THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

If you didn’t know the Sierra Foothill League was a physical league, Friday night showed it was. In a game that saw nearly combined 40 fouls committed by both teams as well as an abundance of free throws, Whitney did just enough down the stretch to knock off Oak Ridge 59-52 after trailing by three to start the fourth quarter. “I saw our team come of age tonight and grow up,” Whitney boys head coach Nick French said. “I saw our team hit big shots in the fourth and I am really proud of them.” Despite Oak Ridge knocking off Whitney by 15 points in the first matchup, Trojan coach Rich Sondhi saw similarities in both contests. “I thought both tonight and the last game were very similar,” Sondhi said. “Both games were very physical and the only difference was at our place we made plays down the stretch just like (Whitney) made plays on their home court tonight.” With Whitney leading 15-11 at the end of the first, Oak Ridge shifted to a press defense causing many turnovers in the process. The tempo change allowed the Trojans to jump on top 24-20 going into the locker room. “I think our team has done a good job in switching up defenses all year,” Sondhi said. “(The goal) was to slow them down just like they did to us. I thought switching the defenses was effective for us tonight just like it has been all year.” The third quarter is when the Wildcats’ offense started to show signs of life. Whitney junior Ryan King scored six of his team-high 16 points in that frame to give the Wildcats a spark heading to the fourth quarter. Whitney used a 22-9 run to start the fourth quarter to lead Oak Ridge by 11 points, its largest lead of the game. The run came after the Wildcats trailed by three to start the fourth quarter. “Our kids made plays (in the fourth quarter),” French said. “In the past, we struggled to make plays but tonight we grew up and made plays when it counted.” Oak Ridge attempted a comeback in the closing minutes of the game and cut it all the way down to six with under a minute to go. However, it wouldn’t be enough and Whitney took the game, 59-52. The win helped Whitney boost to a third-place tie with Oak Ridge in the SFL standings. “I thought Whitney out-rebounded and out-physicaled us down the stretch,” Sondhi said. “(Whitney) in the end just made plays when it mattered and they had more desire to get the ball.” Along with King’s 16 points, Isaac Ackerman, Carsten Schulz and Callan Ferreria all contributed seven points. Whitney closes out SFL play with Granite Bay Tuesday and Rocklin Friday. “I think if we play like we did tonight the rest of the year, we are going to have success,” French said. “It proves that we can play with anyone and be in any game.” In a losing effort for Oak Ridge, Drake Middleton led his team with 19 points while Jacob Brown added 18. The Trojans close out league play on the road versus Rocklin Tuesday and at home versus Folsom Friday. On the girls’ side, another key SFL game took place with league position on the line for both teams. With Whitney a game out of second place to Oak Ridge in the standings, the Wildcats picked up a big win Friday night. The win helped Whitney jump Oak Ridge in the standings despite identical 5-3 league records. “I thought our rebounding was key for our team tonight,” Whitney girls head coach Sydney Gatson said. “Throughout the game I thought we boxed out well as a team and it helped get our run going early. When we have good ball movement, that’s when we are at our best.” Whitney took a sizeable 42-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter and with just minutes to go, it looked like Whitney would preserve the victory. Oak Ridge, however, had other plans and a big 3-pointer by the Trojans cut the Whitney lead all the way down to two. With Oak Ridge forced to foul, the Wildcats headed to the free throw line in the bonus with 0.5 seconds to play. Despite the missed free throw on the front end of the one-and-one, the Trojans couldn’t get a shot off. The Wildcats preserved the hard-fought 54-52 victory to take the season series over Oak Ridge. “Our team had to change out of the zone and get back to man-to-man,” Gatson said. “It was key for us to get our hands up and play good defense at the end.” Emily Brustman led all scorers with 16 while dynamic scorer Jada Lewis added 10. The Lady Wildcats close out league play with Rocklin and Granite Bay. “After a three-game skid, (tonight's win) definitely feels good and gives our team confidence,” Gatson said. “(Granite Bay) is a tough team, so our team will have to show a lot of poise in that game and with it being senior night we will have to set aside the emotion.” For Oak Ridge, Teagan Brown led her team with 15 points while sisters Lauren and Abby Helwig chipped in 12. Oak Ridge finishes with Rocklin Wednesday and league-leading Folsom Friday.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

‘CATS OUTLAST TROJANS IN SFL BATTLE

CAMERON SALERNO

Placer Herald | 2/2/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Salerno