Large-school No. 1 Modesto Christian will be hunted by Beyer, VOL’s Big 3

The Modesto Christian High School boys basketball team debuts atop The Modesto Bee’s large-school ranking, but the two-time Northern California Open Division finalist stands on shaky ground.

With nine underclassmen and a litany of injuries, both big and small, some believe the Crusaders’ state-best 156-game league winning streak is in jeopardy.

Modesto Christian got a good look at its two biggest threats at the Holiday Hoop Classic last week.

Third-ranked Beyer reached the consolation final for the second year in a row, while Modesto, with its guard play and 6-foot-6 center Esteban Martin, played with confidence against Freedom, Berkeley and Central Catholic.

The Valley Oak League dominates the rest of the top 5 with three schools: No. 2 Manteca, No. 4 Central Catholic and No. 5 Sierra. The Raiders will find out quickly how they rate. Central Catholic’s first four opponents – Weston Ranch (Tuesday), Lathrop (Thursday), Sierra (Jan. 10) and Manteca (Jan. 12) – are legitimate title contenders.

Here’s a closer look at the large- and small-school polls, which take into account performance and potential, schedule and MaxPreps’ Sac-Joaquin Section rankings (as of Jan. 3):

1. Modesto Christian (5-5): The Crusaders may roll into Modesto Metro Conference play with a .500 record, but there is wind in their sails. Modesto Christian went 3-1 at the Holiday Hoop Classic and finished third with a decisive victory over Manteca, the Stanislaus District’s top public school program. The Crusaders are young and have been stunted by injuries, so they’ll only get stronger with time. Until then, they’ll lean on senior guard Darrian Grays and junior center Gabe Murphy, both all-tournament selections. Junior guard Tyler Williams is an emerging talent, too. He averaged 15 points during tournament play and was clearly one of the most athletic players in the tournament. The Crusaders carry a state-best 156-game league winning streak into Wednesday’s MMC opener at Johansen. MaxPreps: 36.

2. Manteca (7-5): The Buffaloes look nothing like the team that took the state tournament by storm last season. With twin towers Anand Hundal (Las Positas) and Kenny Wooten (Trinity International Prep), Manteca powered its way to a CIF State Division III crown. This season, coach Brett Lewis has gone guard-heavy. Point forward Tydus Verhoeven is an emerging Division I recruit with interest from Cal and North Carolina State, while Dwight Young is one of the district’s purest shooters. The engine on this team has been Gino Campiotti, the Buffaloes’ quarterback in the fall and a workhorse on the court. Campiotti led the team in scoring during the summer season and hasn’t disappointed in the first month. He had 18 points in the first 17 minutes against the Crusaders. The Buffaloes welcomed Lathrop in Tuesday’s VOL opener. MaxPreps: 24.

3. Beyer (8-5): Is this the year the Patriots beat Modesto Christian in conference play and make a run at a section title? The pieces are there. Beyer returns four starters, including sharpshooting guards Brian Perry and Deangelo Dancer, forward Dylan Weltmer and point guard Dom Dancer. Offensively, few teams are as versatile as Beyer. Thanks to a year-round program, the Patriots share the ball as well as any team in the district and play comfortably in the open and halfcourt. Beyer has lost more games in the first month than in coach Kyle McKim’s first two seasons, but their struggles have been by design. The Patriots, who want to peak in February, have played a rugged schedule with losses to Central of Fresno, Clovis East and El Cerrito. Beyer’s MMC opener against Downey on Wednesday will be its first home game of the season. MaxPreps: 25.

4. Central Catholic (9-2): The Raiders won their first seven games of the season, but hit a rough patch in mid-December. Central Catholic went nearly two weeks between games as the program focused on finals. The result was a frustrating debut at the Holiday Hoop Classic. The Raiders stumbled through the first two days of the tournament, giving up a 13-point fourth-quarter lead to eventual runner-up Central of Fresno, then losing a showdown with crosstown rival Beyer. Central Catholic rebounded with victories over Castlemont and Modesto. When in rhythm, the guard-oriented Raiders play at a tempo that is hard to match. The conductors are Josh Hamilton and Jared Rice, whose slashing ability creates opportunity for the others, namely 3-point specialists Amrit Dhaliwal and Cooper Wilson. Central Catholic opened VOL play Tuesday at Weston Ranch, the defending league champion, beginning a grueling four-game stretch that includes road games against Lathrop on Thursday and Manteca on Jan. 12. MaxPreps: 9.

5. Sierra (9-3): The Timberwolves don’t have the star power that carried the program to four consecutive VOL titles from 2012 to 2015, but coach Scott Thomason’s system isn’t predicated on individual talent. More than most, Sierra believes in the team concept and a relentless approach to defense. That model has kept the Timberwolves at or near the top of the VOL for most of Thomason’s career. It has also helped Sierra weather injury. Point guard Jaime Ochoa was injured during the McDonald’s Classic. Since then, the Timberwolves have won seven of their last eight games, including victories over Modesto (Qimonni Myers), Turlock (Michael Patterson, Everett Johnson), Tokay (Aidan Green) and Edison (Wesley Bookman, Billy Williams), all programs with marquee talent. Sierra opened VOL play Tuesday against Oakdale. MaxPreps: 45

Others: Ceres, Modesto, Gregori, Pitman, Turlock, East Union, Merced.

Small School

1. Sonora (9-3): The Wildcats won the Columbia College Classic for the first time and carried a six-game winning streak into Mother Lode League play. MaxPreps: 28.

2. Ripon (10-4): The Indians possess a dynamic backcourt that adds transfer Noah Hernandez and the tutelage of program great Justin Graham. MaxPreps: 39.

3. Calaveras (12-2): Calaveras has rallied around the return of coach Kraig Clifton, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last season. MaxPreps: 46.

4. Hughson (11-2): The Huskies rebounded from a season-opening loss with a 11-game winning streak that included a Rotary Classic title. MaxPreps: 61.

5. Ripon Christian (9-4): The defending Trans-Valley League champions return league MVP Zach Cortright and 6-foot-7 post Ty Beidleman. MaxPreps: 68.

Others: Hilmar, Orestimba, Riverbank.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Large-school No. 1 Modesto Christian will be hunted by Beyer, VOL’s Big 3."