By Joe Snyder
It was 10 years ago that Serra High’s boys’ basketball team gave its late legendary head coach Dwan Hurt his last CIF-Southern Section title with a Division IVAA crown over Notre Dame High from Sherman Oaks at Azusa Pacific University.
Hurt passed away in his sleep following Thanksgiving of 2016 at just 53 years old.
Last Friday, this year’s edition of the Cavaliers, headed by second-year mentor DeJon Frazier, entered the same place and after numerous struggles against a well-disciplined Pilibos team from Los Angeles, Serra came through with its first Southern Section championship since 2016 with a 57-51 Division V overtime victory.
The Hawks used a stingy and sagging 2-3 zone defense where they raced to a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. In the second period, the Cavaliers held Pilibos to just four points and had 13 themselves to grab a 23-21 halftime lead.
The Hawks led 36-34 after three quarters entering a seesaw fourth period. In the continuous defensive battle, Serra held a 47-40 lead with about 3:30 left in regulation but Pilibos answered with seven unanswered points to tie the game at 47 with 1:47 remaining. There was no scoring the rest of regulation due to the Hawks’ Alex Andnassian missing both free throws with three seconds to go, and the game went into overtime.
Serra went on to outscore Pilibos 10-4 for the win and the championship.
“We stepped up in a big way,” Frazier said. “I trust in my guys.”
The Cavaliers were led by C.J. Anyikwa with a game-high 25 points and 15 rebounds. Drew Carter added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Zach Sams contributed eight points and 13 rebounds.
Serra’s championship meant a lot to the program and the players. After Bernard McCrumby, now head boys’ basketball coach at Playa del Rey St. Bernard High, stepped down as head mentor following the 2023-24 season that saw the Cavaliers advance to the CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA semifinals before falling in overtime to Ventura St. Bonaventure, the program was faced with five coaching changes over the offseason. The result was the Cavaliers’ 0-12 Del Rey League record and 3-23 overall in 2024-25. Throughout the whole preseason, Serra could not play a home game due to repairs on its gym. It’s first home game was its Camino Real League opener on Jan. 2 against Rosemead Bosco Tech with the Cavaliers winning 61-52. The Cavaliers had to win a tiebreaker for the CRL’s final automatic playoff berth as they slipped past southeast L.A. Verbum Dei-Jesuit 54-53. The two teams split their two regular season league games.
“In my sophomore year (two years ago), we made the semifinals,” Anykiwa said. “We had five coaching changes over the summer (2024), and we went 0-12 in league. This year was mostly a roller coaster for us.”
The win moved Serra’s overall record to 21-12 as it prepared for its first round of the Southern California Regional Division III playoff game at third seed Birmingham High in Lake Balboa last Tuesday. The quarterfinals are today; the semifinals on Saturday with the regional championship on March 14. The CIF-State championships will be at the Golden One Arena in Sacramento on March 20 and 21. The Cavaliers are seeded 14th in the 16-team playoffs. The Patriots were a CIF-L.A. City Section Open Division team that lost in the quarterfinals to Fairfax 66-58.
In the Division V semifinals on March 20, Serra outlasted host Vasquez 89-80.
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Lady Panthers succumb to Washington in Div. II final
Gardena High’s girls’ basketball team found top-seeded Washington too much to handle in a 45-31 loss in the CIF-Los Angeles City Division II championship game Friday at L.A. Southwest College.
The loss ended the Lady Panthers’ six-game winning streak, while the Generals captured their first City title since 1996 as they visited Orange High in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division III playoffs last Tuesday.
Gardena, which was No. 2 seed, stayed close to Washington until late in the second quarter as the Generals went on an 11-0 run for a 32-19 halftime lead. The Panthers, known for their outstanding defense, held the Generals to just 13 second half points but could not muster much offense as Gardena scored only 12, including just one in the fourth period. Also in the fourth quarter, Washington had just three points as the two teams combined for four total points in that period.
Sanya Keyes was the only Panther to score in double figures with 12 points. Isabella Sanchez added eight points and Nathalie Torres-Rivas chipped in seven.
Gardena completed its season at 13-15 but was off to a 1-8 start meaning that the Panthers were 12-7 after that. Gardena finished fourth in the Marine League. Washington is 14-2.
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GHS soccer forfeits its playoff run
Due to a player who violated a State CIF bylaw, Gardena High’s boys’ soccer team was removed from the finals of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division III playoffs last week.
After an on-the-field 3-1 semifinal home win over Sun Valley Magnet on Feb. 20, Gardena was high for its championship game against North Hollywood last Saturday at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa. That was until L.A. City Section officials discovered a player playing for club team during the school year, violating CIF bylaw 600. It prohibits players taking part in games other than high school.
The infraction happened back in November when the season started, and it had no impact on the Marine League and the playoffs. The Panthers finished fourth in the Marine League and began the City Division III playoffs as the No. 3 seed. Prior to defeating Sun Valley Magnet on the field, Gardena recorded playoff wins over Hollywood and Animo Pat Brown. North Hollywood went on to shut out Sun Valley Magnet 2-0 for the championship.
Baseball season began on Feb. 20 as Serra displays a 2-1 record as of last Monday. On Feb. 20 at Legacy High in South Gate, Serra won 2-0. On Feb. 23, the Cavaliers hosted Hamilton and rolled over the Yankees 12-4. On Feb. 25, Serra lost its first game to Los Angeles Center of Enriched Studies 5-3.
The Cavaliers began the Del Rey League against Pasadena La Salle at Arcadia Regional Park last Tuesday. After hosting Compton Early College in a non-league game today at 3 p.m., Serra resumes league at home against power La Puente Bishop Amat Friday at 3 p.m. The Cavaliers visit St. Paul in Santa Fe Springs Tuesday at 3:15 p.m.
North Torrance finished 2-2 in the El Segundo Tournament. At San Pedro on Feb. 21, the Saxons topped the Pirates 7-4. On Feb. 24, North lost a 4-1 home game to Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula. A day later at South East in South Gate, the Saxons rolled to a 17-0 win. At North last Saturday, the Saxons lost to cross town rival South Torrance 4-3 in 10 innings.
North visited Leuzinger in Lawndale on Wednesday before opening the Pioneer League at home against El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Saxons have four non-league games at Whittier Christian in La Habra Saturday at 10 a.m., at defending CIF-L.A. City Division I champion Carson Monday at 3 p.m., at home against Royal High from Simi Valley Tuesday at 3 p.m. and home against Santa Monica New Roads next Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. before resuming Pioneer action at El Segundo on March 13 at 3:30 p.m.
Gardena is 0-2-1 after three games. At Gardena on Feb. 20, the Panthers lost to Jordan High from Watts 13-10. Gardena played two other non-league games at home where they fell to Huntington Park Marquez 10-4 on Feb. 23 before battling to an 8-8 tie with Environmental Charter last Friday.
The Panthers visit Westchester Friday at 3 p.m. before hosting Environmental Charter Saturday at 11 a.m. Next Monday, Gardena is at home against Fremont from South L.A. starting at 4 p.m.
