Patience at a premium for improving Lincoln boys basketball amid SFUSD teachers strike

In the middle of his 43rd season coaching high school basketball, Carl Jacobs has learned to be patient. Especially with a team that returned just three players from last season. 

But with as much success as the Lincoln Mustangs boys have had - at least 22 wins in each of the previous six seasons, a 146-33 record and four straight Academic Athletic Association titles - the 63-year-old has been checking his watch and tapping his toes. 

"I think we're getting there," he said Monday. "I'm seeing a little more unselfishness. Guys are learning their roles. Our defense is starting to click." 

At 9-2 in AAA play, the Mustangs (15-10 overall) hold a half-game lead over Lowell, a team that stung Lincoln with a 68-45 win over Jan. 15. The teams are scheduled to play at Lowell on Thursday, but all sports are on hold this week while teachers in the San Francisco Unified School District are on strike. For a second straight day, San Francisco schools were closed Tuesday. 

"Just when we were clicking," Jacobs said. "Been a strange season to date." 

The three returners from last season, guards Fred Davis (9.1 points per game), Roman Burke (7.0) and Dwayne Gaines (8.0) have been consistent, Jacobs said. The two newcomers to the starting lineup are dynamic sophomores, 6-5 leading scorer Maximo Haas (13.5) and rebounder Mathaius Riemedio (6.7 per game), a 6-1 "Draymond Green-type," Jacobs said. 

"Both are super kids and have injected a lot of energy and skill to the team," Jacobs said. "Maximo gives us excellent length down low we haven't had in a while. He's very skilled. Mathaius is amazingly tough and gritty. He loves taking on 6-7 and 6-9 players. He can handle the press, he passes well. His game has really developed." 

They'll all need to develop and improve from the first game against Lowell, which Jacobs said was one of the low points in recent years. "Give Lowell a ton of credit because they played super well, but I didn't recognize our guys frankly," he said. "We have some real talented guys but we've had some games we simply weren't ready to play. I think we are now. It's the stretch run. There's no time to wait."

Riordan update: Following their most emotional win of the season, a 53-51 buzzer-beating victory Jan. 27 over St. Ignatius at USF, the Chronicle's top-ranked boys team Riordan hasn't had a game due to tuberculosis outbreak on campus. Four boys games were postponed, but two of them - at Bellarmine and a home game with St. Francis - have been forfeited by those squads, according to Riordan coach Joey Curtin. 

"We were cleared to play but those teams decided to forfeit," Curtin said Friday. 

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Curtin said that all Riordan students were back in school Monday and the Crusaders were planning to play Tuesday night as scheduled at No. 12 Mitty. Riordan's girls, who played and lost Friday at St. Francis (56-49), were scheduled to host top-ranked Mitty on Tuesday. 

"It's been a very odd two weeks for us," Curtin said. "We've practiced every day but the boys are champing at the bit to play games again." 

Girls basketball: Second-ranked San Ramon Valley-Danville closed the regular season last week with three lopsided wins, two in the East Bay Athletic League over Dougherty Valley-San Ramon (85-20) and Monte Vista-Danville (95-22) and surprisingly a 33-point win over then-No. 6 Pinewood-Los Altos (70-37) behind 20 points from reigning Metro Player of the Year Ella Gunderson and 13 points and nine rebounds from San Jose State-bound Alyssa Rudd. … Pinewood, a four-time state champion, was coming off a second loss this season to No. 4 and host Priory-Woodside, 42-40 on Friday behind a combined 30 points from Gabby Wickham and Sasha Johnson. Abigail Yew had 17 points for Pinewood, which lost Jan. 16 at home to Priory, 40-39.  

Smith AAA signing: Balboa 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back Mekai Smith gave an inspirational message to AAA athletes after signing his letter of intent last week to Nevada. "Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it," he said during a ceremony on campus Wednesday. "I know the AAA doesn't always get the exposure other leagues get, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. If I can do it, you can do it. Just stay in school, keep your head down and work hard. Your time is coming." 

Smith, who rushed for 2,447 yards and accounted for a California-best 53 touchdowns for the state Division 7-A champions, was the first Balboa player - and just third AAA football player - in 20 years to sign straight out of high school to a Division I program. He thanked his coach Fred Velasquez "for believing in me and helping to shape me into the young man that I am." 

Briefly: Salesian-Richmond All-Metro basketball player Carlton Perrilliat signed a letter of intent to play football at Sacramento State for first-year coach and former McClymonds-Oakland head coach Alonzo Carter. … Riordan senior and future Oregon standout Tommy Tofi (6-6, 330) was selected the Cal-Hi Sports state Lineman of the Year last week. … Riordan quarterback Mike Mitchell, Pittsburg wide receiver R.J. Mosley, all-purpose player Jaden Jefferson (De La Salle-Concord) and Serrra place kicker Saul Marks were other first-team All-State selections. 

Freelance writer Mitch Stephens has covered high school sports for the Chronicle since 2001. Email: [email protected]

This article originally published at Patience at a premium for improving Lincoln boys basketball amid SFUSD teachers strike.