Submitted photo – From left to right, Brandon Kakitsuka, Patrick Benson and Tanner Mendes.

By Ray Hamill — While no H-DNL team has reached a state championship game in basketball this year, it doesn’t mean the North Coast won’t be represented in Sacramento this weekend.

The state finals got under way on Friday and will run through Saturday.

And two local officials have been chosen to officiate one of the finals on Saturday afternoon for the first time in 21 years.

Six Rivers Basketball Officials Association’s Tanner Mendes and Brandon Kakitsuka will be joined by Patrick Benson of San Fransisco to oversee the Division 4 final between San Juan Hills and Sacred Heart.

The game will be played at noon at the Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings.

The trio of officials have officiated multiple state playoff games together, although this will be their first state final.

They began officiating together in last year’s state playoffs, including a regional final.

They were teamed together again by CIF State Officials assignor Harry Schrauth for this month’s state playoffs and have worked a pair of Division-3 games, as well as the recent Division-5 NorCal final between Mission San Jose and San Marin.

And they performed well enough to get the nod for a state final.

This will be the first time a local official has been selected to officiate a state final since Scott Rotherham in 2005. 

Mendes and Kakitsuka have officiated two NorCal Regional Final games together, including the memorable battle between St. Bernards and Arcata girls at College of the Redwoods two years ago.

Submitted photo