LIVE UPDATES FROM BAY AREA CHALLENGE: The EBAL takes on private schools in first showcase at Bellarmine

All-day showcase at Bellarmine starts at 9:30 a.m. and concludes with state power Riordan taking on upstart Monte Vista

USF-bound point guard Andrew Hilman leads Riordan in the 8:30 p.m. game against Monte Vista at the first Bay Area Challenge basketball event at Bellarmine High School in San Jose Jan. 3, 2026 / Photo by Dennis Lee

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Welcome to the Inagural Bay Area Challenge from Bellarmine High School. Check back here throughout the day for updates, snapshots, opinions, celebrity sightings, observations, leading scorers, top players, fun, frolic in a game-by-game report by yours truly with an accent from other high school sports writers as well.

This is an eight-game extravaganza so we do mean all day. Below is a preview of game by game and we'll be updating and turning previews into game details.

Thanks to event organizer Gerry Freitas and staff in advance. Check back in after 10 a.m. First game starts at 9:30 a.m.

PREVIEW

It's tabbed as a Bay Area challenge, but more accurately, at least this in its first year, is a challenge for East Bay Athletic League. And for six of the eight games, it's the EBAL versus the West Catholic Athletic League, almost universally believed as the top two leagues in the Bay Area.

One constant between all eight games is that it's public schools matching up with private programs in an all-day event at Bellarmine High School in San jose.

That alone makes the first Bay Area Challenge intriguing on its own.

Put on by longtime college scout and former college coach Gerry Freitas, the first Bay Area Challenge tips off at 9:30 a.m. and 11 hours later, the finale will feature defending Northern California Open Division champion Riordan against Monte Vista of Danville, led by one of the region's top coaches Nick Jones, along with his 6-foot-10 guard Gavin McMillan, a junior who has already committed to Mississippi on a baseball scholarship.

Riordan, unfortunately for the Mustangs, is a roster filled with future basketball scholarship players.

Nevertheless, matchups and styles and tempos will be at play all day in San Jose.

Here's are the matchups, the times and a few key facts.

Fans attending should go to the parking structure to the right of the gym at 780 Emory Street in San Jose.

Game 1, 9:30 a.m. — Livermore 65, Sacred Heart Cathedral 40

The Cowboys aren’t doormats any more.

A squad EBAL officials might not want showcased at a showcase is now is the league’s darling after sophomore Amare Chandler, a highly touted 6-6 wing, erupted for 22 points and 6-3 point guard C.T. Harper added 10 and 6-7 post Dylan Wherry contribued nine points and nine rebounds as Livermore dominated start to finish to improve to 13-2.

Chandler, who averages better than 20 points per game, scored eight in the first and 10 in the third as the Cowboys opened up a 57-26 lead heading into the fourth over the Irish (7-3), who got 12 points from Jaden Hector, a 6-5 freshman who also had team high eight rebounds.

Livermore, under second-year head coach Mike Tripp (his second stint - he’s coached 40 years overall), haven’t won an EBAL game in 13 season a span of 106 games. That trend definitely looks like it will change in 2026.

Pregame: : An intriguing game to start because Livermore hasn't been relevant since. ... about ever. The Cowboys, in fact, haven't won a league game in 13 years, a span of 106 games, according to second-year coach Mike Tripp, who is making his second go-around at the school and in his 40th year of coaching. The longtime Washington-Fremont coach has a keeper of a team, led by 6-foot-6 sophomore Amare Chandler and 6-7 post Dylan Wherry. The Irish, led by another second-year coach Andrew Kochevar (formely at San Francisco State), is also off to a good start behind freshman Jaden Hector (13.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and senior Cory Wong (13.3). SHC hasn't had winning seasons since 2022-23.

Game 2: 11 a.m. — Granada 64, St. Francis 59

The Livermore schools did the EBAL proud and 6-6 junior Brandon Hahn proudest.

The 6-6 junior, one of the most improved players in the Bay Area, was absolutely dominating with 29 points, 17 rebounds and four assists as the Matadors ended the game on a 14-1 run to improve to 12-3 and give the EBAL a 2-0 edge on the rest of the Bay Area.

Hahn’s game, which is largely the midrange inward, coincides with a 3-inch growth spurt over the last calendar year. Though he dominated the paint, he also showed a great play in transition off the break, twice feeding Damien Miles for fast break hoops.

But he took over at several points of the game, including scoring seven points and grabbing seven rebounds in the fourth quarter, when the Matadors absolutely locked down the Lancers (7-3), who didn’t score a basket the final 4 minutes, 36 seconds.

That was a dunk and free throw by 6-7 senior Luke Alexander, playing his first game of the season due to a bad left knee. He played well in spurts, but it was Hahn morning, noon and night — even for the 11 a.m. start. Miles had eight points all in the first quarter and freshman point guard Quaran Johnson, son of the head coach by the same name, scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter.

No one other than Hahn scored in double digits for the Mats. Weston Edwards, a 6-foot sophomore, led St. Francis with 17 points, Alexander add11 and Devin Turner chipped in 10.

“That’s just how we practice,” Hahn said about his team’s run to end the game. “We practice for scenarios like that where we’re down 10 with two minutes left. … Coach wasn’t really happy with us at the end of the second quarter. We weren’t playing our best or giving our best effort. But he stayed calm. We stayed calm.”

Maybe because they knew they had Hahn, who deflected most of the attention in postgame interviews. Though he enjoyed showing his individual skills, Hahn liked the Matadors showing off their blue collar traits.

“Other leagues don’t know what EBAL defense is all about,” Hahn said. “Coaches always have us prepared.”

The Wolves (7-9), who returned no starters and only one player in its rotation from last season (point guard Tyler Smith), played superb defense, but couldn’t slow SPSV’s dynamic 5-10 junior point guard Ronbie Rhymes, who had 29 points.

The combination of Brandon Hahn to Damien Miles connected on a pair of fast break hoops. Hahn, whose 6-9 dad was a star at Granada in the 1990s (I know because I covered him), is a definite star in the making. Was told he has grown six inches inches in one calendar year. That’s a wow. I saw him as a sophomore and he was very skilled. Now with that length and guard skills, a definite college prospect. Miles who had eight in the first quarter, is also an impressive athlete and player. He was a standout football player as well. He looks like 6-3, 210.

Granada also returns a head coach in Quaran Johnson, who was out for one season for personal reasons, after back-to-back 26-win campaigns. His freshman son by the same name runs the point but 6-foot-6 junior Brandon Hahn has been lighting up scoreboard. His dad Bryan, now an assistant, was a mainstay in the EBAL in the 1990s. St. Francis is led by Devin Turner (11.9 ppg) and sophomore Jackson Corbett (6.3 rpg). The Lancers rebounded from back-to-back losses with a 70-52 win over Watsonville.

Game 3: 12:30 p.m. — San Ramon Valley 63, St Patrick-St Vincent 47

San Ramon Valley during timeout with the phrase Hans de Lannoy coined: "Home of Champions." / Photo: Mitch Stephens

San Ramon Valley coach Brian Botteen said the Wolves needed to get on track and this wire-to-wire victory filled the bill. Not the team’s “A” game, San Ramon Valley did get a strong defensive effort and some balanced scoring, 17 from 6-foot junior guard Pierce Iattoni, 15 by Phillip Hitchcock and 14 by the Player of the Game Tommy Abidge.

The Wolves (7-9), who returned no starters and only one player in its rotation from last season (point guard Tyler Smith), played superb defense, but couldn’t slow SPSV’s dynamic 5-10 junior point guard Ronbie Rhymes, who had 29 points.

The Bruins dropped to 5-4.

PREGAME: The Wolves are largely in rebuild mode after graduating all five starters off last year's 24-10 team. Coach Brian Botteen has had it rolling with 79 wins the last three seasons. The Wolves always play tough preseason schedule and 2025-26 is no exception. They broke a three-game skid with a 71-63 win over George Washington Prep. SPSV also has longstanding tradition under 18th-year head coach Derek Walker. The Bruins are coming off 60-59 win over Gunn.

Game 4: 2 p.m. — Dublin 63, Valley Christian 61

Dublin coach Tom Costello made no bones about it.

“That’s one of the best wins I’ve had in a long, long time,” he said. “I’m just flying.”

That’s because the Gaels (12-4), missing five players due to the flu, fought back from an 11-point first-quarter deficit to pull out the “gritty, gritty win,” Costello said.

Player of the game Izaiah Romero, a dynamic transfer from Colorado, “coughing up a lung,” Costello said,” scored 25 points and Nick Lee had 26 points as the Gaels somehow not only fought off illness, but also a truly tough and well-coached Valley Christian squad, which got 19 points from Bryant Clark and 12 by Evan Lee.

Trailing 32-27 at halftime, the Gaels put on a clinic in the third quarter, especially Romero, who scored eight of his team’s first 10 points and had 12 in the quarter. Odin Chadiha also put in a couple key buckets as the Gaels outscored the Warriors 21-11 before holding off the West Catholic Athletic League power in the fourth quarter.

Valley Christian dropped to 8-2.

PREGAME: Dublin coach Tom Costello has done a masterclass at coaching after losing his two top players who transferred to local schools. The Gaels have barely missed a beat and had won seven straight, including a 68-58 win over Folsom, before dropping two tough games at the Damien Classic to Brentwood School (70-64) and Hesperia (62-57). Valley Christian is one of the Bay Area's biggest surprises with a loss only to perennial EBAL power Dougherty Valley (75-53). The Warriors come in on a three-game win streak over Tamalpais (78-29), Windsor (60-55) and Menlo-Atherton (59-49).

Game 5: 3:30 p.m. — Bellarmine 75, Dougherty Valley 63

It was a long slow, painful climb for visiting Dougherty Valley, which trailed 19-5 at the end of the first quarter. But eventlly, behind 24 points by Rashad Cotton Jr. and Rylan Sevilla (15), they caught up, taking its first lead since the opening minutes 45-44 on two free throws by Sevilla with 13 seconds left in the third.

But Brennan Williams immediately gave the Bells the lead back with two free throws and then his team exploded for 29 points in the fourth quarter to score a tough, grind-it-out win over the superbly coached Wildcats (11-5).

Player of the Game Will Corbett (20 points, eight assists, five rebounds), Williams (18 points) and Sofian Stringfellow (16) took over from there as the Bells finished a tough non league season at 8-2. They open the WCAL season Tuesday against St. Francis.

“Nothing prepares you better for league than playing a game like that against Dougherty Valley,” Bellarmine coach Alex Sarrett said. “It’s nice to have the luxury of having those seniors and they stepped up in a showcase like this.”

PREGAME: Another marquee matchup, pits Mike Hansen's juggernaut program that has won at least 20 games five straight seasons (not counting the pandemic shortened spring season), against a Bellarmine team that opened 6-0 behind one of Northern California's top guards in Will Corbett. The host team lost a couple tournament games out of the area but are coming off a 67-40 win over Spanish Springs. Dougherty Valley had won seven straight before a pair of losses at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, though its coming off a 66-46 win over San Pedro.

Game 6: 5:15 p.m. — California 65, St Ignatius 64

St. Ignatius' 6-8 freshman Alex Moore goes up for two of his 17 points in his team's resounding 78-42 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral in the annual Bruce-Mahoney trophy game at the Chase Center, home of the NBA's Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on 1-14-2025. Moore is now a 6-9 sophomore and dominating. / Photo: Ernie Abrea

California coach Steve Ohlmeyer has been waiting for a win like this. That’s why he scheduled like he did, traveling to ‘Vegas and Los Angeles, to play regional and national juggernauts. Even with perhaps its most talented team in school history, they entered 8-7. Not exactly sparkling.

“Everybody has been telling me this will pay off, this will pay off,” said a relieved Ohlmeyer after a fantastic back-and-forth contest. “I think it finally did tonight.”

It took a mammoth effort from Brayde Kuykendall, who capped his 33-point night with two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to account for the winning points to knock the Wildcats (9-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten.

It was hopefully a precursor for the 6-6 guard with 3-point range, superb handles and strength inside who has signed his letter of intent to Santa Clara University, a 5-minute drive from Bellarmine. He got lots of help from 6-2 senior guard Jaiden Jones who scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter. Kuykendall and Jones accounted for all 18 of California’s points in the fourth quarter.

St. Ignatius, which got 13 points from Noah KirschLopez and 11 by Raymond Whitley, used full court pressure and back-to-back 3-pointers from Steele LaBagh to turn a 61-56 deficit to a 64-61 lead in the final minute. But Jones hit a jumper to close to 64-63, and after a stop, Kuykendall got knocked down chasing a loose ball and made both free throws.

The Wildcats (9-1) had a chance to win it but LeBagh’s desperation at the buzzer wasn’t close. St. Ignatius was close on plenty of interior shots from big men Alex Moore (6-9) and Ty Landers (6-8), who each scored eight points, but tough contests by Emeka Ifediora and Jeremiah Ejuwa proved pivotal. A 3-pointer cold off the bench by Kingston Mateo in the third quarter also was the difference between a win and loss.

Then again, every bucket and play by Kuykendall put the Grizzlies over the top.

“I know it meant a little extra for him having some of the Santa Clara staff here,” Ohlmeyer said. “It really, really put him at another level. He was getting everybody in the locker room psyched up before the game. That was a really good breakout game for him.”

PREGAME: Another heavyweight tilt features the local squad with a disappointing record but only because coach Steve Ohlmeyer has scheduled so tough. Five of the Grizzlies losses have been to out-of-area teams, plus an 82-66 loss to Riordan at the Crusader Classic. Brayde Kiykendall (19.9 ppg), Jaiden Jones (19.5) and Emeke Ifedlora (13.1) make up an impressive trio, but they'll be challenged by the second-ranked team of the event, coming off the American Division title at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

Game 7 p.m. — Amador Valley 57, St Mary's 54

The playing debuts of transfers Cam Anderson and Arman Mahavni did not come to pass and the Dons nearly got upset, but the play of junior guard Jaylen Smith (22) was too much for the Panthers (5-6), who got 14 points by Christopher Baltrip and 10 by Malakai Kelley.

The Dons (10-5) had opportunities to wilt, but pulled out the tough win. They also got 10 points from Elijah Stanley, eight second-half points by Eli Pace and strong all-around play from San Jose State-bound Cade Krueger.

Anderson (Dublin), a 6-8 senior, and the 6-6 Mahavni have not been cleared to play following their transfer to the Pleasanton school in the summer.

PREGAME: Amador Valley is one of the most talked about teams in the Bay Area with the additions of three transfers, two who have not played but are expected to lace them up Saturday. They would be 6-8 Cameron Anderson (from Dublin) and 6-6 Arman Mahavni (from American-Fremont). With three other college-ready players in San Jose State bound Cade Krueger and top junior guards Elijah Stanley and Jaylen Smith, the Dons were picked as the No. 15 team in the state preseason rankings by CalHiSports. Riding a three-game win streak and finally at full strength, Amador Valley will be anxious to flex its collective muscle against a St. Mary's squad led by double-digit scorers Christopher Baltrip (16.5 ppg), Malakai Kelley (13.7) and Donovan Mikel (12.3).

Game 8: 8:30 p.m. — Riordan 67, Monte Vista 47

Monte Vista played with passion, purpose and shots lights out, especially freshman Ryan Ferraioli, who drilled four 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points. The Mustangs big-man, 6-10 Gavin McMillan drilled a 3-pointer and competed with Riordan’s growing lists of big men.

Coach Nick Jones was pleased with the effort, especially playing without arguably their top player, 6-3 junior point guard Max Nishikawa, out with an illness.

But even at their best, Riordan is simply the class of the Bay Area with Salesian.

The Crusaders add ed a pair of impressive important who played their first games and 6-9 junior Emmanuel Ahamefule was fantastic, with 14 points and eight rebounds. Gabrielius Kerys drilled four three-pointers, flailed a few fists and gave Riordan some great energy.

But the highest energy player was no doubt the Player of the Game JP Pihtovs, Riordan’s 6-8 starting post who sent down four mammoth dunks and scored 13 points while grabbing 18 rebounds.

Add in Andrew Hilman’s team-high 18 points in just 18 minutes — he was plagued with foul trouble and fouled out — and Riordan didn’t look like it was off for three weeks, even though Monte Vista slowed the Crusaders down for three quarters.

Riordan coach Joey Curtis was pleased with the finishing touches on the team’s seventh win in eight games. It is the heavy favorite to win a fifth straight WCAL title and fourth consecutive CCS Open Division crown.

Four-star junior guard Andrew Hilman is considered the swiss army knife of the Northern California power Archbishop Riordan Crusaders, who will play Monte Vista in the inaugural Bay Area Challenge at Bellarmine High School Saturday / Photo: Todd Shurtleff

PREGAME: Like most of the teams in the one-day event, the Mustangs have taken most of their lumps against out-of-area teams, but played Orange County power Orange Lutheran tough before losing 72-69. They ended the Damien Classic with a 75-54 win over Redwood. They'll need their "A" game to stay close with Riordan, which has only lost to state No. 21 Crean Lutheran (53-40). The Crusaders, under Joey Curtin, have won three straight CCS Open Division titles and entered 2025-26 with 135 wins against 32 losses since 2019. They are led by USF bound point guard Andrew Hilman and 6-8 power forward JP Plhtovs, though the Crusaders' strength is its depth.