The Year of the Dragon

Sacramento HS will be the hometown favorite this weekend when the Dragons face Santa Margarita at Arco Arena on Saturday in the CIF State D-III basketball championship game. Herb Lissade takes a look at the Dragons as they prepare for the biggest game in school history...

  Sacramento High School is an independent public charter high school located in   Sacramento, California. Sacramento High School is the second oldest high school west of the Mississippi. It was originally founded in 1856.  The Sacramento High Schools’ location has moved several times. The school was closed by the SCUSD School Board in June 2003. The new charter high school, which opened in September, 2003, kept the same school colors, the dragon mascot and the dominance on the hard wood.

  The Sacramento High School Dragons basketball team has had a great season to say the least. They’ve won 30 games and have lost only 3. The Dragons are undefeated in league, winning 10 straight games. With Coach Derek Swafford leading the team it’s like having a 6th man on the floor. It seems like the boys play that much harder for him. I talked to Coach Swafford during the Hoops for the Hungry Tournament and he has a presence about him. I wanted to get out there and play for him as well.

  During the game a fan made a reference to the Sac. High boys being just as good as any D2 college team and some D1’s as well. After watching them play I just looked at him and nodded my head.

  Some of the Sac. High players to watch: 

  Chase Tapely # 22

  21 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 4.6 steals per game, and 5 assist per game



  Kyle Allen # 30

  11.2 points per game, 201 rebounds, 3 assist per game and 1.4 steals per game

 

   Chris Avenant

4 ppg, 4 rpg, fun to watch .. keep a look out for his dunk

 

  Bobby Evans #25

  9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, 2 assist per game, and 1.2 steals per game

 

  Demetrius Bingham # 10 at the line

 

   Head Coach Swafford, standing up, looks on with assistant coaches.

 

  The Dragons defeated:

  Opponent             Result

   Fremont               76-71
 El Camino            67-65
 Buchanan             81-55
 Sheldon                84-73
 Rio Americano    57-55
 De Anza               85-40
 Richmond             1-Forfeit
 Natomas               91-59
 Tamalpais              61-28
 Edison                   77-67
 San Leandro          67-63
 Sac. Heart Cath.  77-73
 McClatchy            80-47
 Johnson                 58-26
 St. Mary's             66-61
 Burbank                72-63
 Rosemont              74-51
 Capital Christian  72-51
 Grant                     70-49
 McClatchy            75-51
 Johnson                 81-51
 Burbank                79-54
 Rosemont              84-55
 Grant                     78-46
 Livingston              78-21
 Whitney                 87-46
 St. Mary's             61-52
 Campolindo           69-66
 Riordan                 59-49
 Sac. Heart Cath.   66-49

    So who’d they lose to? Well, they lost to Reno by only 2 points. Reno had 15 wins  0 loses in league, with 27 wins and 5 loses overall. They lost to Etiwanda by 2 points. Etiwanda had 9 wins and 1 lost in league. They had 31 wins and 3 loses overall. Then finally they lost to El Camino H.S., which had 9 wins and 1 loss in league, with an overall record of 26 wins and 6 loses. 

  The Dragons defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral H.S. this past Saturday afternoon, 65-49, in the Division III Northern California Championship Game.  The Dragons now advance to the CIF Division III State Championship Game at Arco Arena.  They face Santa Margarita H.S. from Southern California, a private Catholic High school. I’d love to give you their player stats as well, but it’s not posted.  The game will be held on March 15, 2008 – 2:45 p.m at Arco Arena.

This will truly be a game to see. One of Northern California’s best high school teams versus one of Southern California’s best. It’s a game of extremes both on and off the court. 

  The year of the Dragon is years away in Chinese Astrology. When Sac High steps on to the court at Arco arena it will be more like “Enter the Dragon”, with just as much action as the movie that Bruce Lee made famous. If Sac High walks off the court winners, this will be a heck of a leap year , because this will truly be  “ The Year of the Dragon; The Sac High Dragons.