The 2018-19 basketball season has unfortunately come to an end, but it definitely did not go away quietly. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams fought until the end of this grueling season that lasted from October to March.  

The Sac High Lady Dragons started the season beating a formidable Lincoln of Stockton team, then traveled to Redding to play in the 50^th annual Harlan Carter Tournament. They avenged last season’s title game defeat and captured the title, beating Enterprise of Redding! The Lady Dragons then beat local power Oak Ridge before heading to Phoenix to compete in the elite, invite only, Nike Tournament of Champions where they were placed in the D2 Joe Smith division and finished 1-3.  

After Christmas, the Lady Dragons played in the D1 West Coast Jamboree Platinum Division, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the state, beating California #3 and National Top 10 ranked Etiwanda 51-48 in the first round. The Lady Dragons placed 4^th in the WCJ with a narrow loss to regional powerhouse Carondelet in the 3^rd place game.

In January, the Lady Dragons defeated NorCal power Heritage, captured the Capital Athletic League (CAL) title, beating local powers Laguna Creek and Whitney, before defeating Antelope to win the CIF Sac Joaquin Section D2 title at the Golden 1 Arena. The win earned the Lady Dragons the top seed in the D1 Northern region, where the Dragons lost a nail biter against rival McClatchy in the State Quarterfinal. Final record 25-8.

This year’s Sacramento Dragons boys basketball team exceeded expectations. Taking on a schedule that included 13 CIF playoff and Norcal participants, plus an Arizona State finalist got them prepared for a deep playoff run.

The boys knew the CAL would present a tough challenge this year and they were ready to compete. The Dragons were led by last year’s leading scorer and CAL MVP runner up, Izayah Talamadge. The Dragons boast one of the best backcourts in the region with juniors Micah Scott-Kelly and Miles Lewis and a youthful bench that included four freshmen, a sophomore and three juniors. 

The Dragons took runner up in the Mark Gallo Invitational Championship. They finished 2^nd in the daunting CAL which earned them a number 4 seed in the Sac Joaquin Section tournament.  

The Dragons season ended in heartbreaking fashion at Campolindo in overtime 74-72. With a very strong returning core including sharp shooting sophomore Alex Maze, look for the Dragons to be one of the best teams in the area. Final record 20-11.

The Dragon’s basketball future is bright! See you next year! Gooo Dragons!

Sac High Dragons’ Awards and Accomplishments

• Coach Michele Massari reached the 250-win milestone
• Andriana Avent reached 1000 career points
• Andriana Avent got a full-ride basketball scholarship to New Mexico
• Rebekah Brown got a full-ride basketball scholarship to San Francisco State
• Muirae Gomez got a full-ride basketball scholarship to San Francisco State
• RyAnne Walters got a full-ride basketball scholarship to UC Santa Barbara
• 50^th Annual Harlan Carter Champions (girls)
• Mark Gallo Invitational runner up (boys)
• Capital Athletic League champions (girls)
• Coach Michele Massari Coach of year CAL
• Ryanne Walters CAL MVP
• First team CAL: Andriana Avent, Muirae Gomez, Rebekah Brown, Miles Lewis and Izayah Talmadge
• CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 champions (girls)