By Joe Snyder
Serra High’s young boys’ basketball team found Woodland Hills Taft High too quick and physical for them in a 66-57 home loss last Friday.
The Cavaliers, who fell to 5-3, started well with an early 8-2 lead and led 10-7 at halftime. From there, the Toreadors used a barrage of three-point basket and breakaway layups and grabbed a 27-24 halftime lead. Taft ballooned its lead to 10 points (48-38) after three quarters and led by as many as 15 points before coasting to the win.
Despite the loss, forward Chinenerem Anyikwa led all scorers with 27 points. Jason Williams added 10 points and five assists. Nathan Altenberg chipped in nine points.
The Toreadors were led by Gabe Garcia with 15 points, including four three-point baskets.
Serra will play in the South Pasadena Tournament where it takes on Sylmar Friday at 11:30 a.m.
The Cavaliers host Compton in a non-league game next Thursday at 7 p.m. before beginning the Del Rey League by hosting St. Monica from Santa Monica on Jan. 3 at the same time.
Gardena lost its first two games of the Faith Baptist Tournament to Legacy Christian Academy 68-49 last Thursday and Santa Clarita Golden Valley 60-45 on Friday.
The Panthers finished the tournament last Monday against Littlerock. Gardena begins the San Fernando Valley Classic against Venice next Monday at 3 p.m. at Kennedy High in Granada Hills.
North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team traveled to Maryknoll High in Honolulu, Hawaii for four games, splitting the first two. The Saxons began with a 45-44 loss to Mid Pacific Institute last Thursday, then bounced back by routing Kononawaena 62-30 on Friday. The Saxons played Waiakea on Saturday and hosted Maryknoll on Monday.
North begins the South Pasadena Tournament against John Muir High of Pasadena today at 7 p.m. The Saxons take on Crenshaw Friday at the same time. North starts the Pioneer League at home against South Torrance on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.
Torrance improved its record to 9-3 with a 76-67 home win over Monrovia last Friday.
The Tartars were led by Chance Lacey with 17 points, followed closely by Timothy Umbargar with 16. Torrance had three other players score in double figures as Shane Stanfield added 13 points, and Ethan Usman and Gibson Turner each chipped in 10.
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Local athletes have strong showing at All-SB Football
Many local athletes were named to the all-South Bay football team, announced last week by the Daily Breeze.
Serra, which finished second behind champion Chatsworth Sierra Canyon in the Mission League and advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division II quarterfinals before falling to host Yorba Linda 24-20 on Nov. 15, landed 13 total players, five of them on first-team.
Two Cavaliers made first-team in offensive lineman Reginald Terry and wide receiver Jadyn Robinson. Both are seniors.
Three more Serra players were on first-team defense including junior linebacker De Vohn Moutra, along with senior defensive backs C.J. McBean and Otis “Tre” Harrison.
Making second-team offense for the Cavaliers was senior quarterback Jimmy Butler.
Four Serra players made second-team defense including senior lineman Robert James, junior linebacker Daylawn Reed, defensive back Marcellous Ryan and sophomore defensive back Dwan Williams.
On the second team specialist was junior long snapper Justin Roetman.
Serra had two more players on third team in offensive lineman Iakipo Tuvio and defensive lineman Khary Wilder.
Pioneer League champion North Torrance had five total players make all-area including defensive back Anthony Macias who made first team.
Premiere sophomore quarterback Boogie Anetema landed on second-team offense.
The Saxons had three other players make third-team. On offense was senior wide receiver Felix Alvillar. North had a pair of defense second-team players in junior linebacker Koa Moran and senior linebacker Will Pineda, who was also an outstanding running back on offense.
North lost in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs to Huntington Beach Edison 24-0 on Nov. 8 at Huntington Beach High. The Chargers went on to win the CIF-Southern Section Division III, along with Southern California and CIF-State Division IA crowns.
Gardena managed just one player in senior running back Xavier Grant who made second-team offense.
The Panthers placed fourth in the Marine League at 1-3 and were 7-3 overall. They lost in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division quarterfinals to host Birmingham 42-19 on Nov. 15 in Lake Balboa.
CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division champion Narbonne had four players honored including junior quarterback Jaden O’ Neal who was first-team offense.
On second-team defense for the Gauchos was junior defensive back Ernest Nunley.
On third team for Narbonne were senior offensive lineman Mathayus Moe and senior linebacker Marc Iheanachor.
Torrance was well represented behind a pair of first-team defensive players in University of Nevada-bound senior linebacker Jake Silverman and sophomore defensive back Vaughn Reiner on first-team.
The Tartars, who finished third behind champion North and runner-up Redondo in the Pioneer League before losing in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division V playoffs to Summit High 37-7 on Nov. 8 in Fontana, had running back Malikai Johnson and offensive lineman Anthony Perez make second-team offense.
Other local players on all-area include first-team specialists in Torrance Bishop Montgomery senior all-purpose Cameron Brewer, Carson sophomore defensive back Troy Talua on second-team defense, Carson senior offensive lineman Taelenuu Tuiaua on third-team along with two other Colts, linebacker Xavier Allen and defensive back Kameryn Hurst on third-team defense.
From Ocean League champion West Torrance were a three third-team players, senior quarterback Eli Brandt and junior wide receiver Keahi Kiaaini on offense and senior linebacker Tyeer Black on defense.
Carson finished second, behind champion Narbonne, in the Marine League, but was mythical on-field league champion due to the four Marine squads, the Colts, Gardena, Wilmington Banning and San Pedro, opting to boycott and forfeit games to the Gauchos due to claimed recruiting violations. Seven Gaucho players used were found ineligible by CIF-L.A. City Section officials and were forced to forfeit three non-league games. Narbonne is also ineligible for postseason next year and head Gaucho coach Malcolm Manuel stepped down from the position.
South Bay Player of the Year was sophomore quarterback Ryan Rakawki who keyed Palos Verdes High in the CIF-Southern Section Division V, along with the Southern California Regional and California State Division IIA championships.
Offensive Player of the Year was Lawndale Leuzinger senior running back Journee Tonga and Defensive Player of the Year was senior linebacker Luciera Holland from Bay League champion Inglewood, which lost in the first round of the prestigious CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs to host Santa Margarita.
Palos Verdes also had area Newcomer of the Year in freshman Weston Reiss and Andrew Washington from San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea High was Breakout Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year went to West Torrance head mentor Todd Butler, who guided the Warriors to a 10-3 record and the Ocean League title after going just 1-9 in 2023. West, behind all-South Bay third-team senior quarterback Eli Brandt, was the top seed in the CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoffs but lost in the semifinals to an amazing small school Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 42-21. The Kares went on to win the division over Downey Warren and the Southern California Regional Division IIIA Bowl game before falling by one point to Vanden in the state finals on Nov. 29. Rio Hondo Prep has just 120 students, including 71 boys and about half of them were on the football team.
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Three Cavalier grid stars sign at D1 colleges
Three Serra High seniors are bound for Division I universities on National Signing Day on Dec. 3.
Wide receiver-defensive back Otis “Tre” Harrison signed at University of California, a former PAC 12 university which along with rival Stanford, is in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Another Cavalier wide receiver, C.J. McBean signed at University of Idaho from the Mountain West Conference. Linebacker Robert James is headed to Fresno State, currently in the Mountain West Conference, but is expected to move to the new PAC 12 beginning in fall 2026.
All three keyed the Cavaliers to an 8-4 record where they finished second, behind champion Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, in the Mission League. Serra lost the league finale to the Trailblazers, who lost in the CIF-Southern Section Division I quarterfinals to Bellflower St. John Bosco, 21-20 on Nov. 1 at Serra. The Cavaliers played in the Southern Section Division II where they were third seed but were upset by host Yorba Linda 24-20 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15.
Harrison was also CIF-Southern Section Division IV 110-meter-high hurdles champion and is seeking to also go out for the Bears’ track and field team.
Narbonne, which won the CIF-Los Angeles City Open Division championship with a 75-31 rout of Marine League foe San Pedro on Nov. 29 at El Camino College, have two Division I college bound players in running back Mark Ihemachor (Southern Methodist University near Dallas, Texas) and linebacker Charlie Taufa (Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff).
Torrance High wide receiver-linebacker Jake Silverman signed at University of Nevada in Reno. As a junior in the 2023 season, Silverman keyed the Tartars to the CIF-Southern Section Division X championship. This year, Torrance finished third, behind champion North Torrance and runner-up Redondo, in the Pioneer League and lost in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division V playoffs to host Summit 37-7 on Nov. 8 in Fontana.
