Basketball Beats Serra in CIF 1st Round

The boys’ basketball team beat 10th seed Serra High on March 3 in the 1st round of the 1st division of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state tournament.  The Cougars, winners of the Division 2 state championship in 2019, are hoping to capture the Division 1 crown.

Although the team lost to #1 seed Dublin in the semifinals of North Coast Section (NCS) tournament in the Open Division, junior Emmanuel Callas said that the team embraced the change as an achievable challenge. “We are approaching these games with the mindset to win. We have a tougher bracket than most, having to play the 2nd seed next,” he said.

The Cougars stayed consistent, scoring 16 goals in each of the 1st 3 quarters and 17 in the 4th to beat the Serra Padres 65-57. The Padres managed to score at least 10 points per quarter, but that was barely enough to keep them in the game.

Callas said his squad is confident in its ability to finish the season strong as long as he and his teammates continue their hard work. “We are hard workers, we are putting our heads down as we approach these final games. Staying humble is key and we’ve done a good job so far,” he said.

Senior Carter Mahaney said that his last home game was bittersweet. “It was nice to win it, but I was sad at the end realizing it’s all coming to an end,” said Mahaney.

Coach Steven Dyer added, “Our Seniors have been great, both on and off the court, and we will see where that takes us for the rest of the season.”

Sophomore Logan Robeson has high hopes for the final games of the season. “I want us to finish out strong and I think if we continue to work we will get there,” Robeson said.