Seemingly everything was on the line when Francis Parker met Santa Fe Christian in boys basketball on Wednesday night — first place in the Coastal League, seeding in the Open Division playoffs and perhaps CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year honors.
Francis Parker beat Santa Fe Christian for the second time this season, this time 63-56 at home. The win gives Parker (16-9, 7-0), ranked No. 3 in San Diego, No. 6 in the Open Division seedings and No. 73 in the state, control of the league.
Santa Fe Christian (22-3, 4-2) entered the game ranked No. 1 in the county, No. 1 in the Open Division and No. 19 in the state.
The Lancers had to do it without leading scorer Tavid Johnson, who fouled out with 5:56 to play. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
The load fell to Kai Jones and Columbus Palmer. Jones, who cramped at the end of the key and missed key minutes down the stretch, finished with a career-high 21 points. Palmer added 18 points.
And Ezekial Walker, who hadn’t scored the entire game, had a corner 3-pointer late in the game and a pair of free throws.
“With Tavid out and almost six minutes to play, that’s the most adversity we’ve faced all season,” said Parker coach Mason Biddle.
“So Tavid turned into the biggest cheerleader in the gym, and we had kids step up in a huge game.”
Francis Parker’s Columbus Palmer (5) fights for the ball with Santa Fe Christian’s Caden Doucette during the second half Feb. 4, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Denis Poroy / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Biddle hopes that a pair of wins over SFC and a league championship will push his Lancers into a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the Open Division and a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
“It was hard to concentrate in school today,” Jones said. “Heck, it was hard to sleep last night. We tried to focus, share the ball, play defense.
“The win puts us in a good spot. The goal all season was to get a high seed and win the Open Division. This is a nice step.”
Jones had seven rebounds to go with his 18 points.
“This was a tough, tough game,” Palmer said. “We all had to step up, do it for the team. And we got it done.”
Santa Fe Christian’s Dax Hall (1) drives past Francis Parker’s Deven Dubois (15) during the second half Feb. 4, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Denis Poroy / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
SFC’s Dax Hall, who along with Johnson and Ranch Buena Vista’s CJ Aldrich is a frontrunner for San Diego Section Player of the Year honors, finished with a game-high 26 points and five rebounds.
Chase Othick backed him with 20 points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot. Parker led 29-28 at the half.
The Lancers led by six early in the second quarter, but were caught with 4:20 to play and the teams traded baskets down the stretch.
A 13-0 run early in the third quarter put Parker ahead 42-30, but a 16-5 SFC run had the deficit down to a point with 7:10 to play … and it was game on.
“What a fantastic high school basketball game against a great SFC team,” Biddle said. “We had a great crowd, the best of the season. And the students were really into it. Now, depending on how the playoffs go, we may have to play SFC again.
“That would be pretty darn interesting.”
Parker has played a statewide schedule, losing to Santa Margarita, ranked No. 3 in the state, and No. 7 Harvard-Westlake — as well as Bellflower St. John Bosco (No. 9), La Mirada (No. 18), San Jose Archbishop Mitty (No. 22), Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (No. 35), Arcadia (No. 55), St. Pius X-St. Matthias (No. 91).
The Lancers have beaten Rancho Christian, Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) Lake City, Eastvale Roosevelt and Cleveland St. Ignatius.
“Those games really prepared us for league,” Jones said. “Losing hurt at the time, but those games got us ready for games like this.”
Santa Fe Christian has played more of a local schedule, logging wins over San Marcos, Mission Bay, St. Augustine, Torrey Pines and Cathedral Catholic.
SFC’s only other loss besides the two to Parker came against Hayward Moreau Catholic, ranked No. 40 in the state. Moreau won 54-52.