A rebuilding year turned out quite well for the Santa Barbara High boys’ basketball team, as the Dons clinched the outright Channel League title with a 71-46 victory over Rio Mesa on Monday at JR Richards Gymnasium.
The Dons lost 14 seniors to graduation from last year’s team and started the season with a 1-5 record, but they have been building momentum for several weeks and enter the playoffs with a 19-8 overall record after a 13-1 run in Channel League play.
“We’ve been saying it all year—it’s a young team, but there’s no team we’ve played, even the best teams, that has been in the gym more than these guys,” said Santa Barbara High coach Greg Zuffelato. “They do P3 (Peak Performance Project) year-round. Three days a week they are working out, they are in the gym every day, and they’ve been doing that since they were young.”
Sophomore Blake Lee led a balanced Santa Barbara attack with a team-high 14 points. Brent Sharpton, Levi Oakes, and Owen Horn all reached double figures in scoring, and 10 Dons scored overall.
The game was tight in the first half, as Rio Mesa’s John Moreno scored 12 of his game-high 20 points before the break.
Santa Barbara took a 35-26 lead into the locker room at halftime and extended that lead to 47-30 midway through the third quarter on a three-pointer by Horn.
A three-point play by Oakes increased the Dons’ lead to 54–34 with 2:18 left in the third quarter.
The Dons carried a 58-34 advantage into the fourth quarter. A corner three-pointer by Zachary Anthony closed the scoring and sent the Santa Barbara bench into a frenzy.
The Santa Barbara team has zero seniors on its roster, but confidence remains high that the Dons can make noise in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
“It means a lot, especially after losing so many seniors. I’m really happy with the way our team has come together over the course of the season,” said junior captain Cayleb Miller about winning the outright Channel League title. “We’re really excited and ready to go win a CIF championship.
San Marcos 67, Ventura 46
It was senior night for Logan Patterson, Koji Hefner, Lincoln Gengo, Brody Green, Oliver Werkhoven, Jacob Wallace, and Henry Early, and the Royals sent that outstanding class out in style with a runaway victory.
Aidan Conlan led the way with 18 points, and Koji Hefner chipped in 14 as San Marcos pulled away from the visiting Cougars with suffocating defense. It marked the 10th time this season that San Marcos has held an opponent under 50 points.
“What an unbelievable night. Such an emotional night, and getting to celebrate an incredible group of seniors,” said San Marcos coach Matt Jordan. “Our team was incredibly connected tonight, and everyone was rooting for each other. It was seriously about as special a senior night as I’ve ever been around. I love this team so much. They’ve given just as much to me as I have to them.”
With the win, San Marcos improves to 21-6 overall and finishes second in the Channel League with a 12-2 record.
Dos Pueblos 59, Buena 56
The Chargers’ season came to a close on a high note as they notched a hard-fought victory over a tough Pacifica team.
Evan Pinsker led the way with 21 points, Coulter Jay scored 14, and Logan Pearce added 13. Key contributors Wyatt Gardiner and Iyad Ahmad-Reda were unable to play in their final high school basketball game due to injury.
“It was nice to end the season with a victory. This year, the guys faced a lot of adversity and unexpected injuries,” said Dos Pueblos coach Joe Zamora. “I was very proud of the fact that they never used this as an excuse, and every single game they came out and battled.”
Legacy Christian Academy 49, Bishop Diego 46
The Cardinals dropped a tight one in Valencia and finish the regular season with a 20-4 overall record.
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