Burlingame boys, Hillsdale girls reach new Nor Cal level

For Menlo and Half Moon Bay, this is old hat. The Knights have advanced to the semifinals in three of the last eight seasons: they made the Division IV final four in 2015, won the 2019 Division II state championship and advanced to the semifinals last season.

HMB made the Nor Cal playoffs seven straight years, from 2012 to 2018, making the semifinals in 2014 and 2016.

But for Burlingame and Hillsdale, this is a whole new frontier, one that is nearly impossible to predict.

“Last year, we win [the Central Coast Section title] and we got moved up to Division II. This year, we lose CCS and we move down to Division IV,” said Burlingame head coach Jeff Dowd. “[CIF] is trying to make it competitive. You never know how these things will shake out.”

There is a certain randomness and bit of luck involved in getting this far. Dowd has coached Burlingame teams with better resumes and accolades, but it is this year’s team that has made Burlingame history. The Panthers have appeared in five previous Nor Cal tournaments, going 1-4 with the only win coming in their first appearance in 2011.

Burlingame is now 2-0 in the 2023 tournament and are looking for more. But Dowd said it can be a little complicated emotionally.

“The last two years, we won CCS, which was the goal. This year, we don’t get league or CCS, but no team in Burlingame history has won two games in Nor Cal,” Dowd said. “A lot of people didn’t think this team would be that strong. But you can see the kids’ confidence growing.”

Hillsdale’s first-year coach Dan Mori is in a similar situation. While the Knights had one of the best team in program history in 2022, the 2023 edition has advanced farther.

“I told the players, ‘You guys should be extremely proud of your accomplishments. Enjoy the ride. Have fun and embrace the opportunity,’” Mori said. “I told them to play with passion, intensity, focus and joy.”

Dowd said one of the keys to success at this time of the season is to embrace the grind. When the Panthers leave Burlingame around 11 a.m. Saturday for their 7 p.m. game in Chico Saturday night, it will be the second long road trip they’ll have taken this week. They had to go to Marysville for a first-round game Tuesday.

While others may groan about a three-hour bus ride, Dowd said his team is looking forward to it.

“At the end of the day, what do you have besides that journey?” Dowd said.

And for Dowd, Saturday will be a bit of a homecoming.

“I grew up in Gridley, not far from Chico. My family came to the Marysville game,” Dowd said.

And regardless if the game is a non-league matchup in December or if it’s in the Nor Cal semifinal, the routine doesn’t change.

“This is who we got and we have to play the team in front of us. Let’s go out there and prepare the best we can,” Dowd said. “Everyone is pumped to drive up to Chico.”

Meanwhile, the Knights will be in the comfy confines of their own gym when they host Menlo. The did not face each other during the season so Mori believes the pressure will be pretty high Saturday night.

“Some of our players know a few of their players and they know they’re good, solid players,” Mori said. “If anything, it kind of ratchets up the tension because you’ve played against these kids for a long time and you don’t want to lose to them.”

Boys

Division IV

No. 9 Burlingame (23-5) at No. 5 Chico (23-8), 7 p.m.

Burlingame is 6-2 on the road; Chico is 13-1 at home

As Burlingame head coach Jeff Dowd said: defense travels.

Through two Nor Cal wins, the Panthers have held their opponents under 50 points — they opened with a 52-45 win over No. 8 Marysville and followed that with a 42-37 win over top-seeded Head-Royce-Oakland.

Burlingame was held to just two third-quarter points Thursday and connected on just 2-of-17 3-point attempts, yet still managed to get the win. Zaden Martin led the Panthers with a game-high 17 points against Head-Royce, while Kyle Haslam finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Chico opened with a 59-56 win over No. 12 Calavaras before traveling to No. 4 Monterey and knocking off the Dores, 68-57. The Panthers are averaging just under 60 points per game and are deep, with six players averaging five points or more per game. They are led by Rashad Samuel’s 12 points per game.

No. 10 Half Moon Bay (19-10) at No. 3 Marin Catholic-Kentfield (16-17), 7 p.m.

HMB is 9-3 on the road; Marin Catholic is 11-4 at home

HMB is making its ninth Nor Cal appearance in the last 12 years, making the Division IV semifinals in 2014 and 2016. The Cougars are 9-8 in Nor Cal games since 2011.

HMB opened with a 60-54 win over No. 7 San Domenico-San Anselmo and followed that with a 60-48 win over No. 2 Hillsdale Thursday.

Marin Catholic came into the Nor Cal tournament with a losing record. The Wildcats opened the season 1-5 and lost in the first round of their league playoffs.

MC qualified for the North Coast Section Division IV bracket and were eliminated in the semifinals, but still got an invite to Nor Cals. The Wildcats got past No. 14 Oakwood-Morgan Hill, 59-56 in the first round and beat No. 6 Central Catholic-Modesto in the quarterfinals.

Girls

Division IV

No. 7 Menlo School (17-10) at No. 6 Hillsdale (23-5), 7 p.m.

Menlo is 4-5 on the road; Hillsdale is 15-1 at home

For the second game in a row, Menlo will be facing a county team. It got past No. 15 Summit Shasta in the quarterfinals, building a 20-point lead in the third quarter before settling for a 48-38 win.

Menlo is appearing in its second straight Nor Cal semifinal game.

Hillsdale is making its third-ever appearance in a Nor Cal game and like the Burlingame boys’ team, the Knights have made history with by winning two games in Nor Cal action.

Hillsdale advanced to the semifinals with a first-round, 61-59 win over No. 11 University Prep-Redding Tuesday. Thursday, Hillsdale dumped No. 3 Kimball-Tracy, 57-44.

Hillsdale built a 19-point lead in the first half Thursday, but Kimball cut its deficit to single digits by halftime. In the third, the Jaguars closed to a point, but Hillsdale held them off.