ROUNDUP: Hills teams in for wild title ride
- Updated: January 31, 2018
Steele Canyon's KOBE SANDERS and Grossmont's DAMARI CRAWFORD battle for a rebound. / photo by Don De Mars Photography
Steele Canyon’s GAGE SANDERS puts up a shot against Grossmont on Tuesday. The Foothillers won the Grossmont Hills League contest, 73-65. / photo by Don De Mars Photography
2018 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
EastCountySports.com staff report
The Grossmont Hills League title chase may have a couple of lead contenders, but none of the teams within reach of a championship patch have a clear-cut path to putting up a banner. Teams will likely have to hold serve at home, then pull off one or two important road wins during the second half of the season.
Teams will likely have to hold serve at home, then pull off one or two important road wins during the second half of the season.
Tuesday night’s results revealed some clues, but no teams seem immune to the upset bug in this wacky circuit.
WEST HILLS 54, VALHALLA 48 – West Hills remained in contention for the Grossmont Hills League championship with a key road win over the Norsemen.
West Hills (13-7) improved to 3-2 in league play, just a half-game out of first place.
The Wolf Pack opened up a 16-point first-half lead with excellent ball movement and good transition baskets.
West Hills senior CAM BARRY had 24 points, while senior teammate ADAM DILLON had 10 points and four rebounds.
Barry had three three-pointers in the first half and made four of seven threes overall. He also had nine rebounds.
West Hills led 30-18 at halftime.
The Norsemen put together a mild rally by forcing a series of turnovers in the third quarter that helped them pull to within 40-34.
MATTHEW MCDONALD had four key points in the fourth quarter for West Hills.
Senior star RAMZI SULTAN led Valhalla with 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter
TY SCHIMKE added 15 points for the Norsemen.
TREY WIMS added nine points for Valhalla.
No game is easy in the Hills League.
West Hills travels to face Steele Canyon on Friday at 7.
HELIX 72, GRANITE HILLS 41 – Helix moved into a tie for first in the Grossmont Hills League with a convincing road win over the Eagles.
Sophomore MAURICE HOLMES scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Highlanders, while senior teammate JAYLEN HINSON had 14 points.
Seniors AMARI GREEN and CARSON BAKER both chipped in with 10 points for Helix. Baker added eight rebounds and four assists.
BRADLEY DUNN had nine points and 14 rebounds for the Scotties.
“We started sluggish buy ended up playing well,” Helix coach BRENNAN CASSADY said. “Dunn had a good game rebounding.”
Helix (14-8) and Granite are both 3-1 in the GHL and hold a half-game lead over contenders West Hills and Grossmont.
Helix will travel to face Grossmont this Friday at 7 at the Hillers’ gym, while the Eagles will travel to face Valhalla, which will surely be up to the challenge in this one despite its winless league mark.
Steele Canyon’s JAMES PONDERS drives against Grossmont on Tuesday evening. / photo by Don De Mars Photography
GROSSMONT 73, STEELE CANYON 65 – The Foothillers handled their business against the visiting Cougars to quietly remain in serious contention for the championship through the first go-round.
Grossmont won its third-straight game to remain just a half-game back of the two league leaders.
Grossmont improved to 3-2 league and 12-10 overall.
The Foothillers will now have a huge game at home on Friday night at 7 p.m. which shapes up to be their biggest game of the season-to-date.
Steele Canyon fell to 2-3 in league and 8-7 overall.
While the Cougars may have suffered a serious dent to their title chances, don’t expect them to lose any fight.
Steele Canyon’s league title shot is a long one with four teams now ahead of them, but its focus will still surely be straight-ahead as they are just a couple of notches inside the playoff bubble in Division 2 and earning wins in games in which they are rated lower than their opponent will go a long way into securing a playoff berth.
CHRISTIAN 52, POINT LOMA 34 – The Eastern League-leading Patriots slammed the doggie door on the Pointers early, putting them out with an 11-2 deficit after the first quarter at Ryan Center.
Christian led 20-13 at halftime, making it still a game.
However, the Pats stretched the lead to 15 points, 39-24, at the end of three.
Christian is now 6-1 in league, a half-game in front of second-place Serra, and 13-8 overall.
Christian travels to face Coronado on Friday at 7 p.m. for a league battle.
