Quick Take
The Cardinals will take on Bishop Alemany High School of Mission Hills at 4 p.m. Friday at Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings, with the California Interscholastic Federation Division III title on the line.
After a nail-biting victory in Tuesday’s Northern California final, Santa Cruz High School’s boys basketball team will take the floor Friday afternoon in Sacramento looking for its first state championship since 2005.
The Cardinals will take on Bishop Alemany High School of Mission Hills at 4 p.m. at Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, with the California Interscholastic Federation Division III title on the line.
Bishop Alemany sits with a 24-15 record after bursting through the Southern part of the bracket. The Cardinals find themselves with a 27-6 record, looking to win their first state crown since 2004-05, when Pete Newell Jr. was the head coach.
Santa Cruz made history to get to this point by winning its first NorCal championship since that 2005 run.
In a complete team effort Tuesday in front of a capacity home crowd, four Cardinals scored in double digits as they clawed their way to a 61-56 victory over Bullard High School of Fresno.
The game was close throughout, with Santa Cruz taking a 33-26 lead into halftime and extending that to 50-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
But Bullard wouldn’t go away. The Knights went on a 15-6 run and tied the game at 56 in the waning minutes.
Santa Cruz then put it into high gear by scoring a basket, getting a stop on defense and scoring again to seal the victory. 2024 CIF State Boys Basketball Championships Division III
Senior Ben Dotten had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while classmate Demeke Smith had 8 points and 7 boards.
Mosiah Cumberpatch added 11 points while fellow junior Kirby Seals tacked on 12 points while blocking three shots.
Sophomore Demarco Hunter continued his stellar season by tallying up 13 points to go with 7 rebounds.
Santa Cruz High’s Mosiah Cumberpatch (1) battles his way through Bullard High defenders. Credit: John P. Hefti / Lookout Santa Cruz 
Santa Cruz High Demeke Smith celebrates with students on the court after the Cardinals won the Division III NorCal title. Credit: John P. Hefti / Lookout Santa Cruz 
Santa Cruz High’s Kirby Seals (11) and Demarco Hunter (14) guard a Bullard High player under the basket. Credit: John P. Hefti / Lookout Santa Cruz 
Santa Cruz High’s Kirby Seals (11) passes the ball against Bullard High. Credit: John P. Hefti / Lookout Santa Cruz 
The Santa Cruz High student section goes wild. Credit: John P. Hefti / Lookout Santa Cruz
The Cardinals were the No. 1 seed in the North and breezed to the NorCal final after winning the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League and reaching the Central Coast Section final.
In the first round of the NorCal playoffs, the Cardinals defeated Oakland’s Head-Royce School 61-47. In the second round, Santa Cruz topped Roseville’s West Park High School 62-44. In the Northern regional semifinal, the Cardinals took down Ygnacio Valley High School 57-40 to advance to the final against Bullard.
On Friday, Dotten and Smith will play their final game in a Cardinals uniform. They have both been on the roster since their freshman year. In that span, they have won 86 games against just 22 losses. In the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, they leave a legacy that saw them win 40 times in 43 games.
Now, they will end their high school careers on an NBA floor.
Get tickets and more information here.
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.