Atascadero tops Paso Robles basketball in fierce CIF semifinal battle
In a high-intensity CIF semifinal basketball game that pitted North County rivals against each other, Atascadero High School topped Paso Robles High School 62-47 on Wednesday.
The end of the unusual coronavirus pandemic season, culminating in a June postseason versus a February playoff, saw the Greyhounds (15-4) use a stifling defense on their home court to hold the Bearcats (12-5) to 15 points in the first half.
The Atascadero High team built a 33-15 lead on hot shooting from 6-foot-3 senior guard, Drew Ardouin, who poured in 14 first-half points toward his game-high 18.
“We played some good defense and boxed out well,” Ardouin said. “I think our defense translated to offense and we came out aggressive to start the game.”
Ardouin said he is thankful for “every game” during this pandemic season, after “not knowing if we’d have a season at all.”
Paso Robles showed good fight in the second half to draw the game to within 10 points in the third quarter, 35-25.
The Bearcats, featuring a team loaded with nearly all seniors, were led by 6-2 senior Darius Thompson. He tallied 14 points and showed fierce hustle throughout the game, diving for loose balls and battling down low for rebounds.
Paso Robles, coached by former school star Derrick Jasper, who went on to play at national NCAA powerhouse Kentucky, upset top-seeded Centennial High of Bakersfield 76-75 on June 4 to earn the matchup against its North County rival.
But it was Atascadero, the bracket’s No. 4 seed, that will move on to the championship game at 6 p.m. Friday night at home, against Roosevelt of Fresno.
“We have a great group of seniors and one thing this team does not lack is leadership,” said Atascadero Coach Augie Johnston, a 2004 Atascadero High graduate in his third year as varsity coach. “(Senior Mitchell Carpenter) in every timeout has the floor to say what he wants to say, and he always says the right thing. So, those kinds of intangible things are why we’ve gone this far.”
Carpenter, who Johnston called the “x-factor in the win,” drilled three 3-pointers in the game — tallying 11 points, including the team’s first five points in the second half as Paso Robles, seeded No. 8 in the sectional postseason, went on a run to narrow the lead.
“There are times when I look to the players and say ‘What do you want to run?’ and most of the time it’s the right call,” Johnston said. “First and foremost we’re a defensive team. On the offensive end, it can be anyone leading the team in scoring. Someone can have 30 one night and score five the next night and still win. Guys will step up in big moments.”
Junior Atascadero guard Logan Reyes added 15 points on the night.
Atascadero High School basketball team is close knit
Johnston said the team’s familiarity with each other — many have been friends since a young age — and their chemistry on the court will help in the championship game.
“This is a special group that is not only good basketball players, but best friends,” Johnston said. “Trusting your teammate and knowing their tendencies is a huge benefit.”
Sam DeRose, the Greyhounds’ athletic director, said he can’t recall the last time the school was in a CIF final game for basketball, but he might have to look back decades.
“We definitely need to watch game film to see where we can improve, and scout the other team the best we can, but not a lot needs to change for us,” Johnston said. “We’ll stick to our philosophies — how we guard screens is how we’ll guard screens and how we do our transition offense will stay the same.”
Paso Robles Bearcats led by ‘great coach’
For the Bearcats, the playoff departure represents the end of a season that senior guard Jayden Taylor called a “sad” conclusion.
“It has been a fun last year, and we’re great friends,” said Taylor, who tallied two points Wednesday. “It’s sad that we just had our last practice this week and our last game.”
Johnston said that Jasper is a “great coach” who did an outstanding job with his team this year.
“He was an incredible player in high school and an incredible coach,” Johnston said.
This story was originally published June 9, 2021 at 10:13 PM.
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