Bay Preps Report: Salesian-Sheldon Showdown Previews and Cal quarterback job could be up to two locals

A couple of Bay Area powers take on Sac-Joaquin foes on Tuesday.

In the biggie at St. Mary’s College, Salesian plays Sheldon in an Open Division semifinal.

Sheldon is led by a dynamic duo, Dakarai Allen and D’Erryl Williams, who each push the other, as Joe Davidson writes.

Allen: “We’re brothers, very close, and it goes beyond basketball that’s made us close.”

Williams: “We want to be legends.”

A win by Sheldon means they are on the list of all-time great Sacramento area teams, while Pleasant Grove tries to pull off what Jesuit was able to accomplish against De La Salle last season, according to Davidson.

Kennedy coach Robert Fong: “Right now, you’d have to put Sheldon in the all-time top three, and if they win out, they’d have to be the No. 1. They’re such a skilled team, very unselfish.”

You can listen to interviews with both Joey Rollings and Bill Mellis on Bay Preps.

• Mitch Stephens discusses the change of venues for the Salesian-Sheldon game and how this game is worthy of a NorCal Final.

Salesian coach Bill Mellis: “We thought we’d be crossing paths with Sheldon again, but this is a game early. They seem to really be playing together and shooting the ball much better than we saw them. They’re playing harder than ever.”

• As for the other Open Division semifinal, Modesto Christian and Anthony Townes prepare for another big man, writes Brian VanderBeek.

Townes: “Since he’s a great player it will be a good experience for me and will help me work on my defense. I saw (Aaron) Gordon play on the under-17 (national) team, so I know I’m going to have to work hard.”

Co-coach Richard Midgley: “It’s the first year of Open Division play, so if we can keep winning here it’s huge. I don’t want to say anything to jinx us, but we are very confident going into this game.”

• When it comes to the new Open Division this season, teams were rewarded for losing, writes Darren Sabedra.

• Salesian remains #1 in the Cal-Hi Sports state basketball rankings before their showdown with #4 Sheldon.

Mitty is #8, Deer Valley is #14, Bishop O’Dowd falls 12 spots to #19, and De La Salle is back in at #20.

• As for the girls, Bishop O’Dowd remains #3, St. Mary’s is #6, Miramonte is #8, Carondelet is #11, Salesian is #13, and Mitty falls to #20.

• According to Stewart Mandel, three players have emerged for the Bears quarterback position, and two of them, redshirt freshman Zach Kline (San Ramon Valley) and true freshman Jared Goff (Marin Catholic), are locals.

“Kline and Hinder are presumably the favorites. The 6-foot-4 Goff may be just as talented, but he entered spring at a lanky 185 pounds.”

Hinder is junior Austin Hinder from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

• Speaking of Goff, with his early enrollment at Cal, he’s competing with other quarterbacks but also bonding with them, notes Dave Curtis.

Goff: “It’s a little weird. But we’re all pretty good friends, we all know each other pretty well, so it will be all right.”

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Pat O’Rourke is the Founder, Editor, and Broadcaster at Bay Preps. Pat, a Bay Area native, is a passionate and experienced broadcaster who founded BayPreps.com in July of 2011. For the most up to date information on Bay Area high school sports, you can follow Pat on Twitter (@BayAreaPreps)

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