Woodbridge’s Road Warriors Storm to Championship, 89-63

No longer should they simply be the Warriors. Road Warriors fits the Woodbridge High School basketball team much better, especially after what happened Saturday afternoon at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Arena.

The Southern Section 2-A champions, playing their sixth straight game away from home, came farther than ever as they capped an outstanding season. They shot 60% from the field and 92% from the free-throw line en route to an 89-63 victory over No. 1 De Anza of Richmond to win the California Division II boys’ basketball championship.

The Warriors’ road to the title included trips to Hancock College in Ventura County, to Victor Valley High and to Fresno for the Southern California Regionals.

“It’s kind of been a vacation for us,” senior guard Dave Townsend said of the recent travels. “They bus us up to Fresno, to Victor Valley, we go to Oakland. My girlfriend gets to go because she’s a cheerleader, and they pay for our meals. What more could you ask for? I get to miss a couple days of school and play some basketball.

“It’s been a great year. This had to be the year. I couldn’t ask for anything more to go out with.”

The Warriors (28-5), No. 3 in the latest Cal-Hi rankings, had balanced scoring and a strong inside game.

They also set or tied the following state tournament records:

--Widest margin of victory, 26 points, tying Hacienda Heights Wilson’s 1986 margin over Aptos.

--Most free throws, 23. Logan of Union City held the old mark of 22, and that came in an overtime game.

--Most points by one team, two more than Sir Francis Drake of San Anselmo scored in 1982.

--Most assists by a Division II team, 18, tying Drake. Division I Crenshaw, in 1986, had 21.

--Most free throws made by an individual, center Adam Keefe with 11. Keefe, a 6-foot 8-inch junior, also tied the mark for most free throws attempted, 12.

“We played really well,” said Keefe, who played better than anyone with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. “We probably played the best we can play. . . . The score wasn’t that close, but the way our team played, you can understand why.”

Coach Bill Shannon said: “It went like I hoped it would.”

The Warriors also got 24 points (including 10 of 10 from the free-throw line) and a game-high 12 rebounds from forward Vince Bryan, 12 points from forward Bill York and reserve Chris Deibert and 10 from Townsend. The team hit 33 of 55 shots from the field and 23 of 25 free throws.

De Anza shot just 31% in the first half (10 of 32) and fell behind by 36-22 after two quarters. The Dons stayed with Woodbridge in the third before the Warriors put the game away in the final eight minutes.

De Anza ends the season at 31-4.