“Even great successes come to a natural end” — Isaac Asimov.
Friday night in Oakland, the Dons walked into one of the nicest gyms in the Bay Area — the home of the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons, the #1 seed in Division 1.
College-level lighting. Polished floors. Size everywhere.
This was such a big game that three members of the Mt. Rushmore of Good-Looking Parents made the trip:
Cory Palmer.
Sherry Quinn.
Jennifer Dodge.
Mt. Rushmore, minus Rick Phillips — who refused to attend after deciding he is now so sexy he requires his own federally protected landmark.
When that kind of star power shows up, you know it’s postseason basketball.
(O’Dowd shot 55% from the field, by the way. That part was less glamorous.)
Acalanes fought. They hung in early. They trailed just 24–16 after one. Gavin Dodge came out aggressive and efficient, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 3-of-6 from deep to lead the Dons in scoring. Preston Hilsabeck battled inside all night, putting up 10 points and hauling in a monster 12 rebounds against O’Dowd’s size.
The Dons cut it to 43–38 in the third quarter and had life.
A.J. Hastings ran the show, dishing out 10 assists and controlling tempo like a seasoned point guard.
A.J. Hastings showing how do it when pressured, protecting the ball with his off arm while keeping his eyes up and looking for the open man.
When the ball moved side to side and the offense hummed, it started with A.J.’s decisions. Jon Macleod brought real punch off the bench, knocking down 3-of-7 from three and finishing with 9 timely points that kept momentum within reach.
Jon showing off his range in the first half.
Cameron Hood finished with 13 points. It wasn’t his best shooting night, in large part due to the size and strength of the O’Dowd backcourt, but his competitiveness never wavered and he kept attacking.
Co-MVP Cam Hood showing off his range while a Dragon defender misses the block by 8 feet.
But the Dragons had size at every position and answered every push.
Final score:
Bishop O’Dowd 79
Acalanes 54
And with that, the season came to an end.
A Season That Meant Something
The Dons finished 18–12.
They played one of the toughest schedules in the area.
They finished 2nd out of 13 teams in the Diablo Athletic League.
They beat Campolindo twice.
They took Clayton Valley to a tie through three quarters in the DAL Finals after getting embarrassed earlier in the season.
They dominated Archie Williams in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs.
And they restored Acalanes to its rightful place atop Lamorinda basketball.
That’s not a small thing.
More than the words of the VBBR, watch the season-recap video created by the brilliant Jer Hembrador:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNLjOsClw88
The Seniors
Five seniors walked off the floor for the last time in blue and white:
Cameron Hood — The emotional engine. The scorer. The competitor who carried the offense on nights when someone had to.
Julian Hood — The defensive backbone. The guy who guarded the toughest assignment and never flinched.
Gavin Dodge — Efficient. Explosive. A 1000-point scorer who somehow made that milestone feel secondary to winning.
Preston Hilsabeck — Physical. Skilled. A matchup problem and the anchor of multiple defensive game plans.
Landon Deily — Glue guy. Defender. Rebounder. The kind of player coaches trust in big moments. And owner of the most violent in-game punctuation mark of the season — that dunk at Alhambra that briefly silenced the home crowd and permanently elevated morale across Lamorinda.
They leave behind something better than a record.
They leave behind belief.
The Returners — The Future Is Bright
Because this season was never just five guys — and next season is already taking shape.
A.J. Hastings — Floor general. Shot-maker. And a 10-assist performance in a Division 1 playoff game to close the year — the kind of stat that speaks to poise.
Jon Macleod — Playoff threes, timely rebounds, and the confidence that travels.
Bryce Mansour — Tenacious defensive intensity, excellent rebounding, and a team-first mentality.
Aakash Agarwal — Paint presence and a very evolved skill set for his size. Added physical strength in the off-season could create a monster next season. Lamorinda strength coach, consider this your official notice.
Shea Stahl — Big shots when the moment called, a very quick first step, and the ability to guard anyone on the floor.
Evan Palmer — Instant offense and forever 2-for-2 from deep in Concord.
Sam Phillips — Quietly one of the most efficient distributors on the team, leading the squad in assists per minute. When the ball moved crisply, Sam’s fingerprints were usually on it.
Justice Hembrador — Defensive intensity every time he steps on the floor and noticeably improved ball-handling as the season progressed. The growth is real.
The foundation is strong.
The future is bright.
Coach Powers
And then there is Coach Powers.
A legend.
A teacher.
A competitor.
He is retiring.
And he leaves Acalanes better than he found it.
He restored standards.
He restored pride.
He restored relevance.
He goes out on top — not because of a trophy, but because of culture.
Because when people in Lamorinda talk about boys basketball again, they say “Acalanes” with respect.
But no program is built alone.
A sincere thank you to the assistant coaches — Joey Hewitt, Ric Shepard, Anton Lyons, and Alejandro Palacios — for their tireless efforts behind the scenes. The scouting reports. The early practices. The late nights. The teaching. The steady voices in huddles. The countless details most people never see.
Championship-level culture requires championship-level staff.
This group delivered.
Thank you, Coach.
For the leadership.
For the discipline.
For the belief.
Season-End Banquet Awards
Sunday night, the hardware was handed out — and it felt right.
Most Valuable Player — Gavin Dodge
Gavin was celebrated for shooting a blistering 40% from three-point range on the season. Efficient. Explosive. Reliable. And just to make sure no shelf space goes unused, he also doubled up with the…
Leadership Award — Gavin Dodge
Because numbers matter. But tone-setting matters more.
Co-MVP — Cameron Hood
Praised for having The Heart of a Lion. Anyone who watched this team knew exactly what that meant.
Defensive Player of the Year — Julian Hood
Awarded for his unwavering commitment to locking up the opponent’s best player — night after night, possession after possession.
Julian won the Defensive Player of the Year in the least surprising result of the night, but he’s not a one trick pony; he’s got a great shooting touch.
The “High Standards” Awards — Justice Hembrador and Preston Hilsabeck
Justice Hembrador — for relentless practice tenacity that set the tone every single day.
Preston Hilsabeck — for grit and determination that showed up in every drill and every rebound battle.
High Standards winner Justice Hembrador
High Standards winner Preston Hilsabeck showing off his bounciness on an easy bucket off an assist from A.J. Hastings.
Most Improved Player — Jon Macleod
Earned in large part for evolving from “just a three-point shooter” into a complete player who rebounds, defends, and impacts the game in multiple ways.
(VBBR takes partial credit for this development arc.)
Chris Huber Coaches’ Award — A.J. Hastings
Highly coveted. Deeply meaningful. A reflection of trust, consistency, and doing things the right way.
Well earned. All of it.
A Word From the VBBR
When my agent approached me with the opportunity to become the Varsity Boys Basketball Booster Reporter, I had mixed feelings.
On the one hand, I could certainly use the $500,000 stipend, and I knew the position came with an alarming number of groupies.
On the other hand…
I would have to learn WordPress.
And I had questions.
Would we be able to offer unsolicited feedback to the coaching staff?
Yes.
Would we be allowed to comment on an opposing coach who weighed 215 pounds yet was wearing a boys’ medium T-shirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination?
No.
(That particular post was removed from the website so quickly it briefly set a Lamorinda internet land-speed record.)
Could we bust out vintage photos of parents in their youth?
Absolutely.
And could we rely on two absolute legends to provide the best photographs in the history of high school sports?
Also yes.
A huge thank you to Jer Hembrador and Cory “Teen Beat” Palmer for documenting this season with images that belong in the Smithsonian. The VBBR words are merely garnish. The photos carried the meal.
The VBBR has truly enjoyed this experience and hopes readers enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
What Comes Next
The Dons will reload.
New leaders will emerge.
The standard has been set.
And whoever takes the reins of this sacred and highly compensated reporting position next season — we wish you well.
It’s a privilege.
To the players.
To the parents.
To the students who traveled in rainstorms.
To Coach Powers.
To the assistant coaches who built it alongside him.
Thank you.
The scoreboard fades. The standard remains.
Go Dons.
