Gardena High’s boys’ basketball team began the 2014-15 season with a narrow 54-53 victory over Middle College High in the Gardena Tip-off Showcase Classic on Nov. 25 but it might have been by luck.
At the buzzer, it appeared that the Cougars’ Chino Akwendo swished a three-point basket that tied the game and sent it into overtime. The officials, however, ruled that Akwendo was a tab inside the three-point line and ruled it two points and the Panthers escaped with the win.
Gardena High’s boys’ basketball team began the 2014-15 season with a narrow 54-53 victory over Middle College High in the Gardena Tip-off Showcase Classic on Nov. 25 but it might have been by luck.
At the buzzer, it appeared that the Cougars’ Chino Akwendo swished a three-point basket that tied the game and sent it into overtime. The officials, however, ruled that Akwendo was a tab inside the three-point line and ruled it two points and the Panthers escaped with the win.
Gardena led 54-49 with one minute left in the game on two free throws by Clarence Bookman before Middle College began a desperate rally only to see it fall just short on the questionable call.
Bookman led the Panthers with 18 points, followed by Christian Carating with 12.
Akwendo led the Cougars with 18 points.
Middle College led most of the game, including 26-23 at halftime. The game was close most of the way but Gardena, behind a key three-point basket from Carating, pulled ahead in the fourth quarter.
From there, the contest was mostly see-saw but the Panthers pulled ahead by five points (52-47) on two free throws from Bookman with 1:42 remaining. After the Cougars cut Gardena’s lead to three, Bookman added two more from the charity line which proved to be the difference.
“We got better energy and were more focused late in the game,” Gardena head coach Ernie Carr said. “We were not real smart earlier.”
The Panthers return three starters in forward Bookman, guard-forward Carating and point guard Isaac Green.
Other key players for Gardena include juniors, point guard Dominic Datu and 6-foot-7 center-forward Jad Smith.
The Panthers are currently playing in the Mira Costa Pacific Shores Tournament where it opened against Torrance last Monday. The classic resumes through Saturday.
Gardena hosts Garfield in non-league action next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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Cavs split four PAC Shores games
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Serra High’s boys’ basketball team entered the Redondo Pacific Shores Tournament with mostly a young and inexperienced group but managed to win two of four games in the prestigious classic.
The Cavaliers began the tournament with a 71-65 win over Santa Monica on Nov. 24, but lost to host Redondo 77-69 in the championship quarterfinals on Nov. 26. Coming back from the Thanksgiving holiday, Serra defeated Compton 61-52 on Friday but lost the fifth place final to Calabasas 56-53 last Saturday.
Against the Coyotes (3-1), the Cavaliers (2-2) fell behind 21-10 after the first quarter and were unable to pull the game out.
Serra was led by Jason Richardson and Ian Carter with 18 points apiece. Coming off a stellar football season as a quarterback-wide receiver, Georgia transfer Caleb Wilson added 13 points and had a good overall showing in the tournament.
Calabasas was led by Conner Lonnidi with a game-high 25 points.
A day earlier in the fifth place semifinals, the Cavaliers had a balanced scoring attack to defeat the Tarbabes. Carter led Serra with 18 points, followed closely by Wilson with 17.
Against the Sea Hawks, who finished second in the classic after a 63-61 overtime loss to Long Beach Poly last Saturday, the Cavaliers found themselves behind by as much as 17 points. They tried to rally but fell short.
Carter sparked Serra with 21 points, followed by Richardson and Wilson with 16 points each.
Billy Preston led Redondo with 22 points.
Although close during most of the game, Serra led throughout most of the game in its win over Santa Monica.
The Cavaliers had a balanced scoring attack sparked by Wilson with 16 points. Carter and Oluwale Bettku chipped in 11 and 10 points, in order.
Jonah Mathews, younger brother of 2012-13 Viking all-American and now University of California player Jordan Mathews, led all scorers with 25 points for Santa Monica (2-2).
Serra visits Village Christian High in Sun Valley in a non-league game next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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Sports Roundup
Carson holds off S.P; faces league rival Narbonne for City crown
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Carson High’s football team will face Narbonne for the CIF-Los Angeles City Division I championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after holding on for a 33-30 victory over host San Pedro in the semifinals last Friday.
The Colts (9-4) continued to have an outstanding showing by all-around player Jabari Minix, who accounted for four touchdowns, three rushing and one passing.
Two of Minix’s TDs came in a three-minute period, both on the ground, as Carson came from a 22-18 deficit to a 30-22 lead.
The Pirates, who ended their season at 11-2 after losing their first home game of the season and were the top seed, got within a field goal when Chris Alvidrez scored on a 3-yard run, then added a two-point conversion run.
San Pedro, then, attempted an onside kick but the Colts got it. Carson, though, was forced to punt, but the Pirates could not score.
Minix rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, and Garrett Henry ran for 134 yards on eight carries, all in the second half.
For the Pirates, quarterback Dayshawn Littleton completed nine of 16 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown.
Donte Huddleston caught two passes for 83 yards and one TD.
Narbonne tops Garfield: Narbonne High’s football team, which finished in a three-way tie for first place with San Pedro and Carson in the Marine League, was third seed in the CIF-L.A. City Section Division I playoffs and traveled to Garfield in Monterey Park, the No. 2 seed, in Friday’s semifinal.
The Gauchos, though, moved to the final for the fourth straight season by topping the Bulldogs 14-10.
Narbonne got off to a good start in the first quarter when quarterback Roman Ale threw a scoring pass to Cedric Byrd for a 6-0 lead.
After Garfield (10-3) scored on a 27-yard field goal from Aaron Reina, a very good kickoff return gave the Gauchos good field goal position at the Bulldog 35-yard line. On the first play, Narbonne took a 14-3 lead on a 35-yard pass from Ale to Byrd.
Ale completed six of 11 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Garfield cut Narbonne’s lead to four points with 5:58 left in the game, but the Gauchos had two first downs on their final drive to hold off the Bulldogs. Narbonne is 9-4 overall entering Saturday’s L.A. City championship game against Carson at the Coliseum.
The Gauchos will be looking at their third City title in four seasons.
P.V. knocks off No. 1 West: West Torrance High’s football team had to play in the CIF-Western Division semifinals against one of their big nemesis, Palos Verdes.
For the sixth straight game in five seasons, the Sea Kings, who were in the Bay League with the Warriors over the past several years before West moved into the Pioneer with its three Torrance school rivals, Compton Centennial and Leuzinger, defeated the Warriors 28-16 last Friday at South Torrance High.
Palos Verdes already downed West 35-14 for the Southern Section Northern Division crown two years ago at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Stadium.
Critical mistakes plagued the Warriors that led the Sea Kings to surge out to a 21-0 lead late in the first quarter.
P.V. took a 7-0 lead on quarterback Steven Delcarson’s 64-yard touchdown run. The Sea Kings took a 21-0 advantage on an 82-yard TD pass from Del Carson to Lance Brown.
Delcarson, a very good versatile quarterback, rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He completed eight of 15 passes for 169 yards, one TD and two interceptions.
West, which ended its season at 12-1, had a fine performance from quarterback Trevor Mallett who completed 24 of 47 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
The Warriors rushed for just 86 yards as running back Brett Ojiyi saw only limited time due to a shoulder injury. He ran for 29 yards on seven carries and caught five passes for 28 yards.
Benton Shortridge and Zac McGraw each had one interception.
Palos Verdes (10-3) will be looking at its second Southern Section championship in three seasons as it will visit third seeded Ventura Friday at 7:30 p.m.
