CONCORD, CA – Archbishop Mitty came into the West Coast Jamboree fresh off being named No. 1 in the nation, and the way they dismantled Folsom the Monarchs left no doubt about their prowess with an 89-42 Platinum Division title-game rout.
Mitty (12-0) trailed only once at 2-0, but after a 19-1 run there was no uncertainty of the final outcome. The Monarchs led 21-7 after one quarter and 54-20 at halftime in what many expert analysts in attendance felt was an unbelievable first two quarters.
“This is one of the most impressive first halves I’ve ever seen, and Folsom isn’t playing that bad,” said Jamboree co-Tournament Director, Cal Stars EYBL national champion and Miramonte Coach Kelly Sopak.
With Mitty leading 52-15 near the end of the first half one fan sitting behind the scorer’s table blurted out “this is a clinic,” and unfortunately for the raucous Folsom faithful that filled the stands at Clayton Valley on Saturday night, the statement was more than accurate.
“Our 33-point second quarter was one of the best in girls basketball I’ve ever seen,” said Mitty’s six-time CIF state championship Coach Sue Phillips.
The Monarchs have a deep roster with all five starters garnering Division I college attention, but when you talk about Mitty it all starts with Haley Jones.
To be blunt the 6-1 Jones was magnificent. The reigning Cal-Hi Sports State Sophomore of the Year and leading candidate for the Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year this season finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. For most girls it would have been a career game but for Jones it was just another day at the office, and she barely played in what was a running clock fourth quarter.
At the start of the game she guarded Cal Stars Nike Elite teammate and Cal-bound Folsom star McKenzie Forbes, but at some point in the game she played all five positions on the court.
“Haley demonstrated the whole package tonight and showed her full skill set,” Phillips remarked. “Great defense playing all five spots on the court, passing, handling the ball, scoring with contact, hitting the three, she did it all.”
Jones, who was mostly responsible for holding Forbes to six points (six rebounds, two assists, two steals), draws the gasps from the crowd with her silky smooth moves, but what makes Mitty seemingly unbeatable is she doesn’t do it alone.
University of San Diego-bound 6-2 post Nicole Blakes had the assignment of guarding Folsom’s 6-6 UCLA-bound Shayley Harris, and the first thing she did was draw two quick fouls on the Bulldogs senior post. Blakes netted 14 point with six rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocks, while holding Harris to 10 points and four rebounds.
Junior guard Ania McNicholas, who is first off the bench, had 14 points with three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Guard Hunter Hernandez, who is only the fourth freshman to start for Mitty in Phillips’ 26 years at the Monarchs helm, added 12 points.
Penn State-bound 6-0 senior guard Karisma Ortiz was content to pass and play defense early on but still chipped in for 10 points, with nine rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Part of the reason Mitty is so tough is from Jones all the way down to the last player on the 11-girl roster, everyone is in excellent physical condition. That type of conditioning wears down most teams, even the elite ones like Folsom or the three top preseason teams in the nation the Monarchs took down at the Nike TOC just prior to the Jamboree.
“Our fitness level is a key to our success,” said Jones, who was a lead pipe cinch as the recipient of the David “Scoop” Jackson Most Valuable Player Award named in honor of the Jamboree’s founder and current member of the non-profits’ board of directors.
Fitness may be a key but the approach to playing basketball Phillips preaches has led to her being a coach on the USA Women’s Basketball team more than once.
“For us our style is to stick to the game plan,” Ortiz said.
“Be aggressive and decisive coach always says,” added Blakes.
A bright spot in the game and the tournament for Folsom (11-2) was the play of freshman Charity Gallegos. The 5-4 guard who drew raves from noted girls’ basketball analyst Chris Hansen of Prospectsnation.com and Elite is Earned, had 10 points despite being double-teamed the entire game.
Forbes, who had to really carry the team in this game, wore down at the end. Even so, her play throughout the three-game tournament was a perfect example of the criteria for the Jim Capoot Memorial Award given to the Platinum Division player that best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship and inspirational play Capoot demanded from his players.
Capoot, the former Vallejo coach who led his girls to the 2009 Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship, was killed in the line of duty in 2011 as a police officer for the Vallejo Police Department.
Going forward it’s hard to imagine a team in the West Catholic Athletic League giving Mitty a tussle, or anyone other than Prep2Prep CCS No. 2 Pinewood even giving them a game in the section’s Open Division playoffs.
The Monarchs, who beat preseason national No. 2 St. Mary’s-Stockton in the title game of the Smith Division of the TOC as the No. 4 ranked preseason team, will likely have to do it again in the CIF Northern Regional Open Division playoffs. However, that’s over two months away.
“This is December and we have to prove ourselves in March. That’s the bottom line. Phillips remarked. “We have to improve and answer the bell in the playoffs.”
That fact is pretty obvious since an Open Division state title is the only thing not on Phillips resume. Even so, Phillips has never had a team quite like this one’s undefeated start.
“We certainly have never had a start with this kind of schedule,” Phillips said with a grin. “It wasn’t exactly loaded with cupcakes.”
There certainly will be more than cupcakes waiting for the Monarchs if they can run the table and win a CIF Open title. Stay tuned, because they are well on their way, and if they do, Mitty could go down as one of the greatest teams ever in high school girls basketball.
