Daily Journal Athlete of the Week: San Mateo’s Grant Wolfgram

“I hated that,” Wolfgram said. “And then we went back to the locker room, they started clapping, hitting all the lockers, screaming, yelling. Just, it gives you fuel for next time. I didn’t know if I’d be back, but it gave me more motivation to work harder.”

Wolfgram has been named Daily Journal Athlete of the Week not only for getting back for last Friday’s anticipated rematch with Hillsdale. In just the third start since his return, he went to town, carrying the Bearcats to a 54-44 victory by scoring 36 points. Adding to the payback, the win denied Hillsdale a share of the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division championship, as Aragon seized the crown outright by virtue of a 60-50 win over Mills just up the street.

The cherry on top was, this time, Mateo won on Hillsdale’s home court. So, while Wolfgram was all business for most of the game, he couldn’t help during a timeout in the closing minutes but look up at the crowd with a curious smile on his face.

“It was amazing,” Wolfgram said. “It was the energy in the first quarter, and it just carries over into that fourth quarter. ... It’s an amazing feeling. You just make one, you hear the crowd going, and the other crowd — Hillsdale’s notorious for having a big, loud crowd — I looked over at the end of the game and half of them were gone. So, it put a good smile on my face.”

Wolfgram suffered his knee injury two days prior to the start of San Mateo’s Jan. 7 PAL Ocean Division opener. The fallout was obvious, as the Bearcats opened league play with back-to-back losses against Mills and Woodside, went on to drop 3 for their first 4, and never really regained their footing.

San Mateo still had plenty of talent on the court, with twin brothers Bryan and Byron Ehlerman, among others. What the team lost in Wolfgram, though, was its playmaker — an All-PAL Ocean Division first-team selection in 2024-25, who would have no doubt contended for a second one this season, if not PAL Ocean MVP consideration.

“When I was off, I think we just had some trouble getting downhill,” Wolfgram said. “I think people were almost too much of playmakers when I was out. ... It was a a little less control. I think we had a little less experience overall. But it’s hard when someone goes out. But I think they did a great job.”

Bryan Ehlerman chipped in with 10 points Friday night, but the value of the Bearcats’ depth showed up in the way the ball was flowing. Wolfgram came out red hot, connecting for a corner 3 for the first points of the game, then getting his driving game going off fluid passing by testing the lanes, and pulling up for short, accurate jumpers.

“My teammates, they did a great job looking out,” Wolfgram said. “They were looking for me, setting me up really well. It made it easy on me to just shoot the ball.”

Wolfgram took over the third quarter, scoring seven of the Bearcats’ 11 points. A pull-up 14-foot jumper started the spree, but then he really tested his range with a pull-up, quick-release wing 3, knocking it down with the loud splash of a young Klay Thompson.

With San Mateo pushing the lead to double digits at one point in the fourth quarter, Hillsdale had to play the fouling game, and Wolfgram got to the line 16 times in the period. He made 11 free throws in the fourth, and was 16 of 21 from the stripe overall.

“I’ve been working really hard,” Wolfgram said. “My trainer at school, she’s been working really hard with me. I’ve been doing PT on my own. Like I said, when they’re clapping and yelling and stuff, especially a rival like that, gives you so much more motivation. You just want to come back and kill ’em.”