Manteca boys basketball stunned by Wentworth, CC
Manteca High boys basketball coach Jason Hitt fires up his team during a break in the action. The Buffaloes competed until the end, but came up short in a 47-45 loss to the Valley Oak League-leading Central Catholic Raiders on Jan. 17. (Tomasi Sovatabua/The Tower)
By GABRIEL MARTINEZ
The Tower
In a highly anticipated boys basketball matchup between two powerhouses of the Valley Oak League, Central Catholic continued its run of dominance over Manteca with a 47-45 victory on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
It went down to the wire, too.
Central Catholic star Tyler Paul Wentworth knocked down the game-winning shot, a turnaround jumper over Elijah Nelson, as the Raiders rallied to beat the Buffaloes inside Synergy Gym
Going into this game, Manteca averaged 57.2 points per game (second in league) and 46.95 PPG allowed (lowest in league). Central Catholic averaged a league-best 58.1 PPG and 47 PPG allowed (second lowest in league). Both teams are efficient at both ends of the floor and nearly identical in every way, and it showed in a thrilling contest.
History
Going into this game, Manteca and Central Catholic had an all-time series tie of 11-11 and Central Catholic had won three out of the last five games including the two previous matches.
FLOOR GENERAL
Manteca High senior point guard Evani Gaeta looks to pass the ball into the post during a 47-45 loss to Central Catholic on Jan. 17. Gaeta was named the school’s Player of the Game.
(Tomasi Sovatabua/
The Tower)
Central Catholic head coach Mike Wilson has coached the team since 2004, leading the team to each victory over Manteca since the teams started playing each other in 2009.
Over the past three years, both Manteca and Central Catholic have remained in the top-3 in the VOL, with Central Catholic being crowned league champions last season. On the other hand, the Buffaloes last league championship was won in 2017, when they went undefeated in league but were knocked out of the CIF State Division III Championships.
Stars of the Game
The best player on the court Wednesday was Wentworth, a power forward who went 10 for 15 from the field and 6 for 8 on free throws as he exploded for 26 points, more than half of Central Catholic’s point total. On the season, Wentworth averages 12.2 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game with four total double-doubles.
At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Wentworth has stood tall over the opposition. In the fall, he was one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top football players. As the varsity quarterback for Central Catholic’s football team, Wentworth tossed for 2,069 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Wentworth is ranked as a three-star prospect on 247sports.com.
Wentworth, who will play baseball at Clemson University, also looks forward to baseball season in the spring. He guided the Raiders to section and CIF state championships, hitting .383 with five doubles, a triple, and six home runs as an outfielder. Wentworth also made 13 appearances as a pitcher, leading the VOL in record (9-0), earned run average (1.29) and no-hitters (two).
What’s Next
After Wednesday’s game, Central Catholic sits atop of the VOL as the lone undefeated team (4-0) in the league while Manteca is second at 3-1. Central has caught fire quickly, extending their winning streak to six games as Manteca will try to recalibrate and start a streak of their own.
To keep its chances of winning the VOL alive, Manteca must bounce back and win out with a little bit of help from other VOL teams to knock off Central Catholic. If Manteca dominates the next handful of games, we will be bound to see a meaningful matchup when Manteca visits Central Catholic on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
When asked what it will take to beat Central Catholic in February, Manteca coach Jason Hitt stated: “We have to play better. It came down to one shot and they’re a very good team.”