Kailee and Central Catholic turn back Oregon City

Central Catholic's Kailee Johnson looks to score against Oregon City in the OSAA class 6A girls basketball semifinals.

Johnson had 12 points and eight rebounds as the Rams (25-3) advanced to the final for the first time since 2005 with a 57-52 win. They will go for their first title at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Kailee Johnson shows the way as No. 1 Central Catholic bounces No. 4 Westview

Central Catholic's Kailee Johnson celebrates a basket during Thursday's 55-50 win over Westview at the Rose Garden. 

Central Catholic's Kailee Johnson came prepared for her monumental task against Westview in the quarterfinals of the OSAA Class 6A girls basketball tournament at the Rose Garden.
Top-ranked Central Catholic (24-3) turned back the No. 4 Wildcats 55-50 to advance to the semifinals for the second year in a row and sixth time since 2005. The Rams continue the pursuit of their first title at 1:30 p.m. Friday against Oregon City.

The Stanford-bound Johnson was sensational Thursday, collecting 17 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots. She played very, very good defense. She locked down a great player. She played through all the fatigue, she played through all the wrestling they did down low."

Erica helps Wolfpack get the job done

Ridgeview's Erica McCall drives the lane against Redondo during the second quarter of their playoff game in Bakersfield on Wednesday night.

It wasn't the most overpowering win by Ridgeview on Wednesday night, but the victory was a program first. The Wolf Pack won the first Southern California girls basketball playoff game in the school's history with a 64-47 win over Redondo Beach-Redondo Union at Ridgeview.Ridgeview (27-3), the top seed in Division II, plays host to No. 8 Murrieta Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m.

"We were a little bit nervous," said Stanford-bound Ridgeview senior Erica McCall, the state's all-time blocked shot record holder and No. 3 scorer. "Hopefully our next game we'll have a good night." McCall, who averages 18.1 points and 15 rebounds, finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 11 blocks and five steals. McCall had only five points at halftime but scored two quick buckets early in the third quarter to help the Wolf Pack build a 15-point advantage. The lead never dropped below 11 the rest of the way. "It's the first time all season I've had to work that hard,"

McCall had been on teams that had lost three SoCal playoff games in her Ridgeview career."This is the first time we've had this feeling in this building," she said. "But now we've just got to get ready for the next game."

Kailee leads Central Catholic to a 74-39 win

Johnson scored 25 points and had five rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead No. 1-seed Central Catholic to a 74-39 win over No. 4-seed Roseburg in the second round of the 2013 OSAA 6A Girls Basketball Tournament, Saturday evening in southeast Portland. Kailee reached 20 points for the ninth time this season.  The Rams (23-3) will advance to next Thursday’s quarterfinals riding a 20-game win streak.

Erica helps Ridgeview capture section D-II title

When Erica McCall is banking in 3-pointers, it's going to be a long night for whoever's playing Ridgeview High.

The Stanford-bound senior thoroughly dominated Friday night's Central Section Division II girls final at Selland Arena, and there wasn't anything Garces could do about it.

McCall had 31 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks as the Wolf Pack clamped down on the Rams for a 65-38 victory.

The three blocks extended McCall's state-record total to 958. The 31 points gave her 2,548 for her career, good enough for second place in section history behind West’s Nikki Blue (2,938 points from 1999-02).

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/03/01/3195078/girls-basketball-ridgeview-captures.html#storylink=cpy

Karlie and Top Ranked Mater Dei Stunned

But Mater Dei girls coach Kevin Kiernan was just part of the admiration society following his team's 73-72 overtime loss to Etiwanda in the Southern Section Division IAA semifinals Wednesday night on the road. Karlie Samuelson led Mater Dei with 24 points. Mater Dei waits for the CIF Southern California tournament and almost certainly will play in the Open Division. 

Kailee Johnson has double-double in Central Catholic's 74-26 win over Thurston

Kailee Johnson both posted double-doubles as No. 1-seed Central Catholic rolled to a 74-26 win over No. 8-seed Thurston, in a first round game of the 2013 OSAA 6A Girls State Basketball Tournament, Wednesday  evening in southeast Portland. Johnson posted 15 points and 10 boards. 

Erica and Kailee Named to McDonald's All American Game

mcdaag.com, February 14, 2013 
The McDonald's All American Games unveiled the official rosters for the 36th Annual McDonald’s All American Boys Game and 12th Annual Girls Game during today’s Selection Show on ESPNU. The annual high school all-star event will again be played at Chicago’s United Center on April 3. The Girls Game begins at 6:00 p.m. CT April 3, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.

“It’s becoming a tradition for the top high school basketball stars to gather in Chicago for the McDonald’s All American Games,” said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald’s All American Games. “These players are the ‘heirs apparent’ to the basketball royalty throne, and we look forward to hosting them in the Windy City for this can’t miss event.”

This year’s teams were selected from the field of more than 800 Nominees by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee, led by committee chairman, Morgan Wootten, legendary Hall-of-Fame basketball coach.

McCall will reunite in Chicago with teammates from various U.S. national youth teams she has played with, and with future Stanford teammate, Kailee Johnson, a forward from Portland (Ore.)-Central Catholic.

McCall named to McDonald's All-American team

ZACH EWING, bakersfieldcalifornian.com, February 14, 2013

"It's a great honor," she said. "I'm very flattered to get the opportunity. Growing up, I wanted to be an All-American, so I'm very excited."

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/sports/preps/x837005131/McCall-named-to-McDonalds-All-American-team


Erica McCall is pretty cool-and she's a McDonald's All-American, too
ZACH EWING, bakersfieldcalifornian.com, February 14, 2013

If you're a basketball fan, you know the McDonald's All-American Game as the home of the nation's best high school players. These are typically the guys you're going to see dominating the college basketball landscape (for a year or two on the boys side, for four on the girls) and the NBA and WNBA a few years down the road. It's a who's who of high school basketball players.

And now McCall is on it.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/sports/school-house-zach/x337060653/Erica-McCall-is-pretty-cool-and-shes-a-McDonalds-All-American-too

Karlie and Erica Selected for WBCA High School All American Game

wbca.org, February 5, 2013

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today the participants for the 2013 WBCA High School All-America Game presented by NIKE. The nation's top 20 high school senior girls' basketball players have been selected to compete in the annual game.

The 22nd annual High School All-America Game, which is held as part of the WBCA National Convention, will be played Saturday, April 6, 2013, at the New Orleans Arena, site of the 2013 NCAA® Women's Final Four®. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. CT. For the fourth consecutive year, the game will be played on the official NCAA Women's Final Four court. The 20 players will be divided into two 10-player teams for the game, which will be played according to NCAA rules.

"The 20 members of this year's High School All-America Team have been great leaders for their teams and for the game of girls' and women's basketball as it continues to grow," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "I am excited to see how these young women perform this year in New Orleans at the WBCA High School All-America Game presented by NIKE."

Karlie Samuelson and Erica McCall are 2 of the 20 players selected to participate in the 2013 WBCA High School All-America Game presented by NIKE.

Kailee helps Central Catholic surge past Norcross for Nike Interstate Shootout title

Jerry Ulmer, The Oregonian, December 30, 2012

 The screams coming from inside the Central Catholic locker room said it all.

The Rams had just finished knocking off Norcross (Ga.) 68-61 for the championship of the Nike Interstate Shootout on Sunday night at Lake Oswego High School, and they were bouncing off the walls from the way they dispatched one of the nation’s top teams.

The fourth-ranked Rams (8-3) didn’t just win the game, they took it from the Lady Blue, rallying from a seven-point deficit in the third quarter by imposing their will. It was a stark contrast from a week earlier, when Central Catholic lost two of three games at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.

“I’m ecstatic,” Rams coach Sandy Dickerson said. “These kids have come so far in the past couple of weeks. They’re playing as a unit, they’re talking out there, they’re getting things done as a team.”

The win over Norcross (11-2), ranked 20th in the nation by USA Today, came one night after an 11-point victory against previously unbeaten Oregon City, which is ranked 14th.

“Coming back from the Arizona tournament, we were discouraged and we didn’t play well,” senior forward Kailee Johnson said. “So coming back to win this tournament against high-caliber teams, that was really big for us.”

The 6-3 Johnson scored 18 points, rose above the crowd for tough rebounds and defended all over the court.

As the momentum turned, Johnson picked up a technical foul for taunting after blocking a shot. Johnson’s intensity rubbed off on her team.

Said Johnson: “We got that sense of urgency. None of us wanted to lose that game. They were talking before the game, like the West Coast can’t get it, so that was personal to me.”