Early Look: 4A Sky League

The 4A Sky League should feature a handful of teams fighting for playoff spots this season. In this article, I take an early look at five teams that I believe could be postseason bound.   Foothill Falcons (15-13 Overall, 7-0 In Conference Play)   The Foothill Falcons could be one of the teams to beat in the 4A Sky League this year. They return a solid portion of their roster, including seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2352170' first='Cordet' last='Espinoza'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3558125' first='Ridge' last='Tandy'], junior [player_tooltip player_id='2819215' first='Anthony' last='Martinez'], and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='3243823' first='Thomas' last='York'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2960924' first='Kairey' last='Sampaio']. That group could end up forming their starting lineup, although other rising underclassmen are sure to compete for spots. Espinoza and Tandy may be their top defensive players, and they'll also draw on their experience to help the Falcons win games. Martinez will more than likely run the show, and it'll be interesting to see how he has developed over the summer. York and Sampaio both made early impacts as freshmen last season thanks to their athleticism, and there's a good chance they've expanded their games. Considering this team's overall skill level, experience, and speed, I believe the Falcons will be in contention for a top playoff seed come February.   Green Valley Gators (12-14 Overall, 6-1 In Conference Play)   There will be more than a few new faces on the Gators this upcoming season, as they had six seniors graduate back in May. Despite those departures, this team could still fare well in conference play. Their backcourt figures to be led by [player_tooltip player_id='1965086' first='Ethan' last='Keith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2605009' first='Martin' last='Silas']. I recently wrote about Keith because of his sharpshooting ability, and I think he'll fully assert himself as the team's leading scorer. Silas, on the other hand, is another perimeter threat who can fill it up. If both guys get hot at the same time, they could be a difficult duo to stop. In addition to those two, the Gators have sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3560416' first='Brycen' last='Scobie'], a guard who can get downhill and be a pest on defense. Look for more pieces to emerge at Green Valley over the next few months as the season approaches.   SECTA Roadrunners (13-14 Overall, 4-3 In Conference Play)   SECTA fell just short of .500 last season, but the Roadrunners won four of their seven conference games, earning victories over Pinecrest Cadence, SLAM!, Pinecrest Sloan Canyon, and Silverado. They also return eight of their 13 players, which could give them more depth than several other teams in the conference. A few guys who may lead the pack are [player_tooltip player_id='3199607' first='Jaxson' last='Grant'], [player_tooltip player_id='3558086' first='Worthy' last='Manumaleuna'], [player_tooltip player_id='3558460' first='Fletcher' last='Gilbert'], [player_tooltip player_id='2973223' first='Marck' last='Marshall'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3566794' first='Zhyier' last='Smith'], all of whom I've covered within the past month. Grant is a workhorse who has a real nose for the basket. Manumaleuna could emerge as a scorer thanks to his outside touch and midrange jumper, while Gilbert gives them a strong shooting option in the corners and on the wings. Marshall and Smith are both capable of scoring around the cup. Their surplus of offensive weapons could make them difficult for opposing defenses to contain. When a driving guard draws a double-team, there's a good chance one of these guys will be open. All in all, the Roadrunners may surprise some people this season.   Silverado Skyhawks (3-20 Overall, 3-20 In Conference Play)   The Skyhawks will look to bounce back after going 3-20 last season. They struggled to find much success, and their go-to guy, Carnegie Mellon commit Kayden Goss, missed the entire year. To truly turn things around, they'll need reliable and consistent production from their guards. At the moment, [player_tooltip player_id='2920445' first='Haneef' last='Bahar'] Jr. and Cam Martin appear likely to be two of their top scorers. Bahar Jr.'s burst should help him get to the rack and facilitate for others. Martin has a chance to be one of the more efficient shooters in the Sky League, which could certainly help this squad win more games. Outside of those two, the Skyhawks have Clemente Jones and LaDainian Powell, both of whom can get a bucket and leverage their athleticism on defense. While making the playoffs won't be easy, they should be better equipped for battle this winter.   Pinecrest Sloan Canyon Pirates (11-13 Overall, 1-6 In Conference Play)   The Pirates went 11-13 in their first season in 4A, but they won just one conference game. They should be capable of surpassing both of those win totals this season. They have several guards who could help propel them to a winning record, including [player_tooltip player_id='2723600' first='MJ' last='Tucker'], [player_tooltip player_id='3570584' first='Adrian' last='Clark'], and LaMarcus Carter. Tucker averaged 30 points per game last season, and he'll keep defenses on their toes once again. Clark and Carter should also contribute in the scoring department, and the trio can create turnovers on the defensive end. With that said, the Pirates should be slightly more competitive in conference play this season, especially if the supporting cast does its part.

The 4A Sky League should feature a handful of teams fighting for playoff spots this season. In this article, I take an early look at five teams that I believe could be postseason bound.