Dos Pueblos fell behind in the first half and a late rally fell short in a 75-70 state CIF playoff loss to Scripps Ranch Tuesday.
In his last game as a Charger, Joaquin Riker scored 21 points, while Grant Hughes added 17 and Joe Talarico 14.
“Scripps Ranch came out firing on all cylinders and we had a hard time matching their intensity,” Charger coach Joe Zamora said. “We had too many turnovers in the first half and dug ourselves a hole.
“The second half was much better for us on both sides of the court. Joe Talarico buried four 3s for us and Grant was able to get to the basket. Joaquin was a steady force for us and he really left it all on the court. Kael (Rillie) made some great passes for us and got his teammates into position to score.
“We made a good run in the end cutting the lead to three, but we were forced to foul and Scripps made their free throws.”
Dos Pueblos finishes a successful season and strong playoff run to the CIF-SS Division 4A title game last week. It was the first time the Chargers had been in the title game since 1995. Dos Pueblos closes the season at 23-10 after a 7-3 Channel League season.
“I was extremely proud of our players and program this year,” Zamora said. “It was my first time in the CIF finals and state tourney. My three seniors Kael, Joaquin, and Krue (Court) led by example. They set the bar for future DP players.
“Our other two senior managers were a blessing to me and they made my job easier. My underclassmen competed on and off the court and they were a pleasure to be around everyday.
“I also want to thank my assistant coaches, John Slavin, Joe Toste, and Carlisle Tamayo. We would not have had the success we had this year without their contributions to our program. I also want to acknowledge our administration, staff, student body and the community for all of their support this year.”