San Diego High School Basketball : Victory Puts Sweetwater in First Place Alone

Good news came in two forms Friday for the Sweetwater High basketball team.

First, Coach David Ybarra learned that all-county forward Mahlon Williams, who has been ineligible since the second game of the season, earned a 3.0 grade-point average last quarter and will be eligible to play in Sweetwater’s next game, Wednesday against Chula Vista.

Second, at Bonita Vista High, with Williams looking on, Sweetwater scored the last nine points to defeat Bonita Vista, 51-45, and break a first-place deadlock in the Mesa League. Bonita Vista (5-2, 8-8) is alone in second place.

With the return of Williams, Sweetwater (6-1, 9-9) is in good position to win the Mesa League season.

“I told the kids tonight,” Ybarra said, “if we get by Bonita we can be in the driver’s seat.”

It was an odd group that helped Sweetwater earn that seat.

Richardo Sandoval was a team manager at the beginning of the season, who found his way onto the team. He scored four straight points in the last minute of the game to ignite Sweetwater.

Sandoval hit a 15-foot jumper with 1:47 left to bring Sweetwater within 45-44, and exactly a minute later his two free throws put Sweetwater up for good.

Pierre Jones, a running back on the football team, led the team in scoring with 14 points. And, Sean Styles, who quit the team and returned, held Bonita Vista’s 6-foot 8-inch center Mike Mattarocci to 13 points, while scoring 10 himself.

Williams, who has missed all but two games, has spent his time hitting the books, practicing and watching.

“I’m not used to watching,” he said. “I’m used to playing, especially when it’s my team out on the court. It’s my obligation to come back to help them as best as I can.”