set by Mike Officer in the late 1990’s, had game-high honors with 31 points.
“It’s cool for sure,” Kulberg said of his record-breaking performance, “but I wish we would have won. It was still a fun game to play.”
Buffalo point guard Ruben Cedano hit three of his five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to keep his team in it, rounding out an impressive all-around performance with 20 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Matt Gomez added 18 points and four assists, as the Buffaloes (4-8, 9-16 overall) totaled 15 field goals from 3-point range.
“They were on like Donkey Kong,” said Weston Ranch guard Brandon Silva. “We couldn’t stop them — they were hot. We had to step up our defense in the second half, but they were still hitting.”
The Cougars (10-2, 20-6) were no slouches from the perimeter either, nailing seven 3’s and many more from just inside the arc.
“They hit outside shots, too, and they’re just a really good team that’s really talented,” Manteca coach Dave Asuncion said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team.
“We have two more games left, and there’s still no quit in them even though we’re not playing for anything. We’re just playing for pride and doing that with heart.”
Silva, still hampered by a high-ankle sprain that kept him out for a week earlier in the regular season, shared team-high honors with 20 points to go with four steals.
James Nunnally had 18 points and eight boards, while Walter Jackson, who was held to five first-half points, finished with 20 and 10 rebounds.
Jackson poured in 13 of his points in the fourth quarter.
Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said a little trash talking was what helped light the fire under his standout senior.
“The worst thing you can do is get under Walter’s skin, as long as he doesn’t lose his focus,” Slikker said. “It was kind of like waking a sleeping giant.”
Weston Ranch led 42-36 at halftime, and the pace seemed to favor the home team despite Manteca’s collectively scorching touch from 15 feet and beyond.
The Buffaloes sank eight of their 3-pointers in the first half, and Slikker figured they would cool off the rest of the way out.
“In our gym, they shot lights out,” Slikker said. “I told coach (Ryan) Bono after the first quarter that we have the pace we want. I didn’t think they could hang with us.
“To my surprise, they did. I’ll play anybody at that pace. It was very physical and very fast. Both teams enjoyed that pace — no question.”
The bottom line is that the tempo is one Weston Ranch is equipped for.
Weston Ranch went on a 13-1 run in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 57-44 — its largest of the game — after Nunnally rattled one in from the post with 47 seconds left.
It wasn’t until Vinny Devencenzi intercepted a pass and tossed it downcourt to Nunnally for an emphatic two-handed dunk with 23 seconds left, making it 86-76, that the Cougars were able to sit comfortably.
And it was a victory Weston Ranch needed to keep pace with first-place Sierra (11-1, 17-7) with two games left on the VOL schedule.
But before those two teams match up, Weston Ranch will head to East Union Wednesday while Sierra hosts Manteca.
Should Sierra and Weston Ranch both win Wednesday, their Feb. 16 meeting will be for a share of the VOL championship.
Sonora (8-4) defeated preseason favorite Ceres (8-4, 19-6) 49-44 in overtime Friday to knock the Bulldogs out of the title race.

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/02/10/sports/sports1.txt

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Cougars don’t let up in win over CV


STOCKTON— Weston Ranch came prepared to fend off a determined young Central Valley squad, and after a relatively poor first half performance used a blistering third period to pull away from the Hawks 75-46 Wednesday.

“We opened the game pretty sluggish, it was obvious that we needed work,” Weston Ranch head coach Bill Slikker said. “I told the team that going into the playoffs we need to be a cohesive group.”
The Cougars (9-2, 19-6) came out of the locker room after halftime looking to put the Hawks away, and that is exactly what unfolded.

Cougar guard Brandon Silva scored 10 of his 18 points during the pivotal swing, lifting Weston Ranch to a 29 point lead heading into the final period.

“We pulled our heads out of our butts and started to run and play together as a team,” Silva said. “Once we start running, it opens up a lot of options for us on offense.”

Silva connected on four 3-pointers, two in the third period, while Walter Jackson controlled the post for nearly the entire game.


“When Walt comes to play, everyone on this team just rolls in behind him,” Silva said. “When he is on his game, he always ignites us.”

Jackson finished the contest with game-highs in points and rebounds, going for 26 and 15, respectively.

“Walter played out of position for us out there,” Slikker said of his senior’s performance in the paint for an ill Jerrell Walker. “The one thing that I love most about him is he’s such a coachable kid.

“He’s one of those guys that will do whatever it takes to win.”

With the ease and effort one displays while riding an exercise bike, Jackson grabbed rebound after rebound and placed the majority of those boards back up for buckets.

“That’s the way it is for him, he’s so smooth in our offense,” Slikker said. “We don’t even have to create plays to get him involved.

“I would have never guessed he had that type of night.”

Jackson’s monster night coupled with Silva’s flawless play in his return from injury, left Central Valley clawing helplessly for answers.

“In a sense, for Brandon, the ankle injury was a blessing because it has enabled him to get some rest,” Slikker said. “He came right in from football to basketball and his body needed the rest.

“He did a great job taking care of his ankle during rehab, which has allowed him to return so effectively.”

Central Valley (1-10, 6-18) fought valiantly, but was unable to get on track against the Cougars’ stifling defense. The Hawks were left pondering on when the Cougars were supposed to go to the bench and relieve their starters from active duty.

“We’re a very young team, and we come in knowing what we are up against,” Central Valley head coach Daryl Dixon said. “I was not happy with the fact that he had his starters in with two minutes to play in the fourth, up by 30.

“That’s something that I don’t control. He makes the decisions for his team.”

With the postseason less than two weeks away, Slikker feels that each second his core group is on the court together is valuable time that he doesn’t have time to make up for.

“I understand where he is coming from, I was in that position three years ago,” Slikker said in response. “He has got to understand that we weren’t trying to run it up on them. Some things you can only work on in games.”

“I feel bad,” Slikker added. “But you make that call and I have to live with it.”

James Nunnally chipped in 16 points, six assists and four rebounds, while Silva picked off five steals to go along with his 18 points.

The Cougars will be in action Friday when they play host to the Manteca Buffaloes at 7:15 p.m. in preparation for a postseason run.

“The team that is playing well together and gelling is the team that will make the run,” Slikker said. “And it is my job to get them ready.”

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/02/08/sports/sports4.txt


Weston Ranch 75,

Central Valley 46


STOCKTON — Walter Jackson tallied a double-double for Weston Ranch in VOL action.

Jackson scored 24 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and made five blocks. James Nunnally (six assists) and Brandon Silva (five steals) each added 16 points.

"We are just trying to get healthy," Cougars coach Bill Slikker said. "Jerell Walker still has the flu and didn't score for us.
"I think we looked all right in the second half and hopefully we can hold it together going down the stretch."

http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5182784

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FLYIN’ HIGH
Cougars erase early14-point deficit to winWESTON RANCH—After its seven-game Valley Oak League winning streak was snapped, the last thing the Weston Ranch High boys basketball team needed was for another streak of the losing variety to start.Down 14 points to preseason favorite Ceres in the second quarter Wednesday, it was looking as if the Cougars were going to play themselves out of the title chase.So coach Bill Slikker had a positive, heart-felt speech prepped for halftime.“I chewed them out,” Slikker said.And they responded.

The Cougars, after putting through six unanswered points to end the second quarter, stretched the run to 10-0 and 24-7 in the third.In the end, Walter Jackson pulled down a big defensive rebound off a missed one-and-one free throw and calmly sank two of his own from the stripe with 1.5 seconds to go to seal an important 66-61 victory.Weston Ranch (7-2, 17-6 overall) now shares the second-place spot with the Bulldogs (7-2, 18-4), with Sierra (8-1, 13-8) holding down the top spot following the Timberwolves’ 50-33 win at Central Valley.“It was a must-win game,” Slikker said. “If we lose this, we go down two games to them and we have to rely on other people. At home, you have to win games.”Weston Ranch had several chances to clinch the victory earlier but shot 6-for-14 from the free-throw line.

Heralded junior James Nunnally twice missed the front end of one-and-one free throws with under 25 seconds to go and the Cougars ahead by three.Ceres called a timeout after Nunnally’s second miss and had 6.7 seconds to hit a 3-pointer and send it into overtime.As soon as the ball was inbounded, Nunnally fouled Brett Sayad, who was off the mark on his first one-and-one attempt.“There was no way we were going to let them get off a three and tie it,” Slikker said. “That would be a momentum killer. We weren’t going to take our chances.”As for the early deficit, it was a situation the Cougars have faced before.Jackson highlighted the 45-second, 6-0 spurt at the end of the third quarter with a showtime dunk off a fastbreak feed from Nunnally.

Jerrell Walker tossed in a pair of free throws with 3:02 remaining in the third to give Weston Ranch its first lead (42-41) since it was ahead 3-2 within the first two minutes of the contest.“We’re used to it, but we don’t like being down by 14 points and have to come back,” Nunnally said. “We’d rather finish off teams early and cruise. But if we have to play a tough, physical game, we’ll do that. We’re ready for that.“That was definitely one of the better (stretches) that we’ve played,” he added. “Everybody was playing together and contributing.”Nunnally led the undermanned Cougars with 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.Jackson had 17 points and nine boards, while Walker contributed 15 points despite battling the flu all week.Brandon Silva was back in action after he went down with a high-ankle sprain Jan. 24 against Oakdale.Weston Ranch is down in numbers after one player quit, two got suspended and key role player Khiry Thomas injured his wrist earlier in the season.Freshman post Ronnie Collins was called up from the sophomore team this week and made his varsity debut Wednesday.“We are beat up right now,” Slikker said. “Brandon battled. His ankle is bad. Jerrell was in question also, because he has a real bad flu.“Jerrell really stepped it up. He was a beast inside for us in that third quarter.”Walker went toe to toe with Ceres’ gigantic frontcourt trio of Kevin Dupree, Steven Downs and Sayad and poured in eight of his 15 in the third quarter alone.“We knew that they’d keep coming at us, no matter if they’re down by 10 or 14,” Ceres coach Jason Martin said. “They run and attack the basket real well, and I thought that we gave up way too many points in the paint in the second half.“They were just a little more physical than we were. (Walker) really hurt us inside. They did a good job of pounding it into the paint and getting good looks. That was the difference.”Ray Green had 15 points and 10 rebounds to pace Ceres. Sayad also had 15 points to go with six boards, while Dupree ended up with eight and nine.Shooting guard Ross Tate finished with 12 points before fouling out of the contest with 22.8 seconds left in the game.Weston Ranch’s defense of its 2006 co-championship continues Friday at Oakdale Friday.

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/02/01/sports/sports1.txt

Cougars avenge VOL loss to Ceres
By Dave Campbell, CORRESPONDENT
Article Last Updated: 02/01/2007 02:34:12 AM PST
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STOCKTON — It was the play of the game.
With 2:10 left in the game Wednesday night, and his Weston Ranch High Cougars clinging to a 64-59 lead, Vinnie Devencenzi extended his 6-foot frame and secured a long rebound on a Ceres miss. As he was being knocked to the floor, Devencenzi alertly called timeout, and Weston Ranch held on for a 66-61 win in the Valley Oak League.
The Cougars avenged a loss to Ceres earlier in the season.
"I knew that I had to get position on them," Devencenzi said. "The rebound was very important to us, and we needed the ball back.
"At first when I went down, I thought she was going to call traveling on me, but I looked to my right and did not hear a whistle, so I called timeout."
With 1.5 seconds left, the Cougars' Walter Jackson (13 points) secured a rebound and made two free throws to make the final score 66-61.
"Honestly for us this was a must-win game," Weston Ranch coach Bill Slikker said. "If we had lost this one we would have gone down two games to them and would have had to rely on help from others.
"At home you have to win the tough games, just like they did against us at their place."
With 2:30 left in the third quarter, James Nunnally (23 points) capped a 20-8 run to start the half and make the Cougars' lead 46-42 on a short field goal.
"Halftime was a gut check for us," Slikker said. "The kids dug deep and came out aggressive and turned it up another notch, and they didn't quite match it."
The win puts the Cougars at 18-8 overall and 7-2 in league and Ceres drops to 18-4, 7-2.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/prepsports/ci_5132911

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