The Sports Informant

When Oak Ridge High School junior Sara James scored 38 points on Jan. 17, she did more than lead her team to a near-upset of Hanford, the No. 5 team in the state (and No. 12 in the country, according to MaxPreps.com). She may have proven she’s the best player in Northern California.

That’s a bold statement, I know, especially with players like senior Denesha Stallworth of Pinole Valley (averaging 27.6 points per game) and senior Allison Wong of Mercy High (26.5 ppg) lighting up the scoreboard on a daily basis.

Stallworth has scored over 30 points in seven of 14 recorded games on MaxPreps.com, including a 47-point performance once, but averaged 24 shot attempts in those seven games. Oh yeah, and she’s 6 feet 3 inches tall.

Wong’s scored 52 points in a game this season, but in a three-point win over a team with a losing record. She’s also scored 43 once on 13-for-13 shooting (including 7-for-7 from the three-point line), and 38 points on 13-for-13 shooting (again going 7-for-7 from the three-point line), which is pretty impressive. But both of those performances were in absolute blowout wins.

What James did over the weekend was impressive on a vastly different front. Oak Ridge was the underdog, the Trojans were facing one of the best teams in the state (and nation) and Hanford put forth a stifling defense that seemed to give Oak Ridge fits all game long. Running an intense full-court press, Hanford forced the Trojans to eat up half of their shot clock each possession before ever setting up a play in the half court. When Oak Ridge finally got in rhythm offensively, James had to fight through five defenders eying her each time she touched the ball.

James took over a game she wasn’t supposed to. Hanford coach Tom Parrish had a game plan for every Oak Ridge attack, and James was forced to come help break the press in the front court before ever getting to touch the ball with an opportunity to score on the other end. Rarely did she get an open shot, and her slashing, to the hoop style that typically gets her to the free throw line in games got her knocked to the ground consistently without a whistle. Refs let both teams play physically, and it was in the tough atmosphere that James thrived.

“It did feel good to score that much, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable if we would have got the win, too,” James told me later. “We practiced all the right things for that team, but it took us until the second half to start doing them. We had played them last year and lost by six, so we knew we could compete. But we really thought, and still think, we could beat them if we got another chance. I really thought the team as a whole played well in the second half, but just couldn’t make up for the 11 points we were down at half.”

Just like James to give her teammates the credit they deserve in a game where she put on a clinic. It’s true, James has a good supporting cast, especially with teammate Kristina Williams, who herself could average 20 points per game. But the Trojans, and Williams, are not hesitant to give James the ball, and the team’s success as the best in the Sacramento area (and MaxPreps’ No. 15 team in the state) is proof what they’ve got going is working.

“She’s very confident and works extremely hard to get where she’s at,” Trojan head coach Steve White said. “A lot of times people look at an athlete and God-given talent, but she’s put in a lot of time to get where she’s at. She takes pride in being the best at what she does, has incredible work ethic, her motor keeps going, her leadership skills are incredible and she’s a great person on campus and a great teammate.”

James is a proven winner, and as only a junior, has another whole season ahead of her. Every team is gunning for her each night, and she not only produces, but excels. Her level of play has college coaches drooling.

“I have been talking to Stanford, USC, ASU, Oregon, Cal, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, Gonzaga, Utah, Washington and UC Davis,” James said. “I have been offered by some of them, but I still don’t know where I wanna go.”

While this reporter would love to see James suit up for his alma mater Gonzaga, I’m not so sure the school’s good enough for a Sara James. James could be a factor in the Pac-10, a much tougher conference presenting national recognition.

Whatever James decides, the school will be lucky to have her. During a timeout in the game against Hanford late in the second half, I saw James walk over to White, put her hands on her knees and take three deep breaths. She listened to instruction while in obvious pain, having played all but a few minutes of the entire game. When the timeout ended, she jogged back onto the court, eventually caught the ball and broke the full-court press herself, going coast-to-coast en route to a score to keep the Trojans within striking distance.

The only time she showed a look of disappointment was when she fouled out in the final minute, not frustrated she was done scoring, but rather that she couldn’t lift her team to a victory. In a weird way, I think she did. Carrying her team to a two-point loss to one of the best teams in the state could be just what Oak Ridge needs this season.

“All in all, it does prove to us that we can compete with some of the best teams in the state and country now,” James said of the loss.

Who knows, the Trojans could be on their way to an incredible season. They’ll need one if they want to see Hanford again.

“We could see Hanford again,” White said, “but only in the state finals.”

Wouldn’t that be nice?