Vikings Vying for Sacramento Sweep

This has been a magical season for the basketball teams at St. Bernard High and, win or lose, it comes to an end Friday afternoon in Sacramento.

The Vikings' boys and girls teams are both playing for the CIF Division V state championship at Power Balance Pavilion (formerly Arco Arena) and each tips off as an underdog against its Northern California opponent.

The boys play in the first of the weekend's 10 games at 1:30 p.m. against Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame, the North Coast Section champion and No. 1 seed in the regional playoffs. The Pilots (26-9), winners of the Bay Shore League, played two Southern Section opponents--Mission League co-champion Loyola and third-place Crespi--and lost by eight and seven points, respectively.

The Vikings, meanwhile, lost to Alemany, the fourth-place team in the Mission League, 73-57, at the Westchester Tip-Off Classic in early December. 

St. Bernard (26-8) went undefeated en route to winning the Camino Real League but lost to Montclair Prep in the Southern Section Division 5A semifinals before avenging that defeat in the regional semifinals. 

"We know that whoever we play is going to be tough," said St. Bernard forward Thurman Thomas, who made a basket at the buzzer to lift the Vikings past top-seeded Sierra Canyon 61-59 in last Saturday's regional final. "We have to come out ready to play our game."

According to Calpreps, St. Joseph Notre Dame is ranked 56th in the state and St. Bernard is 95th. The Pilots are three-and-a-half point favorites and have a slightly better strength of schedule. The Vikings, however, have played quality teams in higher divisions in Southern California, including City Section Division I finalist Westchester and Windward, which plays for the state Division IV title Saturday.

"I'm just happy for these kids that they get to experience this," said Vikings first-year coach Reggie Morris, who turned around a program that finished 4-23 last season. "We'll make a run at it up there and see if we both [girls and boys] can go back-to-back." 

The girls squad, coached by Bo Corona, takes on Los Altos Hills Pinewood right after the boys Division V game. Scheduled tip-off time is 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The Panthers (27-5), the Central Coast Section champions and the No. 1 seed in the regional playoffs, are riding a 12-game winning streak after beating Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame in last Saturday's championship game. They are ranked 27th in California by Calpreps and are favored by eight to nine points over the Vikings (24-14), who are ranked No. 68 in the state. 

St. Bernard, however, has been on a roll ever since losing 52-49 to Oxnard Santa Clara in the Southern Section Division 5AA final on March 5. They have won four straight in decisive fashion, including a 60-45 revenge win over Santa Clara in last Saturday's regional championship game.

"We want to win this for our coach and for everyone at our school, so we'll be playing hard," freshman forward Michelle Curry said. "I'm sure that the boys will too." 

Like the boys squad, the Lady Vikings did not win their section but rebounded in the regional tournament. Playing in the tough Del Rey League, where they finished fourth, prepared them for the higher level of competition they have faced in the playoffs. Pinewood split its two games against Southern California teams this season--losing to Huntington Beach Edison 79-72 and defeating Chula Vista Olympian 53-31. 

"It definitely helps playing in a league that strong because you're up against a playoff-caliber opponent every night," Corona said. "It toughens you up. We're looking forward to the challenge."