DIABLO FOOTHILL ATHLETIC LEAGUE PREVIEW

Posted Jan 8 2010 1:22PM - By Jeff Patterson & James Farr, Bay Area Sports Channel
Category: Basketball

EAST BAY, Nor Cal - The trend of defending league champions struggling this year continues in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League as the last year’s winner Miramonte enters league play with an average 6-6 record. Campolindo and Dougherty Valley are off to quick starts, both teams with at least 9 wins in the preseason. Dublin and Las Lomas are in the middle of the pack and hope to be competitive in league play. Acalanes and Alhambra both enter league play with sub .500 records.
The Campolindo Cougars come into the league play with the best record in the preseason with a 9-4 mark. Head Coach Matt Watson had his team play a tough preseason schedule to prepare for league play. The Cougars have quality wins over College Park, Skyline, and Monte Vista. They dropped two in a row in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic in mid-December.

The Cougars are looking to win the title for the first time since ’07-‘08 when they went 12-2. The three players who provide leadership, scoring, and confidence are senior captains Brett Barnard, Adam Mancebo, and Brian Sanders. The early schedule is absolutely brutal for the Cougars as six of their first eight games are on the road with two different three game stretches. The flip side to that is six of the last seven are at home. The Cougars won their opener with a 66-50 victory over Las Lomas.

The Dougherty Valley Wildcats have already exceeded their win total from last year and enter league play with tremendous confidence. In their first year in the league last year, they went 0-12 in league play and 2-23 overall. Head coach Mike Hansen and staff has done a great job in turning around a program that struggled mightily last year. Juniors Cameron Billon and Connor Griffin provide the spark for team. A solid group of players are also developing around the two playmakers.

The Wildcats open with four of the first six at home with road games at Miramonte to start league play and at Campolindo. If they can make it through that stretch in good shape, it will help their drive for the title as three of their last four are on the road with the lone home game against Campolindo the next to last game of the season.