Sutter-Gridley prepare to lock horns
Someone's going to the title game, and on Wednesday we'll find out.
No. 1 Gridley (21-5) will play host to no-stranger rival No. 4 Sutter (15-11) in the Northern Section Division IV boys basketball semifinals at 7 p.m., and while one team is seeking redemption, another is seeking respect.
Gridley edged Sutter 51-49 early in Butte View League play, but the Huskies bounced back in a major way a month ago, blowing out the Bulldogs 64-45.
The Bulldogs win is deceiving however, as they led the Huskies by 25 points at the half.
Sutter avenged the loss with the blowout victory, but in the playoffs, the record's go out the window and the rivalry takes over.
"Everybody is ready to go," Gridley head coach Nathan Link said. "We need to come into the game with some confidence. We played really well against them early in the season."
A primary concern for Gridley will be defending Isaiah Bohmann.
The 6-foot-7 post player averages more than 18 points and 18 rebounds a game.
"We need to control Isaiah as much as possible," Link said. "We have to execute and play how we know we can. If we don't win, then we don't deserve to be the No. 1 seed."
Bohmann isn't the only weapon Sutter boasts.
Rocky Khera and Lezsek Ratacjzak each average nine points a piece.
In the Huskies' sights will be Bulldogs leader Ty Nichols. The senior forward does it all on the court. He averages 14 points, 10 rebounds a game, but usually racks up numbers in steals and assists too.
The Bulldogs escaped familiar rival Wheatland 64-59 on Friday.
"Wheatland is very scrappy, they work really hard and they never give up," Link said. "We had a couple of opportunities to put the game away, but they just kept fighting."
Sutter also walked away with a narrow defeat, 53-45, over West Valley.
