DAMIEN PREGAME: Win or lose, Damien High School boys basketball
“Six of these guys who are seniors now were on the team as sophomores and two of those guys as freshmen,” Dunn said. “It’s been quite a journey. I think ultimately who they are on our campus and how they’ve represented our program as young men is what I’m proud of.
“This is a fun way to end our journey together.”
It ends at Haas Pavilion on the campus of UC Berkeley on Friday at 4 p.m. Whether it’s a happy ending depends on if the Spartans can get past Campolindo of Moraga.
Damien enters at 28-5. The Spartans beat highly rated Cathedral in last Saturday’s Southern California Regional finals to earn a berth in Friday’s state final. Prior to that state tournament, Damien suffered a loss in the first round in the Southern Section’s Open Division before winning a consolation bracket game.
The Spartans won the rugged Baseline League this season and prior to that played a difficult nonleague tournament schedule in December that Dunn hopes set them up well for moments like Friday.
“We thought this year that we had a chance to have a really special year,” Dunn said. “We thought it would be important to test ourselves in the nonleague. The MaxPreps Tournament in Palm Springs was just incredible. We played four teams and all of them ended up doing well in their state tournaments. coach Matt Dunn knows that Friday’s CIF State Division 3 championship game is his last with a very special group of players, and he’s OK with any result.
“I think that’s a huge part of what allowed us to win the Baseline League and what’s helping us now. Those really big tournaments have a playoff feel to them.”
Damien left La Verne at 7 a.m. on Thursday. The Spartans were scheduled to practice at De La Salle High at 3 p.m. before checking into their hotel in Walnut Creek. The team was also scheduled to have a shootaround on Friday morning.
Campolindo has considerably less travel to worry about, but the Cougars do have some match-up problems to sweat. Damien’s backcourt, led by San Diego State-bound point guard Jeremy Helmsley, will have a solid height advantage.
The Spartans also figure to have a speed edge. Where Campolindo may gave Damien problems is inside, thanks to 6-foot-7 center Chris Hansen.