The Willow Glen Resident

Rams in three-way tie for division hoop title

Willow Glen hosts first round game

By Dick Sparrer

The Willow Glen basketball players knew what they had to do to win a piece of the title in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this winter.

The Rams had to beat Valley Christian in the final week of the season.

And that's just what they did.

Willow Glen knocked off Valley 64-63, then crushed Yerba Buena 72-47 on the final night of the regular season to finish in a three-way first-place tie with Valley Christian and Del Mar.

What's more, the 8-4 finish, coupled with an impressive 13-1 record in the nonleague season, leaves Willow Glen in great shape heading into the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs.

The impressive 21-5 record gave Willow Glen the No. 5 seed in the tournament, which means a first-round bye and a home game in the second round of the playoffs.

The Rams will open postseason play on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. when they host the winner of the Aragon (13-12)-Mountain View (13-12) first round game.

Willow Glen topped the lofty 20-win mark for the season with the important win over Valley Christian early in the week.

Only four players scored points for the Rams against the Warriors, but that was all Willow Glen needed for the win.

Rayvon Jackson poured in 25 points, and Dion Saunders jammed 23 points to lead the Rams to the victory. Cory Warren and Manny Myers supported with eight points apiece. Myers dropped a pair of three-pointers.

The Rams were down by six after a period, but led by a bucket at the half, 34-32. They held on through a tight second half to pull out the big win.

Willow Glen needed a win over Yerba Buena later in the week to move into the first-place tie, and the Rams got it by plenty.

Saunders matched his scoring effort of earlier in the week with 23 points against another team of Warriors.

Warren came through with 14 points for the Rams, and Myers drilled a pair of threes on his way to 13 points. Jackson added eight points, Guy Beahm six and Eduardo Sanchez, Nich Holt, Sid Mitchell and Andy Lewis two each.

The decision was never in question as the Rams outscored YB in every period. They held a commanding 42-24 lead by intermission, and coasted from there to the victory.

The winner of Thursday night's CCS playoff game will move into the Division III quarterfinals on Feb. 28 at a site and time to be determined.

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