The matchups are set for the state basketball championships Friday and Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Among the intrigue, Harvard-Westlake has a chance to win boys’ and girls’ state titles. Three City Section teams have made the finals. And the son of former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas will get to show what he can do in an NBA arena.
Boys
Open Division: Harvard-Westlake (32-3) vs. Richmond Salesian (31-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. These teams played twice in the offseason and know each other well. Harvard-Westlake is the defending state champion and has been relying on USC commit Trent Perry, who has made 26 consecutive free throws and scored 42 and 28 points in his last two games. Salesian’s only loss came to St. John Bosco in overtime at the Classic at Damien.
Division I: St. John Bosco (27-7) vs. San Ramon Valley (29-7), Friday, 8 p.m. St. John Bosco has found its mojo after a disappointing effort in the Southern Section Open Division. Brandon McCoy, Jack Turner, Kade Bonam and Elzie Harrington are starting to share the ball again. San Ramon Valley made 21 of 23 free throws in its regional final win.
Division III: Bishop Alemany (24-15) vs. Santa Cruz (27-6), Friday, 4 p.m. Alemany comes from the same Mission League as Harvard-Westlake and has been using strong rebounding and great guard play from Michael Lindsay. Santa Cruz has strong fan support and top players in 6-foot-6 Ben Dotten and 6-5 Demarco Hunter.
Division IV: Chatsworth (20-14) vs. Monterey (24-6), Saturday, noon. Sophomore Alijah Arenas, averaging 33 points, takes his show to his biggest stage yet. How will Monterey deal with him? Monterey, as with Chatsworth, came back to reach the state final after losing in its section tournament. Monterey has a top shooter in Ryan Roth, who had 23 points in the regional final.
Division V: Verdugo Hills (25-11) vs. Athenian (27-8), Friday, noon. The Dons won the City Section Division II championship. Coach Jared Gibson returned a veteran team, scheduled some competitive nonleague games and now has the chance for a first state title. Athenian from Danville has two players averaging 16 points, Surya Devasenapathy and Evan Lucas.
Girls
Open Division: Etiwanda (31-3) vs. Archbishop Mitty (30-0), Saturday, 6 p.m. This could be the best game of the weekend. Etiwanda won last year’s matchup at the buzzer. After beating Sierra Canyon twice in the last two weeks, the Eagles will need McDonald’s All-American Kennedy Smith to perform at her best. Mitty has faced little competition in Northern California, so taking on a strong opponent in its final game will require an adjustment.
Division I: Bishop Montgomery (22-5) vs. Bishop O’Dowd (24-6), Friday, 6 p.m. The Knights prepared for this with a series of tough matchups in the regular season and playoffs. Led by Jordin Blackmon, who is averaging 13 points a game, Bishop Montgomery defeated Bishop O’Dowd 57-33 last December.
Read more: High school basketball: Regional championship game results and state finals schedule
Division II: Harvard-Westlake (18-18) vs. Colfax (34-2), Saturday, 2 p.m. The surprising Wolverines are finally healthy and surging. Melissa Hearlihy, who first started coaching in 1985, is seeking her second state title. Sophomore center Valentina Guerrero, who was sidelined because of a broken nose and concussion, had 15 points in her first game back Tuesday. Colfax has won 12 consecutive games.
Division III: Granada Hills (21-11) vs. Caruthers (24-8), Friday, 2 p.m. First-year coach Rai Colston was let go at El Camino Real and achieved immediate success with the Highlanders. Karma Perez has been the key player, averaging 13 points. Caruthers has been a perennial Central Section powerhouse with fewer than 700 students.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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