By Andrew Smith
© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (3-8-12) — No matter how bad things seem to appear, you can never count Foothills Christian High out of anything.

After proving their point to San Diego CIF Division V opponents by again being crowned section champions for the fifth time in six seasons, the Knights were looking to take their case state-wide against California Lutheran of Windomar in Wednesday (Mar. 7) night's opening round of the state playoffs at Mount Miguel High School.

The start the C-Hawks got out to though was totally unscripted and left the Knights in astonishment, turning out to be eventually too much for them to overcome and they succumbed to a 66-58 defeat.

“Their first half was crazy,” said Foothills Christian senior ANDRE JOHNSON. “Not since we played Patrick Henry have I seen a team come out and shoot like that against us.”

What he was referring too was quite astounding from a spectator's view. Cal Lutheran made nine of it's first eleven shots on it's way to building a 24-5 lead after one quarter and ended the half holding a twenty one point lead on a gaudy 68 percent clip from the field.

“When we had the big lead at half I had a long talk with my team,” Cal Lutheran head coach Dave Peters said of his halftime speech.

“I told our guys that they were going to do either one or two things in the second half and possibly both – attack us and try to get to the line as much as possible and penetrate to open up some three-point attempts,” he added after seeing Foothills climb right back into things.

The closest the Knights got in the third quarter was 16 points, but they weren't about to admit checkmate any time soon.

Johnson scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the final frame and recorded 7 of his career-high 10 steals after intermission which raised security levels inside the gym to threatening.

“Once DALTON MOSSER got hurt we knew we had to play scrappy, start diving for more balls, with everyone crashing the boards and playing unselfish as a team to win games,” sophomore CALEB HOFFMAN said of the blueprint.

When the C-Hawks’ lead trimmed to 10 points with three minutes to play Hoffman nailed a triple and then stole an inbound pass for the hoop and the harm to post 6 of his 13 points in just nine seconds to close the gap to 60-56.

“That's exactly how we approached the second half,” said Hoffman. “Once our shots started to finally fall we we're playing our best two quarters of the season, but unfortunately you have to play all four for it to matter in the long run.”

The Knights failed to inch any closer after that point and were forced to start fouling as they fell just short of a miracle.

“We knew they were capable of coming back,” Peters professed. “Anytime a team possesses the ability to shoot from outside the game is never out of reach, so we just tried to hang on for dear life.”

“All the downs we had as a team no matter what the outcome was tonight I'm definitely proud of our team,” Johnson said afterward. “That's how strong our bond is and I love all my teammates.”

Foothills Christian: Andre Johnson 29 (6 reb, 2 ast, 10 stl, 3 blk), Caleb Hoffman 13 (4 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl), Nick Loudon 6 (6 reb, 3 ast), Ricky Adams 6 (4 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk), Joe Buenrestro 2 (1 stl, 1 blk), A.J. Hoffman 2 (1 ast, 1 stl), Johnny Van Ommering (1 reb).

Foothills Christian goes Five for V
Knights' fifth section crown may be their most unlikely

By Andrew Smith
© East County Sports.com
ALCALA PARK (3-3-12) — When the final buzzer sounded at the Jenny Craig Pavilion for the San Diego CIF Division V championship game, players from the Foothills Christian Knights were walking to their bench battered and bruised.

Having seen the defensive battle the Knights were engaged in all night, it came as no surprise to anyone in attendance that they all were moving slow and limping afterwards.

Although they were obviously wounded they weren't beaten as they fought through offensive struggles and won their fifth Division V title in six years with a 44-36 jousting of The Rock Academy (18-10).

“Trust me, I won't be out dancing tonight my leg hurts so bad,” sophomore CALEB HOFFMAN said after collecting a game-high 13 rebounds and also badly tweaking an ankle.

Having lost DALTON MOSSER to a wrist injury just prior to the playoffs the Knights’ offense didn't exactly know where they would be headed without East County's scoring leader (28 ppg) and one of their most lethal weapons on the floor.

Both teams struggled in the early going offensively as they seemed a little too excited. The Knights (20-11) missed their first five shots from the field and trailed 8-3 midway through the first quarter.

The dribble-drive by Foothills Christian's Andre Johnson, who shared team scoring honors with 15 points in the CIF Division V title game. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

After that they used a 23-5 run over the next nine minutes and grew a 26-13 lead thanks to the outside shooting of ANDRE JOHNSON and NICK LOUDON.

“That's the fun part of being on this team,” Hoffman added. “You never know who's gonna step up night after night. Today Andre and Nick just took over and that's the best part because you never know when your number is going to be called so you just have to be ready.”

Loudon scored all 15 of his points from behind the arc, going 5-of-12 from deep, but Johnson was the Knights’ main offensive threat all night. So when he collected his fourth foul with 5:51 remaining in the third quarter, their offense went on stand-by.

“I knew I put them in a bad position at that point,” Johnson said. “If we were going to win, I knew I had to play smarter once I got back in.”

It didn't help that just one minute later Hoffman badly sprained his ankle, but eventually was able to return to action.

“We have people that step up in any occasion so losing them at that point just meant we had to play smarter as a team and just maintain our composure,” Knights senior RICKY ADAMS explained. “We always have the next guy there ready to rise up to the occasion.”

Adams fouled out with fourminutes remaining failing to register a point, but made it tough on the small Warriors' guards all night to get to the rim.

“Ricky played his butt off tonight for us,” Johnson said as he watched from the bench in foul trouble. “He was all over the place and got us all the hustle points that don't show up in the box score.”

Having failed to score a point in the final 5 minutes of the third, Loudon nailed his first shot of the 4th quarter to push their lead to 36-26, but they wouldn't score again until JOE BUENRESTRO drove to the hoop and made an acrobatic lay-in.

“They were playing a zone and I just got lucky on the skip pass,” he admitted. “I faked on the pass and just went up with it.”

The following possession Loudon hit his fifth triple of the night, pushing the lead back up to 8 with less than 90 seconds to play and the victory was all but sealed.

“I was ineligible last year so I had to watch them lose from the bench,” Loudon remembered. “So this one is extra special, bringing the title back to Foothills when everyone doubted we could do it.”

Foothills Christain (20-11) anticipates hosting a CIF State playoff south regional game on Wednesday.

Foothills Christian: Andre Johnson 15 (8 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Nick Loudon 15 (2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Caleb Hoffman 8 (13 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Joe Buenrestro 4 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Johnny Van Ommering 2, Ricky Adams (6 reb, 1 stl), A.J. Hoffman (4 reb).

Sophomore guard CALEB HOFFMAN didn't respond to the critics, but kept all those thoughts in the back of his head before entering Tuesday (Feb. 28) night’s San Diego CIF semifinal game against San Diego Jewish Academy.

“After DALTON MOSSER went down everyone around kept saying that we were done, that we would be out before you know it,” Hoffman said as he entered the game as the Knights leading scorer in the playoffs, averaging 23 points in the first two rounds.

He will be the first one to admit though that he's not a scorer, but a facilitator and he more than proved his point dishing out a game-high 7 assists to his hot shooting teammates and the Knights will be playing for their fifth championship in six years after taming the Lions, 49-40.

Foothills Christian (19-11) will meet The Rock Academy on Friday (Mar. 2) at 4 p.m. at USD. The Rock, the second seeds, gained its first-ever finals appearance after holding off Vincent Memorial of Calexico, 62-50.

Obviously trying to avoid that same scenario, the Lions wanted everyone else around them other than those two to beat them, and that's exactly what happened.

Foothills Christian's Andre Johnson slices through the defense, converting this scoop shot in a 49-40 victory over San Diego Jewish Academy. With the victory, the Knights advanced to the Division V championship game against The Rock Academy. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

“They played a hard trap on us all night up top,” head coach BRAD LEAF diagrammed. “Once we broke that, the soft spot was in the corners and our outside shooting was phenomenal tonight.”

That hot streak began early as the Knights raced out to a 23-1 lead after one quarter thanks to five money-balls from downtown. One from Hoffman, another from senior RICKY ADAMS and a trio from the offensive hero of the night NICK LOUDON.

“Nick really bailed us out tonight he was amazing,” Hoffman said after watching him net six 3-balls on the night. “He caught the ball and shot it with absolutely no hesitation, nailing big shot after big shot.”

Leaf gave high praise to his role players.

“Ricky is only averaging about one a game and Nick is maybe making two a game for us,” he said. “So to see them combine to make nine that's 18 extra points for us right there.”

When the Lions finally clawed their way back into things Loudon had saved his best for last. With the Knights holding a 37-32 lead he went on to make his next three attempts as he nailed a pair of treys and hit a layup on a dish from Hoffman that eventually put SDJA into panic mode as they were forced to start fouling.

“That fourth quarter was crazy,” said Loudon after finishing with a game-high and career best 20 points. “Thank God I was just able to step it up and now we have a chance to play for it all.”

The Matadors' Thomas Butler hits on this baseline jumper over Mission Bay's James Cloud (10). (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Mount Miguel's Izzy Wagner (1) gets doubled-up under the basket against Mission Bay (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Mission Bay senior Jerald Albritton. (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

After winning four straight titles the Knights finally got tripped up in the finals last year against Horizon, but the memory still lingers.

“I'm so pumped to get back there after losing last season,” admitted Hoffman. “Getting to play in a college type atmosphere I'm really just gonna go out and enjoy myself. Hopefully I'll come home with a ring.”

Foothills Christian: Nick Loudon 20 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Andre Johnson 10 (7 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk), Ricky Adams 9 (6 reb, 2 stl), Caleb Hoffman 8 (5 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Joe Buenrestro 2 (4 reb), A.J. Hoffman (1 reb, 1 ast), Johnny Van Ommering (1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-29-12) — For the third time in as many years, the Mount Miguel Matadors reached the San Diego CIF Div. III semifinals. For the second time they failed to take that final step to Jenny Craig Pavilion and the championship.

Not to be forgotten is Mount Miguel (24-7) did claim the SDCIF Division III crown in 2010.

“That’s nothing to discount,” Matadors coach JAY ROWLETT said.

Yet disappointment reigned supreme when host Mount Miguel fell short in Tuesday’s (Feb. 28) semifinals, falling to Mission Bay, 55-49.

“We played hard – just didn’t get it done,” said Rowlett, recalling how his squad edged the Bucs 59-53 last month.

Where the Matadors didn’t get it done was inside the paint. Mission Bay bounced them 31-18 on the boards. Senior CORY LITTLETON put up a physical struggle around the basket, but was simply outnumbered by the taller Buccaneers.

Matadors guards IZZY WAGNER and MARCUS BOOKER did their best trying to carry the club from the perimeter. Wagner nailed 8 of 14 shots, making two from beyond the arc and totaled a game best 19 points. Booker finished with 15 points with a pair of treys and 5 of 6 free throws.

THOMAS BUTLER, a key member of the Matadors’ three-pronged offensive attack, did not score in the first half. He tallied 8 of his 10 points in the 3rd quarter as Mount Miguel took a 38-36 edge into the final period. He did most of his damage from the charity stripe where he was 6-for-6.

“We can’t expect to beat a good team when Thomas scores 2 baskets (in 8 shots),” Rowlett said.

Add to the fact that Butler had but one rebound – he averages 5.5 – only added to the Matadors frustration.

Mount Miguel once led by as many as 7 points early in the third quarter, but never kicked it into high gear.

“It’s disappointing knowing that we don’t have practice tomorrow,” Rowlett lamented. “It’s been a great season. We just came up a little bit short.”

For Mission Bay (18-7), Jerald Albritton and Vince Petties-Wilson each poured in 14 points.

Mount Miguel: Izzy Wagner 19 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Marcus Booker 15 (5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Thomas Butler 10 (1 reb, 2 ast), Cory Littleton 5 (8 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Tony Wills (2 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Malcolm Jackson (1 stl).

Mount Miguel guard Izzy Wagner drives for the lane for a bucket against Imperial. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Wagner obtains another dimension By Bill Dickens © East County Sports.com SPRING VALLEY (2-25-12) — Recognized for his 3-point shooting expertise, Mount Miguel High junior guard IZZY WAGNER wanted to make it be known that he is more than a one-dimensional player. He made that clear to visiting Imperial in Friday’s (Feb. 24) San Diego CIF Division III quarterfinals captured by the Matadors, 70-57. “I don’t base my game only on offense,” said Wagner, who rang up a game-high 27 points to send the Matadors (24-6) into Tuesday’s (Feb. 28) Division III semifinals against Mission Bay. “I focus on defense and ball-handling, too.” The 5-foot-11 Wagner landed 5 of Mount Miguel’s 10 three-pointers in the contest, giving him 53 treys for the season. He was 9-for-17 from the field overall and 4-for-6 from the foul line. “I probably take 2,000 three-point shots between practice and on my own every week,” Wagner said. “I’m willing to lose sleep for success. I want to be successful as much as I want to breathe.” Not to be overlooked was Wagner’s defense, which featured a season best 7 steals against the Tigers (19-9). Mount Miguel came out blazing, hitting 6 three-pointers in the opening period for a 24-14 lead. The bulk of the damage was done from long range as MARCUS BOOKER, THOMAS BUTLER and Wagner each hit 2 treys apiece. “I don’t mind shooting a lot of 3-pointers but that’s really not our style,” said Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT. “But as long as they’re falling like they were tonight I guess that’s OK.” The Matadors were 10 of 18 from beyond the arc, including one by reserve JAZ WOODARD that helped Mount Miguel open up a 28-16 lead in the second period. “I love an up-tempo game like this,” Wagner said. Mount Miguel extended its advantage to 41-25 on 5 points by Wagner with 6:45 left in the 3rd period. But the Imperial Valley League champion Tigers kept clawing back. The visitors never drew closer than 10 thereafter. As strong as Mount Miguel was from the perimeter, the work of 6-foot-4 senior center CORY LITTLETON was outstanding inside the paint. Littleton, a two-time Grossmont Valley League football player of the year, displayed his might as he wrestled down 14 rebounds to go with 15 points and 4 steals. Ten of Littleton ’s rebounds came on the offensive glass, which led to six scores by the Matadors. “When we play a team that’s smaller than us we want to dominate inside,” said Littleton. “They were exactly what we expected, but that doesn’t mean they were easy to beat. But as long as we play our game we know we can beat a lot of teams.” No doubt the most exciting match-up of the night pitted Littleton against Imperial’s Royce Freeman, a muscular 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore and standout running back for the Tigers. “It was physical in there,” Littleton said. “And that guy’s a great player.” Freeman finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Booker added 11 points and 6 assists for the Matadors, while Butler finished with 8 points (all in the 1st quarter) and 8 rebounds. TONY WILLS scored all his 5 points in the 4th quarter as Mount Miguel held off the Tigers’ bid for a comeback. “We started out hot but our defensive intensity wasn’t there until the 3rd quarter,” said Rowlett. “We had too many defensive lapses which led to transition baskets, too many layups. If we expect to advance to the finals we can’t allow that to happen.” Mount Miguel: Izzy Wagner 27 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl), Cory Littleton 15 (14 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Marcus Booker 11 (6 ast, 2 stl), Thomas Butler 8 (8 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Tony Wills 5 (1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Jaz Woodard 3 (2 reb), Marcellus Jones 1, Malcolm Jackson (1 reb).   Another Foothills' Final Four berth By Bill Dickens © East County Sports.com SPRING VALLEY (2-25-12) — Most teams that lose a senior leader averaging 28 points per game can usually kiss their season goodbye. PHOTOS All the reserves in the world could not make up for the point totals, let alone the leadership value. But when Foothills Christian senior DALTON MOSSER broke his wrist in an off-the-court mishap, he has turned into a pretty good cheerleader as the Knights continue to win despite his absence. “No question, losing Mosser hurt us,” said 6-foot sophomore point guard CALEB HOFFMAN. “It’s obviously made it tougher for us but we’ve just had to adjust to it.” And so the Sunset League champion Knights (18-11) have, posting a 3-1 record without their fearless leader. Their latest conquest was a 55-47 San Diego CIF Division V quarterfinal knockout of Escondido ’s Calvin Christian on Friday (Feb. 24) at Mount Miguel High. After moseying out to a 12-11 first quarter lead the Knights outscored the Crusaders 8-1 in the 2nd period and were never in serious trouble thereafter. “Losing Mosser was an obvious impact,” said 6-foot-2 senior ANDRE JOHNSON, who scored a game-high 26 points against Calvin Christian (12-14). “But realistically it’s just one less player on the floor. You can only play with five at a time. What it meant is the rest of us had to intensify our game the rest of the way.” Caleb Hoffman nailed 7 of 15 shots from the field, including a pair of treys. He was also 7-for-8 from the free throw line for 23 points and led the Knights on the boards by collecting 10 caroms. “I don’t think of myself as a bigtime scorer,” Hoffman said. “I’m the facilitator. It’s my job to distribute the ball.” Hoffman praised Johnson, who was 7-for-14 from the floor and 10-for-12 from the free throw line. “Andre did such a good job of penetrating, throwing in layups and drawing fouls,” Hoffman commented. Johnson was 10-for-12 from the charity stripe, the majority coming on 9-for-11 chances in the final quarter. Caleb also scored 7 of his points in the final period as the Knights thwarted the Crusaders’ comeback bid. Foothills Christian: Andre Johnson 26 (5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Caleb Hoffman 23 (10 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Nick Loudon 3 (3 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Ricky Adams 3 (5 reb, 1 stl), Joe Buenrestro (4 reb, 2 stl), A.J. Johnson (3 reb, 1 ast). Mount Miguel ass't. principal Dan Santos "breaks all union rules" by doing some quick maintenance in the gymnasium. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com)

By Andrew Smith
© East County Sports.com
GOLDEN TRIANGLE (2-25-12) — The Christian Patriots could have thrown in the towel early. On the road in the San Diego CIF Division IV quarterfinals Friday (Feb. 24) night after one quarter they had just taken No. 3 seed La Jolla Country Day's best shot. The Torreys had pushed them into a corner with their backs against the ropes, but they refused to go down without a fight.

Facing a 15-point halftime deficit, the Patriots (17-8) swung their way back into things and with 2½ minutes left in the game they were a blown layup away from making it a three-point contest, but it was officially time to call “no mas” on their season after suffering a 65-53 knockout.

Senior JASON GAINES made no excuses and had no explanation for the Patriots first half struggles.

“They came out and played their game like they wanted to play it,” said Gaines. “They want to run and play up-and-down. We just couldn't stop them.”

It seemed like everything the Torreys (18-9) threw at the rim in the first half hit nothing but the bottom of the net as they shot 65 percent from the floor and connected on five triples.

Christian's offense took a big hit when SHANE DILLON had to end his season with shoulder surgery, but his impact was still felt on the court. Gaines wore his number 23 to pay homage to his fallen teammate and Dillon fired them up at intermission.

“We didn't play hard defensively like we normally do in the first half and Shane really fired us up in the locker room at halftime,” admitted junior MICHAEL LeTOUZIC, who collected 6 rebounds that all came after the break. “He told us 'someone has to bring some energy out there' so instead of just one person bringing it out we all took it personally and brought it as a team.”

The Torreys lead grew to 47-24 though when the offense struggled to make any noise with their defense locked in on Gaines.

Nick Schlossberg, who also was a linebacker for the football team, was given the duties of face guarding Gaines thanks to some advance scouting.

“We knew some of his tendencies and put a stronger kid on him than normal,” said LJCD's head coach Ryan Meier. “Our philosophy was to put our best defender on him and make everyone else beat us, but more importantly when he drove to the basket we wanted two or three guys there to surround him.”

The plan worked for the most part until he drove and was fouled hard and thrown to the ground. A technical was assessed on the Torreys, but more it was like a switch had been flipped and the light had just turned on as the Patriots suddenly looked like a completely different team.

Gaines calmly swished four straight free throws as his finished the game with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assist, but on the inside he was fuming.

“There's only so much I can take when I get fouled hard and he extended both arms,” Gaines said. “That definitely got us amped up a little more.”

Struggling all night to connect from long range Christian's role players finally started to make some shots.

STEPHEN JOHNSTON and PHILLIP GEORGE both hit one and JAKE LARSEN nailed a pair. Larsen ended with 13 points as he hit 3-of-4 from downtown while also playing some tough tight defense on the Torreys' main ball handler.

“Jake had his best game of the year tonight,” said coach KELVIN STARR.

The 23 point cushion the Torreys once had was trimmed down to five when TRENTON SAULS took a charging call late, but an opportunity slipped through the Patriots' hands when a layup was missed and they were forced to start fouling after the Torreys made a pair of shots, pushing the lead back to double digits.

“In the end I'm proud of all the adversity this team has fought through,” Starr said. “This group has only been together 10 days since Shane went down so I'm extremely proud of how they fought back tonight.”

Christian: Jason Gaines 20 (6 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl), Jake Larsen 13 (5 reb, 4 ast), Phillip George 8 (1 reb), Michael LeTouzic 4 (6 reb), Tyler Ballard 3 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Stephen Johnston 3 (1 reb, 1 ast), Trenton Sauls 2 (6 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl).

HOOVER 75, MONTE VISTA 45 — In the loaded San Diego CIF Division II field, the 6th-seeded Monarchs wanted to prove they belonged among the likes of top-seeded La Costa Canyon, No. 2 Lincoln and their opponents, the third-seeded and host Hoover Cardinals, a section finalist five times over the past six seasons with three titles.

For almost the entire first half, Monte Vista (22-7) played virtually even with Hoover, tied at 19-all midway through the second quarter and only trailing by a few baskets, 33-27, at the intermission.

But there's something about the second half which ignites the Cardinals. In a pattern repeated by the ballclub all season long, a 10-0 run to open the third quarter and a relentless press would allow Hoover (28-4) to pull away to gain yet another San Diego Section final four berth.

Hoover will tangle with historic rival Lincoln in Tuesday's (Feb. 28) semifinals. The teams have met in the championship contest in each of the past two seasons, with the Hornets winning each time (including a run to the 2010 state crown).

"This was a typical scenario for us," said Hoover guard Christopher Jones. "We always know in the second half we're always more confident because we know opposing teams can't keep up with us."

Still for Monte Vista, it was the school's best postseason showing in 20 years, when the Monarchs gained a berth in the 1992 final, only to fall to Torrey Pines when current athletic director ZACH PECK guided the program

"Our guys played hard. In the first half, we were fundamentally sound, but we missed a lot of easy looks," said Monte Vista head coach JAMES CARROLL. "We just couldn't focus and remain sound in the second half (against the press), so they were able to force a lot of turnovers."

Beating Hoover at its own game, the Monarchs jumped out of the gate with a pair of steals, as a JAMES JACKSON theft led to a short jumper by K.J. HOUSTON, then DEVIN RENDO grabbed the ball and went coast-to-coast for a slam.

And when Jackson saw his 3-ball rattle in-and-out-and-in, Hoover was forced to call a timeout trailing 7-2. The ballgame remained tight over the first two periods.

Then the demanding Hoover press took over.

"It's a credit to our offseason workouts and all of our conditioning," noted Jones, who scored 14 of his game-best 23 points after the intermission. "We're built for long games and a lot of teams really can't keep up with us."

"Monte Vista is a real athletic team, but even they couldn't keep up with us. We're real deep which makes us a real dangerous team."

And when Jackson picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first minute of the second half, the Cardinals could start looking forward to a match-up with Lincoln.

Jeremai Northard converted three straight shots from the field in the third quarter, then added another string of baskets in the fourth for his 16 points. Most of his shot came on transition layins as Hoover took advantage of 28 turnovers by Monte Vista.

REUBEN NWANDO paced the Monarchs with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Jackson poured in 13 points with 3 steals, while Rendo added 9 points and 8 boards.

The first half also saw starting guard XAVIER DANIELS take a charge on Hoover's Miles Nolen-Webb, who led both sides with 7 assists.

Monte Vista: Reuben Nwando 15 (9 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk), James Jackson 13 (5 reb, 3 stl, 2 ast, 2 blk), Devin Rendo 9 (8 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), K.J. Houston 6 (3 stl, 1 reb), Hasani Jarvis 2 (3 reb), Kylie Luster (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Jahzdion Taylor (2 reb), Xavier Daniels (1 reb, 1 charge).

— Nick Pellegrino

EL CAMINO 61, HELIX 47 – Veteran coach JOHN SINGER is seemingly never surprised what his Helix Highlanders accomplish during any particular season. He never over-estimates the skill level of his team and often plays it down.

After a 1-5 start this season Singer could have thrown in the towel, but that’s simply not his style.

The Highlanders rebounded from their sluggish beginning to capture the Grossmont Hills League championship and finished with an 18-10 record, which concluded during Friday’s (Feb. 24) San Diego CIF Division I quarterfinal loss at El Camino.

“Overall how we started and how we finished produced a lot of good things for us for the year,” Singer said.

“Our underclassmen scored 34 of our 47 points and that bodes well for us. I like what I have returning next year.”

The top-ranked Wildcats (23-7) were led by Dayton Boddie (16 points), who is headed for UC Riverside, and Imanni Sobers, who spun a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists.

“That Sobers kid hit two big 3s in the 4th quarter that really hurt us,” said Singer, noting that the Highlanders trailed only 43-40 entering the final period. “Obviously the thing that hurt us the most was El Camino outscored us 20-0 in the transition game.”

BRIAN VALADEZ led the Highlanders with 13 points but was able to launch only 8 shots from the field due to El Camino’s smothering defense.

ROMARIO WILSON produced a strong game of 12 points and 8 rebounds for the Highlanders (18-10).

TITUS YOUNG contributed 11 points, dished 5 assists and made 4 steals for Helix.

“We played extremely well for three quarters but let the game get away from us in the 4th period,” Singer noted.

Helix: Brian Valadez 13 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Romario Wilson 12 (8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Titus Young 11 (3 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl), Kaelan Mitchell 7 (1 ast, 1 stl), Will Mildenhall 2 (3 reb), Derrick Chandler 2 (1 ast), Kene Anigbogu (7 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk), Michael Todd (5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk).

Mount Miguel guard Marcus Booker registered 10 points and 5 assists vs. La Jolla. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

	Monte Vista's James Jackson goes Old School with an ABA style, 1960's era headband. Jackson is defended by Serra senior Trajon Griffis (left). (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
	Highlanders rally past Mission Hills By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com LA MESA (2-22-12) — The emotion of a one-game showdown with your historic rivals with a league championship on the line left Helix High flat entering Tuesday's (Feb. 21) CIF Division I playoff opener. Yet they found a way to prevail. Overcoming a dismal shooting performance in the second quarter, the Highlanders took control of the boards on defense, then was able to break a full-court press, skating past Mission Hills, 48-39, at Caledonia Gymnasium. "We got really hot in the second half," said senior BRIAN VALADEZ, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half to go along with nine rebounds. "The threes came to us, then ROMARIO (WILSON) starting pulling his weight. That really helped us out a lot." After defeating Grossmont to capture the Grossmont Hills League crown last Friday, about the only player to jump out of the gate was senior center KENE ANIGBOGU, who registered seven points and seven boards in the first half to keep the Scotties within 17-16 in a lackluster first half. "Grossmont was an emotional game and you could tell it took a lot out of us," noted Anigbogu. "But we stepped on it – we didn't want this to be our last game." In the second half, both teams vacated the half-court game and tried to apply pressure. The result was an up-tempo third quarter, when the lead exchanged four times. But in the fourth quarter, with Helix not allowing any follow-up chances by the Grizzlies, they managed to beat the press for a series of 2-on-1 breakouts on the other end of the court for easy baskets. "On the defensive end, we make sure they don't give up any second opportunities, because most teams don't beat you with the initial shot," added Anigbogu. "So if we crash the boards hard, they most likely won't score on that possession." Technically, Helix was the 9th seed to the Grizzlies' No. 8 berth, yet gained the home court as a league champion – a longtime rule in the San Diego Section. The Grizzlies also arrived short-handed when 6-foot-9 junior center Kameron Rooks suffered a stress fracture in his foot. However, the Highlanders failed to take advantage by missing their first 12 shots of the second period to trail 17-11 before Wilson scored the final five points of the first half, including a driving layin while getting fouled for a 3-point play. "We didn't know much about them, then we saw their center had a broken foot," said Anigbogu. "But we don't worry about things like that. We just try to work hard then come out and compete every night." Helix assumed the lead for keeps when TITUS YOUNG scored all of his five points in the fourth period, capped by a layin off the press break for a 38-37 lead with 4:01 remaining. Young's basket started a 12-2 Helix run to close the ballgame. The Scotties advance to Friday's (Feb. 24) quarterfinals, meeting top-seeded El Camino in Oceanside. Helix: Romario Wilson 15 (4 reb, 1 ast), Brian Valadez 13 (9 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Kene Anigbogu 11 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Titus Young 5 (4 stl, 3 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Chandler 3 (2 reb, 1 stl), Will Mildenhall 1 (4 reb), Kaelan Mitchell (2 ast, 1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-22-12) — The jumping jacks of Monte Vista High bounced Serra in Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs, 60-45.

Not many teams are measurably taller than these Grossmont Valley League champion Monarchs. But some special players, notably the Monarch’s 6-foot-2 REUBEN NWANDO, are capable of dominating the boards – Nwando has a 45 inch vertical jump.

In the playoff victory over Serra, he collected 10 rebounds to go along with 15 points, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 4 steals. Talk about your complete player… this guy is it.

As a shooter Nwando hit 6 of 12 from the floor and all 3 free throws.

His first block was electric as he rejected a Serra shot that landed in the stands.

The Conquistadors (13-15) challenged him three more times but Nwando was coiled and waiting.

“We were only up by 3 at halftime (28-25),” said Nwando, “but Coach JAMES (CARROLL) convinced us to work harder on other areas, which included defensive intensity, rebounding and possession of the ball.”

Reliable JAMES JACKSON nailed 9 of 17 shots from the floor for a team-best 18 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

This game was certainly no one-man show for the Monarchs.

“I like to play the No. 1 but I’m a combo guard and I try to contribute as much as I can,” said Monte Vista’s K.J. HOUSTON, who connected on 6 of 12 shots including a pair of treys for 14 points.

Asked who is the fastest player on the team, Nwando and Houston called it a draw... sort of.

“I could beat him straight up,” said Houston. “But if he’s mad and gets one off the boards I’m not sure I could hold him off.”

“I guess you could probably say we’re a dead heat,” Nwando said.

Monte Vista: James Jackson 18 (9 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Reuben Nwando 15 (10 reb, 5 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl), K.J. Houston 14 (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Devin Rendo 8 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Xavier Daniels 2 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Hasani Jarvis 2 (2 reb, 1 ast), D’ondre Coleman 1 (1 reb, 2 ast), Kylie Luster (5 reb), Brendan Harris (1 stl).

Monte Vista's Devin Rendo skies over the Q-Dawgs in a 60-45 opening-round triumph. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-22-12) — Mount Miguel High coach JAY ROWLETT’s philosophy was simple when asked about Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) San Diego CIF Division III victory over visiting La Jolla.

“At this point of the season, the goal is to move to the right of the bracket and create a reason for practicing the next day,” he said.

The Matadors marched to a 15-7 first quarter lead and maintained control of the contest throughout. Unlike in other games, the Matadors didn’t have anybody explode for a record-setting game.

This one was about balance, as four of the Matadors scored 9 or more points.

Probably the unsung hero for No. 2 seed Mount Miguel (23-6) for this contest was CORY LITTLETON, who collected 12 rebounds. In addition the Matadors recorded 15 steals and held the Vikings (6-22) to 13 points in the first half.

“They did a pretty good job of slowing the pace of the game but we were able to overcome that,” Rowlett said.

IZZY WAGNER led the Matadors with 11 points while MARCUS BOOKER poured in 10 and THOMAS BUTLER contributed 10 also.

The contest was a rematch of the 2010 CIF Division III title game, captured by the Matadors, 47-46, at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Mount Miguel: Izzy Wagner 11 (7 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl), Marcus Booker 10 (5 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl), Thomas Butler 10 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Tony Wills 9 (5 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Cory Littleton 5 (12 reb), Malcolm Jackson 1 (4 reb, 2 stl), Marcellus Jones (1 stl).

MORSE 68, WEST HILLS 56 – This season the Wolf Pack of West Hills (14-13) has quietly been sneaking around hunting its prey. They love to drive hard to the basket and suck the entire defense in only to kick the ball out to the wide open man that's sitting all by himself behind the arc ready to set the net on fire. They can lull even the best teams to sleep with their style of play and if they are connecting from downtown no one is within striking distance.

This season Division II is by far the toughest playoff pool to swim in and on Tuesday (Feb. 21) night in their San Diego CIF opening round match-up against Morse (23-5) the Pack just couldn't prove to be the thorn in the Tiger's paw, suffering a 68-56 season-ending loss.

“I hate to lose this way,” said senior ALEX PARSONS. “But no doubt this was the most athletic team we have faced all year.”

West Hills pounced on the Tigers, scoring 24 points in the first quarter with 8 of those belonging to Parsons and four shots coming from downtown. NICK FINDLEY accounted for two of the treys. JERON SATTERFIELD hit one and sophomore D.J. LEWIS grabbed a rebound on the defensive end with eight seconds left and drove the length of the court to rise up and knock one down as time expired and the Pack held a 24-19 lead after one quarter.

“We pressured them, getting turnovers in the beginning and really came out playing like a team hungry,” Findley said as he ended the night with 12 points, all coming from behind the arc.

In the remaining three quarters West Hills turned that fight more into puppy love than anything as they continually gave the Tigers easy baskets allowing them 24 offensive rebounds which led to a plethora of easy putbacks.

The Pack's hot shooting went away after the first quarter, yet the lead the Tigers built never reached double digits until the closing seconds of the game when West Hills was forced to foul.

“I've known Coach JEFF ARMSTRONG for awhile now and I knew this was going to be an absolute dog fight,” admitted Morse coach Bobby Sumler.

Facing off against a team that averaged 44 rebounds a game West Hills assistant head coach LUCAS ARMSTRONG knew the road ahead.

“We knew this was the best rebounding team we were gonna play,” Armstrong stated. “It's just disappointing when we don't make them work for their basket and they are shooting from two or three feet out.”

Morse was even without the service of their top scorer and captain Corey Phillips, who was out with flu-like symptoms, but the Tigers still crunched the Pack on the boards 46-18.

“Our bigs played a lot tougher today without Corey in the lineup,” Sumler said. “I think they all just wanted to make the most of their opportunities.”

West Hills definitely had their chances in this one though.

Thanks to Parsons, Findley and Satterfield combining for the first seven points of the third quarter it was a 51-49 ballgame with 5:30 remaining, but every rebound available was retrieved by Morse.

“We definitely had a shot to win this game,” Satterfield said. “I just don't think we tried enough on the defensive end.”

West Hills: Alex Parsons 14 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Nick Findley 12 (1 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Jeron Satterfield 9 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Kevin Straub 7 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), D.J. Lewis 6 (4 reb), Jonny Preston 4 (3 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Ryan Williams 2 (2 ast), Chase Parsons 2, Joey Clark (2 reb), Will Llamas (1 ast).

— Andrew Smith

IMPERIAL 66, EL CAPITAN 63 (OT) – Vaqueros coach JASON CAVAZOS kept slapping himself in the head trying to figure out how his team could be sentenced to a road game in Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) San Diego CIF Division III playoffs when they were seeded 7th and the Imperial Tigers were seeded 10th.

It’s simple really. In the screwball alignment of the San Diego CIF hierarchy no matter how weak a champion you are, you must be awarded a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Guess that’s logical, but why make the better team play on the road just because the other team wins a cream puff league?

“It’s hard for me to justify in my mind why we, as the 7th seed, are playing on the road against the 10th seed,” said Cavazos. “But I’m not one to blame the CIF or the officials for the outcome, even though we didn’t get a call. We still had our chances to win.”

El Capitan (16-11) came within inches of winning in regulation, but missed a layup with 3 seconds left.

“They played an aggressive zone, and we were in foul trouble the whole game,” Cavazos said.

Imperial 19-8) scored the first 7 points in the extra session to secure the victory.

El Capitan senior TYSON KYGAR finished with 23 points, giving him a season total of 670 in 28 games. His final game total included landing 7 of 17 shots giving him an East County best 117 treys.

“It was a great season and I enjoyed coaching these kids because there were so many successful positives,” said Cavazos.

El Capitan: Tyson Kygar 23 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 5 stl), Kameron Brown 16 (6 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 4 stl), Austin Betts 13 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Nestor Ramirez 6 (1 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl), Scott Ross 2.

TORREY PINES 70, GROSSMONT 47 – The Foothillers’ offense was anemic for the second half of the season. Since the first of the year the Foothillers have scored more than 55 points only once in 13 games, which included tallying as few as 48 points nine times.

After falling behind 21-5 after one quarter of Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) San Diego CIF Division II opener at Torrey Pines, the Foothillers (14-13) were playing catch-up and never recovered.

“They played harder, they played faster and they played stronger than we did,” Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO said. “They are exactly like us only faster – they made us play faster than we wanted to play.”

Second seeded Torrey Pines (19-10) led 41-15 by halftime and 57-23 after three quarters.

“We didn’t impose our will upon them,” Foggiano said.

ROBBY NESOVIC led Grossmont with 11 points, while DEREK RUSTICH pitched in 10. They each grabbed 8 rebounds.

Grossmont: Robby Nesovic 11 (8 reb), Derek Rustich 10 (8 reb), Balil Rahim 8 (4 reb), Anthony Lawrence 7 (2 reb), J.T. Barnes 6 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Austin Swisher 2 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jake Herrod (1 reb).

HOOVER 81, STEELE CANYON 40 – The host Hoover Cardinals led visiting Steele Canyon by only 3 points after the first quarter of Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) San Diego CIF Division II playoff opener.

The No. 3 seeded Cardinals (27-4) then went to full throttle in the middle two quarters, outscoring the Cougars (11-15) by a 58-21 count.

Senior CODY WELLS played one of the best games of his Steele Canyon career, hitting 6 of 9 shots from the floor including one trey to finish with a game-best 15 points and 8 rebounds.

When it comes to balance few teams have better equilibrium than Hoover. Jordan Davis hit 6 of 12 shots from the floor to pace the Cardinals with 15 points.

Chris Jones netted 5 of 10 shots from the field including 3 threes for 14 points for Hoover, which shot 61 percent as a team.

Damonte Holiday added a dozen markers, while Jeremai Northard pitched in 10 for the overpowering Cardinals.

Steele Canyon was hampered by Hoover ’s pressure defense, which resulted in 27 turnovers for the Cougars.

Despite the loss coach DEREK STEPHENS and his Cougars had to be pleased by their 13-15 finish, which included four wins in the last five games.

Steele Canyon: Cody Wells 15 (8 reb), Dylan Kirchhofer 6 (1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), P.J. Russell 4 (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Michael Jordan 3 (3 reb), Casey Balikian 3 (1 reb, 1 blk), Justin Norwood 2 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Danny King 3 (1 reb), Danny Bwinika 2 (1 reb, 1 ast), Kenneth Hamilton 2 (1 stl).

CHRISTIAN 72, CV-HIGH TECH 35 – Christian High senior JASON GAINES scored a career-high 43 points in a mere three quarters of play in Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) San Diego CIF Division IV playoff opener against Chula Vista High Tech High at the Ryan Athletic Center.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gaines nailed 17 of 27 from the floor and 6 of 11 free throws.

“He was attacking the basketball all night,” Christian coach KELVIN STARR said. “They couldn’t stop him.”

The Patriots (17-7) bolted to a 41-8 halftime lead and the issue was decided.

Ten players contributed to Christian’s scoring total.

Christian: Jason Gaines 43 (6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Tyler Ballard 9 (1 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Trenton Sauls 4 (1 ast, 1 blk), Jake Larsen 3 (6 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl), Stephen Johnston 3 (5 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Colin Eckstein 3 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Justin Vrzich 2 (1 reb, 1 ast), Brandon Tardiff 2 (1 ast), Joe Ross 2 (2 reb), Michael LeTouzic 1 (6 reb).

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 71, LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 26 – San Diego CIF Division V top seeded Foothills Christian used a balanced scoring attack to run over Liberty Christian (5-14) in Tuesday’s (Feb. 21) opening round game at Mount Miguel.

CALEB HOFFMAN led the Sunset League champion Knights (17-11) with 23 points and 5 assists.

ANDRE JOHNSON snapped out of a late-season slump, hitting 7 of 11 shots from the floor – including 4 of 5 threes – to finish with 19 points.

Overall the Knights netted 13 of 23 shots from long distance.

JOE BUENRESTRO pitched in with 12 points and 6 steals for the Knights, while RICKY ADAMS contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Caleb Hoffman and Adams hit a trio of triples apiece, and Buenrestro landed two from beyond the arc.

As a team Foothills Christian recorded 22 steals.

The quarterfinal game between Foothills Christian and Calvin Christian has been moved to Saturday (Feb. 25) at Mount Miguel at 5 p.m.

Foothills Christian: Caleb Hoffman 23 ( 2 reb, 6 stl, 5 ast), Andre Johnson 19 (6 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Joe Buenrestro 12 (3 reb, 2 ast, 6 stl), Ricky Adams 11 (6 reb, 3 stl), A.J. Hoffman 4 (4 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast), Austin Mostrong 2 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 ast).

Tue., Feb. 21 / First Round
Division 1
El Camino 71, Otay Ranch 52
Helix 48, Mission Hills 39
Vista 77, Sweetwater 60
Escondido 78, Poway 67
San Ysidro 83, Rancho Bernardo 76
Rancho Buena Vista 70, Eastlake 63
Fallbrook 64, Scripps Ranch 54
Torrey Pines 70, Grossmont 47

Division 2
La Costa Canyon 72, University City 36
Kearny 68, Canyon Crest 52
Morse 68, West Hills 56
Westview 56, Point Loma 47
Hoover 81, Steele Canyon 40
Monte Vista 60, Serra 45
San Marcos 50, Mt. Carmel 46
Lincoln 98, EC-Southwest 39

Division 3
Cathedral Catholic 88, Brawley 43
Olympian 60, Montgomery 45
Coronado 47, Del Norte 25
St. Augustine 82, San Dieguito 47
Mission Bay 84, Crawford 49
Valley Center 51, Madison 42
Imperial 66, El Capitan 63 (OT)
Mount Miguel 46, La Jolla 33

Division 4
Francis Parker - bye
Mater Dei 62, Guajome Park 47
Horizon 72, Calipatria 55
Santa Fe Christian - bye
La Jolla Country Day - bye
Christian 72, CV-High Tech 35
The Bishop's 74, Preuss UCSD 27
Army-Navy - bye

Division 5
Foothills Christian 71, Liberty Charter 26
Calvin Christian 50, Maranatha Christian 45
Quarterfinals: Calvin Christian vs. Foothills Christian, moved to Friday, 5 p.m., at Mount Miguel

San Diego Jewish 58, San Pasqual Aca. 35
Tri-City Christian 80, Ocean View Christian 24
Vincent Memorial 66, Escondido Adventist 21
San Diego Academy 59, Vista-Calvary Christian 47
CV-Calvary Christian 57, Pacific Ridge 53
The Rock 79, Warner 21