Bishop Amat tags Fernandezees, Serra; all sports for April 14

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Serra High junior pitcher Cardinal Fernandezees had numerous outstanding outings but he went up against traditional power Bishop Amat High from La Puente in a key Del Rey League baseball game on April 5 at Serra.

The Lancers knew how to hit off him well, although critical errors enabled them to down the Cavaliers 6-1.

Offensively, Serra mustered just one run on five hits off Bishop Amat pitcher Kevin Lopez, who went six innings.

Serra High junior pitcher Cardinal Fernandezees had numerous outstanding outings but he went up against traditional power Bishop Amat High from La Puente in a key Del Rey League baseball game on April 5 at Serra.

The Lancers knew how to hit off him well, although critical errors enabled them to down the Cavaliers 6-1.

Offensively, Serra mustered just one run on five hits off Bishop Amat pitcher Kevin Lopez, who went six innings.

The Cavaliers, who fell to 1-2 in league and 8-6 overall, scored their only run on a base hit by Tyler Morrison in the bottom of the fourth inning. Gary McCoy, who had a single, scored on the play. Morrison finished the game with two hits. Junior Kennedy Guillen went 2-for-4.

“Bishop Amat got out and executed,” Serra head coach Martel London said. “They played quality baseball. We didn’t do enough to win the game. Bishop Amat executed better.”

Dante Castillo sparked the Lancers (3-0 in league) by going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Jason Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

Serra was to play at Cathedral at East Los Angeles College last Thursday but the game was rained out. Rescheduling has not been decided.  The Cavaliers have two games against La Salle from Pasadena this week. After hosting the Lancers last Tuesday, Serra will visit La Salle at Arcadia County Park today at 3:15 p.m.

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Serra-Carson Track and Field

Serra has strong showings at Arcadia

By Joe Snyder

Sports Editor

Serra and Carson High’s girls’ track and field teams had very good displays in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

The Lady Cavaliers 4×200-meter relay team of Kyla Pickens, Madison Golden, Jazmyne Frost and Jasmine Reed captured their race for the second straight year on Friday. Their winning time was one minute and 38.62 seconds.

Last Saturday, Serra had a third place finish in the invitational 4×100 relay at 47.7. Runners included Frost, Reed, Pickens and Golden. Winning the race was the Colts. Their squad of juniors Kenyla Miles, Kennedi Atkins, Kaelin Roberts and Autumn Wright recorded a time of 45.81, one of the top prep times in the United States this year. Placing second was Newark Memorial from Northern California clocking 47.14. All of the Carson runners are transfers from another power, Long Beach Poly.

Reed, a junior, was fifth in the invitational 200 in 24.67. Winning the race was Lauren Williams timing 23.37.

Carson was led by Kaela Roberts who won the invitational 400-meter dash in a national best time of 53.47.

Serra’s boys had a fifth place finish by Isaiah Diego-Williams in the invitational 100-meter dash in 10.78. The race was won by Noah Lyles with a national best time of 10.17. Lyles is from Willia High in Texas.

The Cavaliers will compete in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut on Friday and Saturday.

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Sports Roundup

Smith, Singleton receive top honors in CIF, South Bay

By Joe Snyder

Sports Editor

Sophomore Kobe Smith already enjoyed a stellar football season in keying Serra to the Mission League championship and the CIF-Southern Section PAC Five Division quarterfinals last fall.

After finishing football, Smith went on to the basketball court and excelled. He was named the CIF-Southern Section Division IVAA co-Player of the Year, along with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Chibueze Jacobs. Smith averaged 14 points per game in keying the Cavaliers to the IVAA crown with a 53-50 win over Notre Dame on March 4 at Azusa-Pacific University. Serra was coming off tying for second place with rival Playa del Rey St. Bernard in the rigid Del Rey League behind nationally ranked Torrance Bishop Montgomery with a 4-4 record. The Cavaliers ended their season at 18-15 after losing to eventual California State Division IV champion Studio City Harvard-Westlake 47-43 in the Southern California Regional semifinals on March 15 at Serra. The Wolverines defeated Palma from Salinas for the state title on March 26 at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

Smith also received first team Daily Breeze all-South Bay honors as his freshman teammate Alexis Tucker landed on second team.

The South Bay Player of the Year was another premiere sophomore in Bishop Montgomery CIF-Southern Section Open Division semifinals where they lost to Chatsworth Sierra Canyon 78-69 and the regional Open Division final where they fell to eventual CIF-State and United States mythical national champion Chino Hills 84-62 on March 19 at the Cal State Long Beach Pyramid. Singleton is also one of the premiere sophomores in the nation, as is his teammates Jordan Schakel and Ethan Thompson, who are both nationally ranked juniors who made first-team all-area and on the Southern Section Open Division team. Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills was Player of the Year as well as National Player of the Year by a majority of the prep sports publications, including Maxpreps. Ball will resume his basketball at UCLA in the fall.

Also making first team all-South Bay were Giovanni Jackson (Torrance) and D’Mauria Jones (Narbonne). Jones also made the CIF-Los Angeles City Open Division squad, as did Jamal Hicks, who made second team all-area. Both keyed the Gauchos to the City Open Division final where they lost to Westchester 51-42 and the regional Division I semifinals where they fell short to Redondo 63-62. Jackson helped the Tartars win the Pioneer League title.

Gardena High’s Isaac Green landed on the all-L.A. City Section Division II squad. He helped the Panthers make the semifinals where they lost to Hamilton 72-51 on Feb. 27 at the Roybal Learning Center in Downtown L.A.

For the girls, Serra, which won its fourth consecutive Del Rey League championship, had Brooke Bayman and Briana Johnson make first team all-South Bay, and Brijaye Brackett and freshman Alexis Tucker land on second team. All keyed the Lady Cavaliers into the Southern Section Open Division playoffs where they finished at 1-2 and the regional Division I quarterfinals where they lost 69-66 at Vista Murrieta on March 12.

On the CIF-Southern Section Division IAA squad included West Torrance’s Haley Jones (sophomore) and Hayley Tanabe (senior) who helped the Lady Warriors advance to the final where they lost to Ventura 47-25 on March 4 at Azusa-Pacific University. Tanabe also made first-team all-area where Jones made second team.

Pioneer League champion North Torrance had junior Brittany McPherson make first team all-South Bay. Her teammate, senior Megan Takata, was second team.

South Bay Player of the Year was Redondo senior Kyra Hamlin. Hamlin keyed the Sea Hawks to the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals where they lost to West 47-42.

Division IAA Player of the Year was Aubrey Knight of Ventura.

San Pedro routs Gardena: Gardena High’s baseball team opened the Marine League with a 17-1 loss to host San Pedro on April 5.

The Panthers and Pirates had their second game at Gardena rained out and was rescheduled for Wednesday. Gardena visits Banning today and Carson next Tuesday in 3 p.m. league games.