Those who have speculated that the WCAL was a bit down this season have been proven correct. Of the 12 NorCal tourney finalists in six divisions, none is from the WCAL. That doesn't mean the league was necessarily weak; it just means that 2017-18 was not up to its usual high standards.
WCAL is Finals MIA
- Thread starter colhenrylives
- Start date
But it’s not like the 12 finalists are the top 12 teams. Under the new format it is more like #1 vs #2 in the Open, #9 vs #10 in D1, #25 vs #26 in D2 and so on. A league could have 6 of the top 24 teams and not get any into the finals.
Certainly. But it seems pretty clear now that the WCAL, while good as always, was not quite as strong as in the past. Which is fine. No one's perfect year in and year out.
I think the WCAL lacked an elite team (Bellarmine was close), but the depth was better with Riordan winning at St. Pats and Valley Christian making it to the semis.
In the end, there were a high number of above average to good teams, but only one team that surpassed that threshold
In the end, there were a high number of above average to good teams, but only one team that surpassed that threshold
I was one of the many that thought before the season started that the WCAL was gonna have a banner year... Whiffed on that one, I guess...
And the team that had the worst start got further than anyone... Mitty’s highly-anticipated season started 2-12 with 4 straight losses to start league. Yet here they were playing Las Lomas for a trip to Leavey... One amazing turnaround!
And the team that had the worst start got further than anyone... Mitty’s highly-anticipated season started 2-12 with 4 straight losses to start league. Yet here they were playing Las Lomas for a trip to Leavey... One amazing turnaround!
Agree 1,000% with your assessment.
Personally, I was expecting more from SI and Serra would have been a squad to be reckoned with if Jack Wilson & Cade Rees weren't injured. I anticipate that we'll see even more parity next year as the Bells, Lancers and SI come back to the pack. Lots of good teams but hardly any great teams next year is my prediction.
IMO Riordan has a shot to be a real juggernaut in that division. Lots of young players, and I heard they have two 6'8-6'9 twins that transferred in.
Can we recall ONE upper classman transfer in the lst 20-25 years that actually starred at Riordan? No, Ferrari doesnt count because he flip-flopped around. Last time the usual peanut gallery got excited about that last tall transfer but he unfortunately was injury plagued. So we'll be in wait and see mode with these twins coming next year.
Chiefy Ugbaja....I believe transferred in as a junior and was all wcal and very exciting to watch
In all honesty, probably the strongest the league (baseball) has been in years.
Not sure about that. VC is outstanding. SHC is better than its norm. But are the three traditional powers, Serra, Bellarmine and SF, at their past, state-caliber high levels? It's not clear. They are good. But great? Hmmmmmmm.
. All either 6-0, or 5-1, to date. Let's agree, as balanced as ever. This is basketball board, so I'll defer to that site.
Chris Munk transferred from O'Connell his soph year and was part of the mid 80's dynasty teams.
Kately (Westmoor) and Tofi (Burton) both transferred in as Sophs. Only led the Crusaders to a State Title......
Nicely done. Kately/Tofi team had some epic battles vs Odiye/Passaglia SH team that year.
I recall Riordan brass at ISA game scouting Lowhorn and ISA coach razzing the Riordan boosters to stay away from his kids.
That was as strong/competitive as the SH/Riordan rivalry ever was. I believe SH won first three and Riordan won the important NorCal final.
I remember one epic game @ Kezar when they were ranked #1 & #3 in the Bay Area.....If I recall correctly, Jason Hill (stud Football player who went on to Wazzoo to set receiving records < and had a cup of coffee with the Niners>) was also on that SHC team.....Probably the last time Kezar was full with fans in the rafters....Actually maybe not on the latter as there was one or two subsequent Bruce-Mahoney games held there, but still a fabulous environment..
Archbishop Riordan beat SHC in the 2 league games played.
50 to 41 at Kezar Pavilion, hosted by SHC
52 to 41 at Riordan
SHC beat Archbishop Riordan in the WCAL Playoff Championship game and the CCS Championship game.
38 to 40 at Saint Ignatius in the WCAL Championship
50 to 54 at Santa Clara University in the CCS Championship
Archbishop Riordan won the NorCal Championship game.
67 to 61 at UC Davis in the NorCal Championship
Riordan only lost to Serra in League in the last league game of the year at Serra.
Saint Francis won the Div. 2 NorCal Championship Game that season.
Riordan beat Saint Francis by 2 and 3 points in the 2 league games, which were the closest league games played by Riordan that season.
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Wasn't the SHC-Riordan NorCal Final played @ UC Davis that year? Riordan then defeated a loaded Centennial-Compton team a week later @ Arco
yes, I had it listed wrong.
The Division 3 NorCal Championship was at ARCO Arena every year from 1999 to 2006, except for 2002
Jorge Camacho transferred in as a junior, teaming up with Rob Jones, and really turned it up his senior year, helping Riordan win CCS and in to NorCals.
Chris Munk
Marquise Kately
John Tofi
Jorge Camacho
Chiefy Ugbaja
Eddie Stansberry
All 1st team and/or WCAL POY and even NorCal POY in Kately.
Doesn't even include Lowhorn, Arenas, or Ferrari who later transferred... or the Aussie, Colton, Karim, and Hungarian transfer that only played a year or not at all.
Would be good to see the boarding program bring in kids as Frosh though.
How about Reggie Johnson? The 6'9" center transferred from Serra as a junior in 1989-90 season, the same year Riordan won Div1 NorCal w/ Fontana, Manigo, Buckner, Edwards, et al. He only played the 1st half of the season, then transferred to Mission-SF after becoming academically ineligible I believe. Riordan could have used him in the State Finals vs. a tall Mater Dei team that beat Riordan by 2 pts.
His thread has become a WCAL walk down memory lane. It began by noting how they were not in the finals picture of any divisions... smh
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