Varsity Boys Basketball Take On League!
By Ryan Eshoff

What is that they say about being a gracious host? From December 8-10, the varsity boys basketball team opened their gym for the West Coast Classic, an eight-team tournament of talented basketball squads. The Warriors rolled through their own event, defeating Wilson Prep of Oakland by an 80-25 margin, Mount Eden of Hayward 51-40, and made a strong statement with a 72-46 victory over defending champion Woodside in the final. Senior Brandon Holland was named Tournament MVP while senior Terrance Worthy and junior Andrew Daou were named to the All-Tournament Team.
After defeating Gilroy at home 55-42, North Salinas on the road 70-24, and McClymonds at home 46-34, the squad headed down to Southern California for the annual Chaminade Christmas Classic. The Warriors made an impressive statement, taking second after losing only once, in their fourth and final game, to Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, the team got off to a rocky start in WCAL. Already playing without Holland, the Warriors saw Daou go down with an injury against St. Francis, a game that they lost 61-48. In a battle on the road against Riordan, a decimated Valley Christian squad was outlasted by the Crusaders in a back-and-forth affair, falling 44-41. Looking for the elusive WCAL victory, the Warriors visited Archbishop Mitty January 10. A balanced offensive and defensive attack helped propel the team to a 63-52 victory. Senior Tim Biederman led the way with 16 points. Facing St. Ignatius, Valley’s boys struggled to find their shooting touch, and were beaten by a late lay-up, 48-47. It was nearly déjà vu for the Warriors against Sacred Heart Cathedral, with a more satisfying end result. This time, it was Biederman getting scoring late to give Valley the 47-46 victory. Battles between Valley Christian and the Bellarmine Bells are always intense, and the match-up on the hill January 18 was no no exception. A lackluster third-quarter soured an otherwise worthy effort, with the Bells coming out victorious 57-46.
The team traveled to the hostile environment at Junipero Serra to take on the Padres. Facing a tough crowd and an aeven tougher opponent, the Warriors commendable effort was not enough, as they fell to Junipero Serra 67-47. Worthy led the way with 25 points.