Long Beach, CA- The Cabrillo Jaguars and the Wilson Bruins played their finale on February 1, 2024, in a big game for both teams. Heading into this game, Cabrillo and Wilson were coming off must-win games that they both lost in road games to Poly and Jordan respectively. The game was important for the playoff hopes for both teams and also for seniors potentially playing in their final game.It was under unusual circumstances as this game was played at Browning High School because of a roof leakage from rain at Wilson’s gym.
Senior Jack Johnson said that he is a “little shaky”. “I’ve already been in high school for four years,” he continued when asked about potentially playing his final game of his high school basketball career. Similarly, senior Airus Allen talked about if senior night adds any pressure to the game. “Of course it does. It’s always going to. I feel pressure going into every game but this one is definitely detrimental to me.”
Senior Hayden Rodriguez said, “It’s crazy. These four years have gone by really fast but that’s why I gotta enjoy this and play hard for the whole 32 minutes of this game.” Finally, Senior Niles Rivers said that despite the circumstances, he will remain focused on the task at hand. “As a basketball player you have to have a mind that is strong and not mentally weak. I know I have a thought process that is mentally strong and I won’t be thinking about the playoff circumstances on Senior Night but instead just focus on doing what I can to help the team win.”
These seniors all are certainly going to have some nerves when they go out on the court, but as soon as the jump ball is in the air, it was just basketball to them at the end of the day. There was a little problem leading up to the coming hours of the game. The game was originally scheduled to be at Wilson, but rain and a leakage in the roof forced the relocation of the game. In their first meeting of the season, Cabrillo got the better of Wilson in their first meeting on their home court, 54-50, in what was a highly competitive battle.
The game was underway, and immediately the Bruins got off to a hot start, with Senior Niles Rivers scoring the first two points of the game. The Bruins rode the momentum and were leading 10-2 after the game. However, the Jaguars scored the first seven points of the second quarter to cut the deficit to one. Cabrillo eventually tied up the game at 13 but the Bruins had one final push to take a 17-14 lead going into halftime.
The second half was underway and for the start of the 3rd quarter, it was pretty evenly matched. Midway through the third quarter, Wilson went on their biggest run of the game, led by stellar defense throughout and forcing turnovers. Wilson went on a 10-4 run at the end of the quarter to go into the fourth leading 36-26.
Going into the fourth, despite a 14 point deficit at one point, Cabrillo got back in it again and got back in the game. However, freshman Andre Smith for the Bruins was practically unstoppable. He used every bit of his tall, lengthy frame to score at will in the paint. Whether it was lowering his shoulder to score, or showing off excellent footwork, the only hope Cabrillo had to stop him was to foul him. However, Smith was subbed out about midway through the fourth, perhaps because he was tired or in foul trouble.
Using this to their advantage, Cabrillo, led by their star point guard and former Bruin Lincoln Dean, turned a 49-39 deficit with just a couple minutes to 54-52. However, there were only a couple of seconds left. Wilson got in the passing lane and forced a turnover one last time to regain possession. The Jaguars then were forced to foul. Wilson made their free throws and won 57-52 in what was a hard fought battle. This game was a classic example of showing that basketball is a game of runs. Big runs by both teams kept the game close, but the Bruins did just enough to outlast the feisty Jaguars to win the game of the year.
This win for the Bruins leaves them in unusual circumstances. With Jordan upsetting Lakewood 67-56 the same night, and now being tied with Cabrillo for fifth in Moore League, they will have to play one more time. This trilogy match will take place at Lakewood High School between the two teams just 24 hours later on February 2nd. The winner of this game will get the right to play in the CIF playoffs this season. The winner of this game will also get bragging rights over the other, as they are playing to find out who will win two out of three. With two really close and great games between the two already in the books, the 3rd will surely have a lot of expectations riding on it. Without a doubt, this was a win or go home for both teams.
Editor’s note by Gaia Clark: February 7, 2024: With a fierce fight, the Bruins lost their CIF match against Hesperia in their long-awaited game. The team is now out of the running for CIF championship, though they have worked incredibly hard to get to the level that they got to. Congratulations to everyone on the team, and Wilson High School looks forward to next year’s season.
