The action in the final major California viewing period event for girls basketball may have been down the Peninsula in Redwood City, but the Summer in the City Tournament was dominated by a team of girls mostly from the East Bay and two Yellowjackets in particular.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Last weekend's Summer in the City Tournament at first glance looked like it would become a matchup of host Mark Anger's East Bay Explosion Black against Ray Mayes' FBC Blue, the Southern California team that couldn't quite close the deal last week at their own EA Sports National Showcase in Las Vegas.

Although the tournament was in the Bay Area at Sequoia High in Redwood City, the CalHiSports.com caravan only made the 200-mile round trip journey from its Sonoma County base on the final day's action of the July 29-31 event.

The one day of basketball we covered was outstanding even if the host EBX Black squad didn't hold up its end of the bargain, losing in the semifinals to Cal Ballaz after leading by eight points with around four minutes remaining.

"We just didn't take care of business,” said Anger, who refused to make excuses but told CalHiSports.com he was without Carondelet's Hannah Huffman (2012) whose overall guard play this summer has been exemplary and amongst the top incoming sophomores in the state.

That ballhandling deficiency against the ballhawking Ballaz would prove fatal not only for Anger's girls but also for the team Leroy Hurt's team of mostly East Bay girls met in the Black Division finals, Maye's FBC Blue girls from the Southland.

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NorCal basketball power shows it still has plenty of pop at Golden Gate Summer Shootout.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Before hitting the road next week for the NCAA Summer Certified Event viewing period, where we try uncovering California girls basketball players not on any of the major radar screens, we decided to stay close to home for the 14th Annual Golden Gate Summer Shootout

The June 27-28 event, managed by former Redwood of Larkspur Athletic Director Jim Halm and with proceeds benefiting his non-profit organization's Education Assistance Fund, found 24 boys teams and six girls teams competing at a combined five gyms throughout Marin County.

Teams from as far away Reno, Merced, Sacramento, Roseville and San Jose competed in the boys division, while all of the girls' teams were from the Redwood Empire with the exception of Albany.

With events spread out over so many venues and temperatures well into the 100s outside and just as hot if not hotter in the gyms, CalHiSports.com decided to focus on a few of the top Redwood Empire teams and players in action.

The result is the four games at three different gyms got coverage over the two days of the Shootout.

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