After reaching the State Finals at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Arena, boys’ basketball, unfortunately, did not reign victorious, but they did make Venice High School proud.

Pleasant Valley beat the Gondoliers 57-53 in a tight game on Friday, March 11, and returned home with a second-place finish in the tournament. They also claimed the title of 2021-2022 CIF Southern Regional Champions.

“It felt great to watch these boys make history on a basketball court this year,” said coach Dave Galley.

After a strong start against Pleasant Valley, with players such as Percy Jackson, Tyler Hunt, Oscar Lopez, Aidan Donald, and Devyn Johnson, the same could not be said about the rest of the game. Unfortunately for the team, they did not carry that strong momentum after halftime, outscored in the third quarter 19-14. 

“The last two-quarters of the state game were hard-fought and either team could have won,” Galley recalled. “We were up one with two minutes to play and the ball didn’t bounce our way. That’s basketball for you.” 

Making it this far in the tournament was a momentous occasion for Venice and brought pride to the Venice High community, according to senior Percy Jackson, a captain.

“To make history at Venice my senior year is amazing,” he said. “I wouldn’t have made it without my teammates and coaches.”