Sanchez hits game-winner to give Downey co-championship
Downey’s Marcus Sanchez (0) is carried after making the game winning shot over La Mirada during their boys basketball game at Downey High School on Thursday. Downey defeated La Mirada 48-47. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
DOWNEY — It was a storybook ending for a book that still might have a few more chapters left for the Downey High School boys basketball team last Thursday, Feb. 2.
With less than three seconds left in the final game of the regular season, Downey senior guard Marcus Sanchez sank a short jump shot to lead the Vikings to a Gateway League Co-Championship over La Mirada, 48-47.
“It felt great,” said Sanchez, of his game-winning shot. “I don’t know when the last time we won a league championship here at Downey, but it felt great doing it for the city and my teammates, especially.
“To be honest, it was designed for Jathan (Lopez), but he was getting pressured, so I had to get the ball and just made the big play.”
The big Downey crowd thought the game was over, but the officials put a couple more seconds on the board, but the Vikings held on for the win.
It was a monumental win for longtime Downey coach Larry Shelton, as it was his final regular season game after 35 years guiding the Vikings.
It was also his first league title since the 2013-14 season.
Shelton is set to retire after the playoffs are over for Downey.
“If you’re going to go out, how about going out winning the new league for the first time in a game like this with kids that you love in a great atmosphere like it was on senior night,” said Shelton, who is also retiring from teaching at the school. “You couldn’t ask for a better way to go out. Tom Brady should have gone out when he won the Super Bowl, so I hope I’m doing it at the right time.
“I’m not going to offend another team, but this is one of my best teams. But I did tell them that they had the chance to be the winningest season in the history of Downey Basketball.”
The 1979 CIF Championship team, coached by Dean Ackland, won 26 games and Shelton coached a team that was 26-3 another year.
“If we can win two playoff games, they’d be the winningest season in the history of the school.”
The team crept closer to that magical 27th win Wednesday (February 8) in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2A, by defeating Cypress, 67-58.
They will now play Aquinas (23-6) of San Bernardino in a second-round game Friday (Feb. 10).
In the final Gateway League game against La Mirada, the Vikings were led by senior guard Jacob Topete with a game-high 14 points. The only other player for the Vikings in double figures was senior forward Aiden Rouse with 11 points.
Sanchez added eight points, while Omar Cisneros and Lopez had seven each.
La Mirada was led by junior Isaiah Valenzuela with 12 points – all 3-pointers. Sophomore Julien Gomez, who had an off night, added six points, while Athan Sierra had five points and three players had four points – Michael Torres, Morgan Smith and Anegi Castillo.
In the first quarter, it was an even affair early on, but La Mirada began to pull away with a 7-0 run and led 11-5 highlighted by the first of four three’s by Valenzuela with 1:44 left.
Topete scored on a driving layup, followed by two free throws by Rouse to trail, 14-9 heading into the second quarter for Downey.
La Mirada took a brief, six-point lead, 16-10 after a driving layup by junior Christopher Cuevas with five minutes left in the half.
A Downey 3-pointer by Lopez with 1:29 left tied the game at 18-18.
Late in the opening half, Sierra hit a short jump shot for the 20-18 lead, but the Vikings took their first lead of the game with three free throws in the last minute for the 21-20 lead at the break.
The third quarter was the closest of the game with neither team taking a big lead.
Gomez, who came into the game with a 26.6 scoring averaging, struggled in the first quarter after he picked up two quick fouls. He sat the whole second quarter for the Matadores.
La Mirada took a brief four-point, 28-24 lead on a driving layup by sophomore Morgan Smith and a free throw.
Downey still led by one point, 33-32, heading into the fourth quarter.
With the game tied, 43-43, with 1:50 left in the game, the final heroics took place for both teams.
Senior point guard Sean Cervantes scored his only two points of the game with two free throws to give the Matadores a 47-46 lead with 11.1 seconds left.
After the La Mirada defense knocked an inbounds pass away, there was only 9.0 seconds left.
Sanchez eventually got the ball, and the game was over with his shot with seconds left.
“That was our third buzzer-beater we’ve lost this year,” La Mirada Boys Basketball coach Randy Oronoz said. “We’re kind of getting a little down, but it’s a learning experience and we’re trying to gear up and get ready for playoffs.
“We played tough games all year, so nothing different right now. Hopefully we learned from some of these close losses. We had a stretch last year where we lost eight close games and made a run to the finals. Hopefully we got all of the close losses out and we can pull some of those out in the playoffs.”
Downey’s Marcus Sanchez (0) sinks the game winning shot over La Mirada during their boys basketball game at Downey High School on Thursday. Downey defeated La Mirada 48-47. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
Julien Gomez on the loss:
“It came down to the wire and it was a great game,” Gomez said. “Coach (Ordonoz) was talking about that in the locker room. Us going through adversity will help us in the long run.
“From a personal standpoint, I could have been more of a leader and been more of a guy by knocking down those free throws,” Gomez said. “It stings, it really stings. I had the game in my hands, and I folded.”
Gomez made one of two free throws and then missed the front end of a one and one with 1:51 to play.
“There’s nothing to do but grow from this.”
The La Mirada boys (21-8) defeated Bishop Amat, 66-46, in a first round game Wednesday. The Matadores face Shalhevet (23-6) Friday in a second-round game in D 2A.
In D 3AA, No. 1 St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (25-4) defeated Alemany (13-14), 90-56, and will play the winner of the Price/Canyon first-round game (Results unavailable at press time).
Calvary Chapel Downey ended the season with a loss to Temecula Prep, 63-24, in a D 5AA first round game.
In the girls basketball playoffs, Downey (18-10) took on Beaumont (19-4) in a CIF-SS D 2A first round game Thursday (Feb. 9). Results unavailable at press time.
What they said:
Ray Walker, Downey Assistant coach: “Coach (Shelton) is awesome, and the kids respect him. It (the win over La Mirada) was great and coach deserves it and the kids were fighting for him and his pregame speech was amazing.
He always has them ready to go. The team is a special group. For me, it’s been a blast.”
Dean Ackland, former Downey coach: “He was a coach even back then,” said Eckland, of Shelton, who played for him. He was a hard worker and came to work every day. (Shelton) would get on guys positively. He would tell his teammates you can play better than that. He also was a listener.”
Tyler Ellis, 30, former Downey player, 2010 graduate: “Playing for him (Shelton) was awesome. The best coach I ever played for. He always pushed you to be your best.
It’s (35-year career for Shelton) an incredible run. Playing for him was awesome.”
Marcus Sanchez, Downey senior guard: “It felt good. I gave him (Shelton) a big hug at the end of the game. I love him. I have a loss for words. I don’t know what to say.
Winning this game, made it much better for playoffs.
Every game (CIF playoffs) is going to be like this and we just have to come out and ready to play every game.”
Aiden Rouse, Downey senior guard: “It’s his last year, man. It’s a great way to end up a season. The last year for us as seniors and the last year for him (Shelton). We put in the work this year and I feel like we deserved it. We came together as a team. We got it done.”
Johan Perez, Downey junior guard: “We did this for coach. We’ve been working our butts off all year. Our starters are incredible and right now winning league, I’m really proud of them. I’m really going to miss them when they leave. They always find a way to win.”
Jacob Topete, Downey senior guard: “It’s something special. We’ve been with coach for three years. He’s been great to us. He always has our back. Its great to give him something back in return for all the time he’s put in for us.
Tonight, (against La Mirada) we showed up, played hard on both ends of the court.
It (winning shot) was just another shot for Marcus.”
Omar Cisneros, Downey senior guard: “This was a serious game for him and we knew we wanted to get the “W” out there. No matter what, we were going to do whatever it takes just for him. We love him with all our heart and will do whatever it takes to win a game.”
Downey Girls Water Polo wins CIF 1st Round game
In a game earlier in the day, the Downey Girls Water Polo team began their quest for a CIF title to match the boys championship last Fall, with a 17-11 win over visiting University (Irvine) Wednesday (Feb. 8) in a CIF-SS D2 first-round game.
“Alexsa (Gimenez) showed up and had a great all-around offensive performance,” Downey Girls Water Polo coach Uriel Villa said. “She led the team with six goals and four assists. Our defensive standout (Wednesday) was sophomore Berlynn Mani. She led our team with five steals and two field blocks to go along with one caused ejection.”
Downey (27-2) travels to Canyon of Anaheim (21-8) Saturday (Feb. 11) at noon for a second-round game.
Senior goalie Janay Robertson played most of the game and finished with 14 saves, seven goals against and an assist.
Freshman Alia De La Mora added three goals for the Vikings.