Boys hoops reaches new heights with postseason run

Clayton Valley’s historic boys basketball season came to an end March 5. The Ugly Eagles finished 27-5 overall and possessed a 12-0 record in Diablo Athletic League play.

Led by Coach Frank Allocco, the Eagles won the DAL championship and were also runners-up in the NCS Open Division playoffs. This earned them a spot as a No. 2 seed in the D1 CIF State Championships.

Throughout the season, CV snagged signature wins over King’s Academy, Sacramento, and Dougherty Valley. These wins all came over teams ranked in the top 75 in California. They also were able to hang with the NorCal champions, Salesian, in the NCS Open Division final, but ultimately lost 51-49.

“Winning a game in the open section playoffs, it’s the first time we’ve done that, to get to the section championship is probably the most memorable win,” Clayton Valley basketball coach Frank Allocco said. “Beating Dougherty Valley to get to play Salesian in the section championship.”

Unfortunately the team’s season came to an end with a 59-55 loss to No. 7 seed Dougherty Valley in the CIF state playoffs. The game took place at Clayton Valley High School and the student sections were getting hyped.

The team was led by seniors such as Cannon Simpson, Vince Ellis, Jett Tran and Chris Berry. Simpson led the team in rebounds and assists per game while Ellis averaged the most points per game at 12.6. Simpson’s standout season helped him win Diablo Athletic League’s Most Valuable Player.

“I think they really liked playing on the court together. These guys really did enjoy being out there together,” Allocco said. “They get along really well off the court. I can’t think of a problem we had with two teammates getting into it or anything like that.” 

Senior Vince Ellis (left) is planning to play basketball at Dominican University next season. (Photo by Stevie Shryack)

The team’s historic season was on full display during Diablo Athletic League play. They boasted a 12-0 record, making it the first time they’ve been undefeated in league since the 2016-2017 season. The team was led by an amazing defense, which stopped some of the best teams in the DAL.

“They all committed to playing really good defense, we had some historic defensive performances this year,” Allocco said. “Acalanes, we almost held them to 0 points in a half, and they were a very good team, even second best in our league.”

The Ugly Eagles finished as the No. 28 team in the state of California according to MaxPreps, but peaked at No. 23, marking them as one of the most remarkable teams in Clayton Valley basketball history.

Clayton Valley was also able to utilize some underclassmen in its rotation, including Santana Gonzalez and Charlie Sullivan. They were vital to making the team so successful this season.

“I would say that the biggest area I’ve improved on compared to last year is my shooting and my defense,” said Sullivan, a sophomore. “Last year I struggled to compete at the varsity level, but through time and experience I improved on it.”

Some seniors are looking forward to playing at the next level. Ellis will be attending Dominican University of California in San Rafael, and is excited to continue his athletic career there.

“I’m really excited, I’ve talked to all the coaches and the campus is really nice,” Ellis said. “It’s also close enough so that my parents can come to the game, and I’m just excited to get out there and get going.”