Bay Area

Oakland High Varsity Basketball Team Wins State Championship

The Oakland High School varsity basketball team took the state championship on Friday, March 11 in Sacramento at Golden Arco 1 Center. The team’s 59-43 victory over Buena High School of Ventura in the CIF Division 3 championship game was the highlight of a five-game winning spree.

Published

3 years ago

March 20, 2023

Oakland Post

The team's entire Oakland High roster (*1st-team all-OAL; ** 2nd team) includes: Da’Sean Armstrong, Rohm Neal, Josh Clark**, Zaymani "Money" Williams*, Jordan Spencer, Jimon Campbell, Marcel Macon Bennett, Anthony Lacy, Te’Shawn Gamble*, Noah-Alan Ragasa, Will Tidwell, Zaymani Mitchell, Pierre Stevenson, Desmond West, James Fitzgerald, Ja’shaun Jackson, Erick Jackson, Couraji West, Dillan Cooper, Terrence Roquemore, Lorenzo Arroyo Garcia, Jaylon King. Coach: Orlando Watkins. Photo by Carla Thomas

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland High School varsity basketball team took the state championship on Friday, March 11 in Sacramento at Golden Arco 1 Center.

The team’s 59-43 victory over Buena High School of Ventura in the CIF Division 3 championship game was the highlight of a five-game winning spree.

It is the first time in the Wildcats history that Oakland High’s team has had this victory.

“I am so proud of the team,” said Wildcats Head Coach Orlando Watkins. “They put in the work and worked together, and now they’ve made history.”

Watkins couldn’t be more proud of how the team’s accomplishment. Notable were teammates Money Williams scoring 22 points, Anthony Lacy scoring nine points and seven rebounds; Te’Shawn Gamble’s brought in nine points, and Josh Clark had eight points.

When the team fell short of winning the AOL (Oakland Athletic League) title, Watkins said he could feel the team shift and build momentum toward success.

Many of the team members and coaches are still letting the win sink in.

“I don’t think it has really sunk in yet,” said Assistant Coach Eric Van Laeken. “Winning the state championship was amazing. I’ve been coaching middle and high schoolers since I graduated from college in 1996. This championship means lot. It was our goal to win, and we actually pulled it off.”

Oakland High School’s Athletic Director Jonas Perez said the team’s work ethic was the key to their success. “I saw the hard work these individuals put in every day from the beginning. Some of them have been with us since freshman year. Having this championship here at Oakland High is a great feeling.”

For Zaymani Mitchell, winning was a dream come true. “It’s great to accomplish something we’ve wanted since the beginning of the season,” said Mitchell. “Coach Watkins and Coach Will (Lew) have really been there for us. And they’ve prepared us to be professional Black men for life after high school.”

Freshman Rohm Neal who plays shooting guard said, “This win means a lot. A lot of work was put in to reach our goals. Our coaches teach us a lot of lessons in basketball that apply to every day life.” Neal hopes to become an artist, a large scale oil painter.

Point Guard Erick Jackson reflected on the record the team broke. “It feels unreal and not an achievement anyone has done before us. A lot of energy from the team and mentoring from the coach and staff are how we made it.”

Power Forward and Center Jaylon King, who returned to the Bay Area from Stockton said, “I’m glad I could contribute to the team’s legacy.”

For Guard Caruji West, a lot of team bonding contributed to the team’s success. “Our team worked well together, but I have mixed feelings. I’m glad we won, but I’m sad that the season is over,” he said.

Associate Head Coach Will Lew with Assistance Coaches;

Angel M Macedon, Frank Miller, Torrence Spencer, and Jeff Davis

unboxed dozens of sneakers for the champion team, a gift from Oakland High alumni and NBA All-Star, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers in the school’s gym.

Prior to their state championship win, Lillard in a video, addressed and encouraged the team. He had also seen the team perform at a pre-season game in Portland and spoke of the team’s potential.

Lillard, a longtime supporter of Oakland High, funded the team’s remodeled gym.

Surrounded by Assistant Coach Will Lew, Jeff, and Trainer Macedonia, the players tried on their brand-new kicks.

According to Watkins, Lillard is equally proud and will continue to reward the winning team.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.