Valhalla Beats Sweetwater in 2 Overtimes

Valhalla High School Coach Manny Silva talked about senior leadership. Tony Clark talked about senior leadership.

But senior leadership combined with junior excellence to propel Valhalla to a 97-89 double-overtime victory in a San Diego Section Division I quarterfinal boys’ basketball game Friday night at Sweetwater.

In front of a highly partisan, standing-room-only crowd, Clark, a junior, scored 47 points and inched his way closer to breaking the section record for the best scoring average for a season. Clark’s 30.1 average (27 games, 812 points) trails Madison’s Mitchell Lilly’s 31.9 during the 1977 season.

But the last thing on Clark’s mind was his performance. He wanted to talk about his senior teammates, Rafid Kiti and Jon Scurlock.

“Kiti was the difference,” said a drenched and drained Clark. “He came on strong at the end with those three-pointers.”

Strong indeed. Kiti, in only his second appearance after sitting out six regular-season games from a collapsed lung, hit three three-pointers in his last four baskets, each a key shot at a key time.

“Scurlock and Kiti showed leadership for us,” Silva said.

Valhalla led the first 25 1/2 minutes, but Sweetwater chipped away on defense and took its first lead, 66-65, on a free throw by John Gilbert with 6:32 left in regulation.

Clark hit a free throw, then Sweetwater reeled off five points to make it 71-66. But Scurlock and Kiti answered with back-to-back three-pointers, giving Valhalla a 72-71 lead with 3:52 left.

“A couple of three-pointers dropped when it counted,” Clark said.

With a little more than 2 minutes on the clock and Sweetwater leading, 77-74, the Red Devils slowed the tempo, but Kiti came up with 27 seconds left and hit from three-point range on the left side, making it 77-77 and forcing overtime.

Sweetwater’s John Gilbert scored first in the first overtime, then Kiti scored a three-pointer, but Sweetwater came right back with field goals by Ruben Hernandez and Cortez Rice. Kiti’s subsequent three-pointer tied it at 83-83.

Sweetwater’s Carlos Campbell, who finished with 32 points, hit two free throws for an 85-83 lead, but with 7 seconds left, Clark hit a seven-foot jumper from the left side to force the second overtime.

The score was tied, 89-89, with 1:12 left, but then Clark scored inside and Kiti made a steal and layed it in for a 93-89 lead. Valhalla finished the game off with four free throws.

“We knew it would be tough down here,” Silva said, “but I coach to win. I never feel we’re going to lose.”