What we learned: SFC and Montgomery’s big weeks
If San Diego basketball were the stock market, two big “buy” teams would be Santa Fe Christian and Montgomery. Over the past two weeks, both the Eagles and Aztecs have been on tears, racking up big wins against key opponents…
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Continue ReadingIf San Diego basketball were the stock market, two big “buy” teams would be Santa Fe Christian and Montgomery.
Over the past two weeks, both the Eagles and Aztecs have been on tears, racking up big wins against key opponents and positioning themselves as Open Division dark horses while also setting themselves on a collision course for a huge game Saturday at the Battle at the Bay Showcase.
Let’s examine both of them in this piece.
Montgomery: The South Bay’s best?
As of right now, the answer is yes, after the Aztecs stunned San Ysidro 72-63 on January 25 to take a one game lead on the Cougars, everyone’s preseason pick for the league title – including mine.
Since the win, the Aztecs have added two more impressive league wins over Mater Dei Catholic and Otay Ranch.
The Aztecs have been able to accomplish this feat with an offense that relies heavily on balance – seven players average at least 7 points per game – crisp passing and arguably the highest collective basketball IQ in San Diego. In their win over San Ysidro, they were able to slow down the Cougars break neck pace while getting timely baskets on almost every possession down the stretch.
It’s a fun brand of basketball to watch if you’re a purist.
6-5 sophomore JJ Sanchez JJ Sanchez 6'4" | CG Montgomery | 2025 State CA-S , who has slimmed down considerably since his freshman year, has been the catalyst of the 21-3 team. At the high school level, he’s a mismatch nightmare: too big for guards to defend, can stretch the floor against most team’s bigs. And his unselfishness as a passer sets the tone for the rest of the team.
The other big story has been the emergency of 6-4 sophomore Devin Hamilton as the team’s second leading scorer, a year after being a reserve on the team. He gives the team an athletic slasher and defender who is often the recipient of passing from JJ and his twin brother, Alek.
And while Alek, who is approaching 6-4, doesn’t score the ball at the clip of his brother (he’s averaging around 9 points per game), he is the glue that holds the team together. Their defacto point guard, Alek has next-level feel and court vision. While he’s not the most athletic or quickest guard, he uses size, footwork and intellect to dominate games without scoring.
Senior guard Nico Reyes has also blossomed this year. He has grown a couple of inches since his freshman year (5-10 now), and is a change of pace guard on the team with great burst and is a pest on defense. Xair Mendez Xair Mendez 6'2" | SG Montgomery | 2025 State CA-S , the 6-2 athletic combo guard, is instant offense for the Aztecs, wired to score from every level. At times he can hunt shots and isn’t the best decision maker with the ball, but his speed, ability to get paint touches and finish through contact is very good at the high school level.
Santa Fe Christian – Peaking at the right time
The Eagles have lost only two games since Dec. 10 – a tournament game against a 26-2 Oxnard team and the first Coastal League matchup against La Jolla Country Day, the Eagles only true competition in league.
But last week, the Eagles avenged the earlier loss to the Torreys with a 74-68 home win in which they had to hold off a furious comeback attempt in the fourth quarter to do so.
The biggest statement, however, came last Saturday, when the Eagles went into Del Norte – ranked a spot ahead of them in the Maxpreps standings – and throttled them by a 72-45 margin.
While the Aztecs have gotten it done with the collective, the Eagles late season push has been fueled by the impressive play of 6-1 junior guard Brycen Mackenzie.
Mackenzie, the younger brother of Idaho State grad transfer Brock Mackenzie, has put together a season worthy of an All-CIF first-team selection. Averaging 22.7 points per game, Mackenzie has become a dangerous three-level scorer who is playing with unreal confidence and swagger.
He scored 34 and 36 against La Jolla Country Day and Del Norte, respectively, and in the Del Norte game actually outscored the Nighthawks team by one point when he was in the game.
His dominance doesn’t mean that the supporting cast isn’t performing. Backcourt mate Drew Bickley is having a strong senior year, averaging 15.7 points per game, while the other starters – junior Greyson Mundis and seniors Jeremy Love and Daniel Greathouse, provide timely scoring and – especially in the case of Mundis and Love – defense on and away from the ball.
The matchup
Montgomery and Santa Fe Christian will face each other at 1:30 pm Saturday at the Battle at the Bay at Mission Bay HS. Tickets are $15 per session (three sessions)