By Joe Snyder
Over the past two seasons, North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team captured the Pioneer League championships and with its 3-0 start, it is looking for even better things.
The Saxons started the 2025-26 season well with wins over Lancaster Eastside in their season opener on Nov. 17 at North, host Narbonne on Nov. 19 and long time CIF-Los Angeles City Section power Westchester last Friday at Westchester.
On Nov. 17, North slipped past Eastside 51-47. Two days later, the Saxons coasted to a 53-41 win over Narbonne. Last Friday, North recorded a 62-49 win over the Comets.
Senior forward Jordan Staub led the Saxons with a game-high 16 points in their win over Narbonne. Also, against the Gauchos, senior Malachi Herrera added 10 points, followed by freshman Devin Dixon with nine.
On top of that, North did that without returning Daily Breeze all-South Bay junior forward Geovanni Gilpen, who is dealing with some health issues.
“We’re young but athletic,” North head coach Wai Sett said.
According to Sett, Dixon had strong rebounding in the Saxons’ wins over Eastside and Narbonne.
North will continue to be in the highly competitive Pioneer. With a lot of returning players, led by also football standout Elias Emerson and Shane Stanfield, along with all-leaguer Chance Lacey, Cash Correra and Cain Hawkins. The Tartars could be looking at their best season since the 2006 squad that advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division IIA championship.
The Saxons are currently in the San Gabriel Valley Thanksgiving Tournament where they opened last Monday against Pacifica Christian High from Santa Monica. North played Eagle Rock on Wednesday and take on Whitter La Serna on Friday.
The Gauchos were led by Brandon Keg with 14 points and Kain Franklin with 10.
Staub led North with 16 points in its win over Eastside.
On Nov. 17, Gardena High’s boys’ basketball team narrowly lost a home game to Sherman Oaks Center of Enriched Studies 62-61.
The game was mostly see-saw but SOCES led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter before the Panthers rallied. Down 62-61, Gardena had two chances but Kaylus McCain missed one of two free throws that could have tied the game. After SOCES inbounded the ball, Gardena had a steal by James Boateng as he passed to Ellary Johnson. He drove to the baseline but missed a floater as SOCES held on.
Gardena is currently in the San Gabriel Valley Thanksgiving Tournament where it began against Neuwest Charter from West L.A. The Panthers host El Segundo in non-league next Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week, Serra played in the Condor Classic at California High in Whittier. The Cavaliers began the classic with a 69-60 loss to the host Condors, who won the CIF-Southern Section Division IVAA championship last season on Nov. 18. A day later, Serra was blown out by South L.A. Washington 86-55 and was edged by Mission Viejo 81-80 last Thursday. Serra finished the classic by defeating Western Christian from Upland 62-53.
Serra (1-3) is currently in the AGBU Tournament in Canoga Park where it began last Monday against Granada Hills Charter. Serra faced Holy Martyrs Armenian on Tuesday and the classic runs through Saturday.
Top players for the Cavaliers included junior Darryl Wasson who averaged 21 points per game and four steals, junior Drew Carter (16 points per game and five assists) and Chinemerem Anyikwa (17 points per game, 11 rebounds).
The Cavaliers host St. Monica Academy from Montrose next Monday at 3 p.m. and visit Downey on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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ECC loses five-OT marathon football game to Mt. SAC
For the second straight year, El Camino College’s football team made the Southern California Regional playoffs and, also, for the second consecutive time, it was at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
The Warriors gave it all they could only to fall on the short end of a 42-40 score in five overtimes in the regional quarterfinals last Saturday.
ECC, which ended its season at 8-3 after going 6-1 in the National Southern Conference, fell behind 17-0. The Warriors came storming back to get within a field goal on a 44-yard touchdown run by Damonte Bias early in the third quarter, cutting the Mounties lead to 24-21.
Mt. SAC, which improved to 10-1, increased its lead to 31-21 on a 51-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daunte Bell to receiver Conrad Tuffly but the Warriors came back and tied the game at 31 behind an 18-yard TD pass from quarterback Andrew Maushard to wide receiver Brandon Jones and a 21-yard field goal from Christian Muan with one second left in regulation sending the game into overtime.
In the first overtime period, the Mounties grabbed a 38-31 advantage on the first play on a 25-yard scoring run by Daman Wiggins but El Camino, again, tied the game at 38 on a 14-yard touchdown run from Bias.
The other overtime featured a group of two-point conversion runs as each had one in the fourth OT period but Mt. SAC adding another in the fifth while the Warriors failed.
In the CIF-Los Angeles City Section prep football playoffs last Friday, host Carson rolled over Garfield High from East L.A. 40-7 to advance to its first final since 2014.
Quarterback Chris Fields III rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown. As aa team, the Colts ran for 270 yards and five TDs.
Carson will play for the L.A. City championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Crenshaw High, which recorded back-to-back upsets over third seed San Pedro 30-0 on Nov. 14 and second seed Lake Balboa Birmingham 12-7 last Friday, at L.A. Southwest College.
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Williams seeks big improvement for GHS football
After Monty Gilbreath stepped down as the Gardena High head football coach after four seasons, his top assistant, Terrence Williams, took over the duties.
The Panthers ended their season at 4-7 overall after a 32-24 overtime loss to host and number-two seed South Gate on Nov. 14, but did compete well in the brutal Marine League, going 2-2 for a third-place finish.
In that game, Gardena held a 24-8 lead through three quarters and appeared to be headed for an upset win in the rain. The Rams, however, bounced back with two touchdowns and two-point conversions in the fourth period to send the game into overtime and scored the winning TD and two-point conversion in the overtime period.
Quarterback Kevin Martinez finished his stellar season with two touchdowns and a scoring pass that started out to receiver Kaleb Morris, who fumbled the ball in the end zone. Teammate Jalen Hudson, however, recovered the ball for the touchdown and the two-point conversion gave the Panthers a 16-8 second-quarter lead. Gardena continued to lead by that score at halftime.
“It was a holy roller play,” Williams said. “It bounced right to him (Hudson).”
Down by eight points in the overtime period, Gardena had a chance to tie the game and send it to the second overtime period as it drove to the 5-yard line. However, Cervante Davis fumbled the ball away as South Gate won the game.
According to Williams, the Panthers had trouble stopping the Rams’ running game.
“We had a difficult time stopping the run,” Williams said on Gardena’s defense.
The Panthers were only 1-4 in non-league due to having some key transfers who had to sit out. Gardena’s only non-league victory was against South Gate Southeast 50-0 on Aug. 28. Its losses were to Encino Crespi (34-0), King-Drew Medical Magnet (30-6), and Santa Monica (35-14). The Panthers had their non-league game against Mervyn Dymally canceled on Sept. 12.
The Panthers began the Marine League with an impressive 29-6 victory over host Banning High on Oct. 3 in Wilmington before falling at home to Carson 49-20 on Oct. 10. The Colts are currently headed to the CIF-L.A. City Section Open Division final against Crenshaw on Saturday at 6 p.m. at L.A. Southwest College. Gardena proceeded to down Narbonne, which is faced with a three-year suspension from postseason play and ended its season at 0-10, 48-26 on Oct. 17 before ending its regular season with a 49-14 homecoming loss to San Pedro on Oct. 24.
Gardena began the L.A. City Section Division I playoffs with a thrilling 30-26 home win over Hamilton before the loss to South Gate.
“We had a lot of turbulence this season,” Williams said.
Gardena will hope to rebound for to become Marine League and City championship contenders in 2026 with most of its players expected to return.
Serra High’s football team also finished a very disappointing season at 4-6 overall and 1-3 in the Mission League and failed to make the CIF-Southern Section playoffs for the first time since 2004.
The Cavalier defense, led by Ohio State University-bound defensive end defensive end Khary Wilder, did well but their young and inexperienced offense struggled, especially due to injuries of top players in Sacramento State University-bound Devohn Moutra, Jr. and junior wide receiver Duvay Williams.
Serra hopes to rebound next season.
North Torrance started off well with a 4-1 non-league record but it was hit with key injuries that saw the defending three-time Pioneer League champion Saxons only go 2-3 in Pioneer play for a fourth-place finish. North lost a 21-20 heartbreaker to host Apple Valley in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoffs. Apple Valley is headed to the championship game on Friday or Saturday.
Torrance High was the top seed in the Southern Section Division V playoffs and it was shocking when it hosted No. 16 seed and Pioneer League rival Redondo in the first round on Nov. 7, a team it defeated 34-24 in league on Oct. 3. The Sea Hawks rebounded to top the Tartars, who entered the playoffs at 10-0, 21-14 and are headed to their first CIF championship game since 1944 against a still amazing small schools power squad in Rio Hondo Prep from Arcadia on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Redondo.
