SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Last Friday, the Viking boys varsity basketball team rose to the top of Division 3A West League, taking the Champions title with a 61-43 win. The team is currently 17-5 overall in the season and looking forward to the playoffs in the near future.

Previously, the visiting Wooster Colts won their match in January by 5 points and had a four-game winning streak, up until last Wednesday against Hug. South Tahoe had played against North Valleys, continuing their winning streak—it was their ninth straight at home victory, dating back to last season.

While the Vikings fell behind in the first two minutes, Coach Phillip Bryant said the time out and change of defenses turned the game around. Though they remained behind until the half, the team edged out in the second half.

“Our comeback was lead by Kai McClain’s 20 points and 6 rebounds, while Parker Bryant and Ronan Fisher each tossed in 12 points,” said Bryant. “But it was the defense that sealed the deal as Esha Davis, Oscar Mendoza, Ryder Preston, and Adrian Smith each manned up on Wooster’s top scoring guard… and his teammates couldn’t pick up the slack.”

Bryant also noted Ryder Tannaci’s return, after he’d missed most of the season with a broken collarbone, saying that “he is now producing at a high level.” He also shouted out the players he kept on the roster, who agreed that playing time wasn’t an issue—Gabe Diaz, Vinny Gangitano, Logan Kelso, Kayden Morales, Tyg Garcia, Nash Bigley, and Marcus Haven.

With only a few games left before hosting a home playoff game, there are high hopes for South Tahoe’s team. “We are 17-5 overall in the season and need to keep the momentum going to assure a strong playoff performance,” said Bryant.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.