(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.

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. 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:

Makiah Asidanya, Salesian basketball: Asidanya scored 14 points, had seven steals and handed out five assists in a league matchup against St. Mary’s Berkeley. Asidanya is committed to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. 

Trinity Chu, California basketball: The sophomore guard scored an efficient 22 points in the Grizzlies’ 60-32 league win over Amador Valley. Chu made 8 of 11 shots and contributed four steals on the defensive side too. 

Kiarra D’Arcangelo, Westmont soccer: D’Arcangelo scored a goal and had an assist in Westmont’s 4-1 win over James Lick. It marked the first time the junior had not scored twice in a game in which she found the back of the net. 

Madelyn Funk, Livermore soccer: Livermore’s junior goalkeeper helped keep another clean sheet during Livermore’s scoreless draw with Granada. According to stats inputted into MaxPreps, she has allowed only three goals in 495 minutes of play and has 31 saves. 

Audrey Le-Nguyen, Campolindo soccer: The senior was arguably Campolindo’s best player in last week’s thrilling 4-3 victory over College Park. She scored one goal and found her teammates for two additional assists. 

Amanda Muse, Heritage basketball: The Patriots’ senior center scored her 1,000th career point in a blowout win over Antioch last Friday. The UCLA commit became only the fourth player in the program’s history to reach that mark. Muse scored 17 in the game. 

Kori Pickelle, Santa Teresa soccer: The senior scored a hat trick (three goals) in Santa Teresa’s 4-1 win over Prospect last week. Earlier in the season, PIckelle had two goals and two assists in a win over Independence. 

Kennedy Schoennauer, Lincoln-San Jose soccer: The Utah commit has continued to have a banner senior season for the Lions. Schoennauer scored five goals in a win over Christopher, the third time she has reached that mark in a match this season. 

Quinn Shirley, Aragon soccer: The sophomore midfielder scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Capuchino. Shirley has three goals and four assists this season for a 6-1 Aragon team. 

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.”

The Highlanders, ranked No. 1 by the Bay Area News Group, justified their top spot by pushing past those difficulties in a 69-63 win at Bishop O’Dowd’s Martin Luther King Jr. Classic on Monday afternoon.

In the process, Piedmont looked every bit like a team that can compete in the Open Division, the highest level of the state playoffs.

“They should be in there,” Salesian coach Stephen Pezzola said. “They beat Mitty, and they beat us, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t be in the Open Division.”

Unless something changes at the last minute, Piedmont won’t be in the North Coast Section Open Division. Only teams from Divisions I through III are eligible for the NCS’s top bracket. Piedmont is a Division IV team.

But that won’t affect where Piedmont lands in the regionals.

The Highlanders clearly are good enough for both.

Salesian’s senior shooting guard Makiah Asidanya nailed five three-pointers as part of a game-high 25-point night.  A 21-point second quarter by the Pride (15-3) ended with a 33-30 lead at halftime.

After its opponent built its advantage using long-range marksmanship, Piedmont came back by utilizing a much different strategy.

Eva Levingston powered in 10 of her team-high 21 points in the third quarter before joining starting point guard Perseas Gioukaris on the Piedmont bench with five fouls midway through the fourth.

Those baskets, mostly scored on flip shots and layups, turned a three-point Salesian halftime lead into a 53-43 Piedmont advantage heading into the final quarter. The Highlanders defense also made a crucial adjustment.

“We had to start locking in on their shooters too, because they were getting a lot of threes they shouldn’t have,” Piedmont forward and San Diego State commit Trinity Zamora said.

Zamora also took on more ballhandling duties while scoring 18, Natalia Martinez notched 13 points and guard Madison Hill spaced the floor by hitting three 3-pointers. Two of Piedmont’s second-string players also impressed when pressed into action.

“Kat Melian started last year for us, so I knew she’d be ready,” Piedmont coach Bryan Gardere said. “Shakila Zuberi came in and did the same thing. It was awesome to see.”

Salesian kept the game close throughout the fourth, but the Highlanders hit their free throws and sealed the victory.

Now owning wins over No. 2 Mitty and No. 3 Salesian, Piedmont (15-0) continues to build an impeccable resume. Gardere believes those tough wins should serve Piedmont well come playoff time in March.

“We didn’t play particularly great today, but I’m glad we figured it out,” Gardere said. “We need to play games like this to figure out what we need to prepare for.”

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.”

Among the many goals that California has this season, beating San Ramon Valley was at the top of the list.

The Grizzlies – ranked seventh in the Bay Area News Group – hadn’t beaten the Wolves since 2018. Earlier in the season, California lost to the Wolves by six points in the championship game of the SRV tournament.

But Friday night, in front of a packed home crowd in San Ramon, California upset the Bay Area News Group’s No. 2 team with a 62-58 win in East Bay Athletic League play.

California improved to 14-4 overall and 2-0 in league play.

Kellen Torrey (21 points), Amari Gray (19 points) and Adam Zalami (11 points) scored in double figures for California.

“We’re going to treat each league game as if it were a championship game,” California coach Steve Ohlmeyer said. “We have to prepare for it that way. Mentally, physically and everything else, because that’s what you have to do in this league.”

MORE BASKETBALL

• Dublin boys pound the glass in a win over Monte Vista
• Where to watch MLK prep basketball showcases this weekend

Will Ambige scored 13 points and Danny Drucker had 11 points for San Ramon Valley, which fell to 15-3, 0-2.

The Wolves lost at home to Dougherty Valley on Tuesday.

No. 1 Dougherty Valley 53, No. 8 Granada 46

Ryan Beasley scored 24 points and Conner Sevilla added 16 points for Dougherty Valley (17-1, 2-0) in its win over host Granada (14-4, 1-1) in an EBAL game. Andrew McKeever scored 24 points for Granada.

No. 3 De La Salle 46, Amador Valley 35

Evan Wells (18 points), Billy Haggerty (12 points) and Alec Blair (10 points) scored in double figures for De La Salle in its road win over Amador Valley in an EBAL game. De La Salle improved to 13-4, 2-1. Amador Valley slipped to 9-7, 0-2.

No. 4 Archbishop Mitty 85, Sacred Heart Cathedral 48

Mitty, playing at home, extended its winning streak to six games with a victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral in West Catholic Athletic League play. Derek Sangster (22 points), Gavin Ripp (10 points) and Nathan d’Abreau Noronha (10 points) led the way for the winning side. Fedrick Pernell scored 19 points for SHC. Mitty improved to 12-2, 4-0 heading into its showdown Tuesday at Archbishop Riordan. SHC fell to 7-6, 1-2.

No. 5 Archbishop Riordan 55, Valley Christian 34

Achillies Woodson scored 14 points and Andrew Hilman had 11 points in Riordan’s win over host Valley Christian in a WCAL game. Riordan extended its winning streak to five games and improved to 11-2, 4-0. Valley Christian fell to 6-8, 1-2.

No. 6 Clayton Valley 65, Acalanes 58

After ending Campolindo’s 36-game league winning streak on Wednesday, Clayton Valley had no letdown as the Ugly Eagles beat visiting Acalanes in a Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division game. Austin Drollinger (19 points), James Moore (19 points) and Elijah Perryman (13 points) led the way for Clayton Valley, which extended its winning streak to seven games to improve to 15-2, 4-0. Acalanes fell to 10-6, 2-1

No. 9 Salesian 63, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 43

Salesian (12-6, 4-0), playing on the road in Vallejo, won its fifth in a row with a victory over St. Patrick-St. Vincent (9-8, 2-2) in a Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division game. Alvin Loving scored 15 points, Elias Obenyah had 14 points and Amani Johnson scored 12 points for the winning side.

No. 10 Campolindo 85, Las Lomas 54

Campolindo (11-5, 3-1) bounced back from a loss to Clayton Valley with a rout of host Las Lomas (10-8, 2-2) in a DAL Foothill Division game. Logan Robeson (31 points), Shane O’Reilly (26 points) and Dylan Mansour (11 points) were the scoring leaders for Campo.

Girls basketball

No. 2 Archbishop Mitty 79, St. Francis 30

McKenna Woliczko led the way with 25 points in Mitty’s road victory over St. Francis in WCAL play. Mitty improved to 12-2, 3-0. St. Francis fell to 8-7, 1-2.

No. 9 San Ramon Valley 66, No. 19 California 39

San Ramon Valley rolled past visiting California in an EBAL game. Sofia Bowes scored 21 points, Amanda Kerner had 11 points and Sierra Chambers added 10 points for SRV (14-4, 3-0). California fell to 12-5, 2-1.

No. 12 Heritage 73, Antioch 33

Amanda Muse scored 17 points in Heritage’s home win over Antioch in Bay Valley Athletic League play. The UCLA-bound standout scored her 1,000th career point along the way, making her the fourth player in program history to achieve the honor. Kimora McLemore added 15 points and Kendall McClure scored 10 points for Heritage, which improved to 13-3, 2-0. Antioch fell to 6-11, 0-1.

No. 15 Monte Vista 76, Dublin 39

Monte Vista’s Sarina Nagra scored a career-high 33 points in an EBAL win over Dublin. Nia Coleman added 14 points and Rachel Brans had 11 points for the Mustangs, who improved to 12-4, 1-1. Sofia Lembo led Dublin with nine points. The Gaels fell to 9-5, 1-1.

No. 16 Miramonte 63, Alhambra 38

Miramonte, playing at home, extended its winning streak to 10 games after a rout of Alhambra in a DAL Foothill Division game. Karena Eberts (19 points), Katherine Scheingart (14 points) and Courtney Scheingart (13 points) were the scoring leaders for Miramonte, which improved to 15-2, 4-0. Alhambra slipped to 7-8, 0-3.