Modesto Christian beats Sheldon to claim fourth D-I title in five years
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- Modesto Christian secured its fourth D-I title in five years, 55-42.
- Siincere Hudson scored 17, added six rebounds and five assists vs Sheldon.
- Pressure defense, rebounding and balanced scoring fuel their NorCal Open run.
When you’re the top team in a playoff division, every other team is gunning for you. When you win, it’s expected, when you lose, it’s front page news. Modesto Christian knows that.
The boys basketball program with the most blue banners in Sac-Joaquin Section history, the Modesto Christian program knows how to play as the hunted.
But for two thirds of his high school career, Siincere Hudson did not.
As a freshman and sophomore, he played at Inderkum, chasing Modesto Christian as a freshman and Folsom as a sophomore, falling short in the semifinals each time. He had never been to a section title game.
He joined the Crusaders this offseason and immediately made an impact, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 assists per game. Hudson and the Crusaders coasted through the first two rounds of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs but in the semifinals against Franklin, Hudson and the Crusaders found themselves down nine points in the fourth quarter.
And just like that, Hudson was staring at a third-straight playoff elimination without reaching the title game .
He wasn’t having any of it.
He scored a layup late in the fourth quarter to help the Crusaders force overtime then in the extra period, opened the scoring with a pair of driving scores. He facilitated the rest of the frame as the team advanced to Saturday night’s section title game.
It was another successful trip to the big dance for the top-seeded Crusaders, who extended their lead atop the section’s all-time championship list with its 23rd with a 55-42 win over No. 2 Sheldon High. The win is Modesto Christian’s fourth D-I title in five years and the eighth in the section’s top division in program history. They won three straight from 2022 to 2024 before falling to Folsom in the 2025 title game.
The premiere event of the two-day, 12-game boys and girls Sac-Joaquin Section championships on Friday and Saturday was another classic Modesto Christian win, powered by a balanced offensive effort and overwhelming pressure defense. Modesto Christian held Sheldon to under 30% shooting for the game and the Huskies made just four of 17 threes.
“We’re a close team, these are my brothers,” Hudson said. “I see these guys more than I see my family. I’m with my team the whole day, and it’s just fun.”
Trevor Dickson scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, Cole Martin scored 11 and had four assists and Hudson scored a game-high 17 points and added six rebounds and five assists.
The Crusaders started the game on a 12-2 run, which Sheldon answered, cutting the Crusaders’ lead to 12-7 by the end of the frame. Sheldon leading scorer Barron Sabir gave the Huskies a 16-14 lead midway through the frame with three free throws, but the Crusaders quickly regained the lead and never gave it up. They led 29-20 at halftime and 40-32 after the third. Their lead was no less than seven points for the entire second half.
“We talk about winning without conditions. It doesn’t matter what it looks like and I think this team has really figured out a way to band together and figure out ways to win when it needs to,” said first year head coach Chris Teevan. “It’s a special group. My biggest regret is that it can’t go on too much longer.”
Hudson wears a headband now but not because he likes the fashion. Underneath the white Nike headgear are seven stitches closing a cut he got chasing down a loose ball in a Tri-City Athletic League contest against Lincoln. He took an elbow to the head and finished the game with eight points and nine assists in a win. And he would likely do it again.
That embodies the grit, hustle and will the Crusaders play with. A trio of attributes that were on full display Saturday night.
“If you watched one of our practices, you’ll see we go at each other all practice,” Hudson said. “It’s physical and competitive. We’re diving on the ball, bumping people out of the way and just competing. We studied Sheldon a lot. We knew they’d be physical and be on the boards. Coach had some drills for us to get physical and we executed it.”
The Crusaders were first to loose balls, executed plays to break apart Sheldon’s zone defense and Somto Patrick was a force in the paint, blocking four shots and altering a number of others. Patrick finished with nine points and 11 rebounds .
“He’s a blessing,” Dickson said. “If I get beat, he’s right there. And that’s what we mean by we’re a great team. Even if he doesn’t touch the ball for eight minutes, he’s still going to be there and block the shot.”
The Crusaders now gear up for another run in the CIF Northern California Regional playoffs’ Open Division. No team in the history of Northern California has been to as many Open Division regional tournaments as the Crusaders. The past two seasons they were eliminated before the NorCal title game. Dickson, Seve Archuletta and Elijah Payne are the team’s only three returners from that run and they’re hoping to make another go at a state title.
“This year is going to be different, we have a chip on our shoulder,” Dickson said. “We have a great group of guys.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 8:28 AM.
