Top-seeded Greyhounds fall short in quest for CIF Central Section Division II crown

By Michael Chaldu · Mon Mar 02 2026

Atascadero High can't get shots to fall as Clovis wins 65-47 in Fresno

After two lopsided postseason victories earned them a berth in the CIF Central Section Division II championship game, the top-seeded Atascadero High Greyhounds saw their shooting touch elude them on Friday, Feb. 27, against Clovis as the second-seeded Cougars won 65-47 to capture the division championship.

It was a rough end for the Greyhounds, who are now stand at 20-10 overall, going 4-4 in the Mountain League. Despite the loss, AHS's season is not over yet and it gained a spot in the CIF State Playoffs by virtue of its berth in the section final. Clovis raised its mark to 24-9, going 4-6 in the Tri Rivers League and will also continue on to the State Playoffs.

The Cougars, who lost to the Greyhound by 20 in a regular-season matchup in December, got off to a quick start, scoring 9 of the first 11 points of the game, before AHS battled back and closed to within 15-10 at the end of the first period.

The second period ended up being the Greyhounds' best stretch of the night, scoring 18 points in the quarter and making a run when Damon Mitchell scored consecutive baskets to close the gap, and Timothy Kyle Foster hit a trey and then a layup to give AHS a 26-23 lead. The Cougars' Anthony Smith then wiped out the Greyhounds' advantage with a game-tying 3, and then hit two foul shots for a 30-28 halftime edge, a lead Clovis would not surrender for the rest of the game.

The Cougars, who as the lower seed were the designated as the visiting team although it was a de facto home game for them, scored the first five points of the second half and gradually increased their lead throughout the second half. Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Sier Harbin hit a 3-pointer to give Clovis its first double-digit lead at 50-39, and after a trey from Steven Ernst knocked the lead down to eight points, the Cougars scored eight straight to put the game out of reach at 58-42.

As they dribbled out the clock on their title win, the Cougars appeared to score a last three-pointer at the buzzer, and the final was reported as 68-47, but the final trey was ruled no good to keep it at 65-47.

The victory Friday would have given AHS its first section title since 1979 under legendary coach Arthur Wilmore. The Greyhounds last reached a section final in 2018 but came up short.

However this year's section final berth continued the Greyhounds' success under Augie Johnston, a former Greyhound standout who graduated in 2004 before playing professionally overseas, and has steadily rebuilt the program in his fifth year leading the program.

Despite the loss, Atascadero can now look forward to its first-round matchup in the state playoff, likely against a team from a different section. Pairings for the state bracket will be released on Sunday, March 1.

Feature image by Rick Evans/ATN