CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – Sitting at 5-9 midway through the 2021-22 season, the San Juan boy’s varsity basketball team appeared to be going nowhere.

The Spartans (16-10, 11-1 Sierra Delta League) hit rock bottom to end 2021, losing all three games played at the 45th Cordova Christmas Classic by double-digits, respectively. Over three games, San Juan was outscored by 64 points combined.

Luckily for the Spartans, a new year quickly arrived, bringing back hope to salvage a season that at one point appeared to be lost. San Juan’s New Year’s resolution must’ve been to just win because that’s all they did to begin 2022.

The Spartans did not lose a game in January as they rattled off eight wins in a row and 11 out of 12 in Sierra Delta League play, en route to the team’s first league title since 2012. In fact, San Juan won each league game by an average of 21 points. The Spartans improved their average points per game total from 54 over the entire season to 61 during league action.

San Juan’s peak of the season came against Highlands (5-17, 4-8) on Feb. 10 as San Juan scored a season-high 102 points during a 42-point victory over the Scots. Senior Nanik Tagore hit nine 3-pointers, including five in a row early in the second half against Highlands.

For the first time since 2017, the Spartans were playoff bound following their remarkable turnaround. First up for San Juan was a home matchup against Casa Roble (10-18, 6-5 Golden Empire) of Orangevale on Feb. 16. The Spartans were victorious 69-48, earning the team a spot in the Division IV CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Boys Basketball Playoffs.

Unfortunately for San Juan, the Spartans’ magical run came to an end in the next game two days later, falling at No. 2 seed Calaveras (24-9, 9-1 Mother Lode) by a score of 74-52 in the first round of the bracket. However, that was not the end of San Juan receiving recognition for its impressive season.

Senior guard Narco Gallon and junior forward Cesar Bejarano-Lara were named to the All-Sierra Delta League team. Senior guard Emil Vasilenko and junior forward Sam Silchuk received All-League team honorable mentions.

San Juan head coach Freddie Bryant was bestowed with the distinction of league Coach of the Year. Finally, Tagore earned league Most Valuable Player honors after averaging 29 points per game and leading his team to their first league title in a decade.