The holy grail has been attained. In a landmark season, the Christopher boys basketball team captured the school’s first Central Coast Section championship with three playoff wins. The title came in a 51-50 thriller over Westmont on March 1 at Santa Clara High.
On the way to the crown, the Cougars ran away with the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division title. Christopher was unbeaten in league play with a 12-0 mark, grabbing the title by a full four games.
The CHS boys hoops program has been on an upswing this decade. The previous period was a mixed bag. In a five-year span from the 2014-15 season, Christopher was 61-59 overall, 34-34 in league play.
During the last four non-Covid years, the Cougars found a new level, going 76-38 overall, 36-8 in league play. However, in those fine four seasons, they reached a CCS title game but lost. This year, they won it all.
In the CCS Division II playoffs, the Cougars defeated Monta Vista 46-31, Willow Glen 60-52 and Westmont 51-50.
The finale was a drama-filled back-and-forth thriller won by clutch plays, including the winning basket by Trey Caragio with 2.1 seconds remaining. The players celebrated, hoisting the trophy high to the cheers, hugs and screams of team members, students, parents, alumni and local fans.
“We had a great season,” senior center Jaxen Robinson said. “We got the league title and we won the CCS championship.”
Christopher advanced into the NorCal playoffs, competing in Division III. In that tourney, they lost 46-40 to Enterprise of Redding. That ended the campaign, and the final record was 25-3, the best ever.
“First time in history of Gilroy, most wins in history of Gilroy, first title in school history,” coach Adam Sax said. “The kids played hard all year and they deserve it.”
The three-game playoff run was filled with ups and downs and magical moments. Christopher led most of the way against Westmont, but the Warriors charged back with a barrage of 3-pointers. An 11-0 run gave them a four-point lead with just 25.2 seconds left in the game.
CHS replied. Anton Mendezona nailed the shot of his life, a clutch 3-pointer to narrow the margin to one. Two missed Warrior foul shots set the table for the decisive play, with the ball in the hands of senior guard Caragio.
“I motioned him to ‘just go’,” Sax said. “Take it in transition and not give them a chance to set their defense.”
Caragio drove to the basket and sank the winning layup with 2.1 seconds left. The Cougar faithful exploded with joy. Moments later, the long-awaited title was finally theirs.
The playoff run was a grind, according to Robinson, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior who will play NCAA Division I football next year for Northern Arizona. In fact, success on the court also came with another key non-hoops component as foundational guard Sam Guenther is a baseball star. But this Cougars crew featured a tight group that came together and jelled when it counted, also overcoming injuries to key players along the way.
Robinson was an unstoppable force at center and was named league MVP. In the backcourt with Caragio and Guenther were senior Tyler Green, Teja Gaines and Mendezona. The athletic front-court group included defensive wizard Ebuka Okeke, explosive Mathew Bass and versatile Quinn Ledesma Old-Elk. Juniors Riley Gonzaga and Dom Valentine provided depth.
First-Team All-League awards went to Bass and Okeke. Caragio and Guenther received Second-Team recognition.
“Defense has been the foundation for our team,” Sax said. “We have played well, with good chemistry and synergy. Ball movement has been on point. Every game, it’s a different guy who steps up.”
Six of the 12 league games were tight, highlighted by the 61-59 overtime win at Westmont on Jan. 22.
The triumph came via a Robinson bucket with four seconds remaining. Robinson often had big games, including 22 points each at Branham and at Santa Teresa. When teams doubled him, the perimeter attack succeeded and Bass, Okeke and Ledesma Old-Elk scored from mid-range and helped crash the boards.
Sax’s defense was a cornerstone for success. In the last seven league games, Christopher held each opponent under 50 points.
The playoffs began on Feb. 25 with Monta Vista of Cupertino. In the first half, Gaines scored 10 first-half points but the visiting Matadors hung close. The tally was just 22-20 at halftime.
CHS came out on fire and with energy after the break, blowing the Mats out of the gym in an 11-0 period. The Cougars defense held MV to 0-for-11 shooting and forced six turnovers. CHS coasted in from there.
“We went into a zone and did not let them drive,” Gaines said. “We pushed faster and we made smarter plays.”
Gaines finished with 13 points and Bass had 10.
“We got our energy up,” Guenther said. “Our zone held them to bad shots. On offense, they were doubling on Jaxen and we got better movement on the ball to get it to other guys.”
After the game, Guenther optimistically said the team was excited to win it all (CCS). He was right and Willow Glen was the next team on the docket.
Christopher ground out a tough win over the Rams two days later. The Cougars led 14-10 after one quarter, 27-18 at halftime and won 60-52. Okeke led the point parade with 17, Bass had 11, Mendezona added 10, and Ledesma Old-Elk contributed nine points.
Two days later, the Cougars faced Westmont for the title. The 51-50 win closed the careers of six seniors with the ultimate prize.
The March 4 loss in the ultra-competitive NorCal Division III game was disappointing but did not tarnish the year’s accomplishments. Visiting Enterprise had rebounded late in the season as injured players returned to the lineup. They reached the North Coast Section championship game and were a tough matchup for Christopher.
“They out-executed us and hit their shots,” Mendezona said. “But we made our own history this year, getting the first title in history. We got our goal, though we did not get the next one.”
Christopher High opened in 2009. The first handful of teams went 33-63 over a four-year span. Now the Cougars have established a legacy. Five straight CCS finals. A 25-3 record, in which the three losses were by a total of just 10 points. A 12-0 league title, and now the first CCS championship.
“We were league champs and got the first CCS title,” Robinson said. “It was the best year of my life.”
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