Modesto Christian boys gunning for CIF State Open basketball title

Christian Ellis tugged on the ceremonial cap awarded to a Sac-Joaquin Section champion and walked stoically across the floor of an empty NBA arena.

The senior point guard has been a member of Modesto Christian’s last four section championship teams, and his diving steal in the final minutes provided the exclamation point in their Division I triumph on Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.

Sitting behind the microphone atop the winner’s stage, though, Ellis wore a new hat with an old-hat expression.

The section title, he revealed, was merely a steppingstone toward an even greater prize, one that has eluded the Crusaders for more than a decade.

“We’ll soak it in right now. It’s good that we won, and we’ll celebrate a little bit, but come Monday it’s back to business,” Ellis said following a 61-46 victory over Folsom. “We want to practice hard and get ready for the state playoffs. Our goal is to win an Open Division state championship, and that’s where everyone’s mind is, not just a section championship.”

The Crusaders came close a season ago, falling to eventual state champion Bishop O’Dowd in the Northern California Open Division final at Sleep Train Arena.

In its illustrious history, Modesto Christian has won two state championships in D-V but hasn’t made a state final appearance since its last victory in 2004.

“The goal has always been to take it a step further and win state,” coach Richard Midgley said. “We have high expectations and high goals, and we’ve been knocking off smaller goals as we get there. Now it’s big pressure. This game is huge.”

Modesto Christian will begin the regional tournament as the No. 2 seed, but there are no easy draws in the Open. The Crusaders will host No. 7 Saint Francis of Mountain View (25-2) on Friday, a team actually listed ahead of Modesto Christian in one state poll.

The Lancers are ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 1 in Northern California by MaxPreps, whose computer-generated poll gives them an edge over the 11th-ranked Crusaders.

Saint Francis certainly fits the criteria.

The Central Coast Division II champions are tall and athletic, senior-heavy, buoyed by a 16-game winning streak and, above all, comfortable across enemy lines.

Especially this line.

The Crusaders hosted the Lancers in a preseason scrimmage that wasn’t scored. Even then, Midgley had a feeling the two would meet again.

Saint Francis is led by UC Davis-bound center Peter Hewitt and small forward Noah Stapes, who has committed to Point Loma Nazarene.

“We know quite a bit about each other. We got to see them, and they got to see us,” Midgley said. “They’ve got good size, shoot the ball well, and they’re very well coached. It’s going to be a tough matchup.

“We’re going to have to have good transition defense, break off their misses, win the rebounding war and hope our guys stay out of foul trouble. Oh, and score some points.”

The Crusaders have won 30 consecutive games and avenged their only loss in the section final against Folsom by playing smothering defense.

Modesto Metro Conference MVP Robinson Idehen had 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots. Jay Chen had 14 points and Darrian Grays 11 for Modesto Christian, which has won a record 18 Sac-Joaquin Section championships, including three Division I banners (2001-02, 2016).

Midgley believes the D-I title validates his team’s place among the state’s top programs, regardless of enrollment or strength of schedule.

“It was big for me and our program,” said Midgley, who graduated from Modesto Christian in 2002. “This is the way I look at it: We have an incredible record and had an incredible regular season. You could make an argument that our schedule was weak. Our schedule didn’t stack up against the other programs.

“Going into (the section tournament), if we took care of business, we knew we would have had to beat Sheldon and Folsom, two of the top teams around. I was very proud and very happy. Those were two big wins, and we overcame some adversity.”

And now the Crusaders return home, where they’ve been unbeatable.

Modesto Christian is 12-0 at home this season, including the Holiday Hoop Classic tournament championship and victories over Open Division No. 8 Salesian Collegiate Preparatory, Southern California D-II heavyweight Long Beach Poly and NorCal D-II title contender Manteca.

Still, Midgley downplays the notion of home-court advantage in the Open, where the teams have proven they can handle hostile road environments.

Midgley needs only to look at the Crusaders’ NorCal run a year ago. Modesto Christian was a No. 7 seed and won at Monte Vista (Danville) and Serra (San Mateo) en route to its regional final appearance.

“We’re comfortable and shoot every day in our gym, but the reality is we went into Monte Vista, and it didn’t faze us. I know it won’t faze Saint Francis,” Midgley said. “We’re happy with the home game, but at this level, I don’t think it will faze them.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Modesto Christian boys gunning for CIF State Open basketball title."