By Joe Snyder
Gardena High’s boys’ basketball team is currently in its final week of the summer basketball leagues after winning both games at Artesia High in Lakewood on July 10 before falling to King-Drew Medical Magnet High 73-65 in a Serra High League game on July 11 in Gardena.
Against King-Drew, the Panthers fell behind 40-24 at halftime. GHS got as close as three points midway in the fourth quarter but the Golden Eagles made key baskets and free throws to put the game away.
Returning starting guard Jarren Ponds sparked the Panthers with 23 points, while Willie Denham added 15.
A day earlier in the Artesia League, Gardena rolled over Santa Ana 67-43 and topped Downey 57-52.
“We have a long way to go,” Gardena head coach Ernie Carr said. “It’s hard to win when you give up 73 points.”
Summer league prep games are played with 10-minute running time quarters, except for time outs.
Last winter, the Panthers tied for third place with Long Beach Rancho Dominguez Prep in the Marine League at 5-5 and was 12-14 overall. Gardena lost in the first round of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section playoffs to Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) 42-40. Most of the Panthers’ losses were close. Their defense was strong but, in many games, they struggled on offense. Narbonne won the league at 10-0, followed by San Pedro (8-2).
Gardena lost key players in Chase Williams and Mason Denham but return two top starters in Willie Denham and Jarren Ponds. Carr is seeking for the Panthers to contend for the Marine League title for 2023-24.
Last Monday, the Panthers took on Laguna Beach in their Artesia League finale. Gardena is also playing at Mira Costa where its’ last game was Wednesday.
Fabiis named SSAA Commissioner
After the CIF-Southern Section selected Mike West as the new athletic commissioner, they selected Jerry Fabiis as his assistant recently.
Fabiis will aid West, who replaced the recently retired Rob Wigod as the CIF-SS athletic commissioner on July 5 but was selected a few months earlier, is coming off being athletic director at Colony High in Ontario, a position he had since 2019.
He is also a member of the CIF-Southern Section basketball advisory, a position he held for 15 years and 10 years for the CIF-State CIF. Fabiis helped organize and direct the CIF-Southern Section and California State boys’ and girls’ basketball championships.
Fabiis has been at Colony High since the school’s opening in 2001. He taught social studies and was its head boys’ basketball coach. In the previous three years, Fabiis was head boys’ basketball coach at Ontario High. He has more than 500 coaching wins and the Titans won Southern Section championships in 2006, 2017 and 2019.
Colony was Southern California Regional champion in 2019. The Titans were Southern Section finalists in 2005 and 2008. Colony is dominating its league in boys’ basketball with 18 consecutive league championships dating back to 2006.
Fabiis, who is 52 years old, received a bachelor’s degree in social studies at Cal State Fullerton in 1998. He went on to get his masters in arts and curriculum in 2002.
He has been married to wife Jennifer for 28 years as they have three adult sons, Luke, 27, Caleb, 25 and Rocco, 18.
