Under the radar game of the week: Escondido 78, Ramona 67
San Diego has a lot of teams and players who hover far below the radar. That doesn’t mean that the teams or the players aren’t worth watch. As the San Diego scribe for Prep Hoops So-Cal, I take the responsibility…
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Continue ReadingSan Diego has a lot of teams and players who hover far below the radar. That doesn’t mean that the teams or the players aren’t worth watch.
As the San Diego scribe for Prep Hoops So-Cal, I take the responsibility of watching these teams seriously.
Beginning this week, I’ll be featuring the ‘under the radar’ game or prospect of the week to shine a light on these players.
For the first post, I traveled up Highway 67 to Ramona High, to watch the leaders of the Valley League, Escondido High and Ramona, duke it out for first place in league, with playoff implications for both squads.
Under the radar game of the week: Escondido 78, Ramona 67
How’d it go down?
Ramona (12-10, 4-1 league) raced out to an early 13-4 lead before fans could get in their seats. But after an early Escondido timeout, the Cougars answered with an 8-0 run to make it a ball game. The host Bulldogs would ride big halves by senior guard Cameron Necochea and Jaedon Gotowala to take a 39-36 lead.
But Escondido (13-10, 5-0 league) responded with a huge third quarter, using a 10-0 run to start the quarter and a 12-0 to finish it to take a 61-50 lead into the final quarter, and Ramona never recovered, giving the Cougars a critical road win and sole possession of first place in league.
2019 Escondido G Jacob Hutchinson scored a game-high 21 points vs RamonaPlayer of the game: 2019 Escondido G Jacob Hutchinson
The 6-0 guard kept the Bulldogs off balance with his change of pace and speed, and made some pretty acrobatic layup attempts around the rim. He finished with a game-high 21 points and 4 assists. Hutchinson is the odds-on favorite to win Valley League player of the year, which would be a nice cap to his high school career.
Prospect of the game: 2021 Julian Hutchinson and 2022 Nick Payne
Escondido has a pair of young building blocks who start and play big roles right now. Hutchinson, the younger brother of Jacob, is smaller than big brother (5-9), but a better athlete and feisty on-ball defender. The 6-3 Payne has a stocky frame and is a shooter and straight-line scorer.
Escondido also has an intriguing 6-6 junior, Jacob Sauls, who has the frame of a wing but his best attribute right now is his shot-blocking ability. And Ramona 5-10 sophomore Jay Friend is a smooth shooter with underrated length and solid upside.
Underrated performance(s) of the game: Jaedon Gotowala, Ramona and Brandon Goedhart, Escondido
During the very fast-paced second quarter, when Ramona saw Escondido make its push, it was Gotowala who repelled them with big shots. The wiry, 5-11 combo guard hit three three-pointers in the second quarter and four in the game, finishing with 18 points.
It was my first time seeing Goedhart, and the feisty, 5-10 junior plays like he’s shot out of a cannon. After 1 minute of game time he was up to six points and two steals, frustrating Ramona’s guards as one of front guys in the Cougars’ 2-2-1 trap. He finished with 16 points.
What this means for both teams?
Both Ramona and Escondido are fighting for a first-round home game in their respective CIF Divisions. The Cougars currently sit as the 9th seed in Division 2, and a win here helps them keep pace with Army Navy, which scored a major upset over La Jolla Country Day.
Ramona occupies the 4th seed in CIF Division 3, but less than 1.7 “power points” separate the No. 4 and No. 9 seeds. The loss could hurt the seeding, and with few opportunities on their schedule to play a top-flight opponent, the Bulldogs will need to stay perfect in league until their next date with Escondido, which will be on the road.