High school basketball: Dinuba snaps a long title drought after a win over Mission Prep
Dinuba High boys basketball coach Jeff Schofield knows about the long drought the school was facing in winning a Central Section title.
He should know since he’s also the athletic director.
And the list of dates are bare, too.
Try 1929, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
The long drought is finally over Dinuba after a 46-42 victory over Mission Prep in the Division II championship at Selland Arena on Friday night.
“Our kids rose to the occasion,” Schofield said. “We were able to pull it out there at the end, which was great. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
Schofield surprised his players in the locker room by telling them about the long drought.
His players were also happy to be the ones to end the drought.
“We were surprised,” said Josiah Ochoa, who led Dinuba with 17 points. “Celebrate this one and then move on to state and just keep working, honestly.”
The game featured 11 lead changes with Mission Prep having a nine point lead with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Dinuba’s biggest lead was four points with 1:37 remaining when Brice Watley hit two free throws for a 43-39 lead.
Along with the 1929 title, the Emperors also won titles in 1921 and 1927.
Dinuba will hope to add a state title to its trophy case when they find out where they’ll be seeded when the CIF state playoffs are announced on Sunday.
For now, the Emperors will savor the section title.
“We knew there would be times we would have adversity,” Schofield said. “We would have to fight through that and they’ve done it all year.”
