By Joe Snyder
Time continues to fly as 2023 came to a quick end that included several local youth, prep, college, and professional athletes making big accomplishments.
Serra High’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams had very disappointing showings as neither made the CIF-Southern Section playoffs after enjoying several very successful seasons earlier. The Lady Cavaliers, in fact, finished at 2-22 after enjoying some CIF-State titles in a few previous years under head coach McKenzie Hadley. That resulted into Serra’s girls dropping from the usually prestigious Del Rey League to the Camino Real where they are 2-3 after defeating host St. Joseph 50-28 on Jan. 2 in Lakewood before falling at home to La Puente Bishop Amat 63-40 last Thursday. One highlight for the Cavaliers, who are currently 8-9 overall, was defeating cross town rival Gardena 54-47 on Dec. 20 in the Legacy Classic in South Gate. Serra has already quadrupled last season’s win total of two and seeks to do well enough to return to the Southern Section playoffs.
Serra’s boys were very young sporting a 9-18 overall record and finishing last in Del Rey action. Currently, the Cavaliers are showing vast improvement, behind star Narbonne sophomore transfer Maximo Adams with a 13-7 record after recording its first win in 10 seasons over rival Torrance Bishop Montgomery 62-56 last Friday at Serra. Serra lost its Del Rey League opener at home to another top league rival, Playa del Rey St. Bernard 72-58 on Jan. 3. The Cavaliers are seeking a spot in the Southern Section Division IIA playoffs.
North Torrance, however, was the Cinderella Team. After placing last in the Pioneer League in the 2021-22 season, the Saxons, under head coach Will Sett and assistant Ed Azzam (long time successful head coach at Westchester High), won the Pioneer title, then advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division VAA semifinals before falling to Rosemead Bosco Tech and the Southern California Regional quarterfinals before losing to eventual California State Division V champion Lynwood.
So far, the Saxons, who have virtually their entire team back, already easily won their first four Pioneer games and are 13-4 overall. They are ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division IIIA and seeking their first ever CIF crown in their 69-year school history.
Gardena High’s girls’ soccer team enjoyed a banner 2022-23 season. The Lady Panthers finished second, behind champion San Pedro, in the Marine League and advanced to the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division III finals before losing to GALA 3-0 in a heavy rain and hail storm at L.A. Valley College in Van Nuys.
Last spring, without doubt, highlighted Serra’s premiere boys’ and girls’ track and field teams; especially with possible Olympic prospect sprinter Roderick Pleasant. For the second straight year, Pleasant won CIF-State crowns in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at Buchanan High in Clovis. Officially, he tied his personal best time in the 100 at 10.14 seconds in winning the CIF-Southern Section Masters Championships on Moorpark High’s very fast track but, a week earlier in the Division IV Championships, he ran a wind-aided time of 10.09. It was still the fastest ever time in the state under all conditions. His personal best in the 200 was 20.53 in his senior year but, a year earlier as a junior, Pleasant had his personal record at the event in 20.4 he did at the Southern Section Division IV finals at Moorpark High. On June 18 at University of Oregon, where Pleasant is at after finishing his freshman football season and preparing for the Ducks’ track and field season, Pleasant won the national championship in the 100 at 10.21 and was third in the 200 clocking 21.13.
He scored all 20 points for Serra, which finished seventh in state. The Cavaliers were second in Southern Section Division IV, behind Westlake Village Oaks Christian.
Led by Brazil Neal and a few other sprinters and other top athletes, the Lady Cavaliers tied for third place in the state finals with Castaic, finishing behind champion Long Beach Wilson and runner-up Culver City. Neal finished second in the Southern Section and third in California in the 100. Neal also had a third-place finish in the 100 and fifth in the 200 at the national championships at Oregon, where she is now at preparing for the upcoming 2024 season.
If they can be fast enough, one may see them at the United States Olympic Trials, also at Oregon in Eugene, in June seeking spots at the 2024 Olympics beginning in mid-July in Paris, France. If they fail, there is always 2028 in Los Angeles.
Serra also hosted the Women’s National Football Association Los Angeles Legends and it is tackle football. The Legends, head coached by Monique Adams (also head mentor of the Lady Cavaliers flag football) failed to make the playoffs as they finished the season at 2-6 but ended with an 8-6 home win over the Las Vegas Silver Stars on May 20.
Adams, meanwhile, guided Serra’s girls’ flag football team to the League of Champions title with by rallying for a 20-18 victory over Long Beach Poly in January at Redondo High.
Last fall, girls’ flag football got into the CIF as the Cavaliers ended up in second place, behind champion Lakewood St. Joseph, in the Camino Real League. There were no CIF-Southern Section playoffs this past season but will be expected next fall.
Serra’s boys’ tackle football team, behind such standouts as running back Cincere Rhaney, defensive back Dakoda Fields and wide receiver Zacharyus Williams, finished second, behind champion Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, for the second straight season. The Cavaliers started the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs well by defeating Mission League foe La Puente Bishop Amat (48-14) and Los Alamitos (38-28) but saw their luck end after key injuries to Rhaney and Williams, along with three other key starters in falling short in the semifinals at home to Anaheim Servite 28-20 on Nov. 17.
But all eyes were on the amazing Gardena High Panthers. They captured their first Marine League crown since 1974 that included stunning Carson 27-7 (co-champion with Gardena) in a key league showdown on Oct. 20 at Gardena. The Panthers also made it to the prestigious CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division and won their first game at home over Palisades 14-10 before ending their season with a 42-6 semifinal loss to Garfield High in East L.A. on Nov. 17. Head coach Monty Gilbreath, who was named South Bay Coach of the Year by the Daily Breeze, returns most of his players as they seek their first City Major Division crown since 1973. Meanwhile, Gardena’s 1973 squad, then called the Mohicans, had their 50-year reunion that included attending the Panthers’ homecoming game against King-Drew Medical Magnet on Sept. 22.
North Torrance had a mostly young team but surprised observers by winning the Pioneer League title, behind the freshman passing brother duo of quarterback Boogie and wide receiver Kingston Anetema. The Saxons finished at 8-3, including going 5-0 in league, but lost in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division VIII playoffs to Covina Charter Oak 21-14 in overtime. Charter Oak, which entered the playoffs after a 2-8 regular season, made the finals before losing.
Torrance High’s football team, which had mostly down seasons over the past few decades, broke the ice by capturing its first CIF-Southern Section crown in Division X, defeating host West Covina 23-7 on Nov. 25. The Tartars, who finished third in Pioneer play behind champion North and second place Lawndale, ended up falling short to Riverside Ramona 21-16 in the Southern California Regional Division VA Bowl Championship on Dec. 1 at Zamperini Field.
Los Angeles’ professional teams had hard luck, again. The L.A. Dodgers, for the second straight year, fell in the Major League Baseball Divisional Series in a three-game sweep to their National League Western Division foe Arizona Diamondbacks after ending their regular season with another divisional title at 100-62. The Diamondbacks would lose in seven games to the Texas Rangers, led by former Dodger star Corey Seager, in the World Series. Seager won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020 in a game played at the Rangers’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Los Angeles Football Club men’s soccer team, though, advanced to the Major League Soccer finals but fell to the host Columbus Yellowjackets 2-1, denying them their second straight MLS crown. The LAFC won the crown in 2022 over the Philadelphia Union at BMO Stadium.
El Camino College’s men’s soccer team enjoyed their first California State Championship since 1992 and its fourth ever by dominating Cuyamaca College from El Cajon 4-0 in the final last month at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
Despite a fourth-place finish in the National North Conference, the Warrior football squad bounced back to win the Beach Bowl over host Golden West College 22-19 on Nov. 27 in Huntington Beach. El Camino ended its season at 7-4.
Cal State Dominguez Hills’ women enjoyed success in basketball. After capturing the California Collegiate Athletic Association crown, the Lady Toros basketball squad won the NCAA Division II Western Regionals but lost in the quarterfinals of the elite eight in Missouri.
Despite rather disappointing showings in the regular season, both UCLA and University of Southern California football teams did well enough to make bowl games and both made them worthwhile finishing off on good notes. On Dec. 16 at So Fi Stadium in Inglewood, the Bruins topped Boise State University from Idaho 35-22 in the L.A. Bowl. In the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 at Petco Park in San Diego, the Trojans downed Louisville (Kentucky) 42-28, and that was despite both squads being shorthanded due to numerous key players leaving due to transfer portals and the upcoming National Football League draft in April. Both, along with NCAA finalist University of Washington and Oregon, say good bye to the PAC 12, which is expected to unbelievably become the PAC 2 with only Oregon State and Washington State Universities left, and move to the prestigious Big 10, led by other finalist University of Michigan. Both played for the championship last Monday in Houston. The Big 10, though, will have 18 colleges and should be called the Big 18. Four other PAC 12 universities, University of Arizona, University of Colorado, University of Utah, and Arizona State University, will play in the Big 12 (Big 16 for the next few years), while California and Stanford play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
We wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2024.
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Prep Basketball Roundup
Serra ends 10-year drought with win over Bishop Montgomery
By Joe Snyder
Over the past decade, Serra High’s boys’ basketball teams had a big nemesis in Del Rey League rival Bishop Montgomery from Torrance.
Entering last Friday’s Del Rey League rivalry against the Knights, who are faced with a big rebuilding season with a squad that includes five sophomores and four freshmen, head Cavalier coach Bernard McCrumby was looking at high hopes for his first coaching victory over Bishop Montgomery. The previous time Serra defeated the Knights goes back to the 2014 team head coached by the late Dwan Hurt (passed away just hours after the end of Thanksgiving in 2016) when the Cavaliers recorded a 71-70 win.
Since that time, Bishop Montgomery has been dominant that included a CIF-State Open Division crown in 2017. The Knights have been constantly playing their CIF-Southern Section and CIF-State playoffs in either the Open Division or Division I. Last year, Bishop Montgomery made the Southern Section Open Division and the semifinals of the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs before falling to the Bronny James (son of Los Angeles Laker star La Bron James who is now a freshman standout at University of Southern California),-led Sierra Canyon team from Chatsworth. The Trailblazers lost in the regional finals to eventual California state Division I champion Notre Dame High from Sherman Oaks. With a very young squad itself in 2022-23, Serra finished last in the Del Rey League and failed to make the playoffs. This year’s Cavaliers have virtually their entire team back and it showed last Friday as they rallied to win their big league home showdown over the Knights 62-56. With the win, the Cavaliers evened their Del Rey record to 1-1, two days after falling at home to their other top rival, Playa del Rey St. Bernard, 72-58. Serra played both games without sophomore sensation Kayleb Kearse, who was out with a concussion.
Serra (12-7 overall) started the game well, leading most of the first quarter as Maximo Adams, a sophomore transfer from Harbor City Narbonne, scored the Cavaliers’ first nine points. In the second and third periods, though, Bishop Montgomery had several three-point baskets that led the Knights to leading 31-30 at halftime and as many as 11 points in the second quarter and eight in the third period.
After that, the Cavaliers, led by Maximo Adams, Chinemeten Anyilawa and Jeremiah Wilson, got several key baskets, including a few three-pointers, or their own and the young Bishop Montgomery got cold. That resulted into Serra outscoring the Knights 19-10 in the fourth quarter for its six-point win.
“I have confidence in myself,” Adams said after getting the Cavaliers off to a good start. “Our teammates were able to pass the ball well. We had to rebound and we were able to do it in the end.”
Adams led Serra with a game-high 24 points. Wilson added 12 points and Anyilawa chipped in 10.
Bishop Montgomery, which fell to 0-2 in league and 9-8 overall, was sparked by Denis Woods with 16 points and Christian Hall with 13.
On Jan. 3 at Serra, the Cavaliers struggled with St. Bernard, which entered the game ranked No. 2 (behind Redondo) in the South Bay by the Daily Breeze; especially with sophomore Tajh Ariza, son of former National League Basketball player Trevor Ariza, who was with the Los Angeles Lakers when they won their first of back-to-back NBA crowns over the Orlando Magic in the 2008-09 season. That squad was led by the late legendary Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) and head coached by Phil Jackson. Ariza led the Vikings with 16 points that included a pair of dunks in the first half that gave St. Bernard a 42-29 halftime lead.
In the second half, Serra got as close as nine points behind a three-point play by Adams but, from there, the Vikings put the game away. Adams led all scorers with 18 points.
In a Jordan Brand Challenge Classic Saturday at Redondo High, the Cavaliers lost a non-league showdown to Long Beach Poly 62-53.
Serra continued Del Rey action at St. Paul in Santa Fe Springs on Wednesday and visit St. Anthony in Long Beach Friday at 7 p.m. Serra hosts Maranatha High from Pasadena in non-league next Monday at noon before visiting a very good Del Rey newcomer, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey next Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both (St. Anthony and SPXSMA) are, without doubt, two of the top teams in the tough Del Rey.
North Torrance split its two non-league games after falling to host Palos Verdes 51-45 on Jan. 3 before defeating Steele Canyon 62-47 last Friday at a showcase in San Diego.
After hosting El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci Wednesday, the Saxons continue to look to increase their unbeaten Pioneer League record as they visit West Torrance Friday at 7 p.m. North hosts Frederick Price Christian High from the L.A.-Crenshaw District in non-league next Monday (time to be decided) and resume league at home against El Segundo next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Last week, Gardena finished sixth in the San Fernando Valley Classic at Kennedy High in Granada Hills and Grant High in Van Nuys. The Panthers began the classic with a 49-34 win over West L.A. University High on Jan. 2 but, on the next day, fell flat to Layton Christian Academy from Utah 68-21. Last Thursday, Gardena bounced back with a 59-41 win over Arleta but, in the fifth place final, fell short to Venice 42-40.
The Panthers resumed the Marine League at Narbonne on Wednesday before hosting San Pedro Friday at 4:30 p.m. Gardena visits Culver City in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day non-league game Monday at 2:30 p.m. before continuing league at home against Wilmington Banning next Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
In girls’ basketball action, North Torrance won the Marina Classic with wins over King-Drew Medical Magnet (70-41 on Dec. 27), Marlborough (61-46 on Dec. 28) and Lakewood (60-45 on Dec. 29) in Huntington Beach. The Lady Saxons visit West Torrance Friday and host El Segundo next Wednesday in 5:30 p.m. Pioneer League games.
Gardena continued its improved season by winning four of its last seven games. In the Legacy Tournament in South Gate, the Panthers began against cross town rival Serra but fell on the short end of a 54-47 score on Dec. 20. Gardena bounced back by routing South Gate 56-23 on Dec. 21 before falling to an always very good Junipero Serra High squad from San Juan Capistrano 68-28 a day later. The Lady Panthers finished the tournament by rolling over San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea High 53-24.
Last Thursday, Gardena was pitted against the CIF-L.A. City Section’s top-ranked team, Hamilton, and was crushed 71-8. The Panthers bounced back with a 52-43 win over Legacy on Friday.
Gardena visits last year’s CIF-L.A. City Section Division II champion and Southern California Regional Division V finalist San Pedro on the road Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Panthers visit Banning in Wilmington next Wednesday at the same time.
Serra split its two Camino Real League games last week. At St. Joseph High in Lakewood on Jan. 2, the Lady Cavaliers won handily 50-28. On Thursday at Serra, the Cavaliers fell to La Puente Bishop Amat 63-40.
After hosting Bishop Conaty-Loretto from L.A. last Tuesday, Serra hosts Cantwell-Sacred Heart from Montebello next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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CSDH falls to CSLA; splits two other CCAA games
By Joe Snyder
The Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball team started the California Collegiate Athletic Association at 4-0 but lost two of its last three over the previous two weeks.
At the Toro Dome on Dec. 30, Dominguez fell to conference rival Cal State Los Angeles 81-66. Last week, the Toros had two more home games losing last Thursday to Cal State San Bernardino 87-81 before edging Cal Poly Pomona 64-62 on Saturday.
Against Cal Poly Pomona, the Toros (10-4 overall and 5-2 in CCAA play) were led by Alex Garcia with 17 points. Former Chino Hills High standout Andre Ball added 12 points and ex-Serra High standout Jeremy Dent-Smith chipped in 11.
Against Cal State L.A., Ball led Cal State Dominguez with 21 points, followed by Jakob Alamudun with 12, D.J. Guest with 11 and Za-Ontay Boothman with 10. Dent-Smith managed four points against the Golden Eagles, who are 6-1 in conference and 11-2 overall. Dominic Escobar led CSLA with a game-high 24 points. Former Bishop Montgomery High standout Kris Krause had four points.
The Lady Toros, who were in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight after winning the Western Regionals last season, are only 2-3 in conference. They downed Cal State L.A. 81-60 on Dec. 30 but lost both home CCAA games to Cal State San Bernardino 87-81 last Thursday and Cal Poly Pomona 79-56 last Saturday.
