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SoCal High School & Prep Report

Bakersfield Report: The Season
Marches On--(February 17, 1998)

Unlike the Southern Section, and just as in the other sections around the state (Central Coast, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, North) the season marches on in Bakersfield, and will continue throughout this week as league champs are determined, and other teams eliminated from playoff contention. Here's a brief report on the games happening tonight, Tuesday February 17 in and around Bakersfield, where as many as four league champions could be crowned tonight as boys and girls high school basketball teams continue to play out the season.

Four different boys teams are within half a game of the South West Yosemite League title. West plays at Stockdale at 6:45 tonight in a battle of first-place teams and the winner will take a strong advantage. Both teams are 4-2 in league play, while Centennial and South are tied at 4-3. Stockdale beat West 62-59 in double overtime in the teams' first meeting two weeks ago. West was 5-for-13 from the foul line in the game. The Vikings (16-8) are led by junior Chris Jackson, who is averaging 17 points a game and leads the league with 47 3-pointers. West has five different players who have made 10 or more 3-pointers this year. Stockdale (10-13) is led by Bryson Gholston, who averages 12.1 points.

The Bakersfield High School team, (20-4, 6-0) which plays in the South East Yosemite League, has already clinched a share of the SEYL title and can win it outright tonight at Highland (6:45 p.m.). In the Southern Sierra League, Garces High grabbed at least a share of the league title Friday with its victory over Taft (not the one from LAUSD, but from the town of Taft), combined with Tehachapi's loss to Shafter in three overtimes. Garces (17-7, 8-1 SSL) can take the title outright when it plays at Tehachapi tonight (7 p.m.). The Warriors, who came back from a 16-point deficit to give the Rams their only league loss this year, would earn a share of the title with a win.

That's it for now. We'll try to have the results and some game highlights as soon as we can get them.