ROUNDUP: Matadors, Eagles, Wolf Pack get key league wins

By Bill Dickens
Updated: February 4, 2017

Santana warms up at Mount Miguel on Friday night. / photo by Tammy Ryan

2016-17 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

SPRING VALLEY (2-4-17) — Mount Miguel continued its chase of front-running Granite Hills (6-0 in league, 19-5 overall) with a narrow escape of Santana (2-4, 14-9) Friday night (Feb. 3) in the Matadors’ gym.

The Matadors (5-1, 11-9) closed the gap to one game against undefeated Granite Hills, which defeated El Cajon Valley earlier in the evening.

DARIAN NORWOOD carried the charge for Mount Miguel with a double-double of 24 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals.

JAMES ALLEN added 10 points.

“Santana played hard,” said Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT. “After we just came off a tough loss two days ago (to Granite Hills, lost by 2) my kids made just enough plays to win. A league win is a league win.”

Mount Miguel will play Otay Ranch at Montgomery in a Coaches vs. Cancer contest on Saturday (Feb. 4) at noon.

Mount Miguel: Darian Norwood 24 (14 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), James Allen 10, Devon Brown 6 (3 reb), Ricky Harvey 7 (4 reb), Mikeece Dunbar 6 (3 reb, 1 stl), Marquise Edwards 4 (7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Marquis Neal 3 (1 ast), Justice Chima 1 reb, 1 stl), Mugabe Miller (1 ast, 2 stl), Raymond Lucas (1 reb).

Santana: TC Simmons 17 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Nick Berhalter 15 (7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Cole Kincade 12 (9 reb, 3 ast), Andrew Hitchcock 17 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Ben Hart 2 (7 reb, 2 ast), Simone Maritano (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk).

HELIX 76, STEELE CANYON 36 – It was an ugly outing for host Steele Canyon as undefeated Helix maintained its stride for the Grossmont Hills League title by knocking off the Cougars on Friday (Feb. 3) in Cougar Canyon.

MILES NORRIS led Helix with 20 points, while JAYLEN ARNOLD pitched in 14.

DYLAN LEE added 13 and AMARI GREEN and CARSON BAKER each scored 9 points.

“We haven’t been able to shoot the ball at all in the last three games,” said Steele Canyon coach DEREK STEPHENS. “During that stretch, we lost on two buzzer beaters.”

Helix rode its usual balanced attack.

The game was tied 20-20 at halftime, but the Highlanders took over on the strong inside play of Norris with 8 blocks.

“Steele Canyon kept trying to drive to the basket and Norris kept rejecting their efforts,” Helix assistant coach JIM WEDGE said.

GAGE SANDERS led the Cougars with 11 points, but no one else scored in double digits.

Helix: Miles Norris 20, Jaylen Arnold 14, Dylan Lee 13, Amari Green 9, Carson Baker 9, Isaiah Wooden 5, Ilias Beltz 2, Maurice Holmes 2, Javon Davis 2.

Steele Canyon: Gage Sanders 11, De’Angelo Lewis 6, Thomas Fishburne 6, Tyler Smith 6, Kobe Sanders 3, Dillon DeForest 3, Landon Schirer 2, Darrin Spence 1.

GRANITE HILLS 71, EL CAJON VALLEY 30 – The night belonged to Granite Hills’ 5-foot-10 senior guard JORDEN ROGERS, who rang up 31 points as the Eagles plowed under El Cajon Valley on Friday (Feb. 3) in a Grossmont Valley League encounter.

Rogers hit 10 of 19 from the floor, including 6 treys and was 5 for 5 from the free throw line in his record run. He also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

CAMERON SPITZER shoved in 10 points, handed out 9 assists, robbed 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

“It’s one thing about this team, and it’s unselfish,” said Eagles coach RANDY ANDERSON. “We play so well together.”

That included Granite Hills post RYAN KELLY who poured in 18 points, dished 4 assist and grabbed a block.

Granite Hills: Jorden Rogers 31 (5 reb, 5 ast), Ryan Kelly 14 (8 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk), Cameron Spitzer 10 (3 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl), Moses Smith 4 (1 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk), Austin Ballo 3 (3 reb), Guevera 3 (1 stl), Xsavier Smith 2 (4 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk), Aspen Foshee 2 (1 reb), Cody Cox 2 (2 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Aaron Cobb (1 stl), Atticus Jordan (1 ast).

MONTE VISTA 55, EL CAPITAN 38 – It’s been a long season for the Monte Vista Monarchs, but the Monarchs’ shift of offensive approach helped Monte Vista take a 10-2 lead in the first quarter of Friday night’s (Feb. 3) Grossmont Valley League contest against El Capitan.

Monte Vista came out of chute with a new face – that being baseball infielder ANDREW GONZALEZ – who nailed 4 three-pointers to launch Monte Vista to an early lead over the El Capitan Vaqueros.

DEONDRE McHAYLE added 8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals to upend the Vaqueros.

“El Capitan came at us with a box-and-one but Gonzalez was able to overcome it,” said Monte Vista coach MIKE TULLY. “Gonzalez shot the ball so well that their strategy was not effective.”

Monte Vista: Andrew Gonzalez 14, Amir Conley 9, Deondre McHayle 8 (7 reb, 7 ast, 7 stl), David Garcia 5, Arman Johnson 2, Andrew Canty 1.

El Capitan: No roster or scoring provided.

WEST HILLS 62, GROSSMONT 50 – West Hills used triple-double power to edge Grossmont in a battle for the second spot in the Grossmont Hills League.

West Hills is putting the rush on but the Wolf Pack is aware that it needs two more wins in the regular season.

The game was tied with 41-all with 2½ minutes remaining, but the Wolf Pack, on the strength of MARQUELL COOL and NATHAN BALL, led the Pack down the stretch to win it.

MARQUELL COOL paced the Pack with 19 points, while NATHAN BALL pitched in 18.

CAMERON BARRY added 13 points, and CHRIS MOYER was big on the boards with 17 rebounds.

MORGAN STIDUM led Grossmont with 11, while HUNTER MULDER added 10 points.

West Hills: Marquell Cool 19 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Nathan Ball 18 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Cameron Barry 13 (2 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl), Chris Moyer 7 (17 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk), Adam Dillion 5 (3 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Tyler Brower (1 reb), Brandon Peterson (1 ast).

Grossmont: Morgan Stidum 11 (2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Hunter Mulder 10 (7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jamie Odom 9 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Austin Odom 8 (3 reb, 1 ast), Hunter Gaines 8 (7 reb), Damageae Gant 2 (2 reb), Desain Crawford 2 (1 ast, 1 stl).

POINT LOMA 62, CHRISTIAN 56 – Christian has scrambled all year long but haven’t been able to overtake 1^st place Coronado or 2^nd place Point Loma.

Christian High’s championship chances faltered Friday night (Feb. 3) as the Patriots fell to the Pointers to fall into fourth place as Coronado holds a two-game lead for the Central League title. University City is now in third place.

“We outplayed them in the second half but we couldn’t get the lead from them,” said Patriots assistant coach TIM BROWN.

NaSHOM CARTER pumped in 23 points to pace the Patriots, while DOMANIC SAFARTA pitched in 14, including 4 three-pointers and JACKSON LARSON added 10.

Christian: NaShom Carter 23 (3 reb, 5 ast), Domanic Safarta 14 (4 reb, 2 ast), Jackson Larsen 10 (6 reb, 2 ast), Daniel Welch 4 (8 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk), Javier Jimenez 4 (3 reb, 1 ast), Patrick Roberts (2 reb, 1 stl), Jack Mason (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl).