Nor-Cal Tip-Off Classic: Two North-South battles featured
NEWARK, Ca. – A couple of the better squads from Southern California will face tough Northern California counterparts in the final two contests Saturday night at Newark Memorial High during the eight-game, 12th Nor Cal Tip Off Classic.
The Gerry Freitas-fronted event tips at 9:30 a.m. with San Francisco Sacred Heart facing another squad from The City, Stuart Hall.
The final two matchups, at 7 and 8:30 p.m., feature the SoCal-NorCal showdowns.
Repping the South are Playa del Rey St. Bernard (3-0) taking off defending State Open Division runner-up Sacramento Sheldon (making its debut) at 7 o’clock following by Orange County’s Santa Margarita (4-1) and Modesto Christian (also playing its first game) to conclude things.
St. Bernard center Romelle Mansel signed a National Letter of Intent with Long Beach State last week and also has a terrific backcourt in senior Mook Harris and junior Nick Bowen.
Sheldon returns a multitude of players from the team, notably guards Justin Nguyen, Xavion Brown and Keito Williams, while also adding a couple of transfers, including Marcus Bagley (the brother of Sacramento Kings’ rookie Marvin Bagley III).
Santa Margarita has college-bound seniors in Jake Kyman (UCLA), Max Agbonkpolo (USC/PICTURED) and Shengze Li (BYU) while Modesto Christian senior forward Aaron Murphy signed with UC Davis.
The other five matchups and approximate tip-off times:
Union City Logan-Moraga Campolindo, 11 a.m.;
Dublin-San Francisco Riordan, 12:30 p.m.;
Newark Memorial-Vallejo St. Patrick-St. Vincent, 2:15;
Hayward Moreau Catholic-Sacramento Capital Christian, 3:45;
Oakland Bishop O’Dowd vs. Sacramento Grant, 5:30