Kennedy-Richmond is last 2007-08 home foe for boys

High School Basketball

By WILL DeBOARD
wdeboard@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

The Modesto Christian High boys basketball team will play its final home game of the season tonight.

And what a game it should be.

Kennedy of Richmond, ranked No. 5 in the state in Division IV by CalHiSports.com, is coming to Salida. Modesto Christian is ranked No. 3 in the state. The two teams meet up in a CIF NorCal Regional Division IV semifinal, with the winner moving on to Saturday's championship at Folsom High School. Tonight's tip-off is at 7.

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

Modesto Christian boys blast Palma, take on Kennedy next
Seely's passing puts Crusaders in cruise control
Boys basketball: Modesto Christian just too much for Argonaut
Nelson scores 53 to help Modesto Christian boys reach D-IV final
Seeley can't be shaken
Your ears are not fooling you: Baseball is back
Boys basketball: Modesto Christian was built just for this
Modesto Christian wins 9th consecutive section championship
MC hoops squads head separate ways
CRUSADERS CONTINUE
- WHAT: The CIF Northern California Division IV regional basketball semifinals with Modesto Christian's boys and girls teams still alive.
- WHEN: Both games tip off at 7 tonight.
- BOYS: No. 6 Kennedy of Richmond (27-5) at No. 2 Modesto Christian (28-4)
- GIRLS: No. 5 Modesto Christian (28-4) at No. 1 Justin-Siena of Napa (28-3)
- AT STAKE: The winners move on to Saturday's NorCal Championships at Folsom High School. Girls play at 5 p.m., followed by the boys at 7.
- BLOG: The Bee will be providing live-blog updates from the girls game in Richard T. Estrada's blog at thehive.modbee.com/warningtrackpower. There will be updates from the boys game as well. The blog will be updated every 15 minutes, so keep coming back.
Basketball Outlook

Norcal Boys Playoffs / Division IV Semifinals

• No. 6 Kennedy of Richmond (27-5) at No. 2 Modesto Christian (28-4), 7 p.m. — Kennedy opened the season with 14 consecutive victories, including a 63-51 win over Division III semifinalist Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco. … Modesto Christian is riding a 19-game winning streak. The Crusaders' last loss to a team from California was in their own tournament in December, a 60-52 setback to SoCal power Etiwanda. … Kennedy's 6-7 guard/forward Jonathon Williams is drawing interest from some mid-major four-year colleges. … Modesto Christian has two players who have committed to Pac-10 universities: Senior D.J. Seeley has signed with Cal, while junior forward Reeves Nelson has verbally committed to UCLA. … Nelson is a five-star college prospect and the No. 23-ranked junior in the country, according to rivals.com. … Kennedy plays in the Bay Shore League, the same as state No. 2 St,. Mary's of Albany. The Panthers have defeated Kennedy four times this year, and are still alive in the Division IV playoffs. … Nelson and Seeley will score their share of points. The pressure falls more on the role players, such as Daniel Lemburg, Dabrail Henton and Adam Watts, from this point on. … Modesto Christian's gymnasium isn't large. Arrive by 6 p.m. to make sure you get a seat.

— WILL DeBOARD

The Crusaders (28-4) won the Sac-Joaquin Section title, and are seeded No. 2 in the NorCal tournament. They got here by defeating Palma of Salinas 90-63 in Tuesday's first round.

Kennedy, 27-5, has lost to only two teams this season. The North Coast Section runner-up Eagles are 0-4 against St. Mary's of Albany -- which is favored to win its NorCal semifinal game tonight -- and also lost to Salesian. The loss to Salesian was avenged in the NCS semifinals.

"We know we have to take it to another level for this game," MC coach Gary Porter said. "These are two of the top four teams left in Northern California. Everybody's great from here on."

The Eagles beat Central Valley of Shasta Lake 76-70 in their NorCal first-round game.

Jonathon Williams, a 6-foot-7 swingman, scored 31 points in leading four Kennedy players in double figures in the win over the Northern Section champion Falcons. Williams and center Michael Edwards are both 6-7, while strong forward Marvin Boadu is 6-5, giving the Eagles the height to battle with MC.

The Crusaders counter with red-hot junior forward Reeves Nelson, who scored 33 in the NorCal win over Palma. Teammate D.J. Seeley added 27, all of those points coming in the first three quarters.

"Kennedy's a pretty good team," Nelson said. "We're gong to have to get after it (tonight)."

Should the Crusaders win, a potential game against St. Mary's of Albany -- ranked No. 2 in the state -- looms. The Panthers play Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up Colfax in tonight's other semifinal.

Saturday's NorCal championship has been moved from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton to Folsom High School because of a scheduling conflict. The NorCal boys Division IV championship tip-off is Saturday at 7 p.m.