Four Takeaways: Valencia vs. St. Bonaventure

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was championship Saturday around the southland for CIF Southern Section teams and though we weren't able to get to Mira Costa high school to watch Valencia and St. Bonaventure do battle live in the Division 4AA title game, we were able to take in the action on the NFHS Network and what a game it was.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valencia, led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='994907' first='Mikah' last='Ballew'], had multiple opportunities to distance itself from the Seraphs but St. Bonaventure continued to battle and find a way to keep the Vikings at arms distance. With 6.3 seconds remaining and the Seraphs trailing by three, Nico Macias got a clean look at a potential game tying three-pointer on a misdirection play, but it hit the back of the iron, giving Valencia the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are my four main takeaways from the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='994907' first='Mikah' last='Ballew'] showed he's a next-level guy</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-foot-5 senior has been one of the more interesting recruits in Southern California since his breakout spring and summer playing with the BTI club program, but his recruitment hasn't joined his production or talent...yet. Ballew finished with a game-high 30 points the lead Valencia to the Division 4AA championship and showed his offensive versatility in the process. Ballew is a mismatch for most opposing wings because of his size, ball skills and ability to attack the basket off the dribble and finish through contact but he's also shooting the perimeter jumper at a more consistent clip to fully round-out his offensive game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>The playoffs were [player_tooltip player_id='1817906' first='Bryce' last='Bedgood']'s coming out party</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The son of Valencia coach Bill Bedgood, 6-foot-9 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1817906' first='Bryce' last='Bedgood'], has always had immense potential with his size, length, fluid athleticism and skill-set and he put everything together on the court this season, especially in the playoffs. Bedgood had an impressive stat line in the Division 4AA championship game as he put up 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots in the win and had flirted with triple-double performances all throughout the postseason. The junior is a versatile offensive and defensive prospect whose stock should continue to rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1502784' first='Dylan' last='Benner'] asserted himself as one of California's best 2024 forwards</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Bonaventure forward [player_tooltip player_id='1502784' first='Dylan' last='Benner'] doesn't garner the same level of hype or respect as some of his peers in the 2024 class and it could be for a variety of reasons: He plays at a smaller school in a smaller area and doesn't play on a "circuit" club team but the 6-foot-8 junior proved he belongs in those conversations. Benner scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds despite being the focal point on the opponent's defense. Benner battled through double and triple team looks and still produced on the stat sheet and kept the Seraphs within striking distance of Valencia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>St. Bonaventure supporting cast showed up in a big game</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It has become an expectation that [player_tooltip player_id='1502784' first='Dylan' last='Benner'] will come close, if not eclipse, the double-double mark in just about every game he plays in but the Seraphs' reserves are key pieces to the team's success and two of those guys had good performances Saturday. Senior guard Nico Macias scored 13 points and his perimeter shooting helped stretch the floor for Benner and the other Bonnies' forwards. Sophomore point guard Sam Seiden added 12 points and nine assists in a really good effort of both game management and scoring ability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->