Manteca boys see familiar opponent in Ayala for CIF basketball state final

His delivery slows as his body starts to shut down. His mind craves more film, more strategy, more research, but the comforts of home beckon.

“Just one more game,” Manteca High School boys basketball coach Brett Lewis tells his team … tells his wife Aubrey … tells himself.

The days have grown longer as the season has stretched on, so Lewis wasn’t surprised when his Buffaloes – with 34 games under their belt, including Sac-Joaquin Section and Northern California finals – opened Tuesday’s practice flat.

Like his players, Lewis can feel the effects of a four-month season, especially one as grueling as the Buffaloes’ gauntlet.

In a state with more than 2,000 high schools, Manteca – the Valley Oak League and a section runner-up – is one of just 12 boys basketball teams to reach the final game of the season.

Manteca (28-6) will play Ayala of Chino Hills (34-3) in the CIF State Division III final Thursday at 4 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

“I hope we have one more in us,” said Lewis, who has juggled media requests, travel plans and practice with his class schedule this week. “We keep telling our guys, ‘There’s nothing else. There’s nothing more to go. One game. One practice.’ There aren’t many teams that can say that. Most have their season end before they want it to be. So we told them, ‘Let’s make the most of it.’ ”

So, Lewis trudges on, addressing these concerns as the Buffaloes prepare to finish a historic season with one last milestone.

Weston Ranch reincarnate

With a stable of shooters and no real size in the post, Lewis believes Ayala bears a striking resemblance to the Weston Ranch team of yesteryear.

That Cougars squad relied on ball movement, spot-up shooters and two dynamic guards – the Stanislaus State-bound twosome of Jaelen Ragsdale and Fred Lavender. That team beat Manteca in a section D-III semifinal and paved the way for Weston Ranch’s Valley Oak League and section titles this season.

Austen Awosika and John Edgar are the Bulldogs’ version of Ragsdale and Lavender, while spot-up shooters Oscar Pina and Sean Paul fill the roles of Jazz Swanson and Tre Simmons.

“They are Weston Ranch,” said Lewis, who has lost four straight to the Cougars. “They’ve got a Jazz in the corner and Tre on the wing. They won’t drive much, but they will knock down shots if you leave them open.”

Awosika is headed to Cal State Fullerton on a full-ride scholarship and is a two-time all-CIF Southern California Division II-AA selection, while Edgar transferred from neighboring Chino Hills and became the all-CIF Division II-AA Player of the Year.

President in the post

The Bulldogs’ only “post” player is 6-foot-3 senior Miles President, a super scholar with a perfect ACT score and a history of ravaging defenses for 16 to 18 points a night.

While Lewis doesn’t expect President to back down 6-9 seniors Anand Hundal or Kenny Wooten, the Buffaloes have to be wary of the fast-action forward.

President likes to attack from the wings or flash through the paint, cutting taller opposition down to size with his speed and athleticism.

“He shows tendencies of being a big man but never posts up,” Lewis said. “It’s going to be tough to guard. It’s definitely small ball.”

Wooten is a capable defender. One of Northern California’s best rim protectors, Wooten has the wingspan to contest shots along the perimeter and the quickness to play on the fly.

Fresh legs for Hundal

Lewis said Hundal’s takeover performance in the NorCal regional final was the product of fresh legs.

Hundal had 25 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. He scored in every quarter, including eight in the first to set the tone.

His secret? Ice baths.

One year after wearing down in the postseason, the Buffaloes have gone to great lengths to keep the big man fresh. Hundal has continued ice-bath treatments this week in preparation for the Bulldogs.

Lewis said recovery, whether it’s ice baths or stretching, has become just as vital in basketball as it is in, say, football.

“It’s a constant grind on the hard floor. Your body takes a beating with every step,” Lewis said. “A lot of people don’t understand it, unless you’ve done it. In super physical games, you don’t have pads to protect you. It can be a grind.”

Solving Sleep Train

The cavernous NBA arena has a history of ruining even the best teams. Guards are lured into launching three-pointers from NBA distances, while post players are thrown off by the wider block.

“Those few inches can make the biggest difference,” said Lewis, who hopes Ayala will experience the same type of jitters, depth-perception issues and shooting struggles that besieged his Buffaloes in their first trip to Sleep Train on March 4.

Manteca arrived with the confidence it could snap a three-game losing streak to Valley Oak League nemesis Weston Ranch but was quickly swallowed up by the grand stage. The Cougars, smarting from a similar experience at Sleep Train Arena in 2015, won decisively 69-57.

“I think there are a lot of little things that went into that game. Weston Ranch had the advantage. I felt their core had been there and lost there,” Lewis said. “I think the atmosphere got to us, and the Ranch kept pushing forward and we didn’t. It was a crazy, unreal experience for me as a coach, and I think I’ll do a better job the second time around.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Manteca boys see familiar opponent in Ayala for CIF basketball state final."