SAN JOSE — This Willow Glen boys basketball team doesn’t clobber you over the head with tangibles. No one over 6-2, no big dunkers, no five-star athletes. All this team does is win.
The Rams wrote another chapter in a story for the ages Thursday with a 59-48 win over Los Gatos in the CIF Northern California Division III quarterfinals, a game that was played in front of a high-decibel, capacity crowd on campus.
Willow Glen, now 26-2, gets to play another home game Saturday in the NorCal semifinals against Cornerstone Christian. Somehow this group of average-looking guys is one win away from playing in a NorCal final, two wins away from playing for a state championship.
“We don’t pass the eye test and we take a lot of pride in that,” Willow Glen coach Patrick Judge said. “We don’t need to. If you look at us on film we’re not very big, we’re not very physically imposing, we don’t have that superstar. We have a team. One family, one team, one goal, one legacy.”
Trailing 11-9 after one quarter, the Rams came out on fire to begin the second quarter, going on a 19-2 run, juicing the tempo, knocking down 3-pointers and forcing turnovers.They hit four 3s in one 14-0 blitz as the score went from 14-13 to 28-13.
Wyatt Ahlbrand made four 3-pointers in the first half and then scored on a layup off halfcourt motion and knocked down another 3 to start the second half as Willow Glen went up 33-16.
Willow Glen's Wyatt Ahlbrand (2) takes a 3-point shot against Los Gatos in third quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)“We don’t care about the way we look,” Ahlbrand said. “We know there’s going to be teams bigger and stronger than us. But on any given night any team can beat any team. It’s all about the intangibles. It’s not about the height, the size, the athletes. We don’t care about that.”
“Wyatt’s such an amazing, not only player but leader,” Judge said. “Never too high, never too low, incredibly consistent. Shows up every day. He’s put in so much work to get to where he is today.”
Point guard Brayden Gumabo scored 18, Ahlbrand had 17, Caiden Morefield 11 and sophomore Miles Ingram scored 9 on three 3s. Willow Glen made 10 3s and forced 19 turnovers.
Related Articles
CIF NorCal basketball: Thursday’s quarterfinal scores, updated schedule Archbishop Mitty five-star McKenna Woliczko, coach Sue Phillips named finalists for national awards De La Salle hangs tough, but season ends as Spartans can’t beat Modesto Christian ‘We had to get it done’: San Ramon Valley avenges NCS loss to Carondelet with NorCal quarterfinal win St. Ignatius makes most of its first NorCal Open game, routs Sheldon“That’s what we do,” Gumabo said. “That’s our culture. We pride ourselves on our defense. We’re electric. We shoot the ball, we drive to the basket, we score on all levels. We’re rolling. The only people who can stop us are ourselves.”
Freshman point guard Milos Grabovac led Los Gatos (22-7) with 11 points. Dionysis Maroudas scored 10.
“We ran into a buzzsaw,” said Los Gatos coach Nick Ward, a Willow Glen graduate, class of 2004. “They hit shots, they executed. It’s not going to take away how we feel about this group, how we feel about this season. The guys maxed out. It hurts, it burns, but that’s because you know you gave it your all for the last seven months.”
Willow Glen's Wyatt Ahlbrand (2) takes a 3-point shot against Los Gatos in third quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Willow Glen's Caiden Morefield (30) scores a basket against Los Gatos in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Willow Glen's Caiden Morefield (30) takes a shot against Los Gatos' Oliver Evans (3) in third quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Willow Glen's Miles Ingram (20) celebrates his 3-point basket against Los Gatos in second quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Willow Glen boys basketball head coach Patrick Judge talks to Willow Glen's Liam Jones (12) during their game against Los Gatos in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Willow Glen's Brayden Gumabo (1) dribbles against Los Gatos' Milos Grabovac (5) in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) The Los Gatos bench watches the game late in the fourth quarter of their 59-48 loss against Willow Glen for their CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinal game at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Hence then, the article about willow glen rolls past los gatos advances to norcal d iii semifinals was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Willow Glen rolls past Los Gatos, advances to NorCal D-III semifinals )
Also on site :
- Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers Gush About Lindsay Hubbard — and Reveal the Advice Amy Poehler Gave Them (Exclusive)
- Chappell Roan’s ‘Call Her Daddy’ Episode, KATSEYE, Young Miko & More Win at 2026 GLAAD Media Awards: Full Winners List
- IKEA Is Selling a Vibrant Blue Outdoor Cabinet That's Decluttering Patios in Style, and Shoppers 'Love It'