High schools: Like Warriors, Alameda boys have turned it around

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When Cameron Quick started in ticket sales for the Warriors in 2007, the reaction from family and friends was laughter, then compassion.

“They’d say, ‘That must be a very difficult job,’” he said.

Oh, how the times have changed.

Now as a senior account executive, “They say I must have a dream job.”

Quick has received similar reactions over the past four years as the head boys basketball coach at Alameda, a program cast largely in the shadow of six-time state champion St. Joseph Notre Dame, where Jason Kidd once flourished, and Encinal, alma mater of J.R. Rider.

Alameda is a school known for its baseball, aquatics and tennis.

Before this season, the last time its basketball team recorded a league championship of any kind was 1993.

The four years before Quick, 33, arrived in 2014, the Hornets were a combined 42-56. A former assistant at Piedmont, he was Alameda’s fourth coach in four seasons.

Coach Cameron Quick has guided the Alameda boys basketball team to a 27-5 record and a berth in the Northern California Division 2 championship game. Coach Cameron Quick has guided the Alameda boys basketball team to a 27-5 record and a berth in the Northern California Division 2 championship game. Photo: Samuel Stringer, MaxPreps Photo: Samuel Stringer, MaxPreps Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close High schools: Like Warriors, Alameda boys have turned it around 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

“Everyone asked why I took over at Alameda,” he said. “They said it was a dead-end job.”

Quick has brought it back to life. And like the professional organization for which he works by day across Interstate 880, his coaching job looks pretty dreamy.

The top-seeded Hornets (27-5) are one win from reaching the state Division 2 final.

They host second-seed St. Mary’s-Stockton (26-8) at 6 p.m. Saturday with the chance to play in the state-title game next week at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Not bad considering the Hornets had not even won a NorCal playoff game since they began playing basketball in 1926-27, according to historian John Zugnoni.

“We haven’t won anything yet,” Quick said. “We still have to get better to reach our ultimate goal.”

Behind a close-knit and cohesive senior class and six All-West Alameda County Conference players, the Hornets are considerably better than before the coach arrived — but the turnaround wasn’t easy or immediate.

The team lost 15 straight in his first season and finished 6-22. That was followed by seasons of 11-19 and 19-8.

“We had eight returning seniors and we knew we had a chance to do something special” this season, Quick said.

And they have.

Benno Zecic, a 6-foot-3 point guard, 6-5 forward Noah Schwartz and 6-foot guard Ryan Cibull, were first-team All-WACC selections. Sam Wettegren, a 6-3 forward, and 6-8 post Kingsley Obiorah, were second-team picks. Sixth-man Andre Smith was honorable mention.

All are seniors and each is capable of scoring in double figures. Schwartz is the most versatile. Cibull is a lights-out shooter and ball-handler. Obiorah is the defensive anchor, Zecic runs the show, Smith provides energy off the bench and Wettegren is the team’s “Draymond Green,” Quick said. “He’s our leader. He does a lot of everything.”

“What he’s done over there is incredible,” said Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland coach Lou Richie, whose Open Division finalist Dragons trailed by double digits in a North Coast Section Division 2 semifinal before winning 60-48. “No matter what happens Saturday, they should throw a parade for him.”

Quick, who earned all-conference honors as a player at Cal State Stanislaus, said building a family foundation has been key. His father Fred, a former coach, mom Carol, brother Brandon and sister Lauren are behind the bench every game.

“We feel like a family,” Wettegren said. “We do everything together. We eat together. We hang out. All that stuff matters.”

They are one hot ticket, one Quick doesn’t have to sell.

“Our entire community has come around,” Cibull said. “People are excited. Teachers and the student body recognize us and pat us on the back. I think they like our grit. How we play as a team. How we get along. It’s great.”

MaxPreps senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Northern California capsules (all games Saturday)

BOYS

Open Division

No. 4 Sheldon-Sacramento (28-5)

vs. No. 2 Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland (27-5) at Santa Clara University, 8 p.m.: Sheldon, 21-1 since Jan. 1, endured a bitter defeat in last year’s title game. O’Dowd, winner of 22 straight, is trying to rekindle the success of the 2015 state-title team. O’Dowd is 9-3 in NorCal title games, Sheldon 1-3.

Division 1

No. 8 Palo Alto (26-3) vs. No. 2 Las Lomas-Walnut Creek (30-3) at SCU, 4 p.m.: Las Lomas, led by 6-4 Nathan Robinson (22 ppg) loves to run, but Palo Alto — which lost in this game here last year — knows how to slow things down. Palo Alto is 2-2 in NorCal title games, Las Lomas 0-1.

Division 2

No. 2 St. Mary’s-Stockton (26-8) at

No. 1 Alameda (27-5), 6 p.m.: This is the first NorCal final for Alameda, which is led by fourth-year coach Cameron Quick and eight seniors. St. Mary’s won its only NorCal final in 2006 in

Division 3.

Division 3

No. 4 Central Catholic-Modesto (31-2) at

No. 2 Pleasant Valley-Chico (30-2), 6:30 p.m.

Division 4

No. 9 Stuart Hall (22-11) at No. 3 St. Mary’s-Berkeley (19-14), 6 p.m.: St. Mary’s beat Stuart Hall 62-50 on Feb. 24. St. Mary’s coach Rich Buckner, let go last winter at Riordan, has outlasted every West Catholic Athletic League coach this season. St. Mary’s is 4-4 in NorCal final appearances, Stuart Hall 0-1.

Division 5

No. 3 Colfax (24-9) at No. 1 Argonaut-Jackson (28-5), 6 p.m.

GIRLS

Open Division

No. 3 Pinewood-Los Altos Hills (26-2) vs. No. 1 Mitty (29-0) at Santa Clara University, 6 p.m.: A repeat of the Central Coast Section Open final, won by Mitty 76-62. Mitty is ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps, Pinewood is No. 5. Mitty is 12-8 in NorCal final appearances, Pinewood 8-6.

Division 1

No. 10 Sacred Heart Cathedral (14-14) vs. No. 4 Miramonte-Orinda (28-5) at SCU, 2 p.m.: A rematch of a Dec. 30 game won by Miramonte 74-69. Can SHC slow down 5-5 Clair Steele (32 in the semifinals)? Irish are 8-5 in NorCal finals, Miramonte is 2-6.

Division 2

No. 3 Valley Christian-San Jose (16-14) at No. 1 Pleasant Valley-Chico (24-4), 5 p.m.: Since back-to-back losses to close the WCAL, Valley Christian has won six straight and a CCS title. Both teams are 0-1 in NorCal title games.

Division 3

No. 7 Clovis (22-12) at No. 5 West Campus-Sacramento (27-7), 6 p.m.

Division 4

No. 11 Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento (22-12) at No. 1 Woodside Priory-Portola Valley (16-14), 5 p.m.: Priory toughened in league play, going against state powers Pinewood and Eastside Prep-East Palo Alto. Bradshaw, 0-1 in NorCal finals, beat Notre Dame-Belmont 62-31 in the semifinals. Priory is making it first NorCal final appearance.

Division 5

No. 6 Durham (27-5) at No. 4 Lowell (19-11), 6 p.m.: Each team is making its first NorCal final appearance. Lowell’s KD Lee scored 21 in a semifinal win over top-seeded University.

— Mitch Stephens