DFAL 1st Half Grades

[NorCalScout]

I have seen every team at least twice (Miramonte & Campolindo more then the others cause of where I live), no one should ever have to watch Alhambra twice. These are my own opinions and I welcome any feedback, cause 2 or 3 games doesn't always give someone a proper take on a team, player or coach.

Dougherty Valley (19-1 & 6-0) - Very impressed with this squad and I would be the first to say I had them finishing 3rd or 4th at best to start the year. Giving everything coach Hansen has been through this off-season and losing a 1st team all league player in Fadal, he is coaching his very best right now and his kids are responding well. They have 4 legitimate players that can all score, shoot, dribble, defend and rebound and they shoot a pretty high percentage from the line. They are deserving of being where they are and this team defends better then any other team I have seen all year, in all leagues. Congrats Coach Hansen and the Wildcats and I am hoping a league title is coming your way.

Dublin (17-4 & 4-2) - This team is playing well and after seeing them come from behind last night at Campo, I am even more impressed. This team is still figuring things out but last night might have answered a bunch of questions about this squad and I know it did for me. The key to this team is getting 3 to 4 players scoring, when this happens, this team is tough to beat. Costello and his team have been thru some emotional ups and downs but like any veteran coach, he sees the big picture and the light at the end of the tunnel. He was constantly coaching his squad up last night and they were believing and it showed on the court. If Falls can get some constant scoring and rebounding help, this team will be in it at the end of the year and Friday's game against Dougherty is do or die as far as the league title is concerned.

Miramonte (14-6 & 4-2) - I have seen this team more then any other in this league and I think they might have the most talented team in the league but they are still trying to find themselves as far as playing well together. McDonald has his hands full, he has 8-9 guys that can score but not very many consistently. They play a style of basketball on the offensive end that very few in this league can play, if they figured out how to play just as hard on the defensive end, this team would be hard to beat.

Campolindo (9-10 & 3-3) - Some say coaching doesn't make a difference, well this is an example that it does.
Watson is the biggest missing piece in this league, if he was still coaching this year, this team would be in the thick of things. Injuries have also played a role in this teams won & loss record and when fully healthy, this team is as good as anyone in this league. Watson is the person that makes everything go and without him, this team will continue to struggle. Hoping to admin and parents will finally see how important a great coach is and should welcome him back with open arms.

Las Lomas (12-8 & 2-4) - I thought this team was the going to be much better and I have been sadly mistaken. This team doesn't nothing but shoot from the outside and tries to kill you from 3 point land. No inside game, no toughness and still trying to find away to beat teams in this league. When shots are falling, this team can score with the best of them but the problem is they give up more points then they can score. Henik must not teach defense what so ever, I saw it first hand at Dublin were they gave up almost 90 points. Defense wins championships and if you haven't figured that out, look who's leading your league and who held your team in the 40's.

Acalanes (9-11 & 2-4) - Young and inexperienced along with some costly injuries along the way has this team where it is. Not by lack of effort or coaching, this team in the 2nd half of the league will probably shock a few teams and should not be taken lightly, just ask Las Lomas. I like how this teams plays, they can play up and down or slow it down, they are well coached and play as hard as any team in this league, good things wil happen to this team when healthy.

Alhambra (6-13 & 0-6). Not much to say here other then these kids deserve better. Ertola has been the problem at this school for years. Head coach and athletic director and now the Athletic Director and hired his son as he head coach, things won't get better anytime soon. Alhambra admin needs to step in and fix this ongoing problem. Last year, they played hard, passionate and showed that this program had a little life in it, now another coaching change, for the worse and this program is where it deserves to be.

MVP Canidates in my opinion:
Grabow (Dougherty)
Falls (Dublin)
Ionescu (Miramonte)

Consideration for All League:
Dougherty: Grabow, Manansala & Samra
Dublin: Falls, Nguyen, Toney
Miramonte: Ionescu & Hocking
Campolindo: Hicks, Yamamoto & Strother
Las Lomas: Prince & Payne
Acalanes: Kinnear & McNamara
Alhambra: Ramirez

Best home crowd: Dougherty

Worst home crowd: Las Lomas

Best Gym: Dublin

Worst gym: Miramonte

Best Announcer: Dublin

Best 6th Man: Dougherty

Worst 6th Man: Las Lomas

Best Snack Bar: Campolindo & Miramonte

Worst Snack Bar: Las Lomas

Best Cheer Squads: Dublin & Dougherty

 

[1storm]

Whats really amazing about Dougherty Is coach Hansen and coach Williams served suspensions during the course of the year and still they have an amazing record. nice breakdown Scout always look forward to your post. Ebal??

 

[observer22]

Nice breakdown, as usual NorCalScout.

 

[RealisticParent]

Scout, great meeting you last night at the Dublin / Campo game and I hope I will see you a few times down the stretch. Nice work and I would have to agree with most everything you broke down. Dougherty & Hansen have done a great job and I would make him an early candidate for Coach of the Year but there is a lot of season left, so those kinds of awards are given at the end of the year for good reason.

Las Lomas has been my biggest disappointment and I thought Miramonte would win this league with or without Watson at Campolindo and they still might make a run at this.

Dublin will be the team I am most interested in watching during the second half, I think they will make a run and it all starts tomorrow night at home against Dougherty. If Dougherty wins, I think they will win this league hands down, don't see them losing 3 times in the 2nd half. Falls might carry this team to a share of the league title and in doing so, will win the league MVP.

Couldn't agree with you more about Alhambra and Ertola, it's nothing to do with the head coach now but rather his Dad, who has driven that program into a big deep hole and I don't see things changing anytime soon.

Storm, great comment, both were served a long time ago and it has been almost forgotten but over the years, Hansen has put together a really good staff and in my opinion, the best dresses staff I have seen all year with the exception of Newark Memorial and then I would say it's a tie.

 

[infofreak]

Dougherty is playing well this year, and I would imagine that MVP, coach of the year etc will follow whichever team wins the league. I do think Grabow is a great guard, and at 5’4”, a great story (once in a generation) and I hope he is honored.

I give credit to Hansen that he had the courage to face up to the changes he needed to make. The two suspensions he served were in effect warning shots from the administration that said there was a problem and he was being given a second chance. I think that what the parents did, with half the families leaving the program and publishing their letters to the District, functioned as an intervention (to the AD and the program), as to attitude and behavior. What I’ve heard from parents connected to that program is that Hansen or the AD (both?) have agreed to make changes. If the parents are correct in what I’ve been told, Hansen no longer handles the program’s money (there were no controls or accounting) and he also no longer locks parents out of the gym. And I understand the program no longer makes it mandatory for the kids to play summer league. An issue I heard about was that the summer league fees doubled to $500 and families were told the payments were mandatory.

I also think this forum, in particular the "Transfers" thread, helped bring issues to light that in the end created a healthier situation. Publicizing the Nevada situation and preventing something like it from happening again in the future was very important, in my view. If this is the start of a Dougherty dynasty, in twenty years the coaches and the admin can look back and say the controversy probably was the thing that set the program on a better track. I’ve seen games this year and Hansen seems as passionate as ever, and in greater control of his actions. It is nice to see.

As for the Alhambra situation, this forum is now bringing that issue to a broader audience. It well may be that the greater transparency that has benefited the Dougherty community via this forum might also eventually benefit the Alhambra athletic community if people pay attention. At some point parents (and observers) say, enough is enough in one fashion or another.

 

[observer22]

Tonight in the DFAL:

Miramonte 73 - Acalanes 64
Dublin 55 - DV 51
Campo 66 - LL 54

And Alhambra didn't lose.