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Valencia boys basketball wins first CIF State title, sends coach Bill Bedgood out on top

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SACRAMENTO — The Valencia boys basketball team won just five games last season, which were buried under 20 losses.

“These guys were tired of losing,” Vikings coach Bill Bedgood said. “I don’t think we’re here, to be honest, if we hadn’t experienced (the losing) with our key guys. They learned a hard lesson.”

Players from Valencia High school hold the trophy after defeating Half Moon Bay in a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Valencia poses for a photo after defeating Half Moon Bay in a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Valencia players celebrate after defeating Half Moon Bay in a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia drives to the basket against Jaeden Hutchins #1 of Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia drives to the basket against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia hangs on the basket after dunking in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Jacob Michel-zavala #13 of Valencia goes up for a shot in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Valencia bench reacts after a basket against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia shoots against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia shoots a free throw against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia drives to the basket against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Mikah Ballew #4 of Valencia has the ball stripped as he goes up for a shot in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia relaxes on the bench after being taken out in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia drives to the basket against Jaeden Hutchins #1 of Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Head coach Bill Bedgood of Valencia kisses the CIF Division IV State Championship trophy after his team defeated Half Moon Bay in a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Head coach Bill Bedgood of Valencia hoists the CIF Division IV State Championship trophy after his team defeated Half Moon Bay in a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia drives to the bases against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Valencia players cheer on their teammates in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Valencia bench reacts after a basket against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia drives to the bases against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Head coach Bill Bedgood of Valencia reacts against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1 of Valencia shoots against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Bryce Bedgood #35 of Valencia drives to the basket against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Head coach Bill Bedgood of Valencia with his team against Half Moon Bay in the first half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Kai Davis #1, Jacob Michel-zavala #13, and Jayden Ares #22 of Valencia look on in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

A Valencia cheerleader cheers in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

Jacob Mazy #0 of Valencia takes a shot in the second half of a boys basketball CIF State Division IV championship game against Half Moon Bay at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sunday, March 12, 2023. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

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The team grew and got a lot better this season, and the payoff was an 89-59 victory over Half Moon Bay in the CIF State Division IV final at the Golden 1 Center Saturday afternoon.

Junior Bryce Bedgood grew to be 6-foot-9 and became a dominant post player. Senior Kai Davis got stronger and reliable as a point guard. Seniors Jayden Ares and Maurice Pitts Jr. evolved into instrumental starters.

All were part of last year’s team.

Then came 6-foot-5 guard Mikah Ballew, a senior transfer from Alemany.

“He’s a four-level scorer,” Bill Bedgood said. “He can score from the 3-point line, mid-range, he can get to the basket and get over the rim, and he shoots a high percentage from the foul line.”

Valencia this season won its first section title, its first regional crown and then lifted its first CIF State trophy Saturday.

Ballew led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including three 3-pointers, with four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Davis notched 17 points and eight assists.

“On top of leading us in scoring, (Ballew) also provides us a level of confidence” Bill Bedgood said. “His cool nature, he’s never too high or low. He’s poised and confident.”

After the game, Bedgood announced he’d coached his final game after 24 years. He wants to enjoy his son’s senior season from the stands, not the bench.

“A lot people assumed I’d finish coaching him through his high school career, but what’s become more important to me is being a dad,” said Bedgood, whose coaching stops included Alemany, Notre Dame and Saugus. “Being a dad makes you a better coach, but I don’t know if being a coach makes you a better dad.”

Bill Bedgood talks about his decision to retire from coaching high school basketball and looking forward to watching his son, Bryce, play his senior season from the stands.

“Being a dad makes you a better coach, but I don’t know if being a coach makes you a better dad.” pic.twitter.com/gahVr2NJlq

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) March 11, 2023

In the Bedgood duo’s last game together, Bryce put on quite a show with 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting, 13 rebounds and seven blocks in 23 minutes.

“I really focus on putting in a good defensive effort and putting myself in good position to get rebounds and block shots,” Bryce said.

Half Moon Bay started the game on a 7-0 run, but Valencia settled in and the score was 20-20 at the end of the first quarter.

The second and third quarters showed the difference in talent for the teams. Ballew hit an NBA-range 3-pointer to put the Vikings up 38-26 before a Bryce Bedgood put back created a 43-32 halftime advantage.

“It sucked losing, especially in the Mission League where you play Open Division and Division I talent every night,” Ballew said of playing for Alemany last year, which won one game in league play. “When I came to Valencia, I just had a mentality to win.”

Valencia outscored Half Moon Bay 49-25 in the second and third quarters.

Davis delivered a cross-court bounce pass to Ballew for a corner 3-pointer to make it 61-40 in the third quarter. Bryce Bedgood had a breakaway dunk in the fourth quarter to give the Vikings an 80-54 lead. The rout was on.

Every college coach will love this clip.

Valencia’s Bryce Bedgood crashing the glass hard, shedding attempted block outs while leaping to rebound this ball. Secures the ball and quickly puts it back in.

6-foot-9. Junior. Available. pic.twitter.com/bN99iDLXwE

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) March 11, 2023

Valencia finished the season winning 20 of 21 games. Its loss was on Jan. 20 to West Ranch, a team that earned a CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff berth.

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“We won Section 7 (a summer tournament) with this group, we won every tournament we played in, in the summer,” Bill Bedgood said “We were very confident with this group.”

When asked what it’s like to play for his dad, Bryce grinned and replied with a short answer.

“It’s good,” Bryce said.

“Good answer,” Bill Bedgood quickly added with a chuckle. “It was hard coaching him last year while we were losing so many games, but it’s all been worth it.”

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