(Mercury News & East Bay Times)

No. 1 PIEDMONT (15-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Update: Beat Castro Valley 85-22, Alameda 73-14, Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 80-37, Salesian 69-63.

Up next: Wednesday at Bishop O’Dowd, 5:30 p.m.

No. 2 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (14-2)

Previous ranking: 2

Update: Beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 65-45, St. Francis 79-30, Oakland Tech 68-60, Bishop O’Dowd 61-31.

Up next: Friday vs. Valley Vista-Surprise, Arizona, 7 p.m.

No. 3 SALESIAN (15-3)

Previous ranking: 3

Update: Beat St. Mary’s-Berkeley 74-40, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 52-39, Moreau Catholic 57-43. Lost to Piedmont 69-63.

Up next: Wednesday vs. Swett, 5 p.m.

No. 4 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (14-2)

Previous ranking: 4

Update: Lost to Archbishop Mitty 65-45. Beat Valley Christian 57-50, Menlo School 66-44.

Up next: Jan. 25 at St. Ignatius, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 CARONDELET (17-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Update: Beat Bethel-Spanaway, Wash., 67-29, Lakeside-Seattle 56-40.

Up next: Today at San Ramon Valley, 7:30 p.m.

No. 6 OAKLAND TECH (13-5)

Previous ranking: 6

Update: Lost to St. Mary’s-Stockton 65-52. Beat Castlemont 72-16, Skyline 85-7. Lost to Archbishop Mitty 68-60. Beat Pinewood 69-59.

Up next: Friday vs. Oakland, 5:30 p.m.

No. 7 ACALANES (10-5)

Previous ranking: 7

Update: Beat Clayton Valley 95-19.

Up next: Wednesday at Northgate, 7 p.m.

No. 8 SAN RAMON VALLEY (15-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Update: Beat Dougherty Valley 67-35, California 68-39, Dougherty Valley 80-30.

Up next: Today vs. Carondelet, 7:30 p.m.

No. 9 BISHOP O’DOWD (10-5)

Previous ranking: 8

Update: Beat Castro Valley 67-41, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 59-53. Lost to Archbishop Mitty 61-31.

Up next: Wednesday vs. Piedmont, 5:30 p.m.

No. 10 PINEWOOD (5-5)

Previous ranking: 10

Update: Beat Priory 69-36, Moreau Catholic 58-56. Lost to Oakland Tech 69-59.

Up next: Today vs. Harker, 5 p.m.

No. 11 HERITAGE (13-3)

Previous ranking: 12

Update: Beat Freedom 68-49, Antioch 72-33.

Up next: Wednesday at Deer Valley, 5:30 p.m.

No. 12 MONTE VISTA (13-4)

Previous ranking: 15

Update: Beat Hayward 55-19, Dublin 76-39, California 66-46.

Up next: Today vs. Granada, 7 p.m.

No. 13 MIRAMONTE (16-2)

Previous ranking: 16

Update: Beat Las Lomas 58-18, Alhambra 63-38, Northgate 53-26.

Up next: Friday vs. Acalanes, 7 p.m.

No. 14 ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT (13-3)

Previous ranking: 18

Update: Beat Swett 77-28. Lost to Salesian 52-39, Bishop O’Dowd 59-53.

Up next: Today at De Anza, 7 p.m.

No. 15 PINOLE VALLEY (13-5)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat De Anza (forfeit), Swett 66-37, Priory 50-37.

Up next: Today at St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 7 p.m.

No. 16 LOS GATOS (12-3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat Lynbrook 50-43, Palo Alto 55-44, Los Altos 47-29, Evergreen Valley 48-39.

Up next: Today vs. Saratoga, 7 p.m.

No. 17 PALO ALTO (10-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Update: Beat Saratoga 56-36. Lost to Los Gatos 55-44. Beat Monta Vista 54-45.

Up next: Thursday vs. Homestead, 7 p.m.

No. 18 MONTA VISTA (13-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Update: Lost to Palo Alto 54-45. Beat Leland 69-42.

Up next: Today at Homestead, 7 p.m.

No. 19 MOREAU CATHOLIC (9-7)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat Mission San Jose 33-21. Lost to Pinewood 58-56. Beat Washington-Fremont 64-25. Lost to Salesian 57-43.

Up next: Today at American, 7 p.m.

No. 20 SAN LEANDRO (13-3)

Previous ranking: 20

Update: Beat Berkeley 52-49. Lost to Francis Parker-San Diego 42-41.

Up next: Thursday vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 6:30 p.m.

Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. For updated records, please email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

(Mercury News & East Bay Times)

No. 1 DOUGHERTY VALLEY (17-1)

Previous ranking: 1

Update: Beat San Ramon Valley 64-48, Granada 53-46.

Up next: Today vs. Foothill, 7:30 p.m.

No. 2 DE LA SALLE (15-4)

Previous ranking: 3

Update: Lost to Monte Vista 57-50. Beat Amador Valley 46-35, West Linn (Oregon) 63-53.

Up next: Wednesday vs. San Ramon Valley, 7:30 p.m.

No. 3 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (12-2)

Previous ranking: 4

Update: Beat St. Francis 68-60, Sacred Heart Cathedral 85-48.

Up next: Today at Archbishop Riordan, 7:30 p.m.

No. 4 CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER (16-2)

Previous ranking: 6

Update: Beat Campolindo 74-66, Acalanes 62-58, Monte Vista 60-57.

Up next: Wednesday at Las Lomas, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 SALESIAN (13-6)

Previous ranking: 9

Update: Beat St. Mary’s-Berkeley 80-36, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 63-43, Capital Christian-Sacramento 67-56.

Up next: Wednesday at De Anza, 7 p.m.

No. 6 SAN RAMON VALLEY (16-3)

Previous ranking: 2

Update: Lost to Dougherty Valley 64-48, California 62-58. Beat Menlo-Atherton 59-51.

Up next: Wednesday at De La Salle, 7:30 p.m.

No. 7 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (11-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Update: Beat Serra 44-42, Valley Christian 55-34. Lost to Jesuit-Carmichael 63-52.

Up next: Today vs. Archbishop Mitty, 7:30 p.m.

No. 8 GRANADA (14-4)

Previous ranking: 8

Update: Beat Foothill 56-32. Lost to Dougherty Valley 53-46.

Up next: Today vs. Monte Vista, 7:30 p.m.

No. 9 CALIFORNIA (14-5)

Previous ranking: 7

Update: Beat Amador Valley 77-44, San Ramon Valley 62-58. Lost to Berkeley 52-34.

Up next: Today at Dublin, 7:30 p.m.

No. 10 DUBLIN (13-6)

Previous ranking: 11

Update: Beat Livermore 89-34, Monte Vista 63-46.

Up next: Today vs. California, 7:30 p.m.

No. 11 CAMPOLINDO (12-5)

Previous ranking: 10

Update: Lost to Clayton Valley 74-66. Beat Las Lomas 85-64, Oakland Tech 56-47.

Up next: Wednesday vs. College Park, 7:30 p.m.

No. 12 OAKLAND (15-5)

Previous ranking: 13

Update: Beat Skyline 81-43, Fremont-Oakland 56-48, Piedmont 73-57.

Up next: Wednesday at Castlemont, 6:30 p.m.

No. 13 PINOLE VALLEY (17-3)

Previous ranking: 16

Update: Beat Vallejo 70-48, De Anza 96-79, Miramonte 63-44.

Up next: Today vs. St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 7:30 p.m.

No. 14 THE KING’S ACADEMY (14-0)

Previous ranking: 14

Update: Beat Menlo School 64-60.

Up next: Today at Harker, 6:30 p.m.

No. 15 MONTE VISTA (14-5)

Previous ranking: 15

Update: Beat De La Salle 57-50. Lost to Dublin 63-46, Clayton Valley Charter 60-57.

Up next: Today at Granada, 7:30 p.m.

No. 16 BENICIA (14-2)

Previous ranking: 17

Update: Beat Mt. Diablo 90-58, Ygnacio Valley 77-63. Lost to Cosumnes Oaks 75-68.

Up next: Wednesday at Concord, 7 p.m.

No. 17 MOREAU CATHOLIC (9-5)

Previous ranking: 12

Update: Beat Mission San Jose 86-43, Washington-Fremont 75-53. Lost to San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno 79-55.

Up next: Today vs. American, 7 p.m.

No. 18 ST. FRANCIS (9-4)

Previous ranking: 18

Update: Lost to Archbishop Mitty 68-60. Beat St. Ignatius 74-69 (OT).

Up next: Today vs. Serra, 7:30 p.m.

No. 19 ALAMEDA (13-3)

Previous ranking: 20

Update: Beat San Lorenzo 89-54. Lost to Piedmont 59-57. Beat Berkeley 60-58.

Up next: Wednesday at Castro Valley, 7 p.m.

No. 20 BERKELEY (12-5)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat San Leandro 54-42. Lost to Alameda 60-58. Beat California 52-54.

Up next: Wednesday at St. Joseph Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. For updated records, please email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) boys Athlete of the Week poll.

For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner.

This week, we consider performances from Jan. 9-14.

This week, polls close at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting.

Votes by email are not counted.

Scroll to the bottom for the poll.

Winners are announced each Friday online and, starting Sept. 30, in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections.

Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

We accept nominations until 11 a.m. each Monday.

We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps by coaches/team statisticians.

On to the nominees:

Alec Balica, Castro Valley soccer: The junior had himself a game against Encinal, scoring four goals to lead the Trojans to a 7-1 victory in West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division play. Balica continued his torrid play to open this week, scoring two goals Monday in a 4-0 win over San Leandro, which improved Castro Valley’s record to 6-2-3 overall and 4-1-1 in the league.

Josh Clark, Oakland basketball: The senior scored in double figures in both of the Wildcats’ victories in Oakland Athletic League play last week. He had 11 points in a 56-48 victory over Fremont-Oakland and 12 in an 81-43 rout of Skyline. Clark shot a combined 50% (8 of 16) from the field.

Andre Gonzalez Lombera, Menlo School soccer: The junior scored in the 75th minute as Menlo defeated The King’s Academy 3-2. He also scored twice in a 3-2 win over Crystal Springs and had a goal in a 3-0 win over Harker as the Knights improved to 3-0 in West Bay Athletic League play.

Max Houghton, Los Gatos basketball: Led the way with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Wildcats defeated Los Altos 52-33 on Friday. Two days earlier, he had 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting — and 6 for 6 free-throw shooting — in a 60-41 victory over Palo Alto. Los Gatos ended the week 11-4 overall and 3-0 in its league.

Braddock Kjellesvig, Christopher basketball: The 6-foot-6 sophomore finished with 28 points on 10-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds as Christopher defeated Oak Grove 59-50 in a BVAL Mt. Hamilton East Division opener. The forward/center followed that game with 26 points and 15 rebounds on 13-of-15 shooting in a 67-42 rout of Santa Teresa on Friday as Christopher improved to 11-3, 2-0.

Samir O’Brien, Berkeley basketball: Coming off a tough loss to Alameda in league play on Friday, Berkeley bounced back on Saturday at its MLK Classic with a stunning 52-34 victory over seventh-ranked California as O’Brien led the Yellowjackets in scoring with 14 points. The result improved Berkeley’s record to 12-5.

Kiratraj Sanghera, American basketball: In a 55-52 victory over Mission San Jose, the 6-foot-5 junior had 24 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Earlier in the week, he filled the stat sheet with 31 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a 60-59 loss to James Logan. In the two games, he was 25 for 42 shooting (60%).

Gael Segura, Half Moon Bay soccer: The senior scored a goal and assisted on another as Half Moon Bay stayed red hot with a 3-1 victory over South San Francisco in Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division play. The Cougars began this week with a record of 10-0-2 overall and 2-0 in their league.

Tyler Suzuki, Leigh basketball: The junior shooting guard helped the Longhorns open BVAL Mt. Hamilton West Division play with two victories on the road. He scored 19 points in a 64-50 win over Independence and 14 in a 65-51 win over Piedmont Hills.

Angel Vasquez, James Logan soccer: The sophomore scored both of his team’s goals as James Logan beat Kennedy-Fremont 2-0 in a Mission Valley Athletic League match. The victory improved the Colts’ record to 9-5-1, 5-1.

Salesian — ranked ninth by the Bay Area News Group — led 54-48 midway through the fourth quarter when the Pride found another gear. Amani Johnson buried a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 57-48. Then Alvin Loving nailed a 3-pointer to stretch the margin to 60-48.

After a missed shot at the other end, Salesian raced down the court and Isaiah Davis hit a 3-pointer in transition.

Just like that, Salesian led 63-48.

Aaron Claytor was named the player of the game after he finished with 13 points and seven assists for Salesian.

But as always with the Pride, it was a collective effort.

Eight players scored for the Richmond school and four finished in double figures: Claytor, Loving (13 points), Deundrae Perteete (11 points) and Amani Johnson (10 points).

“We are very deep,” Claytor said. “We all trust each other. I think everyone is able to come in the moment that we need them.”

Jayden Teat had 15 points to lead Capital Christian.

MORE BASKETBALL

• What a victory: De La Salle beats the nation’s top-ranked team
• Hurdle cleared: No. 1 Piedmont girls turn back No. 3 Salesian

No. 10 Campolindo 56, Oakland Tech 47

Campolindo led from start to finish in the first of the seven games at De La Salle as Shane O’Reilly, back in the lineup after missing last week with a head injury, led the reigning North Coast Section Open Division champs with 20 points.

O’Reilly was named the player of the game.

Campo led 14-8 after one quarter, 29-16 at halftime and 47-31 after three quarters.

Oakland Tech got as close as 51-46 when Dylan Lucks scored off the glass with 2:15 left. But Logan Robeson’s three-point play with 1:13 to go sealed the victory as Campo improved to 12-5.

Oakland Tech fell to 8-10.

Dylan Mansour added 12 points for Campo.

Ahmaree Muhammad (14 points) and Omar Staples Jr. (13 points) led Oakland Tech. Staples has signed to play football at Stanford.

The teams tipped off at 9:30 a.m.

“We got up at 6:45, got to the Campo gym at 7:15, got some shoot around,” O’Reilly said. “Coach emphasized a lot that with these 9 a.m. games, these early games, the team that’s ready to play is going to win these games. We were all ready to go.”

Bishop O’Dowd 65, Taft-Woodland Hills 62

Josh Green’s 3-pointer gave Bishop O’Dowd a one-point lead and Miles Dixon followed with a one-handed dunk to extend the margin to three with under a minute to go.

When Dixon followed with two free throws after missing five earlier in the period, Bishop O’Dowd had clinched a victory in an entertaining MLK Classic game at De La Salle between teams that have had their share of ups and downs this season.

O’Dowd improved to 7-9. Taft fell to 10-9.

Amos Hodgson had six 3-pointers and 22 points to lead O’Dowd.

Having been sick, he said pulled up a YouTube video of Michael Jordan’s flu game in the 1997 NBA Finals to pick up tips for how to play under the weather.

“I had to do the best I could in the condition that I am in, playing hard to get the victory,” Hodgson said.

San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno 79, 12 Moreau Catholic 55

Moreau Catholic was missing two injured starters for its MLK game against San Joaquin Memorial. For a quarter at De La Salle, the Hayward school wasn’t fazed as it led 23-21.

The rest of the game for Moreau was ugly.

The Mariners managed just six points in the second quarter. They trailed 41-29 at halftime and 60-42 after three periods on their way to falling to 9-5.

San Joaquin Memorial improved to 12-7.

Kellen Hampton (18 points) and Spencer Shonnard (14 points) scored in double figures for Moreau.

Mike Davis Jr. led San Joaquin Memorial with 25 points.

Robert Morgan II and LeBrie Goudy-Lee were unable to play for Moreau. Morgan is in a walking boot and will be out for three weeks. Goudy-Lee was cleared Monday after injuring a knee at a holiday tournament last month. But he had not practiced, so coach Frank Knight chose not to play him.

“Two starters out, it was going to be tough to win,” Knight said. “But I was happy we won the first quarter, though. I am like, ‘If we can just keep it close, we’ve got action.’ But they were just a little too big for us without our two guys.”

Jesuit-Carmichael 63, No. 5 Archbishop Riordan 52

Trailing by a point after three quarters, Riordan faded down the stretch in a loss to Jesuit in the sixth of seven games at DLS’s MLK Classic.

Stanford-bound Andrej Stojakovic did not play for Jesuit (14-3) because of an injury.

But Cole Epperson and Ahjani Lewis more than made up for Stojakovic’s absence. Epperson scored 10 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. Lewis had six points in the final period to finish with 16.

Jasir Rencher had 13 points and Andrew Hilman added 10 points for Riordan (11-3), which will play host to Archbishop Mitty on Tuesday in a matchup between West Catholic Athletic League leaders.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 2 Archbishop Mitty 61, No. 8 Bishop O’Dowd 31

Archbishop Mitty allowed only eight points in the second half as it pulled away from Bishop O’Dowd at the Oakland school’s MLK Classic. Freshman McKenna Woliczko scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Monarchs (14-2). Maya Hernandez had six points and 12 boards, and Elana Weisman had 12 points. Devin Cosgriff, another freshman sensation with an offer from UCLA, led O’Dowd (10-5) with 11 points.

No. 14 Priory 44, Valley Christian 39

Priory won a hard-fought game at the Bishop O’Dowd MLK Classic. Freshman guard Adelaide Chan led Priory (7-4) with 16 points. Mara Bantug made three 3-pointers and scored 10 points, and Ugreat Daniels added 12 points. Synise Byrd led Valley Christian (11-6) with 18 points, and Kenedi Nomura and Olivia Arellano each had six points for the Warriors.

Francis Parker-San Diego 42, No. 20 San Leandro 41

Francis Parker slipped by San Leandro at the Bishop O’Dowd MLK Classic. After being held to 25 points in the first three quarters, San Leandro scored 16 in the fourth. Senior guard Geriah Bradley led San Leandro (13-3) with 22 points. Chozen Horn Young and Lisette each added five points.

Mt. Eden 48, Weston Ranch 34

Senior guard Mya Ramchandani’s 14 points and four assists led Mt. Eden to a non-league win at the Bishop O’Dowd MLK Day Classic. Eliana Ferreira grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Ja’Naysha Green scored 10 for the Monarchs (6-8).

St. Mary’s-Berkeley 61, Castro Valley 58

St. Mary’s-Berkeley ended the MLK Classic at Bishop O’Dowd with a thrilling win. Sophomore Khaya Jackson led all scorers with 20 points. Milan Jackson added 17 and Neiyah Thompson scored 13 as the Panthers improved to 8-9. Castro Valley (9-9) captain Amaya Jiao notched 15 points, and Nicole Guzman scored 14 points. Sofia Tom hit five three-pointers and scored 15.

The Oregon school’s resume included a win over Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth team and another over Texas powerhouse Duncanville, both at a big tournament in Oregon last month.

The team’s best player, point guard Jackson Shelstad, is headed to the University of Oregon.

Monday, at its annual MLK Classic, De La Salle ignored the hoopla and played its game. When it ended, the home team’s students stormed the court to celebrate a most memorable 63-53 victory.

Leo Ricketts, a 5-foot-10 guard, played like big red. The junior with bushy red hair buried four 3-pointers on his way to 17 points.

Alec Blair added 14 points and made Shelstad work for everything he got.

Evan Wells chipped in with 10 points.

And the team as a whole played textbook basketball down the stretch as it put away a game that was tied at halftime and De La Salle led by only a point through three quarters.

“I think we can play with anyone,” Ricketts said after being named the player of the game. “Our team, for sure, has the talent. I know we’ve put in the work. I am really confident in what we’ve done as a group.”

De La Salle didn’t match West Linn’s resume, one that included a 17-point rout of Sierra Canyon in December. Just last week, the Concord school lost an East Bay Athletic League game at Monte Vista.

The victory Monday improved De La Salle’s record to 15-4.

West Linn held De La Salle in check through the first quarter, which ended with the visitors ahead 11-5.

But Ricketts came off the bench to ignite the Spartans in the second quarter, scoring eight points in the period as De La Salle went to the locker room tied 25-25.

“He’s a really good shooter,” De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder said. “He had been struggling a little bit right before this game. He came in and he kind of changed the game. He totally did.”

The visitors immediately surged in front to start the second half as Shelstad nailed a 3-pointer and Sam Leavitt followed with another to make it 31-25.

Ricketts’ 3-pointer cut the margin to 37-36 and Blair scored in the paint to put De La Salle in front, 38-37.

Another 3-pointer by Ricketts broke a 42-42 tie.

De La Salle held the lead the rest of the way to ignite a celebration on the court and in the locker room, which was soaked with water after the team was done.

“I watched on film and was like, ‘We can play with these guys. I know we can,’” Schroeder said. “They’ve got a couple of really, really good players and they have really good players around them. But I knew if we executed on both ends of the court, we could be in the game.

“Obviously, it helps to be on the home court. All that stuff matters. Our students were awesome. The fans were awesome. We executed enough and we made shots, the second half especially.”

Shelstad led West Linn (13-1) with 20 points. Adrian Mosley had 17 points and Sam Leavitt finished with 12.

As big as the victory was for De La Salle, it has little time to enjoy it.

The Spartans — ranked third by the Bay Area News Group — return to EBAL play on Wednesday at home against second-ranked San Ramon Valley, which had started 15-1 before losing close league games last week to No. 1 Dougherty Valley and No. 7 California.

“I told the guys we’ve got a huge game Wednesday night,” Schroeder said. “They’re really good. They had a tough start. Played two really good teams, one at home, one on the road. We’ve got to be ready to go. It will be a battle.”

Here are some of the highlights:

– In an MLK Classic at Berkeley, the home team pulled off the boys basketball stunner of the day, beating seventh-ranked California 52-34. One night earlier, California knocked off second-ranked San Ramon Valley 62-58 and Berkeley lost at home to No. 20 Alameda 60-58.

– Berkeley coach Mike Hudson said his players were motivated by what he described as a “very disappointing” loss on Friday, one he thought his team “let get away.”

– “We were just locked in,” Hudson added in an email. “California is an explosive team, one of best teams in the Bay Area, so we knew we had to mix things up defensively to try to keep them off balance. All in all, it was a great showing from our guys— been coaching for a long time and that is one of the better defensive efforts I have seen.”

— Hudson gave a shout-out to his defensive coordinator, Toby Merchant.

– Samir O’Brien (14 points), AJ Loustau (13 points) and Ollie Miller (11 points) led the Yellowjackets in scoring. Berkeley improved to 12-5. California is 14-5.

– San Ramon Valley, without starters Seamus Deely and Will Ambidge, rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat Menlo-Atherton 60-57 at Miramonte’s MLK-John Lewis Memorial showcase. SRV entered the game on a two-game skid after entering the week with a 15-1 record.

– McKenna Woliczko, Archbishop Mitty’s freshman sensation, had another spectacular game. She scored 30 points to lead the second-ranked Monarchs over sixth-ranked Oakland Tech 68-60 at Bishop O’Dowd’s MLK showcase. Friday, Woliczko had 26 points in a 79-30 league victory at St. Francis.

– Elijah Perryman buried a 3-point from the top of the arc as time expired, giving sixth-ranked Clayton Valley a 60-57 win over No. 15 Monte Vista in the nightcap at Miramonte’s showcase. Clayton Valley trailed 41-28 at halftime.

– The Salesian girls pulled away in the second half to turn back Moreau Catholic 57-43 at O’Dowd’s MLK showcase. Makiah Asidanya (15 points), Sofia Fidelus (14 points) and N’yana Asiasi (11 points) led the third-ranked Pride, who return to O’Dowd on Monday to play top-ranked Piedmont on Day 2 of the Oakland school’s MLK event.

– Jorell Clark had 14 points and Riley Yuen finished with 13 points to lead Palo Alto to a 55-47 win over Mountain View in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division play. It was a nice bounce-back win for the Vikings after they lost to Los Gatos 60-41 on Wednesday.

– Sam Norris scored 21 points and TJ O’Brien had 20 as Sacred Heart Prep cruised past Stuart Hall 82-47 at Miramonte’s showcase. The duo shot a combined 16 of 20 from the field.

– The Piedmont boys scored five points in the first quarter against St. Mary’s-Berkeley at Berkeley’s showcase. They then exploded for 28 in the second quarter on their way to a 65-38 win. AJ Harris (17 points), Theo Evans (10 points) and Ravi Silverberg (nine points) led the way.

– There are more MLK games Monday. Here is the schedule:

BOYS BASKETBALL

At De La Salle

No. 10 Campolindo vs. Oakland Tech, 9:30 a.m.

No. 9 Salesian vs. Capital Christian-Sacramento, 11 a.m.

No. 12 Moreau Catholic vs. San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno, 12:30 p.m.

Bishop O’Dowd vs. Taft-Woodland Hills, 2 p.m.

No. 3 De La Salle vs. West Linn (Oregon), 4:30 p.m.

No. 5 Archbishop Riordan vs. Jesuit-Carmichael, 6 p.m.

Modesto Christian vs. St. Joseph-Santa Maria, 7:30 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

At Bishop O’Dowd

Weston Ranch vs. Mt. Eden, 9 a.m.

Francis Parker-San Diego vs. No. 20 San Leandro, 10:30 a.m.

No. 8 Bishop O’Dowd vs. No. 2 Archbishop Mitty, noon

No. 3 Salesian vs. No. 1 Piedmont, 2 p.m.

No. 14 Priory vs. Valley Christian, 3:30 p.m.

Castro Valley vs. St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 5 p.m.

Jaden Rashada might play for the University of Florida, or he might not.

It remains unclear after a report surfaced on Wednesday that the five-star quarterback wanted out of the letter of intent he signed last month to play for Florida.

“Honestly, it’s all been hearsay,” Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez said Friday night about the whirlwind of speculation that began when On3 Sports reported that Rashada asked to be released from his Florida commitment.

Rashada’s dad, Harlen, denied the On3 Sports report, telling Brandon Huffman of 247Sports that his son hadn’t sought a release from the letter of intent.

Harlen added, “We’re working through some things right now with Florida and hoping that they get resolved soon.”

What they’re possibly working through is the fallout from a $13 million Name, Image and Likeness deal that the Athletic reported fell apart, citing a program source close to the situation.

“I think the stuff that Harlen said in Brandon Huffman’s article is probably the most accurate from what we’re hearing,” Ramirez said.

Rashada, 19, and his father did not reply to messages left by the Bay Area News Group.

Fair or not, the quarterback who led Pittsburg to a state championship game last fall is a symbol of the wild frontier that the NIL era has become since the NCAA implemented an “interim” policy in June 2021 that allowed athletes to be paid for endorsement deals.

Last summer, Rashada reportedly agreed to a $9.5 million NIL deal when he orally committed to the University of Miami.

Rashada denied those reports, saying on social media, “Any report regarding my commitment to the University of Miami is false unless I was interviewed directly. All reports of my decision involving a NIL deal {are} inaccurate. I would never make a life/career choice for any monetary value.

“As I stated in my commitment live on TV I chose Miami because of the relationship I have with the coaches, players, and the direction the program is headed.”

In November, Rashada flipped to Florida.

He posted on Twitter at that time, “Over the past few months, I’ve been weighing my options heavily. I have dreamed of playing SEC football since I was a little kid. After a lot of prayer, conversations with my family and those close to me, I have decided to change my commitment and play for the University of Florida.

“I have tremendous respect for Miami and what they are going to accomplish there but I have watched this season and coach (Billy) Napier and his (Florida) team are building something very special in The Swamp and I want to be a part of it.”

In December, Rashada signed with Florida.

After the signing, Napier spoke enthusiastically about his future quarterback.

“I just think there’s a high level of trust on both ends there,” Napier said. “Can’t compliment Jaden enough relative to who he is as a person, as a leader, his character. Jaden is a guy who came here and fell in love with the University of Florida and really connected with a lot of people here. It was sincere.”

Back at Pittsburg, the football community is as much in the dark about the latest chapter in the Rashada saga as others.

“As everybody else is reading it, we’re reading it as well,” said Ramirez, who was promoted last month from defensive coordinator to head coach after Victor Galli retired.

Rashada finished his coursework at the high school in December and was planning to be an early college enrollee.

The deadline to enroll at Florida was Friday night.

It is not yet known whether Rashada registered for classes. But even if he didn’t, Ramirez said the quarterback could go the traditional route and join the team in the summer.

No matter how it unfolds, the Pittsburg community wants the best for its former star player.

“Great kid,” Ramirez said. “Great personality. Great character. We feel bad for what Jaden has to be going through. He does a pretty good job of keeping things that are being said on social media at a distance. He’s done the best any kid could possibly do in handling this ever since really the Miami commitment and even going from the Miami commitment to the Florida commitment and everything in between. He’s done as good as any kid could possibly do.”

Fouled, the senior made the free throw.

Jalen Stokes followed with another basket in the paint after Dublin kept the possession alive with a couple of offensive rebounds.

What had been an eight-point lead over Monte Vista ballooned to 16 as the fourth quarter neared.

Dublin, ranked 11th by the Bay Area News Group, was well on its way to a 63-46 victory that improved the home team’s record to 13-6 overall and 2-0 in the East Bay Athletic League.

No. 15 Monte Vista, coming off a league-opening upset of third-ranked De La Salle on Tuesday, fell to 14-4, 1-1.

Stokes led Dublin with 16 points. Anderson and Mehki Thomas each finished with 13.

“Our mentality coming out of the halftime was just put it away,” Stokes said. “We were up pretty much the whole game. Our mentality was just put it away and finish strong.”

Mission accomplished.

Gaels earn the W with a 63-46 win over the Mustangs in front of a packed house in Dublin. pic.twitter.com/9j4ey3Pj2B

— Dublin High (@TheDublinHigh) January 14, 2023

The margin never got to single digits in the fourth quarter as Dublin’s athleticism took over. When Thomas threw down a dunk with three minutes to go to make it 59-43, Monte Vista coach Nick Jones had seen enough.

The backups finished the game.

“Once they got that edge on the glass, we were in trouble there,” Jones said. “I thought early, we punched back a little bit. I thought early on, we negated the crowd, the energy, and I thought we did a good job. We battled.

“But then at the end of the third quarter, we took a couple of bad shots and they just started getting really aggressive on the glass. That was a problem.”

Dublin coach Tom Costello said rebounding, particularly offensive rebounding, was the difference.

“We didn’t shoot it well,” he said. “We did not shoot it well at all. But we pounded the glass and got second, third, fourth efforts. That’s a hell of a team over there.”

Dublin packed its student section for what it called a Silent Night. The black-clad students remained silent until the Gaels scored their sixth point.

Then the crowd went wild.

Stokes’ drive put Dublin in front 6-0. But Monte Vista settled down and trailed by just a point after one quarter and five at halftime.

Sean Ahern’s basket to open the second half cut the deficit to 29-26. Dublin answered with a 7-0 run to take its first double-digit lead.

“We made more effort plays tonight,” Anderson said. “We got a lot more 50-50 balls and that led to us increasing the lead.”

Daniel Cojocaru (12 points) and Jake Fields (11) scored in double figures for Monte Vista, which will barely have time to catch its breath. The Mustangs play sixth-ranked Clayton Valley Charter on Saturday night in an MLK showcase at Miramonte before returning to EBAL play on Tuesday at eighth-ranked Granada.

Dublin will be at home Tuesday to face seventh-ranked California, which beat No. 2 San Ramon Valley on Friday.

After playing California, Dublin will visit De La Salle and San Ramon Valley.

“If there is ever an appropriate time for this cliche — one game at a time — is this sucker,” Costello said. “Nick asked me who we got next week. I was like, ‘I don’t even know.’ We’re going to enjoy this one and tomorrow it will be Cal, Cal, Cal.”

This year is no exception.

Miramonte and Berkeley are playing host to a full slate of boys’ games on Saturday and De La Salle will do the same Monday.

Bishop O’Dowd will host five girls’ games on Saturday and six more on Monday.

Here is the schedule:

BOYS BASKETBALL

Saturday

At Berkeley

El Cerrito vs. Castlemont, 11 a.m.

Skyline vs. De Anza, 12:30 p.m.

Sage Ridge-Reno vs. Head-Royce, 2 p.m.

Santa Cruz vs. Justin-Siena, 3:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s-Berkeley vs. Piedmont, 5 p.m.

Central Catholic-Modesto vs. Northgate, 6:30 p.m.

No. 7 California vs. Berkeley, 8 p.m.

At Miramonte

Sacred Heart Prep vs. Stuart Hall, 12:30 p.m.

St. Joseph Notre Dame vs. Saratoga, 2:05 p.m.

Mt. Eden vs. Lincoln-San Francisco, 3:40 p.m.

Pinole Valley vs. Miramonte, 5:15 p.m.

No. 2 San Ramon Valley vs. Menlo-Atherton, 6:50 p.m.

No. 15 Monte Vista vs. No. 6 Clayton Valley, 8:25 p.m.

Monday

At De La Salle

No. 10 Campolindo vs. Oakland Tech, 9:30 a.m.

No. 9 Salesian vs. Capital Christian-Sacramento, 11 a.m.

No. 12 Moreau Catholic vs. San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno, 12:30 p.m.

Bishop O’Dowd vs. Taft-Woodland Hills, 2 p.m.

No. 3 De La Salle vs. West Linn (Oregon), 4:30 p.m.

No. 5 Archbishop Riordan vs. Jesuit-Carmichael, 6 p.m.

Modesto Christian vs. St. Joseph-Santa Maria, 7:30 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Saturday

At Bishop O’Dowd

St. Mary’s-Berkeley vs. Francis Parker-San Diego, 9 a.m.

Pinole Valley vs. No. 14 Priory, 10:30 a.m.

No. 8 Bishop O’Dowd vs. No. 18 St. Patrick-St. Vincent, noon

Moreau Catholic vs. No. 3 Salesian, 2 p.m.

No. 6 Oakland Tech vs. No. 2 Archbishop Mitty, 3:30 p.m.

Monday

At Bishop O’Dowd

Weston Ranch vs. Mt. Eden, 9 a.m.

Francis Parker-San Diego vs. No. 20 San Leandro, 10:30 a.m.

No. 8 Bishop O’Dowd vs. No. 2 Archbishop Mitty, noon

No. 3 Salesian vs. No. 1 Piedmont, 2 p.m.

No. 14 Priory vs. Valley Christian, 3:30 p.m.

Castro Valley vs. St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 5 p.m.

Given the success, Rosa could keep his ideas to himself and toot his horn about all the one-sided victories that his teams have piled up.

But that’s not him.

Rosa doesn’t like showing up for league games knowing the outcome before a ball is snapped. He wants his kids to play competitive games, not blowout after blowout.

So Rosa made a proposal to tweak his league, which underwent a major overhaul last year when the league that Wilcox had called home for years – the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League – merged with the Peninsula Athletic League.

The merger was done to help programs at levels lower than Wilcox plays.

It evened the playing field for the likes of Monta Vista, Saratoga, Mills and South San Francisco, creating a division for the so-called little guys, programs that in some cases were barely hanging on.

But there was still a problem.

The merged league’s two “A” divisions were top-heavy, particularly the one that included Wilcox, Los Gatos, Homestead, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Milpitas.

Wilcox’s four league victories were by an average of 34.3 points. Los Gatos won its five league games by an average of 39.8.

Rosa introduced a proposal to help resolve the issue, and that plan will be implemented next season, the last of a two-year commitment made by the SCVAL and PAL when they joined forces.

One can only hope the merger extends beyond 2023.

Under Rosa’s proposal, the merged league of five divisions will put its best teams in the top grouping. It will be categorized as “A+” and automatically send five of its six teams to the CCS playoffs.

The league’s second division will be classified as “A-” and automatically send three of its six teams to the playoffs.

The league’s two six-team “B” divisions – one categorized as “B+” and the other as “B-” – will each receive two automatic playoff spots.

The league’s remaining nine teams will be placed in a “C” division, with only the champion automatically advancing to the playoffs.

“Everybody wants to play competitive games during the season, I think,” Rosa said on Thursday. “No matter if you’re really good or really bad, you just like to be in competitive games, and we just weren’t in those.

“If you’re really having five divisions, that’s the whole reason why we merged, to try to have apples with apples, oranges with oranges. I think this is the way it should have been done and most people agreed.

“No matter what you do, there’s always going to be somebody that’s upset because it was better the other way for them. You’re never going to get everybody perfect, but I think this gets the most people happy.”

Los Gatos coach Mark Krail agreed.

“It’s the best system possible,” he said. “My biggest thing philosophically — and I don’t know that everybody agrees — is that when you’re building a program or running a program, you always strive to get better and to play the best competition that you can.

“I am speaking obviously from a vantage point of being pretty blessed in terms of numbers and the support that we have. But even in my days at Pioneer and Santa Clara, our goal was to make it to the top division and play with the best teams. That certainly hasn’t changed.”

Here’s how the divisions will be aligned:

PAL Bay (A+)

Burlingame, Los Gatos, Menlo-Atherton, Mountain View, Sacred Heart Prep, Wilcox

PAL De Anza (A-)

Half Moon Bay, Homestead, Menlo School, Palo Alto, Hillsdale, The King’s Academy

PAL Ocean (B+)

Aragon, Capuchino, Terra Nova, Milpitas, San Mateo, Sequoia

PAL El Camino (B-)

Carlmont, El Camino, Fremont-Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Santa Clara, Woodside

PAL Lake (C)

Cupertino, Gunn, Jefferson, Lynbrook, MacDonald, Mills, Monta Vista, Saratoga, South San Francisco

(MacDonald, a new public school in Santa Clara, is starting varsity football in the fall)

The teams weren’t positioned without thought and data.

One could certainly argue that Mountain View and to a lesser extent Burlingame could have landed in the “A-” division and Half Moon Bay, Menlo School or Palo Alto could have been included with the “A+” teams.

Last season, Mountain View lost to Sacred Heart Prep 41-7, Wilcox 44-14 and Los Gatos 56-0. The Spartans finished 1-4 in league play and 4-8 overall.

But Mountain View coach Tim Lugo explained that it wasn’t last year’s results that factored into the decision, except for final calpreps.com computer ratings.

A program’s number of juniors and sophomores and returning varsity and all-league players were part of the criteria the committee used to determine where teams were placed.

“It’s designed to look ahead to next year,” Lugo said. “Numbers aren’t everything. We have the freedom to (counter), ‘I don’t care what those numbers say. That team’s an ‘A’ and they’re not a ‘B.’’

“That’s kind of how we came to where we’re at. Let’s face it. The top four in the league were easy. Us, Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, Menlo, Palo Alto, you could probably throw all of us in a hat and pick two and we’re all basically the same school. My problem is I have the most returning all-leaguers.”

Lugo said if he could make one change, it would be to include measurables for returning linemen.

“All my returning guys are skill players,” he said. “My linemen are not. But I am OK with our placement. I am on the committee. I understand what we’re doing. I am not going to appeal it. We’ll go compete and do the best we can.”

The good news for Mountain View: With all but one team in the division automatically qualifying for the playoffs – and the sixth team potentially advancing as an at-large – the Spartans have a decent shot to reach the postseason.

CCS playoff changes

There are still administrative steps to clear before they become official. But the CCS is moving toward two noteworthy changes to its football playoffs.

Teams from “A” leagues will not be allowed to drop below Division III and Division I will be modeled after the North Coast Section’s top division.

In the NCS, the top two seeds are placed in one half of the eight-team bracket, setting up a path for them to meet in Week 2 of the playoffs for the Open title and a berth in a regional game.

The loser of the Open game plays the team that advances in the other half of the bracket for the Division I title in Week 3 of the playoffs, with the winner advancing to a regional.

The NCS model is a creative way to send two Division I teams to the state playoffs, one devised after the California Interscholastic Federation mandated that only section champions can move on.

Last fall, No. 1 De La Salle beat No. 8 James Logan and No. 2 Pittsburg defeated No. 7 Antioch in the first round. The following week, De La Salle beat Pittsburg for the NCS Open title. A week later, Pittsburg defeated No. 3 Clayton Valley for the section’s Division I title.

De La Salle and Pittsburg went on to capture regional championships.

Los Gatos vs. Pittsburg: Butch Cattolico Classic?

Los Gatos has filled four of its five non-league openings on its 2023 schedule. Among the matchups will be a home game in late September against Pittsburg, the alma mater of longtime Los Gatos coach Butch Cattolico, who retired after the 2012 season.

“We were laughing about having the Cattolico Classic or whatever,” Krail said. “But knowing Butch, he wouldn’t have anything to do with that. There is no way. He is still pretty well-renowned there, apparently.”

Los Gatos also has scheduled non-league games against Liberty, Live Oak and Palo Alto.