BRETT CALLAN TOURNAMENT: Tough times for local teams
The basketball was excellent. The sportsmanship was superb. The results were poor - at least as far as local teams are concerned - in the ninth annual Brett Callan Memorial Tournament played in Casa Grande’s Coach Ed Iacopi Gymnasium last weekend.
Host Casa Grande won just once in three tries, while Petaluma lost three straight.
Cardinal Newman won the tournament title, remaining undefeated on the season with a 68-64 win over Washington of San Francisco in the championship game.
By the game, here’s what happened over three action-filled days:
Game 1
In the tournament’s first game, Petaluma’s cold-shooting Trojans fell behind Windsor, 18-8, in the first period and were never really in the game, losing, 61-39. Ben Sanderson continued his recent scoring surge for Petaluma, counting 15 points. The Trojans were unable to control Windsor guard Gabe Knight, who not only scored 19 points, but also pulled down 10 rebounds. Teammate Brent Tucker was a force in the paint, scoring 14 points.
Petaluma scored nine points in the second quarter. Sanderson accounted for seven of them and had nine points at halftime, but his team trailed, 34-17.
Things just never got much better for the Trojans.
Game 2
Connor Rubattino scored 16 points to lead Cardinal Newman to a 68-54 win over defending tournament champion Fairfield.
Fairfield stayed with the undefeated Cardinals during the early stages of the game, but trailed at the half 36-26, and Newman was able to maintain the advantage for the remainder of the game.
James Ryan added 13 points for the Cardinals. Robert Harrison carried the Fairfield offense with 20 points.
Game 3
George Washington made an impressive tournament beginning, dominating Miramonte, 70-47, and giving an indication of the exciting things to come from the Eagles.
Game 4
It was the Jon Christy show as Casa Grande opened with a 60-55 win over Analy in one of the most exciting games of the tournament. Christy scored a career best 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.
“It was a pretty cool experience. This is my last Callan Tournament, so I thought, ‘Why not go out with a bang,’” he said.
His point total put him in an exclusive 13-member club of players who have scored 30 or more points in a single Callan Tournament game.
Despite Christy’s big game, the Gauchos had to scramble to beat the hustling Tigers who received 25 points from Malcolm Jenkins, with teammate Chance Orgega adding 20.
Junior Robbie Sheldon had a big game for the Gauchos with 14 points and seven rebounds. JJ Anderson, less than a month removed from quarterbacking the Casa football team, filled in for injured all-leaguer Will Crain, and pulled down 11 rebounds. Crain has a broken hand and will be out until at least mid-January.
Despite Christy’s efforts and strong support from several other Gauchos, the game was an exciting back-and-forth struggle that saw Casa Grande clinging to a 55-53 lead in the final 30 seconds.
With time expiring, Sheldon and Colin McDonald hit five clutch free throws to clinch the win for the Gauchos.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was gutsy,” said Casa Grande coach James Forni. “I was awfully worried about Analy. They are a good basketball team.”
Game 5
Petaluma out-scored Fairfield in three of the game’s four periods to start the tournament’s second night, but in the period Fairfield won, the Eagles blitzed the Trojans 29-10 to win by a deceptive 70-55 score.
Petaluma started the game with its best quarter of the season, blistering the net for 20 opening-period points. Ben Sanderson, Ryan Cox, Colin Stremlau and Ryan Perez all connected for 3-pointers in an impressive shooting display that gave the Trojans a 20-17 lead.
The Trojans cooled considerable in the second period, but another 3-point hit by Cox still had them in front, 28-27, at the intermission.
A driving basket by Drake Paretti had the game tied at 37-37 with 4:33 left in the third when everything changed. Petaluma scored just one more point the remainder of the period, while Fairfield, scoring inside and out, connected on three shots from 3-point land and a few shots from assorted other distances. By the end of the quarter, Petaluma trailed, 56-38, and its fate was sealed.
A late Trojan surge led by Zack Stromburg and Lucas Zedek cut what at one time was a 23-point Fairfield lead to 15 by game’s end.
Sophomore Uriah Benning led the Falcons with 19 points, while Cox scored 20 for the Trojans. Sanderson suffered a leg injury and left the game in the third quarter, but still scored 13 for Petaluma.
Game 6
Analy, perhaps showing fatigue from its tough match against Casa Grande the previous night, was surprised by Miramonte, 61-53.
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