By Joe Snyder
Last spring, Serra High head boys’ basketball coach Bernard McCrumby decided to step down as he was replaced by Derrick Taylor.
Over the summer, Taylor, who was a successful head mentor at Bellflower St. John Bosco and Woodland Hills Taft, decided not to take the job and, around August, he was replaced by De John Frazier.
Frazier spent last season at Cantwell-Sacred Heart High in Montebello where he guided the Cardinals to a 14-14 record and advanced to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division VAA playoffs. It was Cantwell-Sacred Heart’s best season since 2017-18. The previous season, the Cardinals won only three games overall, including just one in the Santa Fe League.
In the previous two seasons, Frazier was head mentor at Long Beach Jordan High. In the 2021-22 seasons, the Panthers enjoyed one of the best seasons in recent years by capturing the CIF-Southern Section Division IVA title.
“I’m good with the rebuilding process,” Frazier, a former player at Compton Dominguez High, Santa Ana Community College and Cal State Dominguez Hills, said.
Frazier also coached Junior Amateur boys’ basketball in the West Coast League.
Frazier keyed Dominguez High to the CIF-Southern Section Division I championship in his senior season in 2006-07. The Dons also won the Southern California Regional Division I title before losing the CIF-State Division I championship to McClymonds High from Oakland.
With McCrumby gone and now head coaching at one of Serra’s top Del Rey League rivals, Playa del Rey St. Bernard, the Cavaliers since lost top returning starters including Maximo Adams (now at Chatsworth Sierra Canyon) and Kayleb Kersey (St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey). Adams originally was expected to transfer to St. Bernard before opting for powerhouse Sierra Canyon, which developed Bronny James, who is now playing with his father, La Bron, Sr., with the Los Angeles Lakers. Before last season, Adams transferred to Serra from Harbor City Narbonne.
Due to that, the Cavaliers will be faced with a complete rebuilding season with no starters back from last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA semifinalist team and Southern California Regional Division III qualifier. Serra lost a nailbiter in the IIIAA semifinals to Ventura St. Bonaventure and to Thousand Oaks in the first round of the regional Division III playoffs. The Cavaliers, in fact, have no seniors.
According to Frazier, top players include junior Nathan Altenberg, son of Serra head football coach Scott Altenberg and the Cavaliers’ kicker, junior Daniel Robertson, junior point guard Jeremiah Graham and sophomore point guard Dren Carter, a transfer from Santa Monica St. Monica High. Other key players that have impressed Frazier are junior Chinemeaem Anyikwa, one of the few returning players who saw some playing time last season, and junior guard Jason Williams.
“We’re very good,” Frazier said. “We’re very fast. We’re looking to do a lot of full court pressing.”
Frazier knows that the Del Rey League will continue to be tough which includes defending league champion St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, rival Torrance Bishop Montgomery, Long Beach St. Anthony, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, St. Bernard, and newcomer St. Monica.
“We’re getting ready for the Del Rey League,” Frazier said.
Serra begins play against Bernstein High from Hollywood in the first round of the Hawkins High Tournament on Nov. 29 in the Los Angeles-Crenshaw District. The Cavaliers begin Del Rey action on Jan. 3 against St. Monica beginning at 7 p.m.
Gardena began its season with a 52-42 win over host Legacy High last Friday in South Gate.
The Panthers’ next game will be next Monday in the San Gabriel Valley Classic.
Gardena starts the Marine League at Carson on Jan. 8 at Carson, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
North Torrance began its season last Tuesday at home against Narbonne. The Saxons’ next game will be in the San Gabriel Valley Tournament against Arlington High from Riverside, beginning at 4:45 p.m. at a site to be determined. The Saxons had a successful last two seasons but lost virtually their entire team and are faced with rebuilding. North continues to play in the Pioneer League with South Torrance, Torrance, West Torrance, last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division VAA finalist El Segundo and Lawndale. North begins league at home against South on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.
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Cavs football eliminated early by Yorba Linda
At the start of the season, Serra High head football coach Scott Altenberg knew he had a very talented team, but also could not afford too many injuries due to being rather thin with its reserves.
The Cavaliers placed second, behind Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, in the Mission League and got past the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs with a 28-7 home win over Gateway League champion Downey on Nov. 8. But the injuries and mistakes finally caught up with Serra as it was eliminated by host Yorba Linda 24-20 in the quarterfinals last Friday night.
The game was a see-saw battle the entire way with the Cavaliers having leads of 7-0, 13-7 and 20-17. Serra scored first in the first quarter on a short 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmy Butler to wide receiver Delawn Reed but Yorba Linda bounced back to tie the game at seven when running back Cole Nerio rushed for his first of two TDs.
About a minute and a half later, the Cavaliers came back with a 13-7 lead on a 25-yard scoring run by running back De Vohn Moutra. Nathan Altenberg’s point after touchdown attempt was missed.
Early in the second quarter, Yorba Linda came back with a 14-13 advantage on a 59-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Holden Nagin to wide receiver Joseph Brazelton. Cayden Wilers added a 25-yard field goal to up the Mustangs’ lead to 17-13.
Serra took its final lead at 20-17 when Butler tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Malachi Holt but, midway in the fourth quarter, Nerio scored on an 8-yard run that was set up by Nagin’s 57-yard pass to Caeden Thomas.
Serra tried to pull the game out, driving all the way to the Yorba Linda one-yard line on a 16-yard run by Moutra, before fumbling away the ball to the Mustangs’ Jake Lopez as they were able to run down the clock.
With the loss, the Cavaliers ended their season at 8-3, while Yorba Linda improved to 11-1. The Mustangs visit second seed Newbury Park in the semifinals Friday at 7 p.m.
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Gardena overpowered by Birmingham in City playoffs
After finishing fourth in the five-team Marine League, Gardena High’s football team was one of all five league teams to vie in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division playoffs but the Panthers had to travel to face defending four-time City Open Division champion Birmingham High in the quarterfinals last Friday in Lake Balboa.
After their four consecutive City Section titles, the Patriots were seeded fourth in the playoffs, behind the controversial top seeded unopposed Marine League champion Harbor City Narbonne, No. 2 Marine second place but on-the-field champion Carson and No. 3 San Pedro. Birmingham, though, continued its L.A. City dominance by rolling over fifth seed Gardena 42-19. It was the Patriots’ 48th consecutive win over that section squad dating back to 2019.
Sparking the Panthers was senior quarterback Isaiah Kim who passed for two touchdowns, one of 20 yards to D’Maj Longley and six to senior running back Xavier Grant.
Grant also scored on a 5-yard run.
Keying Birmingham was running back Kevin Hawkins who rushed for 183 yards and three TDs.
Gardena ended its season at 7-4 after winning its first seven games, including one in league at home against Wilmington Banning.
The Patriots, though, will get their first stiff test against a City team when they play at top seed Narbonne Friday at 7 p.m.
Prior to last Friday’s Open Division quarterfinal game against Dorsey, the Gauchos received the bad news as seven of their players, all transfers, were ruled ineligible.
Narbonne, though, had little trouble with the Coliseum League champion Dons in a 47-13 rout.
The Gauchos continued to have a fine performance from junior quarterback Jaden O’ Neill who ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more, including a 62-yarder to wide receiver Treyvon Jackson.
Narbonne, reportedly, received additional infractions that include it will be banned from postseason play next season.
Carson, the second seed, also began the playoffs with a 27-17 home win over East L.A. Garfield.
The Colts began their scoring on 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Fields to wide receiver Dayton Moore.
Also, for Carson, Preston Leomi scored on an 8-yard run and Kamryn Hurst added two TD’s on runs of eight and one yards.
The Colts host third seed San Pedro, a 37-26 home winner over L.A. Harbor rival Wilmington Banning last Friday, Friday at 7 p.m.
After already clinching the National North Conference championship with a thrilling come-from-behind 45-38 home win over Ventura College on Nov. 9, El Camino College’s football team finished off with a 56-20 loss to host Hancock College last Saturday in Santa Maria.
In that game, the Warriors played mostly reserves and rested their top starters.
Quarterback Tyler Karen completed 24 of 40 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Azeon Nelson ran for 28 yards and one TD on five carries. Wide receiver Elijah Jones caught five passes for 69 yards and one touchdown.
ECC (7-3 overall and 6-1 in conference) will be seeded fourth in the four-team Southern California Football Association playoffs as it travels to Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut for a 6 p.m. semifinal game on Nov. 30.
