DSIII317.htm

SoCal High School & Prep Report

CIF State Playoffs: Northern Region D-III Final:
Enterprise Beats Del Oro 49-31--(March 17, 1998)

Apparently there's another Jason Collins besides the one who plays for Stanford and who formerly played for Harvard-Westlake in the Division III state championship game for the last three years. This one, junior guard Jason Collins from Enterprise, scored 10 first-quarter points to lead the Hornets (21-7) past the Sac-Joaquin Section champion Eagles (24-10) in the Division III finals. The Del Oro Golden Eagles, second-seeded, managed to pretty much completely shut down one of the state's most prolific performers, with great defense, but Enterprise actually improved without Billy Speer, who averages 32 ppg., and the No. 1 Hornets rolled to a 49-31 rout in the Northern California Division III championship at the Oakland New Arena.

Speer was defended with any number of "junk" defenses, including box-and-one and several different variations on man to man matchup zones. Speer was unable to get moving, and was only 2 for 13 from the field, and 0 for 6 from three-point range; he had seven turnovers, got into foul trouble and finally, and ultimately fouled out with 1:48 to play.

Del Oro (26-10) got a big game from shooting guard Chris Wilmot. Elevated from the JV ranks for the playoffs, Wilmot was one of three Enterprise players to connect on three-pointers, coolly and calmly firing away in the spacious confines of a place that historically serves as a graveyard for long-range shooters. Wilmot scored all nine of his points from beyond the arc. Jason Collins had two three-pointers early to lift the Hornets (23-7) to an 18-7 first-quarter lead and finished with 10 points. Matt Blanc dropped in two three-pointers on his way to 10 points.

Del Oro did not look like the efficient team which had won 16 of its previous 17 games, including six straight in the playoffs. The Golden Eagles were tentative, rushed their shots, including several three-pointers that hit the side of the backboard, and had passes bounce off their heads and into the first row. And that was in the first half.

It got worse after halftime. Del Oro managed one field goal in the third quarter and 10 points in the second half, thanks in part to nerves, 20 percent shooting and outstanding defensive by the Hornets, who will compete for their first state championship Saturday at Arco Arena when they challenge the USDHS' Dons, the Southern Region Division III Champions.