Castro Valley Boys Sink San Lorenzo

Coming off their first win in 10 years over San Leandro High, the San Lorenzo High Rebels entered their boys basketball game Friday evening against the Castro Valley High Trojans with high hopes.

But the Trojans, after a close first quarter, steadily took that hope away with a stingy defense, pulling away to a 65-45 Hayward Area Athletic League victory at San Lorenzo’s Mangin Pavilion.

The victory left Castro Valley at 7-2 in league and in second place behind Bishop O’Dowd as well as 15-4 for the season. San Lorenzo fell to 6-3 in league and 10-9 overall.

“After that big win Wednesday night at San Leandro, we felt we had turned the corner,” said Brandon Parks, the Rebels’ third-year head coach. “But they (the Trojans) are a very good team. They are long and athletic. So hats off to that team over there.”

Dawson Johnson, Castro Valley’s lone holdover starter from last year’s North Coast Section Division I championship team, led all scorers with 22 points. Sophomore Derrick Clayton complemented the play of the senior guard with 18 points, several his hoops coming on putbacks or tip-ins of missed shots.

But Castro Valley coach Nick Jones was most excited about his team’s defensive play, in particular on the Rebels’ top two scorers, Ali Faruqbey and Davon Stewart, both of whom Jones said were averaging more than 20 points a game.

“Deveion McClain-Hall guarded 22 (Faruqbey), and Jalen McFerren guarded No. 24 (Stewart),” Jones said. “Overall, there was a good, hard energy on defense. That’s what we asked of them and they did what we asked.”

Stewart led the Rebels with 12 points, and Faruqbey was held to 11 points. Besides turning in some tough “D,” McFerren also contributed 15 points to the Trojans’ cause, hitting a long two and a 3-pointer on successive possessions in the second half.

Coach Parks defended Faruqbey, saying, “He’s been battling sickness the last week and a half. But they (Trojans) had a good game plan against him as well. They double-teamed and frustrated him.”

That frustration also led to the 6-1 junior getting into early foul trouble. After he was called for his second foul in the second quarter, Faruqbey slammed the ball off the floor and elicited a technical foul. In high school ball, technical fouls are added to the personal fouls, giving the Rebel his third of the game.

“He was frustrated by that over-the-back call there, but you can’t let your emotions get the better of you,” Parks counseled.

Castro Valley led only 11-9 after the first quarter but had it up to 27-19 by half. Then the Trojans, forcing numerous turnovers that resulted in a lot of fast breaks and much open-court action, doubled their lead by outscoring the Rebels 24-16 in the third quarter.

The Rebels made a couple of baskets at the end of the third for 51-35, but Castro Valley held them scoreless for the first 4:05 of the fourth quarter while running its lead up to 59-35.

“It was a good win, a good win on the road,” Jones said.