The final edition of the West Catholic Athletic League basketball playoffs gets underway on Tuesday, and that's probably a sad but necessary thing.
I attended the first league tournament finals in 1967 at USF as St. Ignatius defeated Serra by two points. But let me backtrack.
I was 11 years old and absent-mindedly left my gold Stingray bicycle at St. Robert's School and walked home. Right when my dad and I were about to leave for USF I remembered the bike. It made us late for the game and my dad was not happy; he had to bribe a doorman to admit us. My dad had some street savvy for a guy who was once in the seminary.
I don't remember much of the game except S.I. had this big drum and it would do a drum roll with its student section yelling "S" after the drum bit and then "I" after another drum bit and then "S-I!" after a still longer drum roll.
The Wildcats made two free throws with 9-10 seconds left and then Serra drove the length of the court and missed a lay-up under heavy pressure at the buzzer. I recall a Padre player bouncing the ball in frustration off the hardwood after the final shot was missed.
The playoffs have served the WCAL well for these many years, but they have been jettisoned for at least 2014-2015 because of too many three-game weeks during the regular season and the fact league foes were beating each other up by facing each other as many as five times.
Said Archbishop Mitty coach Tim Kennedy: "I'm in favor of getting rid of the three-game game weeks but I do like the WCAL playoffs. When I was voting my main priority was getting rid of the three-game week but it seems impossible to get rid of the three-game week and keep the playoffs."
My gold Stingray bicycle ... it was later stolen in front of the San Bruno Rec Center. As for the WCAL basketball playoffs, I think it's time has passed.
GETTING UNDERWAY: Opening round WCAL basketball playoffs Tuesday night are are Valley Christian at Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine at Serra, St. Francis at St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral at Archbishop Riordan. All games are at 7 p.m. except for the game at S.I. which begins at 7:30 p.m.
The semifinals are Friday at the home of the higher seed. The title game is at 8 p.m. Saturday at Foothill College, with the girls WCAL title game at 6 p.m.
There are playoffs we know of in these league as well: Peninsula Athletic League, Blossom Valley Athletic League, West Bay Athletic League and Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League. For more information, please check the PrepCat blog on this page.
HE'S GOT SKILLS: One of the things I liked about Bishop O'Dowd team manager Lucas Cortez hitting that 3-pointer last week against Berkeley was the degree of difficulty. Unlike some of these made-for-poignancy moments, Cortez actually had to execute. He had to put the ball through the hoop from 19 feet, nine inches. That's unlike other such instances such as a football defense parting as if it were the red sea to let someone score a touchdown.
It took Cortez, who has health issues, a few tries to make his shot, but he came through.
"I'm just thankful it went in," Cortez told MaxPreps.
COACHING CAROUSEL SPINS :
There have been some comings and goings in the football coaching ranks, besides the fact one-quarter of the Blossom Valley Athletic League coaches have resigned.
As reported, Tim Adams has been hired at Terra Nova and Joe Tenorio has resigned at Alameda.
Seems like a no-brainer at Terra Nova as Adams, 54, was assistant head coach to Bill Gray. The Tigers have also won five consecutive league titles since Adams took over as offensive coordinator.
Tough loss for Encinal which won four consecutive Bay Shore Athletic League titles from 2008 through 2011 with Tenorio, 36, as coach. The Jets lose him because he's seeking a master's degree and an on-campus teaching/coaching job. Can't blame him there.
Also, Justin Lowell is the new coach at Valley Christian-Dublin after leaving Northgate.
WHAT'S IN A SEEDING?: The Central Coast Section soccer seeding meetings are on Saturday at the CCS office, with boys at 1 p.m. and girls at 3 p.m. The basketball meetings are at 9 a.m. for boys and girls. Both hoops meetings are closed, which I'm not taking personally. The NFHS is doing a Selection Show noon-ish at the end of the basketball meetings. There is also a wrestling seeding meeting on Sunday.
Briefly: Christopher High senior basketball player Cydney Caradonna has committed to the Hawaii Pacific women's basketball team, reports NorCal Preps.com.
