U-Prep leads 9 schools in soccer, basketball playoffs. Section title games postponed
Ethan Hanson
The CIF Northern Section Division VI girls basketball title game was postponed to 5 p.m. Saturday at U-Prep, CIF Northern Section assistant commissioner Jason Eyer said.
CIF Northern Section's decision to postpone the game came 20 minutes before the Division VI boys basketball title game was contested by Redding Christian and Etna.
Weed athletic director Josh Oates said previously the game would be played Friday, and the team was supposed to head down Interstate 5 south in hopes of playing Redding Christian later that night.
Snow conditions along Interstate 5 prevented the game from happening.
Meanwhile, Etna navigated its way through Highway 3 to Weaverville and then Highway 299 to reach Redding before roads closed.
Boys basketball
Balanced effort leads U-Prep past West Valley
U-Prep 50, West Valley 41: U-Prep has made itself comfortable inside Cottonwood over the past year. The Panthers beat the Eagles for the first time in football during the playoffs this past fall, and beat the program twice more during Northern Athletic League play in boys basketball.
It was going to take more discipline on the third try to eliminate West Valley from the playoffs again.
Nine U-Prep players scored, led by juniors Peter Rundle and Baron Grooms. Rundle had 11 points, Grooms chipped in 10 points and U-Prep swept West Valley 50-41 in the CIF Northern Section Division IV semifinals on Wednesday.
U-Prep vaulted itself to its fourth consecutive CIF Northern Section title game. The Panthers have won three straight section titles since 2019.
"(West Valley) is a great team just like we are," Grooms said. "We have some rivalries, some friendships. We just love playing against them."
West Valley (20-9) played a better rounded game offensively than its previous two contests against U-Prep. West Valley guards moved the ball quicker and the team was able to convert on layups more consistently.
The game changed dramatically early in the fourth quarter when senior point guard Jackson Walker went down with an ankle injury. West Valley trailed 40-37 and struggled to convert layup attempts in the final frame. Senior Owen Evans led West Valley with 13 points and six blocks.
U-Prep plays No. 2 seed Colusa at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Shasta College.
Division III:
- Pleasant Valley 62, Enterprise 25
- Chico 59, Shasta 46
Division V:
- Weed 73, Mount Shasta 61
- Trinity 57, Durham 46
Division VI
No. 1 seed Redding Christian 62, Biggs 34
Redding Christian (16-12) plays No. 2 seed Etna (14-10) at 6 p.m. Friday at Shasta High School for the Division VI section title.
Girls basketball: Tuesday results
Pierce stuns U-Prep in shootout between Medina and Warren
Pierce 78, U-Prep 76: Pierce senior Jocelyn Medina and U-Prep sophomore JoAnna Warren traded baskets possession by possession on Tuesday night in a battle between two elite scorers.
Medina had just a little bit more help. Medina scored 39 points and six assists including a momentum capturing buzzer beater shot from halfcourt in the first half and No. 3 seed Pierce (27-2) held off U-Prep (20-9) in the CIF Northern Section Division IV semifinals. Warren finished with 46 points and 11 rebounds to lead the game.
Pierce plays No. 1 seed Lassen for the section title game at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at Shasta College.
Lassen 65, West Valley 44
Division III
Chico 54, Foothill 52
Pleasant Valley 76, Shasta 40
Division V
No. 1 seed Fall River 54, Trinity 36: Senior Giselle Rodriguez scored 18 points, junior Hailey Valdez scored 15 points and senior Sydney Cassity added nine points for Fall River (23-2).
Fall River plays No. 3 seed Portola (20-10) at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at Shasta College.
Division VI Championship
No. 2 seed Redding Christian (16-7) at No. 1 seed Weed (19-11): 7 p.m. Friday at Shasta High School.
Girls soccer
Division II
No. 1 seed U-Prep (14-7-1) 2, No. 5 seed Corning (8-7-3) 0.
U-Prep hosts No. 2 seed Live Oak (16-4-2) for the CIF Northern Section Division II title at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Boys soccer
Division II
No. 3 seed U-Prep (16-5-1) 0, No. 2 seed Live Oak (17-0-4) 2