What a summer it's been for Salesian College Prep (Richmond) boys basketball.
On June 22, the Pride won a Section 7 title in the AIA bracket despite missing their biggest name, 3-star senior Elias Obenyah, for all but the first round.
A week later, Salesian again claimed the crown in arguably the top bracket (Kangaroo) of a big-name offseason tournament, California Live – albeit with a caveat. It started off by blowing out Heritage Christian and Legacy Christian, and then played an exhibition game against Mater Dei in lieu of a semifinal. The Pride fell 94-92 to Mater Dei in an epic shootout but still advanced to the finals against Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) which they won 64-62.
🏆 SHIP Sunday, The Movie
— Boys California Live 2025 🚨 (@BoysCALiveHoops) July 1, 2025
Salesian vs Notre Dame was a dog fight with an overtime Salesian victory!@BallerTV @simplyy_bball @Ballislife @scibca_ @CoachesCorner__ @BeachCityHoops pic.twitter.com/Sp6jvdstPW
Final @BoysCALiveHoops Kangaroo Division title game.. in game of runs @salesianprep overcomes 19-2 run to win 64-62 in OT @CalHiSports @CB_Journalist @DarrenSabedra @trigonis30 @LanceSmithTPC @RonMFlores pic.twitter.com/dn22phstk0
— Harold Abend (@HaroldAbend) June 29, 2025
Per Ballislife, Mater Dei had scheduled its CIF-mandated two-week dead period starting Sunday, June 29, so Salesian's round three game was a high-powered exhibition match instead of an actual semifinal. It's fair to call it an asterisk for Salesian that Mater Dei couldn't play in Sunday's final, but what matters most is that Salesian clearly proved it belonged in the title game without needing a semifinal victory when it beat Notre Dame.
The rest of the field was loaded: De La Salle, Damien, Long Beach Poly, Rolling Hills Prep, Windward, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, St. Augustine, Modesto Christian, Coronado (NV), St. Mary's (AZ), and Brophy Prep (AZ).
Salesian went 27-4 last season with a CIF-North Coast Section Open Division finals appearance with only one big-name senior in Alvin Loving. Loving is now off to Yale, but the Pride return a whopping four members seniors who were named All-Metro by the SF Chronicle as juniors. That includes First Teamers Elias Obenyah and Carlton Perrilliat Jr. plus Honorable Mentions Isaiah Davis and Leon Powe Jr.
All signs indicate that Salesian is one of a small handful of favorites to emerge as the top team in not only the NCS but in fact all of NorCal in 2025-26.
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