By Joe Snyder
North Torrance High’s girls’ basketball team is already taking control of the Bay League with wins over hosts Mira Costa and West Torrance last week.
At Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach on Jan. 6, the Lady Saxons pulled away from the Mustangs 49-33. At West last Friday, North defeated the Warriors 47-35.
Against West, the Saxons jumped out to a 25-12 halftime lead. The Warriors, who are mostly young but talented, got down as little as five points but North was able to pull away at the end.
The Saxons were led by Leila Fitzgerald with 14 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Shay Tokeshi added 12 points, six assists, six rebounds and three steals. Camryn Simazaki chipped in 10 points.
Sophomore guard Asami Tom led the Warriors with 11 points.
Against Mira Costa, North broke open a close game by dominating the Mustangs, a team that the Saxons were co-Bay League champions with last season, in the second half.
Tokeshi led the Saxons with 14 points.
North (16-3 overall and 2-0 in league) came home for a league showdown against Redondo last Tuesday. The Sea Hawks are 9-6 but played mostly a rigorous non-league and tournament schedule that included a 63-44 loss to last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division IIAA champion Oak Park in a non-league showcase game Saturday at John Burroughs High in Burbank. Redondo won its only Bay game at home over West Torrance 68-53 on Jan. 6.
The Saxons will host a non-league showcase game against Mark Keppel High from Alhambra in the State Preview Classic Saturday at 9 a.m. and will rest five days until returning to Bay action at home against cross town rival West on Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Serra is 4-0 in the Camino Real League by defeating St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy from Downey 58-42 last Thursday at Serra.
The Lady Cavaliers, who are 12-4 overall, were led by Kali Carter who had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
After hosting Cantwell-Sacred Heart in league last Tuesday, Serra is at home against Bishop Conaty-Loretto from Los Angeles today at 7 p.m. and Inglewood St. Mary’s Academy Saturday at the same time. Serra continues home games for non-league against San Pedro Monday and La Puente Bishop Amat in league Tuesday, both at 7 p.m.
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North boys’ begin league with close wins
North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team is 2-0 in the Pioneer League but had to earn both of those victories over cross town rivals South Torrance and West Torrance.
At South on Jan. 6, the Saxons topped the Spartans in a 46-44 nail-biter. At West last Friday, North was able to rally past the Warriors 47-42.
At West, the Warriors did everything to key on North’s top player, Giovanni Gilpen, and take a 25-20 halftime lead. West held the Saxons to just six second-quarter points after North took a 14-10 lead after the first period.
The Warriors still led 35-31 after three quarters but the Saxons came back to outscore West 16-7 for the five-point win.
Malachi Harris led North (16-3 overall) with 19 points, 13 in the second half. Gilpen finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Staub had eight points and 10 rebounds.
“We played a lot of physical stuff,” North head coach Wai Sett said. “West played hard, strong, and fast. We took away their best shooter (Ben Heineman).” Heineman, who averaged about 15 points a game, was held to just five.
The Warriors (1-1 in league and 9-9 overall) were led by Braxton Lee with 12 points.
North hosted El Segundo last Tuesday before another crosstown rivalry at home against Torrance Friday at 7 p.m. North will host a very good Damien team from La Verne in its own State Preview Classic Saturday at noon before resuming Pioneer play at home against South next Friday at 7 p.m.
West visited Torrance last Tuesday in Pioneer play and visited Animo in Venice on Wednesday. The Warriors host Santa Monica St. Monica in non-league Friday at 6:30 p.m. before returning to league at crosstown rival South Torrance next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Gardena High’s boys’ basketball team had a good week in its final week of Winter Break by capturing the Marquez Tournament with a 58-38 win over South Gate Saturday in Huntington Park.
The Panthers (7-12 overall and 0-2 in the Marine League) began the classic with a 70-51 win over Viewpark Prep on Jan. 5. On Jan. 7, Gardena routed South Gate-South East 70-46 before stifling Manual Arts 42-12 last Thursday.
Junior forward Joshua Edema was on the all-tournament team. Edema averaged 16 points and eight rebounds a game to key the Panthers. Sophomore forward Kaylus McClain averaged a double-double and 10 points and 12 rebounds a game.
The Panthers resumed the Marine League at home against Banning High from Wilmington on Wednesday. Gardena visits Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Panthers have a showcase game against Compton High on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Dominguez High in Compton before returning to league at Carson next Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
“Our boys caught up really well, playing without our top point guard Elery Johnson,” Gardena head coach Mike Martin said. Johnson was declared academically ineligible last month.
Serra’s boys’ basketball team saw its Camino Real League record fall to 1-1 and overall mark to 10-8 with a 91-49 loss to host Bishop Amat last Friday in La Puente.
The Cavaliers hosted rival Bishop Montgomery in CRL play on Wednesday and visit Verbum Dei-Jesuit High in southeast L.A. Friday at 7 p.m. After playing in the Martin Luther King Showcase Classic last Monday, Serra returns to league at Bosco Tech in Rosemead next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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West, Torrance, NHS land players on all-CIF team
North Torrance High’s football team had two players make the CIF-Southern Section Division VII team, announced last week.
The players included defensive lineman Mesepa Talanoa and defensive back Ethan Edwards.
Both keyed the Saxons to a 6-5 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the Pioneer League, snapping their string of three straight league crowns. With the winning overall record, North was invited to the Southern Section Division VII playoffs where it fell to host Apple Valley 20-14 in the first round. It was the fourth consecutive time that the Saxons lost in the first round of the playoffs. North never won a CIF-Southern Section crown but was finalist in 1983, 2001, 2012 and 2019.
Edwards was also the Saxons’ starting quarterback who is bound for Utah Tech University after graduating in June.
Pioneer League champion Torrance had one player land on all-CIF Southern Section Division V in junior wide receiver Elias Emerson. Emerson had several key catches in keying the Tartars to a 10-0 regular season record. Torrance, which defeated second-place Redondo in their league opener on Oct. 3, lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Sea Hawks 21-14 on Nov. 7 at Zamperini Field. Torrance was top-seed, while Redondo was seeded last. The Sea Hawks, though, made it to the Division V championship game before falling to Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 29-7 on Nov. 29 at Redondo.
West Torrance, which won the Ocean League for the second straight season, had senior linebacker-tight end Mohamad Fdawi on the Division X squad. The Warriors lost in the first round to Liberty 35-25 on Nov. 7 in Riverside.
