Final match up between our basketball team and the El Camino basketball team. Biggest rivalry in Sacramento? Biggest game of year ending in three point buzzer beater by Matt Lyon? Yes and yes.

In the final match up of the regular season the basketball team is coming into this game (8-12) and El Camino coming in as (18-5). The 81st ranked team (Rio) in the division battling against the 34th ranked team (El Camino). El Camino maintained the lead the whole game. The basketball team bounced back from an 11 point deficit in the fourth quarter to win on a last second buzzer beater shot by Matt Lyon. Matt Lyon ended up with 28 points and the game winning shot. Earlier in the game El Camino’s star player, Kenny Olsem, went down hard in agonizing pain. When the basketball team was close to defeat with one second left and down by one, El Camino’s Rob Williams had the game in his hands but traveled across half court. Ryan Steele inbounds to Matt Lyon and he does a catch and shoot. The shot banks in and the Rowdy Raiders storm the court.

Two weeks before, the basketball team lost to El Camino on a buzzer beater three pointer by Kenny Olsem to put them ahead 56-54. El Camino ran over to our student section and got in our faces as if they won the state championship. Matt Lyon put on a show but it just wasn’t enough in the end. Going into this game, the team had lots of confidence because earlier this year they beat them by a score of 47-43 in the Jack Scott Tournament.This rivalry is escalating as each year passes. These are very big games for the players and also mean a lot to our Rowdy Raiders, especially after El Camino got in our faces after the game. Rowdy Raider Captain, Senior Danny Miller said “They don’t have class like we do here at Rio. They get caught up in the moment and don’t know how to handle themselves.” Vice President of the Rowdy Raiders, Senior Erik Ramazzini said, “They were more worried about beating us and our loss than their win. We got in their heads, so their motive of winning was merely to get back at us  (Rowdy Raiders).” Miller thinks this rivalry is one of the best in Sacramento. “Every game is exciting and loud,” said Miller. Ramazzini thinks every game is exceedingly entertaining and both schools are engaged and have a chip on their shoulder. Senior Nico Scordakis said, “It’s obvious this is one of the biggest rivalries because other schools are showing up to watch. @Jesuit.” Junior Ryan Steele said “We need to play harder and rebound more and play better defense because they killed us on the boards.” Junior Jared Hook has a more simple mindset to win the game, “I think we need to lock Kenny up and play our hardest.”

Nearly two weeks later they play them at El Camino in their final match up of the regular season. Steele said, “I think EC is going to come in and be thinking that we’re gonna suck and that we’re gonna be out of it by then but we’re not, they’re going to expect us to come out not fighting but they don’t know what’s going to hit ‘em.” Hook feels very confident coming into this game. Junior Ryan Steele said, “We need to play harder and rebound more and play better defense because they killed us on the boards.” Junior Jared Hook has a more simple mindset to win the game, “I think we need to lock Kenny up and play our hardest.”

Locking up Kenny Olsem wasn’t so hard. Late in the second quarter he dislocated his knee and was out for the rest of the game. No Kenny felt like no problem for El Camino, they maintained the lead throughout the whole entire game until the last second. Matt Lyon’s game winning three will be remembered for many years at our school.