The Foothills Christian boys basketball team ended the 2025 portion of its 2025-26 season with a 1-10 record and six-game losing streak. The Knights tip off the 2026 year with a game Friday, Jan. 2, against Valhalla in the East County Showcase at Helix Charter High School.
Tip-off is 1:30 p.m. in the pre-Holiday Bowl matchup.
Foothills’ 2026 non-league schedule continues with a Jan. 3 game at Tri-City Christian (3:30 p.m. start), Jan. 9 game at Oceanside (6 p.m. start) and Jan 10 game at Grossmont (5 p.m. start).
The Knights host the San Diego Jewish Academy on Jan. 13 (5 p.m.) and Calvin Christian on Jan. 14 (5 p.m.).
This is head coach Terry Tucker’s 21st season as a coach, his first year at Foothills Christian. He’s building from the ground up with the Knights.
“I want to get the program to the point where it can have a varsity and junior varsity,” said Tucker, who has previously coached — and found success — at Crawford and San Ysidro high schools. “I’d like to get more boys to play basketball at the school.”
The team’s early season record may not show it, but things are starting to turn around.
“They play hard, the kids have high morals,” Tucker said. “We have three freshmen on the varsity. We’re excited about the future.”
One freshman in particular — Joel Richards-Jones — definitely appears one to watch as he continues to grow into the game.
The lanky frosh is averaged 27.2 points per game, amassing 245 points in nine contests. By contrast, senior Jack Sudi is averaging 7.7 ppg while classmate Jonathan Castaneda is averaging 7.2 ppg. Senior Hayden Floquet is averaging 5.4 ppg while junior Jaelyn Hasten is averaging 4.0 ppg.
Richards-Jones is the No. 1 scoring freshman in California and the No. 2 scorer in the San Diego Section while pairing up against upperclassmen.
The sticker shock: He’s only 14.
“He’s a rare breed,” Tucker said. “You don’t see too many 14-year-olds anywhere (in high school sports). He has great hands, a great shot for a point guard. He can shoot from long distance — he had six three-pointers in one game. He has the potential to be one of the best players I’ve ever coached.”
Richards-Jones poured in 35 points in a 76-46 setback to Westview on Dec. 20. He scored 31 points in his first career varsity game — a 70-57 loss to High Tech High Chula Vista on Nov. 28. He followed that with 27 points in an 81-51 loss to Oceanside on Nov. 29.
He dropped in 36 points in a 65-54 overtime win over Calipatria on Dec. 5. Sudi had 10 points in the contest while Castaneda had nine points to show the freshman’s impact on the team.
Foothills sits No. 20 among 21 teams in the Division III section rankings. Calexico (8-2) entered the new year as the No. 1 team in the division rankings, followed by No. 2 Army-Navy Academy (9-4), No. 3 Ramona (9-5), No. 4 Del Lago Academy (7-1), No. 5 Brawley (8-3), No. 6 Imperial (5-2), No, 7 Tri-City Christian (7-3), No. 8 Canyon Hills (6-6), No. 9 Mt. Carmel (5-8) and No. 10 Fallbrook (5-6).
Rounding out the division rankings are No. 11 Otay Ranch (6-9), No. 12 Canyon Crest Academy (4-10), No. 13 Crawford (5-6), No. 14 Central Union (3-5), No. 15 St. Joseph Academy (5-6), No. 16. Oceanside (4-10), No. 17 Escondido Charter (4-11), No. 18 Granite Hills (5-8), No. 19 San Ysidro (1-11) and No. 21 Calipatria (0-7).
There’s obviously ground to make up.
Matador pride
Mt. Miguel (8-5) ranks 13th among the section’s 21 Division II teams coming off a 4-1 showing in the recent Frank Pekarek National City Host Lions Cub tournament at Sweetwater High School.
The Matadors opened tourney play with a 92-38 runaway win over Foothills Christian and had relatively little trouble in besting Lincoln (66-47), tourney host Sweetwater (69-40) and Southwest El Centro (79-40) before engaging Mater Dei Catholic in a 68-57 loss on the final day of group play on Dec. 21.
Mt. Miguel led 37-35 at halftime and 52-51 at the end of three quarters before Mater Dei Catholic closed out the non-league contest with a 16-6 fourth-quarter scoring edge.
Junior Jerome Radcliff represented the Matadors on the all-tournament team. He had 21 points in the loss to the Crusaders.
“We’re young and talented but we’re not disciplined,” Mt. Miguel assistant coach Dennis Kane said. “Our best basketball is ahead of us.”
Steele Canyon (8-5) ranks No. 9 in the division while Helix (8-7) ranks No. 10 and Monte Vista (9-5) ranks 16th. Monte Vista went 5-0 in the Sweetwater tournament.
