Victory Christian Academy, nested in the Rancho del Rey neighborhood, has been an impact addition to the Metro Conference’s basketball lineup.
The VCA girls won last year’s San Diego Section Division I championship while the boys team posted a runner-up finish to St. Augustine.
Both gender teams qualified for the section’s Open Division playoffs this season, somewhat of a rare feat for South County schools.
The Lady Knights earned the No. 8 seed while the Knights were presented with the No. 2 seed.
All eight Open Division teams qualify for the Southern California regional playoffs, so it’s really a no-lose situation.
But winning can be fun, as demonstrated by Victory Christian’s 67-49 home court quarterfinal win over seventh-seeded La Costa Canyon last Friday in front of a standing-room only crowd.
The VCA boys (25-4) built a 31-20 halftime lead and when they saw that lead dwindle to four points in the final quarter, they put their collective foot to the metal to accelerate psst the Mavericks (21-8) and a trip to Wednesday’s semifinals against No. 3 San Marcos (23-6).
Wednesday’s semifinal winner wpuld advance to Saturday’s division championship game at 5 p.m. at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside.
The VCA girls (10-16) were eliminated from a CIF banner following last Friday’s 58-35 quarterfinal loss to top-seeded Francis Parker (19-7).
Second-seeded Mater Dei Catholic (23-3) also saw its championship fortunes snuffed out with a 62-54 upset loss to seventh-seeded Grossmont (22-4) in last Friday’s girls quarterfinals.
The Knights would not be denied their moment in time.
Nursing a rapidly diminishing 47-43 lead, the hosts made two stalwart defensive plays that led to key buckets and then senior Isaiah Owens capped the lightning quick surge with a monstrous slam dunk that got the entire building roaring.
VCA won by 18 points.
“This was our first Open Division win,” Knights coach Will Gray said. “For the first three quarters we executed our game plan. Basketball is a game of momentum. Our pride is our defense. We made some great plays that opened up our offense.”
Sophomore Troy Tominna led the VCA assualt with 24 points while seniors Jayden Gray (15 points) and D.J. Humphries (13 points) also scored in double digits.
Humphries had eight rebounds while Tominna excited fans by sinking four three-pointers.
VCA recorded its second Open Division win in front of another capacity audience on Wednesday, 73-68, in overtime over San Marcos (23-7) to seal a date with No. 5 Francis Parker (21-9) in Saturday’s division final.
The Knights improved to 26-4 in their record-breaking season, already assured of a state playoff berth.
The younger Gray hit a three-point shot from the corner with 3.4 seconds to play to send the game into overtime and avert a undesired premature ending to the season for the hosts. The game ended in a 64-64 draw through regulation.
VCA carried the momentum into the extra four-minute period, recording the first points to lead 66-64. But San Marcos regrouped to tie the game 68-all and send a shiver through the capacity crowd. But Tominna sank a three-point shot to give the hosts some much-needed breathing room at 71-68. Senior Chato Garcia then dropped in two key free-throws in the final seconds for a five-point margin and seal a trip to the Open Division championship game.
The elder Gray said his team remained composed, which was the key to victory.
“They stayed confident,” the VCA coach said. “We’ve encountered every type of scenario over the course of the season. We’ve been up, we’ve been down. We executed.”
Humphries led the team with 18 points while Tominna had 16 points. Senior Isaiah Owens and Gray each had 12 points. Humphries and Tominna each had five assists while Gray had five steals.
San Marcos out-rebounded VCA 24-19.
Parker defeated No. 1 Santa Fe Christian, 71-52, in the other side of the bracket. SFC is now 26-4.
San Marcos out-rebounded VCA 24-19.
Parker defeated No. 1 Santa Fe Christian, 71-52, in the other side of the bracket. SFC is now 26-4.
Junior Nico Mott led San Marcos with 18 points and six rebounds.
After Wednesday’s game, the Knights gathered at center court to honortwo teammates: Owens and Gray. Each player was presented with a personalized banner: Gray for scoring more than 2,000 points in his career and Owens for scoring more than 1,500 points.
Both are four-year players at VCA.
We’ve had a while bunch of players coming here to take their game to the next level,” Gray said. “We got to this moment. We did not want to waste it.”
The girls Open Division final, scheduled Saturday at 8 p.m., also at Frontwave Arena, will pit No. 1 Francis Parker (20-7) against No. 6 Westview (20-8). Francis Parker defeated No. 4 Mission HIlls, 73-47, in the semifinals while Westview shaded No. 7 Grossmont, 56-53, after Grossmont had upended the bracket with a 62-544win at No. 2 Mater Dei Catholic in the quarterfinals.
“We fell just short in the semifinals by three points in what was a hard-fought, competitive game from start to finish,” Grossmont coach Grace Campbell said. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our girls battled in that moment. It easily could have gone either way, and they showed tremendous composure and heart on that stage.
“What this group accomplished in the Open Division shouldn’t be overlooked. As a No. 7 seed, there weren’t many people who expected us to get out of the first round especially after knocking off the No. 2 seed. Historically, you just don’t see 7 or 8 seeds advancing deep in the Open bracket, and that alone says a lot about this team’s grit and belief. That win shifted the narrative immediately and showed that we belonged.
“To then turn around and face Westview and compete possession-for-possession speaks volumes. Despite the loss, we broke so many milestones this season from proving ourselves in the Open Division to earning a spot in state playoffs and putting Grossmont basketball back on the front page.
“Now, our focus shifts to the state playoffs. The message to the team is simple: we’ve already proven we can compete with anyone. The standard doesn’t drop. We regroup, refocus, and continue playing the brand of basketball that got us here together, tough, and confident.”
No. 7 Lady Foothillers shock No. 2 Mater Dei Catholic in Open Division hoops encounter, advance to semifinals
The San Diego Section basketball and soccer playoffs have been especially rife with upsets so far, and the elite Open Division is no exception.
The boys basketball bracket saw one higher-seeded team go down in the opening round while the girls basketball bracket saw two lower-seeded team pull off upsets.
Both were stunners.
Seventh-seeded Grossmont (22-4) shocked No. 2 Mater Dei Catholic, 62-54, with a late surge while No. 6 Westview (19-8) upset No 3 Cathedral Catholic, 55-40
Thus, Westview hosted Grossmont in Wednesday’s semifinals for the right to advance to Friday’s division championship game at 8 p.m. at Frontwave Arena
“We knew coming into the Open Division this year that the level of competition would be elite every single week.” Grossmont coach Grace Campbell said. “The Open Division is where you want to be if you consider yourself one of the top programs in the section. There are no easy nights. For our players, it wasn’t about just qualifying; it was about proving that we belong in those conversations consistently.
“Coming in as the No. 7 seed and knocking off a No. 2 seed definitely had people thinking twice about us. That win sent a message. It showed the resilience, preparation, and belief this group has built all season. We’ve embraced being overlooked at times … it fuels us.”
Playing elite competition is nothing new for the Lady Foothillers, who advanced to the state championship game in 2014, placing runner-up in the Division IV final.
Mater Dei Catholic won the Division IV state title in 2009 and finished as Division III state championship runners-up in 2025.
“Beating Mater Dei Catholic was a huge statement win for us,” Campbell said. “They’re a physical program with a strong playoff history, so we understood the challenge in front of us. Our mindset going in was simple: stay composed, trust our preparation and play four complete quarters.
“When we got down, there was no panic on the sideline. The key to the comeback was discipline. We cleaned up execution and leaned on our defensive intensity. Once we started winning the small moments — defensive stops, extra possessions — the momentum shifted. I kept telling them ‘keep chipping away, we have plenty of time.’”
All eight Open Division teams qualify for the Southern California regional playoffs. The season for both Mater Dei Catholic (23-3) and Cathedral Catholic (22-7) is not over, neither will it be for Wednesday’s semifinal losers.
“The Open Division also puts us in position for the state playoffs, which is always a goal,” Campbell said. “Competing at this level prepares you for that next stage. Even if the road is tough, being battle-tested matters.”
Top performers include juniors Aakash Price (14.3 points per game/11.0 rebounds per game), and Jaliyah Feming (12.5 ppg), sophomore Esther Agoh (9.5 ppg/7.7 rpg) and freshman Maya Shehee (9.4 ppg).
“As far as leadership this season, we’ve had strong contributions on both ends of the floor,” the Grossmont coach said. “Our young core has really set the tone with composure and work ethic, and our underclassmen have stepped up in big moments. Offensively, we’ve been balanced, multiple players capable of scoring in double figures, and defensively we’ve had girls who embrace tough assignments and take pride in getting stops.
“Next up, our focus is continuing to build consistency as we head toward postseason play. At this point in the season, it’s about sharpening execution, staying healthy, and maintaining that hunger. We don’t want to just be in the Open Division, we want to compete deep into March.”
