John Hapgood leads San Dieguito Academy to first CIF Championship since 1965
SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The wait is over for San Dieguito Academy. For the first time since 1965, the boys’ basketball team can call themselves CIF champions.
The top-seeded Mustangs defeated Scripps Ranch 67-56 on Thursday night in the CIF San Diego Division 3 Championship game behind a big effort from senior guard John Hapgood. He scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the second half and knocked down nine of his ten free throw attempts.
“There were definitely nerves but that feeling is when you know you’re in the right spot,” Hapgood said postgame.
Hapgood, along with twin brother James who added eight points in the game, were freshman starters on the 2019 La Jolla Country Day team that captured the CIF Division 3 State Championship. The duo then made their way to La Costa Canyon before winding up at San Dieguito prior to this season.
“I didn’t know what it was gonna entail when I left (La Jolla) Country Day but I’m just glad I’m at a school that I love, and I can bring a championship to a school that deserves it,” James Hapgood said.
The Mustangs jumped out to an early 9-2 start on Thursday night, prompting a Scripps Ranch timeout. The Falcons, however, refused to go away. They fought back to lead 13-12 after one quarter and trailed the Mustangs by three points at the break.
San Dieguito threatened several times to break the game wide open throughout the second half, but Scripps Ranch continued to battle.
“Things got chaotic, but we stuck to the game plan, listened to Coach Stew and here we are,” James Hapgood said.
San Dieguito picked up the pressure in the closing minutes, going on a 9-2 run that made the lead nearly insurmountable at 52-42 with just over a minute to play. The Mustangs made their free throws down the stretch, going 12 of 15 in the final quarter, to put the Falcons away for good.
“I don’t even know that it’s sunken in yet,” San Dieguito Academy head coach Jason Stewart said postgame. “I’m really happy for our community and Encinitas, our school district and everybody involved.”
“It’s really special being a part of this historic team,” James Hapgood said. “I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet; it feels good.”
Both San Dieguito and Scripps Ranch have earned bids to the CIF State playoffs by virtue of making it to the section championship game and will await their seeding on Sunday afternoon.
