Clifton, Curran power Red Hawks past Liberty Ranch in playoff opener

GALT – Ryan Clifton and Cohen Curran were not in basketball shape when they took on the Liberty Ranch Hawks on Dec. 30 in San Andreas.

The duo had only been with the team for around two weeks, as all of their time before that was spent on the football field, leading Calaveras to a state championship.

So when Clifton, Curran and the Red Hawks lost to Liberty Ranch by eight points in late December, the former football players were still getting adjusted to life on the hardwood rather than on the gridiron. In the loss, Clifton and Curran combined for 21 points but were not satisfied with their performances.

When the playoff brackets were released at the end of the regular season, Calaveras was paired with Liberty Ranch, and the duo of Clifton and Curran made sure to take advantage of the opportunity for a do-over.

With the season on the line, Clifton and Curran combined for 44 points, six 3-point baskets and went 8-for-12 from the free-throw line, helping lead Calaveras to its first playoff win since beating Union Mine in the semifinals in 2023.

With Clifton and Curran leading the charge, No. 10 Calaveras upset No. 7 Liberty Ranch 66-52 in the opening round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs Wednesday night in Galt.

Clifton, one of five seniors on the team, knew there was a chance this could be the final time he would put on a Calaveras uniform, and he was determined not to let his outstanding four-year varsity career come to an end in Galt.

“Obviously, it’s the playoffs, so you know that it could be your last game, but we played horrible the last time we played them, and I knew we could get this done,” Clifton said.

Calaveras head coach Jeremy Malamed knew it would be no easy task to defeat Liberty Ranch on its home court. Heading into the playoffs, the Hawks were winners of 14 straight and had lost only once at home all season. Malamed could not have been happier with the way his team rallied together and was not intimidated by the Sierra Valley Conference champions with the season on the line.

“I think we kind of take for granted in this program making the playoffs because we’ve done it for so long, but I told them, that’s hard in itself, and then to win in the playoffs, and especially on the road, is really hard,” Malamed said. “So, the way they kind of just pulled together, after what I consider a pretty slow start, and then stayed together throughout and just kept weathering every wave that Liberty Ranch threw at us, was phenomenal to see that.”

It took some time in the first quarter for Calaveras to wake up offensively. After getting two free throws and a 3-point basket from Curran, along with two points in the paint from junior Mason Wright, Calaveras trailed 12-7 late in the quarter. The Red Hawks ended the opening quarter on a 10-0 run that included two points from Wright; four points from Curran, including an and-1 basket; a layup from Clifton; and two free throws from junior Rowan House.

Curran scored nine first-quarter points, followed by Wright with four, while House and Clifton had two apiece. Heading into the second quarter, Calaveras led 17-12.

The Red Hawks did not slow down early in the second quarter, as House hit a 3-point basket, Curran drained a shot from downtown, and Clifton scored in traffic, giving Calaveras a 26-18 lead with 4:35 to play in the half.

Liberty Ranch responded with its first big run of the night, outscoring Calaveras 6-0, highlighted by a dunk that brought life to the Liberty Ranch supporters. Calaveras’ lead had dwindled to two points in a span of 30 seconds.

“We needed to stop the bleeding,” Curran said. “They came down, we turned it over, they got that dunk, then they came back down, they got another layup, and I just figured we’ve got to calm down and just come back together and start working as a team again.”

Curran ended the Liberty Ranch run with points in the paint following a rebound, and a late 3-point basket from House gave the Red Hawks a 31-27 advantage at halftime. Curran scored 17 points in the first half, a big reason the Red Hawks led at the break.

“Cohen was awesome,” Malamed said. “In the first half, he really set the tone for us. They got off to a good start, and they had the chance to get away from us there early, and Cohen just kind of put his head down and got to the key. He’s a very physical, strong player, but today, he was physical and strong, but he played under control, which is really good to see. He was using two-foot finishes, pump fakes, getting those guys in foul trouble, and really just kind of showed his all-around game. That was huge for us to be in position to win later in the game.”

The Red Hawks began the third quarter on a 7-0 run that included points in the paint from Curran and Wright, along with a 3-point basket from Clifton, putting Calaveras ahead 38-27 with 5:20 to play in the quarter. Yet for the second time in the game, Liberty Ranch responded with a run to erase Calaveras’ large lead. Following an 8-0 run that allowed the gym to get as loud as it had been all game, Calaveras’ lead dwindled to 38-35 with 2:55 to play in the quarter.

With momentum on the side of Liberty Ranch, Calaveras responded with an 8-0 run of its own that included a basket from senior Connor Fuller and back-to-back 3-point baskets from Clifton. Heading into the fourth quarter, Calaveras led 46-37.

“We’ve had a problem throughout this whole year of letting our lead slip away, and I knew we had to not let that happen in this game,” Clifton said.

Malamed was pleased with the way his team did not crumble when Liberty Ranch went on what could have been game-changing runs.

“Every time they went on a run, and we’d take a time out, our response was phenomenal,” Malamed said. “We settled down quickly, didn’t let two bad possessions turn to four or five, and that really kept us in the game. And every time they made a push, we were able to push it back up and kind of stayed in control.”

The fourth quarter could not have started any better for Calaveras. Fuller hit a jumper to put the Red Hawks up by 11, and Clifton followed with back-to-back 3-point baskets. Junior Aaron Koepp capped the 10-0 run with two free throws. All five of Clifton’s 3-point baskets came in the second half, and Malamed was surprised Liberty Ranch allowed one of the best shooters in the section to get into a groove from beyond the arc.

“I always have 100% confidence in Ryan,” Malamed said. “Every shot he takes, I feel like is going in, and that’s always been my tell of a good shooter. When they went to a two-three zone, and he had space, I wanted him to let it fly, and he did that. He made one, then he made two, then he made it three. They stayed in that two-three zone a little bit longer than I thought they would. They would take a timeout, and I thought for sure they’d come out with a different defense, but they stayed in a two-three zone, and Ryan just made them pay for it every time.”

Liberty Ranch made a final push late in the game, but Calaveras was not about to let the Hawks go on a big run for a third time. Calaveras outscored Liberty Ranch 20-15 in the final quarter to capture the 14-point victory.

“Momentum’s a part of the game, and we took it into the fourth quarter, and we never let it go,” Clifton said.

Curran finished with a game-high 23 points and made two 3-point baskets. Clifton made five shots from downtown for 15 of his 21 points. House finished with eight points, while Wright scored six, and Koepp and Fuller each scored four points.

The win allows Calaveras to keep its season alive for at least two more days. For the second game in a row, the Red Hawks will play the role of underdogs as they try to knock off No. 2 Venture Academy, which beat No. 15 Hilmar 67-39 in the opening round. Curran hopes the momentum gained from the upset win over Liberty Ranch will carry over into the second-round matchup with Venture Academy.

“I do like coming into games like this, especially in bigger areas where they kind of look down on us,” Curran said. “They just look at us kind of like farm boys walking in, like they’re just going to kind of run through us, and I like sticking it to them.”

Malamed knows it will take a Herculean effort to record a second upset in a row, but he has confidence in his players that they will once again have the grit and determination to rise to the occasion, regardless of who is on the other side of the court.

“We want to advance far,” Malamed said. “We want to go to state, maybe take a run at Golden 1, but to do that, you’ve got to win one game at a time. Obviously, the next game is ridiculously tough. But yeah, you can’t go into a game with no confidence, thinking you’re not going to win. So, we believe we’re going to win. If we play our game, we definitely believe we can win that game. We know it’s not going to be easy – clearly, it’s not going to be easy. We need the boys to believe that whatever it’s going to take, however that’s going to come about, we’ve got to go into that game knowing that if we play our game, we could beat them and you’ve got to kind of take your shots and let the chips fall where they may.”

No. 1 Natomas beat No. 16 Highlands 117-33 and will take on No. 9 Union Mine, which beat No. 8 Ripon Christian 63-62. No. 3 Marysville beat No. 14 Dixon and will take on No. 6 Sutter, which beat No. 11 Sonora 71-56. No. 4 Colfax beat No. 13 River Islands 75-56 and will next take on No. 12 Escalon, which beat No. 5 West Campus 68-65.

Calaveras will take on Venture Academy at 7 p.m. Friday in Stockton. The winner will advance to the CIF State NorCal playoffs and face the winner of Marysville and Sutter with a trip to the section championship game on the line.

For more pictures from Calaveras at Liberty Ranch, click the link below.
https://calaverasenterprise.smugmug.com/2026-2-18-Calaveras-Boys-Basketball-at-Liberty-Ranch
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Calaveras at Liberty Ranch
Calaveras 66, Liberty Ranch 52

Cal – 17, 14, 15, 20 – 66
LR – 12, 15, 10, 15 – 52

Calaveras Individual Statistics
Points – Koepp, 4; House, 8; Clifton, 21; Wright, 6; Curran, 23; Fuller, 4
3-point baskets – House, 2; Clifton, 5; Curran, 2
Free throws – Koepp, 4-4; House, 2-2; Clifton, 4-6; Curran, 4-6
Fouls – Koepp, 4; House, 2; Clifton, 2; Cardona, 1; Wright, 4; Curran, 2; Fuller, 1

Calaveras Season Scoring Totals
Koepp, 294; Fuller, 283; Curran, 269; Clifton, 234; House, 150; Wright, 113; Wilson, 72; Young, 51; Malamed, 51; Cardona, 22; Long, 17

CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Boys’ Basketball Playoffs
Feb. 17 game
No. 16 Highlands 76, No. 17 Delhi 68

Feb. 18 games
No. .1 Natomas 117, No. 16 Highlands 33
No. 2 Venture Academy 67, No. 15 Hilmar 39
No. 3 Marysville 80, No. 14 Dixon 44
No. 4 Colfax 75, No. 13 River Islands 56
No. 12 Escalon 68, No. 5 West Campus 65
No. 6 Sutter 71, No. 11 Sonora 56
No. 10 Calaveras 66, No. 7 Liberty Ranch 52
No. 9 Union Mine 63, No. 8 Ripon Christian 62

Feb. 20 games
No. 1 Natomas vs. No. 9 Union Mine
No. 2 Venture Academy vs. No. 10 Calaveras
No. 3 Marysville vs. No. 6 Sutter
No. 4 Colfax vs.

Calaveras 2025-26 Boys’ Basketball
Nov. 21 at Waterford (W) 59-41
Nov. 25 at Amador (W) 62-49
Dec. 2 vs. Galt (W) 46-18
Dec. 4 vs. Enochs (L) 63-47
Dec. 5 vs. Cordova (L) 55-45
Dec. 6 vs. Waterford (W) 57-20
Dec. 9 vs. Atwater (L) 60-43
Dec. 11 vs. Sonora (W) 39-22
Dec. 12 vs. Manteca (L) 51-46 (OT)
Dec. 13 vs. Central Valley (L) 48-45
Dec. 18 at Escalon (W) 54-49
Dec. 23 at Johansen (L) 52-45
Dec. 27 at Healdsburg (W) 61-56 OT
Dec. 30 vs. Liberty Ranch (L) 46-38
Jan. 2 vs. Tehachapi (W) 71-51
Jan. 3 vs. Lathrop (L) 48-37
Jan. 7 at Orestimba (W) 68-27
Jan. 9 at Riverbank (W) 48-34
Jan. 13 at Chavez (W) 43-34
Jan. 16 vs. Summerville (W) 66-42
Jan. 20 vs. Big Valley Christian (W) 45-29
Jan. 23 at Bret Harte (L) 49-40
Jan. 27 vs. Linden (W) 79-33
Jan. 30 vs. Riverbank (W) 60-50
Feb. 3 at Big Valley Christian (W) 52-39
Feb. 6 at Summerville (W) 68-45
Feb. 10 at Linden (W) 57-28
Feb. 13 vs. Bret Harte (L) 64-57 (OT)
Feb. 18 at Liberty Ranch (W) 66-52
Feb. 20 at Venture Academy, 7 p.m.