San Francisco, Fullerton open season as regions' top teams

RIVERSIDE - The CCCMBCA regional preseason poll has San Francisco City and Fullerton as the top regional picks for the 2024-25 season, which begins October 31.

Talk across the state is that San Francisco City is the odds-on favorite to win the 2025 3C2A state title. San Francisco City has a tradition of success on the basketball court, especially under head coach Justin Labagh. The Rams have won four state titles, last coming in 2022, and been runner up twice under Labagh.

West Valley, the defending state champions, opens the season as the No. 2 team in the north. Last season, West Valley became just the fifth California community college men's basketball program to go undefeated in winning the state championship. West Valley head coach Danny Yoshikawa joined an elite group of coaches — Jerry Tarkanian (1964, Riverside); Jim Newman (1970, Compton); Vance Walberg (2005, Fresno City); Dieter Horton (2006, Fullerton) as the only coaches to win a state title while undefeated.

Now is the time to mark your calendars. On November 22, the Vikings will host San Francisco City.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Sequoias lost to West Valley in the state championship game last season, marking the second consecutive season the Giants had their season end at the state tournament in disappointment.  Mark the calendar, on December 6, the Giants will compete in the Golden Gate Classic at San Francisco City and face the Rams.

Last season, Modesto finished 4-24, but new head coach Bruce Fantazia has the Pirates ranked No. 4 after an impressive showcase showing. Modesto will see three preseason ranked opponents, beginning with N5 San Jose City out of the game on November 2. The Pirates will also play S1 Fullerton (December 13) and S8 San Diego City (December 14) at Fullerton before opening Big 8 Conference play.

San Jose City, which lost to Yuba in the regional finals last year, lands at No. 5. The Jaguars open at home vs. N4 Modesto, followed by a road game against S17 Allan Hancock (annual Aye family showdown) and S8 San Diego City (at Allan Hancock). On December 11, San Jose City hosts N11 and N7 Chabot before opening conference play.

In the south, there is a lot of familiar faces as Fullerton, which lost to Sequoias in the semifinals of the state tournament last year in overtime, begins the year as the top team in the south. Fullerton will be trying to win its third title in the last six years and three in the last five years of competition (no tournament in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID).

Fullerton, winners of won three state titles since 2006, is expected to be pushed by a number of programs in the south led by San Bernardino Valley, a program which just missed out on making its third straight 3C2A state tournament appearance last season. It is hard to believe, but San Bernardino Valley has never won a men's basketball championship. Is this the year for the Wolverines?  Twice, San Bernardino Valley has fallen in the state final; the first in 2005 when Fresno City beat the Wolverines and then again in 2014, when Santa Rosa edged San Bernardino Valley.

Mark your calendar, on November 20, S1 Fullerton visits S2 San Bernardino Valley — after showdowns with N9 Yuba (November 8), N2 West Valley (November 9), S14 Santa Monica (November 13), and S4 Moorpark (November 26).

San Bernardino Valley eases into the 2024-25 season, but things escalate quickly with S1 Fullerton coming to town and then a road game at Santa Monica before returning home to take on S7 East Los Angeles, unranked Ventura, unranked Riverside and S9 Pasadena City. And, in between the Alvin Hunter Classic, where six of the eight teams are ranked in their respective region. On paper, the final should feature N1 San Francisco City vs. S2 San Bernardino (November 10 at 6 pm).

Citrus lands at No. 3. The Owls last won a state men's basketball title in 2008, but they are always in the conversation come February about a post-season run. Citrus will play five of its six first games on the road. And then returns home to face Sequoias (November 22), S7 East Los Angeles (November 27), S14 Cerro Coso (December 6), in a rematch of their regional final game last year, and S6 Santiago Canyon (December 7).

At No. 4 is Moorpark. The Raiders will play perhaps its toughest preseason schedule in years. Moorpark opens with N12 Fresno and turns around to face N2 West Valley. The following week, Moorpark will compete in the Alvin Hunter Classic at San Bernardino, where six of the eight teams are ranked in their respective region. Moorpark opens with West LA and then figures to get San Bernardino in its semifinal. In the finals, the options are East Los Angeles, San Francisco City or Santa Monica (sorry Saddleback).

(Robert Schmidt, CCCMBCA)