The Dublin High Varsity Boys Basketball team squared off against Dougherty Valley with in front of the largest home crowd in school history in the Sports Complex last Friday night. The crowd was so large that the baseline bleachers were pulled out and fans stood six rows deep outside the gym for standing room only viewing.
With the #1 seed on the line in this week’s East Bay Athletic League Tournament between the two teams tied atop the league standings, the Wildcats held a slim lead throughout most of the contest and pulled away in the final quarter to prevail 80-65. Despite the loss, it was a memorable experience for players and spectators alike.
“How can you not love this environment if you’re a high school athlete,” Dublin Head Coach Tom Costello told the Bay Area News Group after the game. “You don’t get this at prep schools. You don’t get this at charter schools. This is what high school basketball is about.”
Dublin is now the #3 seed in the EBAL Tournament and will be home on Wednesday, February 8th at 7:00 p.m. against either #10 Livermore, #7 Monte Vista, or #6 Granada. Since this is a playoff game, ASB stickers, DHS Digital Sports Passes, and EBAL passes will not be honored. Tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens and $10 for adults and can be purchased here. If the Gaels win on Wednesday, they will travel to face #2 De La Salle on Thursday.
The Boys Junior Varsity and Freshmen teams finished their seasons on a high note with wins over Dougherty Valley. The JV team ended the year with an impressive 21-5 mark, and the Freshmen battled back from a 20-point deficit to win the game on free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining to end the year 19-7.
In other highlights for Dublin High Athletics on campus this week, two teams will be celebrating Senior Nights. The Girls Basketball team will be hosting Granada on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00 with Senior recognitions at approximately 6:45. The final Winter Sports team with a Senior Night will be Boys Soccer, as they will be honoring their Seniors at approximately 6:00 on Thursday, February 9th before their 6:30 kickoff against Dougherty Valley.
This week will also be the first time in over 30 years (possibly ever) that Dublin High School will host it’s league wrestling tournament. The action in both the Sports Complex and Auxiliary Gym begins on Friday, February 10th at 4:00 and will take place all day on Saturday, February 11th. Top finishers in each weight category are competing for a berth in the following weekend’s North Coast Section Tournament, and the Dublin High Girls Wrestling team is also looking to qualify as a team for NCS.
Another team fighting to qualify for NCS this week is the Girls Soccer team. The Gaels have had one of the most formidable schedules in all of NCS, and are two games under .500 with two games remaining in their season after forging a tie at Foothill last Thursday.
However, the Gaels still have a lot at stake as they enter the final week of the regular season. Dublin can become eligible and will likely be selected for an At-Large NCS berth with victories on the road in its final two contests at Livermore on Tuesday (February 7th) and Dougherty Valley on Thursday (February 9th). Both matches kick off at 6:30.
One final scheduling change to note this week at that the Girls Freshmen Soccer match scheduled on Friday, February 10th against Dougherty Valley has been moved from Gaels Stadium to Fallon Sports Park Field #2. Kickoff is still at 6:00 p.m.
