Long time coming for Clovis High boys basketball: a section title
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Clovis wins Central Section Division II title, first since 1947.
- Coach Lee Mayberry credits vision, trust and staff continuity for success.
- Young roster embraced 'we over me,' signaling a sustained program turnaround.
The final buzzer sounded and a roar poured down from the stands as the Clovis High boys basketball finished what they had envisioned from day one.
Clovis 68, Atascadero 47.
A Central Section Division II championship.
Finally, a section title for the first time since 1947, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
In his first season at the helm, coach Lee Mayberry soaked in the moment years in the making for a program that had long been searching for its breakthrough.
Clovis had celebrated success across campus in nearly every other sport. Boys basketball, however, had been the missing piece.
“What does something like this mean?” Mayberry repeated afterward, shaking his head with a smile. “It’s huge. This community has been really hungry for a winner in the boys basketball program. They win at everything else. This was kind of that missing piece.”
The Cougars didn’t just win Friday, they controlled the game.
Clovis defended with purpose, shared the ball, and wore down Atascadero possession after possession.
By the fourth quarter, the outcome felt inevitable. The vision had become reality.
Mayberry credits belief as the turning point.
“We had a vision. The best coaching staff in the state, in my opinion,” he said. “We had our standard, and we stuck to it. The guys committed. They believed. They trusted us. And they put in the work. It’s proven successful.”
The message was clear from the beginning: ‘we over me.’ The phrase was stitched onto the back of their shirts and embedded into everything they did.
“We’re going to be hard on you, but we’re going to love on you too,” Mayberry told his players when he arrived. “Everything we tell you is to help you get better. We’re in your corner.”
That trust became the foundation.
The Cougars bought in. Practices sharpened. Roles solidified. A young roster matured quickly, even without a senior-heavy lineup.
“There’s still a little bit of immaturity, we’re young,” Mayberry admitted. “But they grew up a lot this year. These kids believe they can beat anybody on a given night. They just have to go out and work.”
Friday’s title was more than a trophy — it was a statement.
Clovis believes it belongs back among Division I contenders. The turnaround feels real.
Mayberry was quick to point out he didn’t build it alone.
“Coach (Jonathan) Heinz was here before,” he said. “These are his kids. I’m a byproduct of what he had. I just came in and added to what he had already built. All those kids were in the system. I just had to do my part.”
With the Central Section crown secured, the Cougars now turn the page. Mayberry has framed the season as a book — introduction, body, conclusion. But now there’s an unexpected extra chapter.
“We write our own story,” he said. “Nobody writes it for you. So let’s go write the next chapter.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 11:18 PM.
