Sequoias, Las Positas Climb in Poll; San Francisco Moves to No. 1

Poll Date: December 21
(poll photo courtesy of College of the Sequoias SID office)

Sequoias, winners of its last five games, moved 11 slots in this week’s CCCMBCA poll. The Giants, who were No. 14 in the last CCCMBCA poll after opening the season No. 2 in Northern California, made the move to No. 3 this week by beating West LA, LA Southwest, San Diego City and Ventura — all ranked teams. Sequoias, which will be idle for 12 days, closes out its nonconference schedule at the Clete Adelman Classic at MiraCosta College. The Giants face host MiraCosta and Antelope Valley, two unranked teams.

Columbia, the state’s lone undefeated team, is No. 2 this week. In one of the closest votes yet, San Francisco City edged Columbia by a mere four points. Four different teams (San Franacisco, Columbia, Sequoias, Fullerton) received a first-place vote in this week's poll. 

Columbia, the state’s third-highest scoring team, is riding an 11-game win streak after edging Ventura, 74-73, in a closely watched showdown on December 17. The Claim Jumpers have three nonconference games remaining, including a rematch with No. 14 San Mateo. Columbia previously scored an 88-77 victory over San Mateo back at Cabrillo College on December 4. The No. 2 ranking is the program’s highest under head coach Rob Hoyt, who took over the program in 2013. Columbia’s previous best ranking had been No. 4 two weeks ago and in 2019-20 when the Claim Jumpers started 14-0. Hoyt has restored the Columbia program to the days under Pat Douglass (1979-81), Bob Thomason (1981-85), who coached the Claim Jumpers to their first Central Valley Conference championship in 1985, and Denny Aye who led the college to a state championship in 1993. All three coaches went on to coach at the four-year level, and Aye was inducted into the CCCMBCA Hall of Fame in 2020.

No. 1 San Francisco City are winners of seven straight since losing to West Valley on November 19 after scoring just 70 points. Since the loss, the Rams haven’t been held under 80 points and have allowed an opponent to score more than 80 points just once since. San Francisco City will close out 2021 with a road contest at Alameda and then a home game with Gavilan, both of whom are unranked

Pervious No. 1 Fullerton fell to No. 4 after losing to LA Southwest at home, but the Hornets have regrouped but are experiencing an offensive slumber it appears. Three of its last four victories have been by six points or less. Prior to losing to LA Southwest, Fullerton had had just one game decided by 10 points or less (San Diego City, 70-61). The Hornets will play a final nonconference game at home on December 30 against Ventura, a team who suffered not only its first loss of the season, but back-to-back losses (by 1 point to Columbia and then by a shocking 35 points to Sequoias). The Fullerton game could provide a chance at redemption for the Pirates who fell in this week’s poll from its previous No. 3 slot.

Santiago Canyon lands at No. 5, a spot behind Fullerton, a fellow Orange Empire Conference member. Since losing to MiraCosta in November, the Hawks have won nine straight games, including opening conference with wins over Orange Coast and Cypress. It hasn’t been easy, however, as the Hawks have been tested, edging Santa Monica team in OT, squeeking by Citrus (by 3 points), LA Harbor (by 1 point) and Palomar (by 13 points). Santiago Canyon closes out its nonconference schedule with a home contest against Cerritos, a program that will be active during the holidaybreak with three contests — all against ranked opponents (No. 22 Porterville, No. 28 Palomar and Santiago Canyon).

No. 6 Las Positas has put its opening-game overtime loss to Butte in its rearview mirror. The Hawks have the state’s longest win streak at 12 games, although just one of the wins has come against a ranked opponent (West Valley). During its 12-game win streak, Las Positas has had only two games decided by 10 points or less (West Valley and the one-point OT victory over Cabrillo). Las Positas will host unranked Redwoods on December 30 before having to prepare for No. 2 San Francisco and No. 14 San Mateo for the conference title.

The next four spots in the poll — 7, 8, 9 and 10 — were a battle as votes trickled in. Eight teams were vying for the final four spots in the top 10 spots. And it was a struggle for coaches as they weighed the merit of West Valley, Los Medanos, San Diego City, West LA, San Bernardino Valley, San Mateo, Ventura and LA Harbor.

And you can see why:
• West Valley (11-2) a losses to Las Poistas, who moved into the top four, and San Diego City.
• San Diego City (11-3) with losses to San Diego Miramar, Fullerton and Sequoias.
• West LA (9-3) with a losses to San Bernardino Valley (and two wins over the Wolverines), Sequoias and Fullerton.
• Los Medanos (11-1) a nine-point loss to 7-5 Santa Rosa.
• San Bernardino Valley (9-3) with two losses to West LA (and a win vs. the Wildcats) and Fullerton.
• LA Harbor (8-1) with a one-point loss to Santiago Canyon and wins over Citrus, Palomar and San Diego Miramar.
• San Mateo (10-2) with losses to Columbia and West Valley.
• Ventura (12-2) with consecutive losses, Columbia and Sequoias.

In the end, it shook out with Ventura landing at No. 7; San Bernardino Valley claiming No. 8; San Diego City slipping to No. 9; and West Valley clinging to No. 10. 

West LA lands at No. 11; Los Angeles Harbor retained No. 12 as did Los Medanos at No. 13. Out of these teams, LA Harbor may have the toughest stretch, closing out 2021 in Santa Maria with contests against ranked Porterville, Allan Hancock and. Los Medanos also faces a challenge on December 22 when it hosts 8-2 Contra Costa, winners of four of five with the lone loss being a 10-point setback to San Francisco City.

CCCMBCA December 21
1. San Francisco
2. Columbia
3. Sequoias
4. Fullerton
5. Santiago Canyon
6. Las Positas
7. Ventura
8. San Bernardino Valley
9. San Diego City
10. West Valley
11. West LA
12. LA Harbor
13. Los Medanos
14. San Mateo
15. LA Southwest
16. East Los Angeles
17. Cerro Coso
18. Citrus
19. San Jose City
20. Contra Costa
21. Riverside
22. Porterville
23. Redwoods
24. Monterey
25. Santa Rosa
26. Cosumnes River
27. Canyons
28. Palomar
29. Irvine Valley
30. Saddleback, Fresno, Mt. San Antonio