There is a sense of uncertainty around the gym at Valley Christian Academy as the Lions prepare for their first postseason game this week. After earning the No. 4 seed among the elite teams in Division V boys basketball, VCA drew a matchup against a team it knows nothing about.

“I am hearing from one of my buddies that their guard play is their strongest weapon, but don’t know if they push the ball, press, zone, or man-to-man,” said Valley Christian coach Brad Gunter. “Unfortunately this might be a game that we adjust on the fly, and that is not what you want as a coach going into a do-or-die playoff situation.”

The Lions have dominated almost everything in their site this season, and this one figures to be more of the same, but there is work to do.

“With the huge win on Friday night (against Bradshaw Christian) I feel that we are finally ready for the challenge,” Gunter said. “We still have areas that we need to improve on, but Friday night’s win gave helped the mindset of my players. We now know that we cannot just compete with the top teams but we can actually beat them. Three wins would take us to Arco and a showdown with either Ripon Christian or Bradshaw. I would love to take my chances at either squad on a big floor.”

Valley Christian scores more than 76 points per night, with a number of players getting involved in the scoring. Senior Ryan Cordell scores 21 points per game to lead the way, while senior Rob Frank (10.5) and sophomore Jason Gish (11) also average double figures.

Point guard Stanley Winters scores nearly eight points and dishes out more than six assists per contest. Jesse Peters and Orest Shaynyuk each pull down more than eight rebounds a game. This is a deep team that loves to pressure the ball and run the floor.

Big Valley will be looking to slow the game down. The Big Valley Lions score just 51 per game and do a lot of their scoring from beyond the 3-point arc. Big Valley Christian’s three leading scorers – 5-foot-10 senior guards Corey Wells and Taylor Aderholt and 6-3 senior forward Caleb Theodore – all take as many shots from three-point range as they do from closer range.

For now, Gunter and his squad will take it one game at a time. A win against Big Valley sets up a likely duel with Sacramento Waldorf, a team that VCA knows well. The Lions would host that game on Friday night, looking to reach the section semifinals next Tuesday in Galt.

That matchup might bring on top-seeded Victory Christian, a team that handed Valley Christian two of its losses this year.

“I am excited to see how my players will react in each of the matchups, but do not want them to look ahead of any game,” Gunter said. “At this point of the season, just like all year, it is a one game at a time approach and I think my players are starting to get it.”

Wednesday's game tips at 7 p.m. in the gym at Valley Christian.