Valley’s Jackson leads team to title

Spencer Patterson

Monday, March 2, 1998 | 6:30 a.m.

RENO -- Even before Dion Jackson and his Valley teammates took the court for their first contest in the 4A state boys basketball tournament, a significant obstacle stood between the senior point guard and the coveted title.

"It was only his second time on a plane, and he was pretty nervous," Valley coach Paul Aznarez said. "By the time we got off, he had dug hand prints into the seat cushions."

So after being forced to come to grips with his fear of flying, Jackson stepped off the airplane last Wednesday determined not to let anything else block his path.

Displaying the kind of leadership and athleticism that have already earned him a football scholarship to UNLV, Jackson proceeded to put on a spectacular three-day performance, leading a talented, close-knit Vikings squad to the 1998 4A trophy.

"Dion's such a unique kid," said Aznarez, whose club finished with a 28-5 overall record. "He's gracious and doesn't seek out the limelight, but he's as good an athlete as you'll see. He's just living a dream."

After defeating Sunrise Division rival Las Vegas High in Saturday night's final at the Lawlor Events Center, the 11 seniors on the Valley roster all got to live their dream, closing out their careers with the school's first title since 1984.

The Vikings' run through the tournament featured a little bit of everything, from an offensive explosion in game one to a last-second victory in the semifinals.

Making a Statement

The Vikings arrived at Reed High School for their first-round game against Reno looking very much like a team on a mission. After struggling to put away McQueen in last year's tournament opener, Aznarez's charges left nothing to chance.

The Huskies opted to play co-Sunrise Player of the Year Alex Hernandez straight up in the low post, and the senior forward made them pay, scorching the nets for 30 points and hauling down nine rebounds.

"They probably had a chance to double-team me like the Vegas teams do, but they don't know much about how we play," Hernandez said.

Everything went right in the first half for the Vikings, who reached the 50-point mark when senior guard Jason Juniel connected on a long 3-pointer as the halftime buzzer sounded.

"We don't try to score 100 points a night, but we have the ability to play a great game where we dictate the tempo," said Aznarez, whose club eventually finished off Reno, 82-58.

Valley moved into the tournament's semifinals for the third straight year. But it would be a decision Aznarez made after the game which would eventually get the Vikings past the next round.

After their postgame meal, the Valley players and coaches drove to nearby Reno High School, site of the Galena-Green Valley first-round contest. While the Grizzlies sent their fans into a frenzy with a relatively easy win, the Vikings watched quietly from the stands, sizing up their next opponent.

"We debated whether we should take them there or not. But we decided if they stayed in the hotel room, they wouldn't have accomplished much," Aznarez said.

Clash of the Titans

The talk of the tournament centered on Galena's chances to break the Reno-area's 32-year title drought, and the team's highly-anticipated showdown with Valley drew more than 6,000 spectators to Lawlor.

The previous night's scouting sessions paid huge dividends from the opening tip, with the Vikings keeping Galena's three Division I-caliber players from getting off offensively.

Hernandez locked up on Grizzlies forward Brian Vaka, holding the slashing 6-2 player to just 1-for-4 shooting in the first half, while Valley seniors Tino Howerton, Jamar Brown and John Early took turns bodying up on 6-7 center Matt Siebrandt, an early UNLV signee.

Most importantly, Valley senior guard Jason Hill -- the team's primary defensive force all season -- put the clamps on Galena point guard Lance Buoncristiani. The frustrated Grizzlies floor leader managed just one clean look from behind the 3-point line, and was whistled for a key technical foul that helped the Vikings build a 13-point, third quarter lead.

Much to the boisterous crowd's approval, the Grizzlies came all the way back in the second half, thanks mainly to an intense half-court trap that forced the Vikings into five fourth-quarter turnovers.

But after watching his team lose the lead with a minute to play, Jackson took over in the final moments, sinking two free throws and making a steal to give possession back to Valley.

Then, after a Juneil free throw gave the Vikings a two-point lead with four seconds remaining, Jackson made the play of the tournament.

With Vaka racing downcourt for a potential tying or winning shot, the deceptively quick Jackson reached in and stripped the ball clean, sending his club into the finals with a 54-52 win.

"I wasn't going to let him get past me," Jackson said. "When he crossed over, I got my hand on the ball and picked it up."

The Final Battle

The championship pitted the Vikings against Las Vegas for the fifth time this season. The two clubs had split the previous four meetings, but memories of the Wildcats' recent lopsided victory in the southern zone championship gave Valley all the incentive it needed.

Jackson led the way all night, earning championship MVP honors with a composed effort in which he spread the ball around, went 6-for-8 from the foul line and scored a game-high 20 points.

"Basketball is my first love and this was my last game, so I took pride in it," Jackson said.

Hernandez continued to be a force in the low post, scoring 17 points and pulling down nine rebounds. And when the Wildcats tried to pack it in on him defensively, Hernandez found open teammates like Early, who celebrated his 18th birthday with a key nine-point second half.

The Vikings also continued to get the job done on the defensive end, with Hill and senior swingman Chris Thompson combining to hold Las Vegas guard Ronnie Jones to 13 points and 1-for-8 3-point shooting.

As the final moments of the team's 58-49 victory ticked off the clock, smiles began to spread across the faces of the Valley seniors. Their script had its perfect ending, and they piled on one-another in celebration of all they had accomplished.