The Sacred Heart Prep boys basketball team has been putting its best foot forward early and often since its last loss almost a month ago. Wednesday's 74-35 victory over host Pinewood was no different.
The Gators (20-3, 12-1) shot to a 26-9 advantage in the first quarter and then blasted even further away with a 23-8 second-quarter run.
On two other occasions, Sacred Heart Prep has gone on to score 29 points in the second quarter. This is what happens when you have more than one shooter suddenly firing on all cylinders.
Against Pinewood, both Jai Deshpande and Charlie Selna each scored 17 points and Everett Banks added 10, all three of them beating their season average.
Austin Farhoudi and Gabriel Santos each scored eight points to lead Pinewood, which travels to Priory for a 6:30 p.m. game Thursday.
The Gators have eight players who have reached double figures in scoring in more than one game this season. That's quite a luxury. So when Aidan Braccia (seven points) cools off after setting a blistering scoring pace last week, there's no reason to worry. His teammates have his back.
Besides, Braccia is not a one-dimensional player. He's the team leader in assists and is third in rebounding behind Selna (9.0) and Emmer Nichols (7.4).
On a team with seven seniors, sophomores Braccia, Nichols and Kyle Cadigal are holding their own.
The Gators get the rest of the week off from competition, returning to host Priory at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Menlo (18-4, 11-1) plays a 6:30 p.m. game at Harker on Friday and goes to Crystal Springs Uplands for the season finale Tuesday.
Boys Soccer - Palo Alto Online Sports
Sacred Heart Prep wrapped up its West Bay Athletic League boys soccer season with a 3-0 victory over visiting Harker, the team that put the only league blemish on the Gators' record.
It becomes a waiting game for the Gators (16-0-2, 11-0-1), who clinched their second straight league title and again hope to show what they can do in the Central Coast Section Open Division. The CCS seeding meeting is a week from Thursday.
"There's not a lot tension, we'll just prepare for whoever," SHP coach Guillermo Talancon Jr. said. "Last year we were a little more anxious because the desire and the vision to play Open was huge. After not making it last year, we'll be focusing on what we can control."
Kevin Box scored twice, each time assisted by Ethan Vegthe, and Liam Johnson scored with an assist from Matt Kirkham for SHP against the Eagles.
"We take pride in working hard and winning," Box said. "We've had a tough time with sickness and injuries but we're managing ourselves this week, getting rest and making sure we're all able to play."
Box, who has experienced a CCS Open Division title with the water polo team, hopes he'll get a chance for a repeat in soccer.
"It's something I've wanted," he said. "I want to win a CCS title for the boys and for the program."
