Central Section boys basketball championships: Previews, rosters and schedule of games
Next up is the final step for the Buchanan High boys basketball team.
The Road to Selland began with wins over Bakersfield Christian and Clovis North to get to the Central Section Division I championship against top-seed St. Joseph at 8 p.m. Saturday at Selland Arena. It will not be easy for the Bears because they know the Knights are hungry for a section title after falling short last season.
St. Joseph lost to Clovis North 69-60 in stunning fashion at Selland when the Broncos’ gameplan worked perfectly. The Bears can only hope to replicate that against a Knights team featuring six players 6-foot-5 or taller, led by Baylor-bound Tounde Yessoufou.
It won’t be an easy assignment for the Bears.
Buchanan is seeking the first section title in school history and St. Joseph is looking for its second.
Division II, No. 1 Mission Prep vs. No. 3 Central: The Grizzlies went 3-7 in the Tri-River Athletic Conference, but those losses were against some tough competition. One of those wins came at home against Buchanan. The Grizzlies won three straight D-I titles from 2015-2018 and will attempt for their first D-II title.
Division IV, No. 1 Fresno Christian vs. No. 3 Monache: Eagles coach Jon Penberthy likes how his team stepped up to the challenge in a difficult nonleague games. Fresno Christian defeated Redwood, Clovis, Garces and Sunnyside. Impressive wins for Fresno Christian. The Eagles last won a section title in the 2019-2020 season. The Marauders went 20-11 this season and 8-2 in the East Yosemite League
Division V, No. 5 Granite Hills vs. No. 7 Strathmore: The Grizzlies have been to the section title games before but haven’t won, and will face the Spartans that is in a title drought.
Division VI, No. 5 Chowchilla vs. No. 6 Fowler: While the Tribe seek their first section title, the Redcats have been close to a section title but come up short.
Here is the primer for the games involving Fresno-area schools:
Division I: No. 1 St. Joseph vs. No. 2 Buchanan
How St. Joseph got to Selland: d. No. 8 Bullard 89-49, No. 4 San Joaquin Memorial 61-38
How Buchanan got to Selland: d. No. 7 Bakersfield Christian 61-56, d. No. 3 Clovis North 58-44
St. Joseph roster: 0 Josiah Gonzales, Jr.; 1 Julius Price, Jr.; 2 Malcolm Price, Soph.; 3 Gunner Morini, Jr.; 4 Abdoul Bare, Jr.; 5 Williams Sacre, Fr.; 10 Chase Untal, Sr; 11 Jaiden Pham; 15 Mantas Rimkus, Sr.; 21 Matas Siskauskas, Sr.; 23 Elijah Ormond, So.; 24 Tounde Tessoufou, Sr.; 35 Godson Eyita, So.
Buchanan roster: 0 Jaiden Anderson, Jr.; 1 Desmon Patton, Jr.’ 3 Chetan Gill, Sr.; 4 Conner Sheets, Sr. 5 Carter Finley, Jr.; 11 Rhead Sweeney, Fr.; 13 London Bratcher, Jr.; Jordan Caras, Jr. 15 Hayden Nasalroad, Jr. 20 Broden Burger, So.; 21 Ethan Colunga, Sr.; 24 Dax Stout, Sr.; 25 Brayden Harris, Jr.; 30 Mateo Navarrette, Jr., Jr.; 33 Cardem Sweeney, Jr.; 34 Tyler Gibson, Sr. 35 Luke Demanby, Fr.
Division II: No. 1 Mission Prep vs. No. 3 Central
How Mission Prep got to Selland: d. No. 16 Hoover 71-51, No. 9 Roosevelt 80-52, No. 12 Frontier 67-55
How Central got to Selland: d. No. 14 Tulare Western 81-50, No. 6 Bakersfield 48-45, No. 7 Porterville 71-54
Mission Prep roster: 1 Hunter Drake, Jr.; 2 David Kellogg, Jr.; 3 Colton Mott, So.; 4 Brody Miller, Sr.; 5 Ethan Orozco, Sr.; 10 Brayden Mott, Sr.; 11 Roman Benedetti, Sr.; 13 Cannon Traenor, So.; 15 Cole Traenor, So.; 20 Jayden Nozil, Sr.; 22 Jackson Esparza, So.; 24 Jacob Martinez, Jr.; 25 Kyson Hickman, Sr.; 32 Charles Morrisey, Sr.; 33 Stokes Whalen, Sr.
Central roster: 0 Stanley Makely, Jr.; 1 Sier Harbin, So.; 2 Elijah Graves, Jr.; 3 Jacob Lee, So.; 10 Martle McIntyre, Jr.; 11 Gerald Perry, Sr.; 12 Braylon Crawford, So.; 13 Josiah Perry, Fr.; 14 Isaac Richardson, Jr.; 15 Corde Dockery, Jr.; 20 Lonzo Jenkins, So.; 21 O’Shawn Roberts, Jr.; 22 John Galaviz, Sr.; 23 Na’Jae Stevenson, Sr.; 24. Darryus Johnson, So.; 32 Jared Reed, So.
Division IV: No. 1 Fresno Christian vs. No. 3 Monache
How Fresno Christian got to Selland: d. No. 16 Sanger West 76-47, No. 8 McLane 64-53, No. 12 Ridgeview 59-39
How Monache got to Selland: d. No. 3 Tehachapi 75-65, No. 11 Coalinga 52-47, No. 2 Corcoran 58-55
Fresno Christian roster: 0 Devin Gaines, Jr.; 1 Noah Coulton, Jr.; 2 Dawson Briner, Sr.; 3 Jeremiah Mason, Sr.; 4 Isaiah Long, Fr.; 5 Beckham Klein, Sr.; 10 Trevor Engelman, Sr.; 11 Aden Millwee, Sr.; 12 Joshua Kubota, Sr.; 13 Tycen Ramirez, Jr.; 21 Chance Hertel, Sr.; 30 Arjun Patel, Fr.; 33 Caleb Schuer, So.; 35 Preston Lechuga, Jr.
Monache roster: 0 DJ Shimer, Jr.; 1 Ty Baxter, Sr.; 2 Jaydan Garcia, Jr.; 3 Gabriel Carbajal, Jr.; 4 Maxx Torres, Sr.; 10 Isaak Snavely, Jr.; 11 Dillon Hall, So.; 12 Ayden Herrera, Sr.; 20 Ty Harrington, So.; 21 Kaden Perez, So.; 22 Isaac Leal, Sr.; 23 Nikko Duran, Jr.; 24 E’saun Jefferson, Sr.; 30 Ryen Recek, Sr.
Division V: No. 5 Granite Hills vs. No. 7 Strathmore
How Granite Hills got to Selland: d. No. 12 Orange Cove 61-45, No. 4 Orcutt Acadmey 55-49, d. No. 1 Exeter 45-41
How Strathmore got to Selland: d. No. 10 Bishop Union 54-45, d. No. 2 Madera South 63-46, d. No. 3 Santa Maria 77-69
Granite Hills roster: 1 Joel Iniguez, Sr.; 2 Victor Millan, Jr.; 3 Cruz Campos, Jr.; 4 Frankie Campos, Sr.; 5 Noah Gudino, Jr.; 10 Abraham Gonzalez, Jr.; 11 Gabriel Iniguez, So.; 12 Alonso Campos, Jr.; 15 Xavier Fernandez, So.; 20 Elijah Green, Jr.; 23 Christopher Gonzalez, Sr.; 24 Jose Sanchez, So.; 33 Israel Villegas, Jr.
Strathmore roster: 0 Isaiah Colunga, Jr.; 1 Nathan Cohen, Sr.; 4 Dion Ambriz, Jr.; 5 Fynn Stadtherr, Jr.; 10 Diego Lopez, Sr.; 11 Canyon Johnson, Sr.; 21 Nashaan Gill, Sr.; 22 Nico Martinez, Jr.; 23 Isael Gutierrez, Sr. 24 Nicolas Wilkinson, Jr.; 30 Ekjot Sandhu, Jr.; 32 Sebastian Jimenez, Sr.
Division VI: No. 5 Chowchilla vs. No. 6 Fowler
How Chowchilla got to Selland: d. No. 12 Firebaugh 65-41, No. 4 Mendota 59-45, No. 1 Taft 65-58
How Fowler got to Selland: d. No. 11 Summit Charter 77-36, No. 3 Rosamond 60-53, No. 2 Del Oro 75-59
Chowchilla roster: 0 Christian Vargas, Jr.; 1 Tristan Beardsley, So.; 2 Moritz Heckerodt, Jr.; 3 Daniel Ojeda, Sr.; 4 Levi Marsh, Fr.; 5 Zayne Smith, Sr.; 10 Benson Soares, Sr.; 11 Oliver Fuller, Jr.; 12 Hadden Bass, Sr.; 13 Jayden Messing; 20 Kyler Wlaters, Sr.; 21 Khaled Escheik, Sr.; 23 Ismael Aguilar, Sr.; 32 Christian Elias, So.
Fowler roster: 0 Jadon Tafolla, Sr.; 1 Matthew Lopez, Jr.; 4 Jerod Smith, Sr.; 5 Jesus Alcantar, Jr.; 11 Aydan Caraveo, Jr.; 12 Sebastian Garcia, So. 13 Manraj Bains, Jr.; 20 Elijah Vasquez, Jr.; 21 Omar Cardenas, Jr.; 22 Frankie Huante, Jr.; 23 Nico Rodriguez, Sr.; 30 Bhavan Singh, Sr.; 32 Jesse Betancourt, Jr.
Championships schedule
At Selland Arena
Friday, Feb. 28
Division VI
No. 5 Chowchilla vs. No. 6 Fowler, Noon
Division IV
No. 1 Fresno Christian vs. No. 3 Monache, 4 p.m.
Division II
No. 1 Mission Prep vs. No. 3 Central, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 1
Division V
No. 5 Granite Hills vs. No. 7 Strathmore, Noon
Division III
No. 1 North vs. No. 10 Righetti, 4 p.m.
Division I
No. 1 St. Joseph vs. No. 2 Buchanan, 8 p.m.
This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
