THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

Since Whitney High School opened its doors in 2005, the Wildcats have made a steady climb in athletics, specifically basketball. The basketball program has crossed off many of its goals for basketball over those 13 years. League championship in the Pioneer Valley League and its first playoff victory in 2008: check. Moving up to Division II and winning the Capital Valley Conference: check. Win a section championship in 2017: check. However, the one thing the ‘Cats had not done yet is move up to Division I, which they did this year. For the first time, Whitney enters the Sierra Foothill League in 2018-19 with league title hopes on its mind. The SFL is no cakewalk. But if any team has prepared for it, Whitney is. Over the past few years, it had scheduled SFL opponents like Granite Bay, Rocklin and former member Woodcreek in non-conference competition. “It was very important,” Whitney head coach Nick French said on scheduling SFL opponents over the years. “We are very familiar with the SFL because of playing all the teams over the years.” However, the Wildcats enter one of the toughest leagues in the state with a very young team. That inexperience will require learning Coach French’s rapid-substitution offense, where all players will see a boost in court time. “(Our team) is going to learn how to play together,” French said. “It helps us because (other teams) don’t know what to expect.” Last season, Justin Kraft, Tyler Austin and Matt Willis led the Wildcats’ charge on offense, but they all graduated last spring. Those three players helped the team make it all the way to the section semifinals, before losing to St. Mary’s in overtime. “Those guy were huge,” French said. “Most of them were three-year varsity players and one of them was the all-time leader in points in school history.” Key returners this season include Ryan King, Jacob Fink and Isaac Ackerman. They had the distinction of being the top three scoring underclassmen from last year’s team. King (6 feet 5 inches) and Fink (6-foot-4) come in as juniors and Ackerman (6-feet) is a senior this year. “We are trying to build a family here with a strong culture,” King said. “I think our whole team has bought into the idea that our team goal is to win a section championship.” Whitney will have to compete with teams like Folsom, Oak Ridge and Rocklin to make the playoffs. However, the SFL often qualifies more teams for the postseason than many of the other leagues. The ‘Cats will open up the season with a Foundation Game at Woodcreek Nov. 19. Nov. 28 begins the second annual NorCal Tip-Off Tournament, a 16-team extravaganza hosted by both Whitney and Rocklin High Schools. It will feature some of the finest teams in the surrounding area, including last year’s champion Clovis West. League play begins Jan. 4, with the Wildcats playing host to Del Oro.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

WILDCATS PREPARE TO TAKE ON THE SIERRA FOOTHILL LEAGUE

CAMERON SALERNO

Placer Herald | 11/21/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Salerno