Did you know that Livermore has had the #1 JC Men’s Basketball team in the entire state of California since all the way back in September? Here’s the tea:
The LPC Hawks, coached by James Giacomazzi and his assistant coaches Anthony Haskett and Ravi Bhambra, started off the Conference season strong with an undefeated Tip-Off Classic against several community colleges. Right off the bat the Hawks were killing it with 20 point wins left and right, climbing in the state rankings and obliterating every team that crossed their path. The players were fast and agile, making numerous steals and dominating the other teams they played.
One of the most notable games this season was the LPC (Las Positas) VS CCSF (San Francisco) game on Friday, January 10, 2025. San Francisco had been ranked the #1 team in California for years, and Laspo hadn’t pulled one over on them since 2017… until now. After 8 years of hard work, the Hawks won with an astonishing score of 81-69 down in SF. Jorren Edmonds came up with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. Sterling McClanahan added 16 points and six rebounds. The twins, Elijah and Elliot Mobley, also continued their fierce gameplay, proving themselves to be impressive competitors. Coach James Giacomazzi stated in an interview that “It felt great. The kids played really hard and executed the game plan to perfection. I liked that we were the aggressors and came into the game believing that we were going to win and that if we did the right things we would have a good chance, and we did.” This win put them in the number one spot in the entire state of California, making them the only undefeated team left in the state. Another one to remember was LPC’s first rival game of the season against Chabot, our sister school also within this district, on Wednesday, January 15. The Hawks won 79-73.
Up until late January, the Las Positas men’s basketball team was completely undefeated with a streak of 20 wins in a row. Shooting guard, Elijah Mobley, stated, “It’s something special to start off the year 20-0, first team to ever get 20-0 here, but we know we have to keep going because the season ain’t over yet.”
Unfortunately, flu season picks up in January and persists during the colder seasons as everyone returns from the holidays. This really took a toll on the team, as many of the players were in and out of the gym due to illness. The team didn’t even have a full roster for another three whole weeks. This greatly impacted their performance on January 29th when LPC faced off against Skyline and lost by a single point in overtime (69-68). They were extremely disappointed about the close loss, especially after having made such a good comeback to get the game into overtime. However, missing three or four free throws near the last stretch is what finally got them. Giacomazzi stated that they “did not execute our defensive game plan at all,” adding that, “it took us a while to get over that because not only was it our first loss but it was also a very difficult loss due to how it happened.”
With emotions running high, the Hawks lost the next two games, which were a second against SF and another against Chabot.
Yet, there is still light at the end of the tunnel as Coach James explained how the team was able to turn it around and not allow the losses to overcome them: “What we had to do was just regain focus on the things we do well and go back to the basics and fundamentals. Focusing on ourselves again while emphasizing defense, effort, and tenacity. We’ve done that of late, and it’s definitely helped us get back to playing our style of basketball.” And the LPC Hawks did just that, returning to their former domination at the beginning of the season by beating Cañada (106-92) and Ohlone (98-72) in their next two games. The shift in their gameplay was obvious, and it was clear the guys came in with purpose and determination.
LPC’s shooting guard, Sterling McClanahan, said in an interview after the Ohlone game that, “Winning tonight felt good. It felt like we really got our groove back. We kind of got away from our defensive tenacity that we started the year off with, so it really showed on the court when we finally got that back this week.”
Elijah Mobley added, “It was definitely fun. I got to spend it with my favorite guys. These are my brothers so I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else. I’m glad we made the most of it.”
So what can we expect for the rest of the season? Well, for many of the guys, this is their last year at Las Positas. As a sophomore himself, Mobley stated that he “just wants to take it one game at a time and finish off strong.” McClanahan claimed that his goal is to “leave a lasting legacy and continue to cherish every moment with his teammates.” Point guard Jorren Edmonds also confidently interjected that, “Getting back the momentum that carried us through those first 20 games is a great motivator, and we’re ready to handle business next week.”
Coach Gio left us with some final words; “We have a lot of potential, and we play a style that is not common in California community college basketball because we are so aggressive and play so hard. I believe we can win any game we play if we execute it correctly. Nevertheless, I do think the losses motivate us to work harder because sometimes you get complacent when you’re consistently winning. There are important lessons to learn along the way from these bumps in the road. As for the rest of the season, I can say I expect for us to continue to play as hard as we possibly can for the rest of the season to maximize all of our abilities and whatever result comes from that, we will accept. We just want to make sure that we are playing hard, playing smart, playing together, and doing things the right way. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
Currently, LasPo has a 23-3 overall ratio of wins to losses. The next two known games are both away games; one on Wednesday, February 19 against De Anza, and the other on February 21 against Skyline. Watch the youtube live stream because you won’t want to miss it. Playoffs are coming soon, so be sure to check the Las Positas website linked below for updates on home games. As the great Serena Williams once said, “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall,” and the Hawks are going to bring the fire.
https://cccmbca.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/schedule?teamId=1sagrbqu9e8tmj2d
