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2003-04 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL |
A
shot is put up by a Monte Vista player from three-point range
with just seconds remaining in regulation during the Grossmont
win over Monte Vista Monday night. photo by Nick Pellegrino
Sultans seniors can't match Madison's might
in non-league loss
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - Santana coach TIM BARRY decided to give his veterans
a chance to see what they could do when the Sultans hosted Madison
in a non-league game on Tuesday (Jan. 6). The results were less
than impressive as the visiting Warhawks claimed a 60-37 victory.
Senior DAVID BASS paced the Sultans (4-5) with 11 points, while
senior guard COREY ROBINSON tallied 9 points and dished off 3
assists.
"Robinson made some wonderful passes," Barry said. "But
we couldn't put the ball in the basket."
Santana was a paltry 11 for 44 from the field and a mere 11 for
22 from the free throw line.
"It wasn't a bad game in terms of hustle and effort, but
we missed 12 layups and that killed us," Barry said.
Tuesday - JAN 6, 2004 EastCountySports.com Non-League Madison 60, Santana 37 Madison 17 21 14 8 - 60 Santana 6 13 11 7 - 37 Santana: David Bass 11, Corey Robinson 9, Billy Wickens 6, Zach Shepard 2, Bryan Wickens 4, Kyle Reed 5, (01-06-04)
Foothillers edge Monarchs in overtime conference
opener
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The schedule labeled it as a routine Grossmont Conference
crossover contest between North and South league rivals on the
first Monday (Jan. 5) following the Christmas vacation. Doesn't
sound like much energy could be generated here. Turns out, however,
that host Grossmont rallied on a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation
to take the Monte Vista Monarchs into overtime where the Foothillers
squeezed out a 48-47 victory.
Monte Vista (6-8) registered five points over the final 11 seconds
of overtime then received a chance at a potential game-winning
basket. But Grossmont guard MARK NICHOLSON stole a pass which
denied Monte Vista the game's final shot, allowing the Foothillers
to escape with the narrow victory.
"I didn't play especially well on defense tonight, but the
whole team played hard until the very end," said Nicholson.
"That finally won us the game."
The Hillers withered away an 11-point lead over the final 5:28
of regulation, but managed to force the extra session when a Monte
Vista player banked in a 3-point shot with four seconds remaining.
The overtime period mirrored a similar scenario, as Grossmont
saw a 48-42 lead vanish. Senior ALEX GUINTO drained a 3-ball with
11 seconds left, then Monte Vista's BRANDON HARVEY deflected
the in-bounds pass into Guinto's hands for a short jumper with
5.1 seconds left.
"Our defense evaporated," said Hillers forward TYLER
VICKERS, who scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. "We
need more experience in those situations."
The desirable lesson nearly came too late.
Following a Monte Vista timeout to setup its defense, Harvey stole
the long, in-bounds pass to midcourt, then took a dribble forward
before snapping a two-handed, chest pass to an unguarded teammate
under the Hillers' basket. However, instead of a game-winning
layin for the Monarchs, Nicholson stepped in front of the pass
for the steal and then ran out the clock.
"At least other people stepped up and played well for us,
like (JAMES) CROOKS, (TYLER) COOK and (TYLER) HAJOSY," added
Nicholson. "They played well for us, especially early on."
Grossmont (6-5) walked off the court with a 17-10 lead at the
end of the half, limiting Monte Vista to just five points in each
of the first two periods. Even more effective was Grossmont's
ability to muzzle Guinto, who came in averaging 15.3 points per
game but had only 4 markers to show after three quarters.
Guinto found the range for 8 points in the
4th quarter and scored all 7 of Monte Vista's markers in the four-minute
overtime to finish with a game-high 19.
Cook scored 4 of his team-high 14 points in overtime for the Foothillers,
who also saw Vickers nail 3 of 4 free throw attempts with the
game on the line.
"Cook played a great second half for us," Grossmont
coach FRANK FOGGIANO said of the 6-foot-3 senior who scored 9
points following intermission, including a key 3-pointer in the
4th quarter.
The Hillers' veteran coach also paid homage to the intense battle
under the boards between his own 6-foot-6, 193-pound Vickers and
Monte Vista's 6-foot-3, 205-pound CLINTON SNYDER.
"Snyder did a good job defending Vickers," Foggiano
admitted. "But there was a war going on under there. A real
physical battle. Both of those guys had to be dead tired after
this game."
Meanwhile, unlike the slow-ending Hillers, the Monarchs jumped
out of the gate with a sluggish start.
"It's like we're just three weeks into the season,"
noted Monte Vista coach ZACH PECK. "We've had only two players
play in all 12 games this season, due to so many injuries and
the football players not joining the team until Dec. 15th."
Snyder, the EastCountySports.com Defensive Player of the Year
as a defensive lineman, scored only two points in the second half.
Cook ended the first half with a traditional 3-point play, then
a short jumper to push a 12-9 lead to a 17-10 cushion. However,
the Hillers were just 4-for-9 from the foul line in the 4th quarter
and an unspectacular 17-of-31 for the contest.
BOBBY PURVEY added 10 points to Monte Vista's totals, while Grossmont's
Nicholson came up with 6 rebounds in addition to his game-saving
steal.
GRANITE HILLS 79, EL CAPITAN 73 - The so-called experts
keep saying these youthful Eagles of Granite Hills can't win.
Certainly not more than once or twice they insist.
Wrong!
Critics take notice: The Granite Hills' "Long Rangers"
under the tutelage of first-year head coach MATT DAVIS have won
4 of their last 7 starts, including an impressive Grossmont Conference
crossover upset of visiting El Capitan on Monday night (Jan. 5).
Granite Hills (4-10) was able to avenge an early season loss by
jumping out to a 19-point halftime lead and then surviving a 32-point
El Capitan stampede in the final quarter.
"We really looked sharp there for a while (on Monday), but
wound up barely hanging on," Davis said. "We've come
to rely on the 3-point shot a little too much at times. But as
long as we're hitting, we're OK. We have four guys who have consistently
(check the eastcountysports.com statistics leaders) been hitting
from the perimeter. But we have to develop our game beyond that."
The Eagles shot better than 60 percent (60.4 to be exact) from
the field, including a blazing 10-for-17 from beyond the arc.
That deadeye marksmanship enabled Granite Hills to offset El Capitan's
decisive 65-28 edge in rebounding.
Granite Hills was able to move the ball around well in the first
half and played a tight zone to limit the Vaqueros to only 22
points in the first half.
El Capitan (7-7) was able to crank up its offense in the 2nd half,
especially in the 4th quarter as sophomore CORY BROWN scored 14
of his team-high 26 points in the last frame.
"He was able to take advantage of his size (6-foot-7) inside,
and we were running on fumes down the stretch," Davis said.
"It's increasingly difficult to box out and play an active
zone in the fourth quarter when you lack size and depth."
Brown knocked down 11 of 21 shots from the floor while collecting
a game-high 23 rebounds and blocking 5 shots.
Davis said his Eagles limited the larger Vaqueros to 5 offensive
rebounds in the 1st half, but gave up 9 caroms in each in the
3rd and 4th quarters.
"We were able to pressure them into some early turnovers,
which helped, as we needed every point in the end," Davis
said.
Granite Hills' JAMES CLARK was main cog at both ends of the court,
leading the team with 26 points (5 threes) and 5 steals, while
sharing the team lead in rebounds and assists with 5 each.
RYAN SNYDER sank a pair of very deep 3-pointers in the 3rd and
4th quarters to stave off El Capitan runs. Snyder finished with
16 points, which included a trio of treys, 5 assists, 2 steals
and 2 blocks.
JOHNNY CURO tossed in 16 points and captured 9 rebounds for the
Vaqueros, who are 2-7 on the road since opening the season with
five consecutive home court victories. JESSE LEATHERMAN
latched onto 11 rebounds to lead El Capitan, which saw junior
guard DAVID REEDER come off the bench to score all 9 of his points
in the Vaqueros' final quarter flurry.
MOUNT MIGUEL 60, WEST HILLS 51 - All Mount Miguel coach
JIMMY HURST could do was grumble as he starred at the statistics
sheet that showed his Matadors had committed 35 turnovers in Monday's
(Jan. 5) Grossmont Conference crossover opener at West Hills.
"How can you expect to win when you are giving up the ball
35 times without getting single shot?" he pondered. "Despite
giving up the ball that many times, we still didn't give up a
3-point shot."
A plus for Mount Miguel (10-4), very costly for West Hills (9-4).
"We were coming off back-to-back losses, so it's nice to
see that we can bounce back," Hurst said. "West Hills
is a tough place to play, but our kids held up pretty well.'
Senior J.R. GRIFFIN led the Matadors with 19 points, 6 rebounds,
4 assists, 4 steals, and one blocked shot. KENNEY KEY offered
major backup support with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while JAMES
ROBERTS added 13 points.
After scrambling to a 28-all draw in the 1st half, the Matadors
took control in the 3rd quarter with a 13-5 run.
"We knew they would pound the offensive glass," Armstrong
admitted. "We lost focus for about four minutes and couldn't
recover."
RYAN SHUMAKER found himself in the 4th quarter, scoring 13 of
his 16 points. MATT GILSON added 15 points and LEVI KIPP dumped
in 9 points.
"We just didn't shoot the ball well, collectively (21 for
50, 42 percent)," the coach admitted. Matthew (Gilson) played
well at times."
But it wasn't enough to defuse the Matadors' charge.
HELIX 99, EL CAJON VALLEY 43 - A three-week break
in the holiday portion of their schedule hardly provided the visiting
Braves with valuable recuperation time. Proof of that came in
Monday's (Jan. 5) Grossmont Conference crossover game dominated
by the host Helix Highlanders.
A dozen Highlanders contributed to the scoring as Helix hammered
the out-manned Braves (1-10) from the opening tip-off.
Helix senior guard LANCE HURDLE missed only one shot all night,
as he nailed 7 field goals and all of his 7 free throws for a
game-high 21 points. He also hauled down 4 rebounds, handed out
7 assists and recorded 3 steals.
MARLON PIERCE also made major contributions for the Highlanders
(9-4) with 18 points, 6 assists and 5 steals, while ERIC ROBINSON
rustled up 14 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.
DEMETRIUS HENDERSON netted 5 of 6 shots from the floor and 2 of
3 free throws en route to a career high of 12 points off the Helix
bench. Freshman postman DAVID JEFFERSON chimed in with 11 points.
Despite making wholesale substitutions throughout the evening,
the Highlanders scored 20-plus in every quarter.
CLIFFORD ADAMS hoisted in a team-high 18 points and corralled
a game-high 12 rebounds for El Cajon Valley, which was punished
by 30 personal fouls resulting in 46 free throws for the Highlanders.
"The long layoff killed us," El Cajon Valley's first-year
head coach NATE REED admitted. "It was a physical game and
we got the short end of it. We put them at the (free throw) line
and our turnover count was really high. But we're going to get
it together as soon as we get all of our players on the court
at the same time."
(01-05-04)
MONDAY - JAN 5, 2004 EastCountySports.com Grossmont Conference @ Grossmont 48, Monte Vista 47 (OT) Monte Vista 5 5 14 16 7 - 47 Grossmont 8 9 12 11 8 - 48 Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 19, Bobby Purvy 10, Clinton Snyder 7, Robert Yousif 6, Trevor Peck 3, Nick Childs 2. Grossmont scoring: Tyler Cook 14, Tyler Vickers 13, Tyler Hajosy 9, James Crooks 6, Mark Nicholson 3, Tyler Barbour 2, Thomas Hernandez 1. - Mount Miguel 60, West Hills 51 Mount Miguel 15 13 13 19 - 60 West Hills 11 17 5 18 - 51 Mount Miguel scoring: J.R. Griffin 19, Kenny Key 15, James Roberts 13, Eddie DeArcos 4, Darren Newborn 3, Duran Moore 2, Janssen Barber 2, Andre Martin 2. West Hills scoring: Ryan Shumaker 16, Matt Gilson 15, Levi Kipp 9, Nathan Muzquiz 6, Blake Sutton 3, Kovan Abdul 2. - Helix 99, El Cajon Valley 43 El Cajon Valley 8 14 16 5 - 43 Helix 26 25 27 21 - 99 El Cajon Valley scoring: Clifford Adams 18, Josh Roys 7, Paul Broadner 6, Frank Collins 4, Stephon Stofford 4, Nate Schad 3, David Kachi 1. Helix scoring: Lance Hurdle 21, Marlon Pierce 18, Eric Robinson 14, Demetrius Henderson 12, David Jefferson 11, David Jones 5, Clinton Shelton 4, Ryan Mills 4, Rashad Garner 3, Iain MacMillan 3, Matt Caldwell 2, Greg Harvey 2. - Granite Hills 79, El Capitan 73 El Capitan 13 9 19 32 - 73 Granite Hills 18 23 22 16 - 79 El Capitan scoring: Cory Brown 26, Johnny Curo 16, David Reeder 9, Andrew Hoffmaster 8, Jesse Leatherman 7, Daniel Krueger 4, Justin Galloway 3. Granite Hills scoring: James Clark 26, Ryan Snyder 16, Nick Taylor 14, David Baxter 11, Ricky Peitz 4, Kurthis Smith 4, Brent Jensen 2, Justin Villanueva 2. (01-05-04)
Players from Steele Canyon and Morse scramble
for a loose ball Wednesday night in the Spartan Classic final.
photo by Nick Pellegrino
Ball drops on Steele Canyon's tourney title
bid against Morse
East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA - Following three consecutive blowouts to reach the
finals of the 15th annual Spartan Classic, Steele Canyon seemed
poised to repeat the process and put Morse away after easily mounting
an 18-8 first-quarter lead in Wednesday's (Dec. 31) championship
game at Chula Vista High. But the Tigers, who figure to challenge
St. Augustine for the Eastern League title, proved why they boast
a 13-1 record as they rallied for a come-from-behind 60-54 victory
over the Cougars to spoil SC coach BRAD LEAF's New Year's Eve
plans.
The Tigers outscored the Cougars by a 21-5 count in the second
quarter, then dominated the boards in the second half to claim
the tournament title while snapping Steele Canyon's 8-game winning
streak.
"We just knocked down our shots and didn't give them too
many chances," said Morse forward Garren Cunningham, who
scored 18 points and was named the tournament's most valuable
player. "We just don't want to give up the ball."
The high-flying Tigers kept second chances to a minimum for Steele
Canyon, dominating the boards during 32 minutes of up-tempo play.
"We just played more defense and were more disciplined,"
added Tigers guard Alex Butcher. "It was a lot of work because
they're quicker than us."
Morse scored the first 13 points of the 2nd quarter, and extended
its lead to 41-33 in the 3rd quarter before Cougars guard RICHIE
WILLIAMS started to mount a Steele Canyon (9-4) comeback. Williams
scored 16 of his team-leading 20 points in the second half, then
a JASON BEAUCHAMP feed to center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM for a layin
cut the margin to 53-51 with 2:59 remaining.
However, when Cunningham fouled out on the ensuing possession,
Morse gained nearly total control under the glass, closing the
contest on a 7-3 run. Included were two baskets by Andre Johnson
(10 points), first hitting a baseline jumper, then a follow shot
off the Tigers' fourth consecutive offensive rebound to maintain
possession against the reeling Cougars.
"Rebounding definitely was the difference," said Steele
Canyon coach BRAD LEAF. "And we again played a game where
we had either a poor first quarter or a poor second quarter."
Richie Williams earned a berth on the all-tournament team along
with teammate Cunningham.
Mount Miguel and Helix players size each
other up on the wing Friday night at the Spartan Classic. photo
by Nick Pellegrino
HELIX 67, MOUNT MIGUEL 56 - For the first time since 1998,
the Helix Highlanders were not playing for the Spartan Classic
title. And it showed in the opening minutes when Mount Miguel
surged to a quick 10-0 advantage in Wednesday's (Dec.31) third
place game at Chula Vista High.
"We had to forget about it and step it up," said Helix
guard LANCE HURDLE. "Coach (JOHN SINGER) said to turn it
up a little bit."
Singer was pleased that his Highlanders (8-4) rebounded from Tuesday's
(Dec. 30) semifinal loss to Morse.
"I'm proud that our kids shook off that tough loss to Morse
and then recovered from a slow start to beat a quality team like
Mount Miguel," Singer said.
Bolstered by 18 points from Hurdle, 20 by MARLON PIERCE and 21
more from ERIC ROBINSON, the Scotties outscored the Matadors,
67-46, the rest of the way, breezing past their Grossmont South
League rivals to claim the third-place trophy.
Hurdle energized Helix (8-4) to close the opening period, rejecting
consecutive shots by leaping high for the blocks, then adding
a late jumper to leave the Highlanders at 15-all after one quarter.
Pierce keyed the next period with a rare 4-point play, draining
a long shot from beyond the arc while getting fouled late in a
20-9 Highlanders run to open the quarter.
Mount Miguel's JANSSEN BARBER (14 points) cut the margin to 44-41
through three periods. But Hurdle responded by dominating the
4th period, opening the session by sandwiching a pair of jumpers
with a steal and a breakaway layin, scoring 7 points in just under
a minute to overcome Helix' total of just six points in the third.
Robinson added the capper with a 3-ball off a Hurdle assist, then
Robinson, Hurdle and Pierce each recorded steals which led to
quick downcourt passes for breakaways on consecutive possessions.
Hurdle and Robinson were named to the all-tournament team. Robinson
was a scoring machine, running his account to 83 points
in the four Spartan Classic contests.
But Singer was equally as pleased with the play of senior forward
DAVID JONES, whom he credited for keeping a tight rein on Mount
Miguel senior sharp-shooter J.R. GRIFFIN, who finished with just
12 points.
"You can't realize the kind of job Jones did by looking at
the stat sheet," Singer said. "He was all over J.R.
Most of the points (Griffin) got came when Jones wasn't guarding
him. At this point in the season he and Eric are our most valuable
players."
ANDRE MARTIN was the only other Matador to reach double scoring
digits with 10 points. Mount Miguel has dropped its last two games
to fall to 9-4.
VISTA 76, CHRISTIAN 59 - Christian High freshman
TYRONE SHELLEY doesn't seem to care who he's playing, because
he always manages to put the basketball where he wants it to go.
While the Patriots (3-10) continue to struggle, the 6-foot-4 Shelley
continues to score - in record proportions. He managed to create
some controversy in Wednesday's (Dec. 31) Spartan Classic consolation
contest against the Panthers of Vista.
Tournament scorekeepers assessed Shelley with 51 points, but the
Christian coaches through further review officially credited the
budding Patriots star with 49 points - a Spartan Classic record.
As a matter of fact, Shelley shattered the previous Spartan Classic
tournament record by 19 points with a four-game total of 148 (an
average of 37 points per game).
At this stage of his initial varsity season, Shelley has poured
in 365 points for an average of 28.1 per game. He also owns a
12.4 rebounding average, while contributing 2.6 assists, 3.6 steals
and 3.3 blocks per start.
In his most recent outing, Shelley hauled down 11 rebounds, notched
7 steals, handed out 2 assists and swatted away 2 shots.
(12-31-03)
Helix's Lance Hurdle in a tie up during an
earlier game against Morse. (photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
WEDNESDAY - DEC 31, 2003 EastCountySports.com 2003 Spartan Classic Vista 76, Christian 59 Vista 19 17 15 25 - 76 Christian 9 15 8 27 - 59 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 49, Shane Stanovic 5, Derek Larsen 2, C.J. Schneider 2, Bryan Fuller 1. - Helix 67, Mount Miguel 56 Mount Miguel 15 11 15 15 - 56 Helix 15 23 6 23 - 67 Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 14, J.R. Griffin 12, Andre Martin 10, Kenny Key 9, James Roberts 5, Duran Moore 2, Darren Newborn 2, Deviyon Carter 1, Eddie DeArcos 1. Helix scoring: Eric Robinson 21, Marlon Pierce 20, Lance Hurdle 18, Ryan Mills 4, David Jones 2, Greg Harvey 2. - Morse 60, Steele Canyon 54 Morse 8 21 12 19 - 60 Steele Canyon 18 5 10 21 - 54 Steele Canyon: Richie Williams 20, George Cunningham 15, Camillo Martinez 10, Raymond Williams 4, Jason Beauchamp 3, Walter Hall 2. (12-31-03)
Mount Miguel's Janssen Barber (22) tries
to defend Steele Canyon's Camillo
Martinez (25) and George Cunningham (1) in a Spartan Classic semifinal
won by
the Cougars 61-38. (12-30-03/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
Kipp is MVP, but total team effort gives
Wolf Pack championship over Orange Glen
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA - West Hills survived a barrage of 3-point bull's-eyes
by coach Curtis Hofmeister's Orange Glen Patriots to capture the
championship of the 21st annual Aztec Holiday Invitational Tuesday
night (Dec. 30) at Montgomery High. To take the title, the Wolf
Pack (9-3) received some subtle boosts from unsung sources.
On the front line, MATT GILSON scored a team-high 17 points and
tournament MVP LEVI KIPP dropped in 15 to permit the 'Pack to
prevail 55-50 in the title bout.
But it was a buzzer beater at the close of the 3rd quarter by
CHRIS ORONA - his lone score of the night - that tied the game,
and three key rebounds and hard-nosed defense on the perimeter
down the stretch by NATHAN MUZQUIZ that helped West Hills pull
out a victory.
Muzquiz's only bucket of the night came off an offensive rebound
that sliced a 4-point Orange Glen lead in half with less than
three minutes remaining.
"He caught ball off the glass, and while he was still in
the air put the ball back up and in," West Hills coach JEFF
ARMSTRONG said. "It was an amazing effort, and one we had
to have. He's a role player, the kind you have to have to be successful."
After the Wolf Pack cut the Patriots edge to one, Kipp made a
nifty inside pass to BLAKE SUTTON, who scored what proved to be
a game-winning lay-up for a 51-50 lead with 1:58 remaining.
Kipp sealed the deal by putting down 4 free throws in the final
90 seconds.
RYAN SHUMAKER added 11 points and earned a berth on the all-tournament
team.
Orange Glen, coached by former Christian High mentor Hofmeister,
kept the Wolf Pack on its toes by canning 9 three-pointers.
"It was a good tournament for us," said Armstrong, whose
team is riding a modest five-game winning streak. "I'd like
to say that Gilson was our most valuable player these last two
games (scoring 32 points). When this tournament started, he just
got back from Alaska on an all-night plane flight. He had dead
legs and wasn't much of a factor the first two games."
Make note of this: West Hills will be a major factor in
defending the Grossmont North League crown it won last year.
Valhalla's No. 44 attempts a jump shot during the
Sporttland Festival championship game Tuesday night (12-30-03)/photo
by Nick Pellegrino
CENTRAL UNION 79, VALHALLA 73 -
Central Union senior guard Robert
Christensen spoiled Valhalla's bid for the Granite Hills Sportland
Festival championship Tuesday night (Dec. 30).
Christensen scored 16 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter when
the Spartans (12-2) wrestled victory away from the Norsemen in
a seesaw affair at Granite Hills.
Trailing 38-37 at the half, the Norsemen (8-6) missed their first
four shots of the 3rd period and suddenly Central was able to
climb into an 11-point lead. But TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER (16 points,
10 rebounds), DEVON JONES (21 points, 6 rebounds) and RONY NASSER
(4 points, 2 assist) brought the Norsemen back into contention.
Valhalla moved on top 59-56, but could not contain Christensen,
who scored 8 points in a run that lifted Central back in front
76-70 with 1:20 to play.
Gonzales cut the deficit in half with a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining.
Then Christensen regained control and finished off the Norsemen
by sinking three of four free throws in the final 51 seconds.
"When you go down by 11 points against a team that's pressing,
things tend to snowball," Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS said.
"But we didn't let that happen. We came back and gave ourselves
a chance to win. One thing that hurt us in the 4th quarter was
our inability to get the ball to Travis. He had the hot hand,
but I don't think he touched the ball in the last quarter."
Rothlisberger was 7-for-8 from the floor for the Norsemen, who
shot 43.3 percent (29-for-67) as a team.
VALHALLA 67, CRAWFORD 59 - MANNY GONZALES landed
4 of his game-high 5 three-pointers in the 3rd quarter and RONY
NASSER scored all but one of his 9 points in the period as the
Norsemen (8-5) outscored the visiting Colts 24-12 in the 8-minute
stanza and continued on for the Granite Hills Sportland Festival
semifinals victory Tuesday (Dec. 30) afternoon.
Valhalla opened up a 21-point lead from there, but the Colts fought
back on the strength of five 3-pointers in the final quarter.
By then, though, Valhalla had earned its ticket to the tournament
finals.
Norseman senior RAYMOND HANNA nailed 7 of 12 shots from the floor
and 7 of 10 lobs from the line for team high 21 points. Gonzales
settled for 15 points, while DEVON JONES rolled in 11. Hanna,
Gonzales and TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER shared the rebounding high with
6 apiece.
STEELE CANYON 61, MOUNT MIGUEL 38 - In a battle of
two teams riding 7-game winning streaks in Tuesday's (Dec. 30)
semifinals of the Spartan Classic, the Cougars crushed any idea
of a suspenseful conclusion by commanding a 20-2 lead early in
the 2nd quarter and never looking back.
The key to Steele Canyon's 8th straight win and a berth in Wednesday's
(Dec. 31) tournament championship game against Morse at 8 p.m.
at Chula Vista High, was the defensive job senior TERRENCE DAVIS
turned in against Mount Miguel scoring ace J.R. GRIFFIN.
"Terrance is so big and strong (a 6-foot, 200-pound tight
end in football)," Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF said. "He
took Griffin out of his game, by denying and staying in his face."
Griffin, who is averaging more than 17 points per start, did not
register a single field goal against Davis and the Cougars. His
scoring was limited to 6-for-6 free throw shooting.
Steele Canyon (9-3), which has established itself as the Grossmont
South League favorite, dominated the boards against the Matadors
(9-3). JASON BEAUCHAMP and GEORGE CUNNINGHAM led the way with
9 boards apiece.
"I don't think Mount Miguel had more than 3 or 4 offensive
boards," Leaf said. "We flat didn't give up many second
shots."
Despite barging out to an 18-point lead, Leaf said he didn't feel
overly confident.
"Remember, USDHS led Mount Miguel 14-1 and wound up losing,"
he noted. "So I was really guarded even with that big lead."
RICHIE WILLIAMS led Cougars' scoring parade with 18 points, including
a pair of threes. He also dished off 5 assists and nabbed an equal
amount of steals.
CAMILLO MARTINEZ added 11 points and point-guard RAYMOND WILLIAMS
charted 10 points and 5 assists for the Cougars.
JANSSEN BARBER burned in 13 points, while garnering 2 assists
and a steal for the Matadors. DEVIYON CARTER collected 11 points
and 3 rebounds.
"I think we came into this game too big-headed," Mount
Miguel coach JIMMY HURST said. "They beat us in every facet
of the game from start to finish. We chased the ball all night
long. We just didn't look ready to compete. I mean, we had only
6 assists all night and our leading rebounder had 2 boards. What
does that tell you?"
Helix's
guard looks for the set during the Spartan Classic semifinals
Wednesday. (photo by Adolfo Villanuevo)
MORSE 57, HELIX 52 - Capturing the Spartan Classic championship has been
an under-publicized tradition for the Helix Highlanders. Four
hunks of hardware from this holiday event are stashed in Helix's
basketball trophy case. There will be no additions this season,
as the Highlanders - for the 1st time in five years - failed to
qualify for Wednesday's (Dec. 31) Spartan Classic championship
game in Chula Vista.
"We are limited in what we can do because of our lack of
experience up front," Helix coach JOHN SINGER said. "Right
now, we are living on our three (senior) guards." That would
be ERIC ROBINSON, LANCE HURDLE and MARLON PIERCE.
That backcourt trio accounted for 34 points in the Highlanders
semifinal loss to undefeated Morse (12-1) on Tuesday (Dec. 30)
night at Chula Vista.
"The problem was two of those three guys didn't score in
the 4th quarter," Singer said.
That was the pivotal period as Helix (7-4) took a 39-37 lead into
the final eight minutes before the Tigers earned a 20-13 scoring
edge with the game on the line.
"I realize our situation," Singer said. "I'm disappointed
that we lost, but I'm not upset with my guys. We have some things
we need to iron out before the start of league."
Robinson led the Highlanders with 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting,
which included a pair of treys. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and
handed out 3 assists.
DAVID JONES netted 6 of 8 shots for a dozen points to go with
7 rebounds, matching Pierce's 12 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.
Hurdle finished with 6 points, taking only three shots from the
floor. Hurdle was 4-for-4 from the free throw stripe and picked
up 4 steals.
CHRISTIAN 68, PATRICK HENRY 62 - Christian introduced
freshman TYRONE SHELLEY to the Patrick Henry Patriots in Tuesday's
(Dec. 30) Spartan Classic game in Chula Vista. Thanks to a strong
4th quarter, the 6-foot-4 Shelley no doubt left a lasting impression.
Shelley scored 15 of his game-high 32 points in the final eight
minutes to carry Christian (3-9) to the victory.
While Shelley also ripped off 14 rebounds, recorded 3 steals and
blocked 3 shots, coach TOBIN WILKINS was quick to credit guards
SHANE STANOVIC and C.J. SCHROEDER for their roles in the impressive
victory.
Schroeder scored 8 of his 10 points in the final stanza, while
Stanovic contributed 16 points and 3 steals.
"If we can get that kind of scoring support for Shelley from
those two guys, we'd be in a lot better position to win games,"
Wilkins said.
Christian freshman guard TYLER TUCKER chipped in with 5 assists.
MONTE VISTA 62, EL CAPITAN 41 - The Monarchs (6-7)
used a balanced scoring attack led by CLINTON SNYDER's 16 points
to put down the Grossmont North League power from Lakeside in
Tuesday's (Dec. 30) final round of the Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops
Classic.
Snyder, the EastCountySports.com Defensive Player of the Year
in football, is muscling in 12.9 points per outing since returning
to the basketball court eight games ago. ALEX GUINTO, another
football product, tacked on 14 markers against the Vaqueros and
has maintained a 14.1 scoring standard since leaving the gridiron.
BOBBY PURVY popped in 14 more for the Monarchs. The 6-foot senior
guard has averaged 13.3 markers in four games since returning
from a hip injury.
ROBERT YOUSIF nailed a pair of 3-pointers en route to a 10-point
finish for Monte Vista, which capsized the Vaqueros in a 34-16
second half tsunami.
It was the 6th loss in the last eight starts for El Capitan (7-6),
which received 14 points from DANIEL KRUEGER. CORY BROWN
added 11 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, while JUSTIN GALLOWAY
chalked up 9 points and 10 rebounds. JOHNNY CURO handed out 8
assists.
El Capitan shot a paltry 29 percent from the field (16-for-55).
CENTRAL UNION 94, GRANITE HILLS 65 - One thing is certain
about the Eagles - they can put points on the board. On the flip
side, they also allow points by the dozens.
The host Eagles (3-10) got caught up in a desert-style whirlwind
resulting in a Granite Hills Sportland Festival blowout Tuesday
(Dec. 30) courtesy of eventual tourney champion Central Union
of El Centro.
RYAN SNYDER led the Eagles with 18 points, followed by NICK TAYLOR
with 14 and JAMES CLARK with 12.
But the visiting Spartans (11-2) could not be stopped, especially
in the 3rd quarter when they scored 31 points to open up a 69-49
lead.
"We were outrun, out jumped, out hustled to every loose ball,"
Granite Hills coach MATT DAVIS said. "We started with
good defense, but we were flat on offense, and soon it carried
over to both ends of the court. (Coach) Von Gaines gets the most
out of that team. They have no fear, and they just keep coming
in waves all game. They aren't the greatest shooting team, but
they push the tempo so well, they get out and finish in transition,
all the things good teams do."
"I don't mean to sound too despondent, but it was a frustrating
game to coach," Davis sighed. "They just let themselves
be outworked, they looked tired and we have played several games
in the last week and a half. I hope and believe the new year will
bring a better run."
(12-30-03)
TUESDAY - DEC 30, 2003 EastCountySports.com Aztec Holiday Invitational Championship: West Hills 55, Orange Glen 50 West Hills 12 12 18 13 - 55 Orange Glen 8 20 14 8 - 50 West Hills scoring: Matthew Gilson 17, Levi Kipp 15, Ryan Shumaker 11, Blake Sutton 6, Chris Orona 2, Quentin London 2, Nathan Muzquiz 2. - Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic Monte Vista 62, El Capitan 41 Monte Vista 10 18 14 20 - 67 El Capitan 7 18 6 10 - 41 Monte Vista scoring: Clinton Snyder 16, Bobby Purvy 14, Alex Guinto 14, Robert Yousif 10, Trevor Peck 6, Brondon Harvey 2. El Capitan scoring: Daniel Krueger 14, Cory Brown 11, Justin Galloway 9, Johnny Curo 5, Jesse Leatherman 2. - Granite Hills Sportland Festival Valhalla 67, Crawford 59 Valhalla 15 12 24 16 - 67 Crawford 10 15 12 22 - 59 Valhalla scoring: Raymond Hanna 21, Manny Gonzales 15, Devon Jones 11, Rony Nasser 9, Travis Rothlisberger 8, Tommy Miles 3. - Central Union 94, Granite Hills 65 Central Union 19 19 31 25 - 94 Granite Hills 12 14 23 16 - 65 Granite Hills scoring: David Baxter 11, Justin Villanueva 5, Brent Jensen 4, Kurtis Smith 1. - Championship: Central Union 79, Valhalla 73 Valhalla 17 21 11 24 - 73 Central 18 20 14 27 - 79 Valhalla scoring: Devon Jones 21, Manny Gonzales 19, Travis Rothlisberger 16, Raymond Hanna 10, Rony Nasser 4, Tommy Miles 3. - 2003 Spartan Classic Steele Canyon 61, Mount Miguel 38 Mount Miguel 2 15 9 12 - 38 Steele Canyon 18 16 18 9 - 61 Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 13, Deviyon Carter 11, J.R. Griffin 6, Kenny Key 4, Darren Newborn 3, James Roberts 1. Steele Canyon scoring: Richie Williams 18, Camillo Martinez 11, Raymond Williams 10, George Cunningham 8, Walter Hall 7, Jason Beauchamp 3, Ricky Bailey 2, Terrence Davis 2. - Morse 57, Helix 52 Helix 12 13 14 13 - 52 Morse 14 10 13 20 - 57 Helix scoring: Eric Robinson 16, Marlon Pierce 12, David Jones 12, Lance Hurdle 6, Clinton Shelton 2, Tommy Mills 2, David Jefferson 2. - Christian 68, Patrick Henry 62 Patrick Henry 14 16 14 18 - 62 Christian 13 14 15 24 - 68 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 32, Shane Stanovic 16, C.J. Schroeder 10, Tyler Tucker 3, Bryan Fuller 3, Jeremiah Whitten 2, Derek Larsen 2. (12-30-03)
Mount Miguel's Janssen Barber drives to the basket
for two, despite the defensive efforts of USDHS forward Dustin
Cano. The Matadors rallied to down the previously undefeated Dons,
75-68, to capture the Grossmont Winter Classic. (12-24-04/Photo
by Nick Pellegrino).
Shelley is unstoppable during Patriots'
win over visitors from Canada
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - There was no stopping Christian High's TYRONE SHELLEY
in Monday's (Dec. 29) Spartan Classic contest at Chula Vista.
The Patriots' 6-foot-4 freshman connected on 20 of 30 shots on
his way to scoring a tournament record 45 points against Canada's
Kitsilano High. Shelley, the East County scoring leader with a
25.3 average, made it a triple-double against the Canadians, ripping
off 11 rebounds and notching 10 steals. His teammates, however,
were limited to 14 points, thus allowing Kitsilano to escape with
a 70-59 victory.
What made Shelley's scoring spree so impressive was that he played
most of the game with four fouls.
"He picked up his 4th midway through the second quarter,"
Christian coach TOBIN WILKINS said. "But he managed to stay
there all the way, never did get that 5th one. He made his money
off pull-up jumpers. Even though (Kitsilano) had guys 6-6 and
6-5, Tyrone was hitting the 10-footer non-stop."
Only once in 11 starts has Shelley scored less than 20 points,
and he's cleared the 30-point barrier three times. He's also averaging
11.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals and has blocked 27 shots.
Freshman guard TYLER TUCKER chipped in with 6 points, 6 assists
and 5 steals for the Patriots. Junior SHANE STANOVIC spun in 5
points, and picked off four Kitsilano passes.
WEST HILLS 73, MADISON 59 - Coach JEFF ARMSTRONG's
Wolf Pack qualified for a shot at the 21st annual Aztec Holiday
Invitational championship game against Orange Glen Tuesday night
(Dec. 30) at Montgomery High by edging Madison in Monday's (Dec.29)
semifinals.
Junior NATHAN MUZQUIZ enjoyed a "career" night coming
off the Wolf Pack bench for 12 points.
"He made all 8 of his shots," Armstrong remarked, noting
that 6-foot-2, 156-pound wingman was 4-for-4 from the floor and
4-for-4 from the free throw line.
LEVI KIPP and MATT GILSON set the pace for the Pack (8-3),
garnering 15 points apiece. Gilson canned 6 of 10 shots from the
floor and 3 of 5 free throws, while passing out 5 assists and
recording 3 steals.
The big guy on the West Hills boards was RYAN SHUMAKER, a 6-6,
280-pound post man who threw his weight around to capture 14 rebounds
to go with his 13 points.
DERRICK ZIZZO didn't contribute much to the scoring column (2
points), but led West Hills with 6 assists and 3 steals.
VALHALLA 58, ENVER CREEK 56 - Senior guard DEVON
JONES put his athletic ability on display as the Norsemen positioned
themselves for a possible berth in the championship of the Granite
Hills Sportland Festival by edging the visitors from Surrey, British
Columbia with a last-second victory on Monday (Dec.29).
Jones, a multi-talented football player, was attempting to execute
a pick-and-roll with the score tied at 56-all.
"When Devon came to the right, they had him cut off,"
Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS said. "So he reversed direction
and came around to make the game-winning shot just inside the
free throw line from the left side (with 4 seconds left)."
Enver Creek, ranked No. 7 in British Columbia, refused to fold.
The Beavers attempted to throw a long in-bounds pass, but Jones
managed to tip the ball off its intended target. MANNY GONZALES,
who nailed a pair of clutch 3-pointers earlier in the contest,
retrieved the ball and dribbled away the waning seconds to secure
the Valhalla victory.
Jones scored all of his 12 points in the 2nd half, while RAYMOND
HANNA netted all but 2 of his team-leading 17 points in the opening
two quarters.
TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER nailed 5 of 9 shots from the field for 10
points and also led the Norsemen (7-5) with 9 rebounds. Hanna
chipped in with 8 rebounds.
Valhalla needs a victory over visiting Crawford in Tuesday's (Dec.
30) semifinals at 2:20 p.m. to earn a shot at the tournament championship
that same evening at Granite Hills at 7:20 p.m.
MOUNT MIGUEL 61, MIRA MESA 32 - JANSSEN BARBER continued
his torrid scoring as he fired in 21 points Monday (Dec. 29),
leading the Matadors to a lopsided win over Mira Mesa and into
the semifinals of the Spartan Classic against streaking Steele
Canyon.
Barber, who also had 6 rebounds and 3 steals, has scored 58 points
in his last three starts. He will be a key factor when the Matadors
(9-2), who are riding a 7-game winning streak, take on the high-flying
Cougars Tuesday night (Dec. 30) at Chula Vista High.
Meanwhile, J.R. GRIFFIN added 15 points - nine coming on 3-balls
- and 7 rebounds in the Matadors conquest of Mira Mesa. ANDRE
MARTIN tossed in a 10-spot, logged 3 steals and dished a trio
of assists.
Although he didn't score, DARREN "BUD" NEWBORN led the
Matadors with 5 assists.
STEELE CANYON 80, PALM DESERT 50 - Not many teams
get up and down the court more rapidly than these Steele Canyon
Cougars. They virtually blew the visitors from Imperial Valley
off the Chula Vista High court Monday (Dec. 29) in preparation
for the Spartan Classic semifinal joust with Grossmont South League
rival Mount Miguel on Tuesday night (Dec. 30).
Junior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS was brilliant as he dropped in a
game-high 22 points - 20 coming in the 1st half when the Cougars
sped to a 47-27 lead. The talented Williams, who knocked down
four 3-pointers, scored 11 markers in the 2nd quarter as SC stacked
up 31 tallies in eight minutes. GEORGE CUNNINGHAM cashed in half
of his 14 points in the pivotal 2nd period, while JASON BEAUCHAMP
added 6 of his 10.
Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF wasn't concerned that scoring leader
Richie Williams contributed just 2 points in the final 16 minutes.
"This was one of the better games I've seen Richie play as
far as distributing the ball," said Leaf, noting that his
speedy floor leader handed out 8 assists, notched 5 steals and
was 6-for-6 from the foul line.
This was by no means a one-man show. Beauchamp hauled down a team-high
14 rebounds to complete his double-double, while Cunningham corralled
9 caroms.
Point guard RAYMOND WILLIAMS turned a solid effort, hitting a
trio of 3-pointers en route to a 12-point finish for the Cougars
(8-3), who won their 7th straight.
GRANITE HILLS 65, PACIFIC HILLS 57 - The Eagles,
a team many predicted would struggle to win even a handful of
games this season, won for the third time in their last five starts
by knocking off Pacific Hills of Hollywood in Monday's (Dec. 29)
Granite Hills Sportland Festival.
The Eagles had several double-digit leads, but could never put
the Bruins away, mostly because of some timely outside shooting
by Pacific Hills point guard, John Venosta who hit 4 threes and
finished with 23 points.
Junior RYAN SNYDER, who erupted for 13 third-quarter points as
the Eagles turned a 3-point halftime lead into a 49-37 advantage,
finished with 17 points. Included in his totals were one trey,
6 assists and 5 rebounds.
The Eagles came out in the second half and forced several turnovers
with full court pressure to open up a tight game, pushing the
lead from 3 to 15 halfway through the quarter. But a series of
unforced turnovers allowed the Bruins to stay in the game.
NICK TAYLOR had another big game for the Eagles (3-9), scoring
16 points (2 threes) while grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds. Taylor
hit a big shot inside with less than 2 minutes to go, after Pacific
Hills had closed the gap to four.
"I keep talking to them about playing with a killer instinct,"
Granite Hills coach MATT DAVIS said. "When we have the chance
to put a game away, we need to take it rather than playing to
the level of our opponents. If we play as we have against some
of the much tougher teams we have played, this game would have
been over at the half."
JAMES CLARK contributed 14 points - including a pair of 3-balls
- and 3 assists for the Eagles, while DAVID BAXTER netted 11 points
and passed off 3 scoring dishes.
"We had the opportunity to push the ball inside today, but
did not do so consistently," Davis noted. "We were better
in the second half, converted some nice pick-and-roll plays, which
was fortunate because we hit only 6 threes."
Hmmm. Only six 3-point bull's-eyes in a single half. These guys
have to be East County's leading 3-point shooting machine. Stay
tuned for the boys basketball statistical report at the end of
the week.
CERRITOS 66, EL CAPITAN 65 - After falling behind
by 16 points in the opening quarter to the Dons from Los Angeles
County in Monday's (Dec. 29) Mt. Carmel Holiday Classic, the Vaqueros
scrambled back to take a 65-64 lead on DANIEL KRUEGER's 3-pointer
with 23 seconds remaining.
Cerritos, however, won the game on a put-back with 0:05 remaining.
It was a tough loss for the Vaqueros, who placed five players
in double figures led by Krueger's 16 points and 4 three-pointers.
CORY BROWN chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds, while JOHNNY CURO
cast in 11 points and dealt 10 assists. JESSE LEATHERMAN collected
11 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds for El Capitan (7-5).
HELIX 65, SOUTHWEST 47 - Senior guard ERIC
ROBINSON rolled in another impressive double-double, drilling
in 22 points and reeling in 10 rebounds as the Highlanders (7-3)
dispatched the Raiders in Monday's (Dec. 29) Spartan Classic quarterfinals
at Chula Vista High.
Robinson has been Helix's major offensive contributor of late,
averaging 19 points per game over his past four outings - the
last three of which have been Helix victories. The hard-nosed
Robinson connected on 9 of 16 shots from the field against Southwest.
LANCE HURDLE added 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting, while snagging
8 rebounds and shoveling off 3 scoring passes.
Football tight end RYAN MILLS made his first major contribution
on the basketball, court with 9 rebounds and a pair of steals
for the Highlanders.
Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic
SONORA 57, MONTE VISTA 42 -
Nobody reached double scoring digits for the Monarchs (5-7), who
found themselves 20 points in the hole by halftime of Monday's
(Dec. 29) Mt. Carmel Holiday Classic against the Sonora Raiders
(8-4) of the rugged Freeway League in the Southern CIF Section.
CLINTON SNYDER and ALEX GUINTO shared high-point honors for the
Monarchs with 9. Another positive note for Monte Vista was the
return of ROBERT YOUSIF from an ankle injury. Yousif canned 7
points, including one 3-ball.
MONDAY - DEC 29, 2003 EastCountySports.com Aztec Holiday Invitational West Hills 73, Madison 59 West Hills 18 18 17 20 - 73 Madison 8 16 18 17 - 59 West Hills scoring: Levi Kipp 15, Matthew Gilson 15, Ryan Shumaker 13, Nathan Muzquiz 12, Blake Sutton 9, Kovan Abdul 4, Derrick Zizzo 2, Chris Orona 2, Mike Edmondson 1. - Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic Sonora 57, Monte Vista 42 Sonora 20 14 6 17 - 57 Monte Vista 9 5 8 20 - 42 Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 9, Clinton Snyder 9, Robert Yousif 7, Bobby Purvy 6, Nick Childs 6, Brandon Harvey 5. - Cerritos 66, El Capitan 65 Cerritos 24 9 20 13 - 66 El Capitan 8 23 16 18 - 65 El Capitan scoring: Daniel Krueger 16, Cory Brown 13, Jesse Leatherman 11, Johnny Curo 11, Justin Galloway 10, Andrew Hoffmaster 4. - Granite Hills Sportland Festival Granite Hills 65, Pacific Hills 57 Pacific Hills 10 11 16 20 - 57 Granite Hills 15 9 25 16 - 65 Granite Hills scoring: Ryan Snyder 17, Nick Taylor 16, James Clark 14, David Baxter 11, Ricky Peitz 7. - Valhalla 58, Enver Creek 56 Valhalla 17 13 15 13 - 58 Enver Creek 18 11 17 10 - 56 Valhalla scoring: Raymond Hanna 17, Devon Jones 12, Travis Rothlisberger 10, Rony Nasser 9, Manny Gonzales 8, Kyle Luhnow 2. - 2003 Spartan Classic Mount Miguel 61, Mira Mesa 32 Mount Miguel 18 12 14 17 - 61 Mira Mesa 7 10 8 7 - 32 Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 21, JR Griffin 15, Andre Martin 10, Kenny Key 7, James Roberts 3, Eddie DeArcos 3, Deviyon Carter 2. - Steele Canyon 80, Palm Desert 50 Steele Canyon 16 31 22 11 - 80 Palm Desert 16 11 11 12 - 50 Steele Canyon scoring: Richie Williams 22, George Cunningham 14, Ray Williams 12, Jason Beauchamp 10, Walter Hall 8, Camillo Martinez 5, Wes Davis 3, Chad Belledo 2, Terrance Davis 2, Corey Morfey 2. - Helix 65, Southwest 47 Helix 20 14 17 14 - 65 Southwest 11 9 12 15 - 47 Helix scoring: Eric Robinson 22, Lance Hurdle 13, Marlon Pierce 9, David Jones 6, Greg Harvey 6, David Jefferson 2, Demetrius Henderson 2, Clinton Shelton 2, Ryan Mills 2, Edwin Hutsona 1. - Kitsilano (Canada) 70, Christian 59 Kitsilano 17 14 16 23 - 70 Christian 9 7 18 25 - 59 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 45, Tyler Tucker 6, Shane Stanovic 5, Bryan Fuller 2, C.J. Schroeder 1. (12-29-03)
Helix gets the winning started by dusting
off Henry
EastCountySports.com
LA MESA - Lest anyone with a short memory forget, the Helix Highlanders
have won seven straight Grossmont South League titles. By the
same token, the Highlanders (6-3) should receive a serious challenge
to their throne from the likes of Mount Miguel and Steele Canyon
this winter. And even Monte Vista and Valhalla might throw wrench
into the works, while youthful and 3-point crazed Granite Hills
could use its long range shooting to spoil somebody's plans. Oh
boy, what fun!
HELIX 72, PATRICK HENRY 47 - Veteran Helix coach
JOHN SINGER doesn't hide the fact that winning a league championship
is high on his list of seasonal priorities.
"I still place a lot of value on winning league," said
Singer, whose rebuilding Highlanders are in the running for winning
the Spartan Classic championship for the 4th time in the last
five seasons. "It gets harder every year to defend our (league)
title."
For a coach who has posted well over 300 victories, Singer shows
no signs of wear. While he admits he is still in the process of
putting his latest band of Highlanders in sync, never count his
club out of anything worth winning.
Helix polished off previously unbeaten Patrick Henry in Saturday's
(Dec. 27) 1st round of the Chula Vista Spartan Classic.
Senior guard ERIC ROBINSON hoisted in a game-high 24 points as
the Highlanders took a 20-9 1st quarter lead and never looked
back. Actually, Robinson was more the closer than the starter.
After Helix built a 32-23 advantage by intermission, Robinson
went on a scoring binge, netting 11 points in both the 3rd and
4th quarters. For good measure, he added 9 rebounds to his totals.
"Eric always looks for his shot first," Singer said.
"No question, he can score. But we don't want him to predicate
his whole game on offense. Yeah, his defense has improved. But
he has a lot of room to get better."
LANCE HURDLE hurled in 17 points - including 9-for-12 accuracy
from the free throw stripe - while dishing out 6 assists.
"He has a 4.0 grade-point-average and a lot of room to grow
in terms of his game," Singer said of Hurdle, who has caught
the eyes of the Sonoma State coaching staff.
Freshman center DAVID JEFFERSON added 9 points and 8 rebounds,
while DAVID JONES gathered in 9 caroms.
WEST HILLS 63, EL CENTRO SOUTHWEST 54 -
Despite playing without two starters, the Wolf Pack (7-3) were
guided by a career performance from LEVI KIPP, who clicked on
11 of 17 shots from the field en route to a 26-point scoring spree
in Saturday's (Dec. 27) Aztec Holiday Invitational victory over
mystified El Centro Southwest.
Oh sure, it looked like West Hills was going to win easily when
the Pack pounced on the Eagles 18-3 in the 1st quarter. But it
didn't turn out that way. The Eagles refused to retreat as they
kept clawing back.
In the long run, though, they had no answer for Kipp, who also
garnered a team high 10 rebounds.
"Levi and 'Big Shu' continue to play well," West Hills
coach JEFF ARMSTRONG said.
"Shu" would be 6-foot-6, 280-pound post man RYAN SHUMAKER,
who produced 16 points and hauled in 9 rebounds. It was Shumaker's
10-spot that gave West Hills its 1st quarter jumpstart.
Kipp picked up from there, scoring 18 points in the 2nd half -
9 coming in the 4th quarter as the Wolf Pack turned back the determined
Eagles.
West Hills guard CHRIS ORONA chalked up 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting,
including one three and a free throw. He also grabbed 5 rebounds,
while MATT GILSON notched 6 points, 6 rebounds and dished 5 assists.
KOVAN ABDUL handed out a team-best 6 scoring passes.
MT. CARMEL 44, EL CAPITAN 35 - It was a strange shooting
night for the visiting Vaqueros Saturday (Dec. 27) as they were
cut down by the host Sundevils in the Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops
Classic.
El Capitan (7-4) was a paltry 2-for-16 from inside the arc, but
8-for-21 from 3-point range. That totals out to 27 percent overall,
and it spelled defeat for the Vaqueros against Mt. Carmel's tightly
packed zone.
Not that Mt. Carmel (9-3) was lighting it up with its shooting,
either. The Sundevils were a more positive 14-for-32 from 2-point
distance (44 percent) and 16-for-45 overall (36 percent).
The Vaqueros, who placed only DANIEL KRUEGER in double scoring
digits with 17points, never scored more than 9 in a single quarter.
A dozen of Krueger's points came from 3-point distance.
JUSTIN GALLOWAY, who accounted for El Capitan's only 2-point buckets,
totaled 9 points. El Capitan sharp-shooter CORY BROWN was limited
to a mere 3 shots (and 3 points) for the night. Brown did snare
a team-best 8 rebounds.
ENVER CREEK 80, GRANITE HILLS 64 - The 3-point-shooting-happy
Eagles ran into a mirror image in Saturday's (Dec. 27) Granite
Hills Sportland Festival contest. Enver Creek of Vancouver, British
Columbia broke a 16-16 tie with a barrage of threes from three
different players over a four-minute stretch for 20-1 run and
a 37-17 lead.
Granite Hills, led by tenacious defense from JAMES CLARK, who
had 6 steals in the first half, closed to 40-28 at the half, and
had several chances to cut the lead to under 10.
Three 3-pointers in succession by DAVID BAXTER to start the 2nd
half closed the deficit to 42-37, but the Cougars adjusted and
were able to hold off the charge.
The Eagles (2-9) were able to stay close with a 3-point bull's-eye
by JUSTIN VILLANUEVA at the end of the 3rd quarter and two more
by NICK TAYLOR in the 4th, but Enver Creek answered every run
by pushing the ball inside and controlling the tempo.
Taylor also played stronger on the boards in the second half,
grabbing 7 rebounds, and totaling 9 for the game.
"We played much better defense against a tougher team today,"
Eagles' coach MATT DAVIS said. "If we are able to play up
against all opponents, we'll win many more games."
VALHALLA 77, SERRA 59 - Senior TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER
was overpowering inside the paint Saturday (Dec. 27) as he helped
the Norsemen (6-5) past Serra in a Granite Hills Sportland Festival
affair.
The 6-foot-3 Rothlisberger connected on 9 of 12 shots from the
floor and sank a pair of free throws to finish with 20 points
to go along with 10 rebounds.
"Travis was getting some good looks, and he was dominating
on the offensive boards," Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS said.
The Norsemen were sitting on a 28-20 cushion when suddenly the
air went out of their offense allowing the Conquistadors to knot
things at 33-all by intermission.
"We played our starting five the whole 3rd quarter,"
Thomas said. "We got up by 27 with four minutes left (in
the game) and then took out our starters."
DEVON JONES added 14 points, RAYMOND HANNA supplied 12 and TOMMY
MILES muscled in a 10-spot for Valhalla.
MOUNT MIGUEL 72, MAR VISTA 28 - J.R. GRIFFIN netted
22 points and blocked 4 shots to lead the Matadors (8-2) to an
easy Spartan Classic victory over hapless Mar Vista Saturday (Dec.
27) in Chula Vista.
JANSSEN BARBER cast in another 12 points for the Matadors, who
have won six in a row. KENNY KEY amassed 8 points and a team-high
7 rebounds.
STEELE CANYON 78, COCONINO 40 - GEORGE "Mr.
C" CUNNINGHAM scored 10 of his 15 points in the 1st quarter
to put the Cougars on the prowl Saturday (Dec. 27) as Steele Canyon
clobbered the visitors from Flagstaff, Ariz. in the opening round
of the Spartan Classic at Chula Vista High.
SC junior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS whistled in a team-leading 16
points, including 5-for-5 work at the charity stripe.
"They couldn't handle our pressure," Cougars coach BRAD
LEAF said, noting that his team forced 33 turnovers despite playing
the starters in only the 1st and 3rd quarters.
Steele Canyon has won its last six.
TRABUCCO HILLS 68, MONTE VISTA 54 - The visitors
from Mission Viejo cooled off hot-handed ALEX GUINTO and snapped
the Monarchs' 4-game winning streak in Saturday's (Dec. 27) Holiday
Hoops Classic at Mt. Carmel.
Guinto, who came in averaging 18 points in his previous five games,
was limited to 10 by Trabucco Hills.
On a more positive note, Monte Vista received a career high 26
points from BOBBY PURVY.
CHULA VISTA 54, CHRISTIAN 42 - There is no answer
for 30 turnovers, as the Patriots (2-8) discovered in Saturday's
(Dec. 27) opening round of the Spartan Classic, succumbing to
host Chula Vista.
The Spartans were clinging to a 25-22 lead when the 3rd quarter
began. The Patriots turned the ball over 11 times and that enabled
Chula Vista to claim a commanding 19-4 scoring edge for the 8-minute
stanza.
"We just keep beating ourselves," Christian coach TOBIN
WILKINS admitted.
Freshman TYRONE SHELLEY coined another respectable outing, spinning
in 22 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, blocking 4 shots and recording
3 steals.
Guard TYLER TUCKER handed out 6 assists, while BRYAN FULLER blocked
3 shots and pilfered 3 passes.
(12-27-03)
SATURDAY - DEC 27, 2003 EastCountySports.com Aztec Holiday Invitational West Hills 63, El Centro Southwest 54 West Hills 18 15 17 13 - 63 El Centro Southwest 3 13 20 18 - 54 West Hills scoring: Levi Kipp 26, Ryan Shumaker 16, Chris Orona 10, Matthew Gilson 6, Kovan Abdul 3, Derrick Zizzo 2. - Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic Trabucco Hills 68, Monte Vista 54 Trabucco Hills 18 10 21 19 - 68 Monte Vista 13 13 13 15 - 54 Monte Vista scoring: Bobby Purvy 26, Alex Guinto 10, Clinton Snyder 8, Tyrone Gipson 7, Trevor Peck 3. - Mt. Carmel 44, El Capitan 35 El Capitan 8 9 9 9 - 35 Mt. Carmel 12 9 17 6 - 44 El Capitan scoring: Daniel Krueger 17, Justin Galloway 9, Johnny Curo 3, Andrew Hoffmaster 3, Cory Brown 3. - Granite Hills Sportland Festival Enver Creek (Vancouver, B.C.) 80, Granite Hills 64 Enver Creek 26 14 21 19 - 80 Granite Hills 17 11 20 16 - 64 Granite Hills scoring: David Baxter 15, James Clark 13, Nick Taylor 12, Ryan Snyder 9, Ricky Peitz 5, Justin Villanueva 5, Nick Polovitz 5. - Valhalla 77, Serra 59 Serra 14 19 17 19 - 59 Valhalla 18 15 20 24 - 77 Valhalla scoring: Travis Rothlisberger 20, Devon Jones 14, Raymond Hanna 12, Tommy Miles 10, Ron Schwandt 9, Manny Gonzales 6, Rony Nasser 4, Kyle Luhnow 2. - 2003 Spartan Classic Mount Miguel 72, Mar Vista 28 Mar Vista 5 9 8 6 - 28 Mount Miguel 18 9 27 18 - 72 Mount Miguel scoring: JR Griffin 22, Janssen Barber 12, Kenny Key 8, Andre Martin 8, Deviyon Carter 6, James Roberts 4, Eddie DeArcos 4, Durran Moore 4, Michael Love 2, Darren Newborn 2. - Steele Canyon 78, Coconino 40 Steele Canyon 23 18 18 19 - 78 Coconino 8 5 13 14 - 40 Steele Canyon scoring: Richie Williams 16, George Cunningham 15, Camillo Martinez 10, Wes Davis 7, Jason Beauchamp 6, Ray Williams 6, Ricky Bailey 6, Walter Hall 5, Chad Belledo 5, Terrance Davis 2. - Helix 72, Patrick Henry 47 Patrick Henry 9 12 18 8 - 47 Helix 20 12 21 19 - 72 Helix scoring: Eric Robinson 24, Lance Hurdle 17, David Jefferson 9, Marlon Pierce 7, Ryan Mills 6, David Jones 4, Greg Harvey 3, Iain MacMillan 2. - Chula Vista 54, Christian 42 Christian 7 15 4 16 - 42 Chula Vista 16 9 19 10 - 54 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 22, Derek Larsen 6, Shane Stanovic 4, C.J. Schroeder 4, Bryan Fuller 4, Tyler Tucker 2. (12-27-03)
Wolf Pack's six-day Alaskan adventure more
than just games
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - The West Hills Wolf Pack knows what it means to be walking
in the winter wonderland. During a recent trip to Anchorage, Alaska,
the 'Pack and their coach JEFF ARMSTRONG experienced a taste of
surprisingly high caliber basketball along with the flavor of
Caribou Burgers, spicy Reindeer sausage and fluffy omelets. As
for the weather, well, Armstrong reported a high of 24 degrees
and a low of 8. Not bad considering it snowed daily during the
Wolf Pack's six-day visit to the 49th state earlier this month.
"This was an experience of a lifetime for most of these kids,"
Armstrong said. "Three of them had never been on an airplane
before."
And that was just the beginning. Despite winning only one of three
games during their stay in the frozen tundra, the Wolf Park capitalized
on many of the activities offered by the snow-covered peaks and
majestic mountains of the Alaskan Range, highlighted by Mount
McKinley at 20,320 feet. Word is nobody from the Southern California
troupe attempted to climb the tallest mountain in North America.
"Our kids had a blast," Armstrong said. "They chased
a moose through a parking lot, trying to get as many photos as
they could. They went sledding the last day. It seemed like they
were active every waking moment."
Adding to the mix of this snow-packed palace that there are almost
20 hours of darkness made the adventure even more surreal.
"The sun comes up about 10:45 and sets about 3 p.m.,"
Armstrong said. "But even when it's dark, it isn't pitch
black."
The hook that made Armstrong decide to take this trip hinged on
the connections of MATT GILSON, whose family lived in Anchorage
prior to moving South three years ago.
"The Gilsons are the ones who made this trip possible for
us," Armstrong said. "I'm sure all of our kids had a
great time. There are so many people to thank, and I'd like to
thank them all personally, if I could."
WEST HILLS 49, HILLTOP 34 - RYAN SHUMAKER¸ a 6-foot-6,
280-pound West Hills junior, dominated the Lancers in Friday's
(Dec. 26) opening round of the Montgomery Aztec Holiday Invitational,
nailing 8 of 11 shots from the floor en route to an 18-point outing
that was complemented by 8 rebounds.
"Ryan played well on both ends of the court," Armstrong
said.
LEVI KIPP added 10 points and 5 rebounds to pace the 'Pack supporting
cast. Gilson logged 6 steals and handed out 4 assists.
Armstrong also praised KOVAN ABDUL and CHRIS ORONA for their contributions.
"Abdul played a solid floor game, running the offense,"
the coach said. "And Orona gave us some quality minutes,
too."
EL CAPITAN 71, SAN PASQUAL 60 - If nothing else,
the El Capitan Vaqueros have shown balanced scoring at the moment,
with a promise of more to come.
Junior DANIEL KRUEGER turned in another solid scoring spree with
a game-high 18 points as the Vaqueros (7-3) clipped the Golden
Eagles (4-6) in Friday's (Dec. 26) first round of the Mt. Carmel
Holiday Hoops Classic.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Krueger included a pair of 3-pointers
in his shooting totals, while garnering 8 rebounds, 3 assists
and 2 blocks.
Despite being hampered by a gimpy ankle, senior JUSTIN GALLOWAY
nailed a quartet of 3-pointers on his way to a 16-point, 6-rebound
finish in limited playing time.
Senior forward ANDREW HOFFMASTER came off the bench to toss in
14 points while collecting 7 caroms for the Vaqueros.
Not to be overlooked was 6-foot-8 sophomore center CORY BROWN,
who corralled 13 rebounds, blocked 5 shots, dished 3 assists and
recorded 2 steals in addition to tapping in 9 points.
"Brown is quick and his instincts inside are incredible,"
El Capitan coach ROSS FURROW said of Brown. "He's aggressive,
so very intense and physical, while at the same time, so agile.
He can go out and guard people on the perimeter while maintaining
the ability to block shots inside. And he's still growing. He
should blossom into an excellent high school basketball player
and beyond that if he keeps working and progressing."
CLAIREMONT 68, GRANITE HILLS 63 (OT) - Not many teams
shoot the 3-point shot better than coach MATT DAVIS' youthful
Eagles.
After building a halftime lead of 40-27 on the strength of 11-for-19
three-point shooting, the Eagles (2-8) wilted down the stretch
in Friday's (Dec. 26) Granite Hills Sportland Festival, scoring
only 2 points in the 4th quarter and eventually succumbing to
Clairemont in overtime.
Granite Hills led throughout the game until Clairemont fought
back to tie the game late in the fourth.
A double technical gave the ball to Granite Hills with 24.5 seconds
on the clock and the score deadlocked at 56-all.
With 11 seconds left, Davis called a timeout.
"We wanted to set up an isolation play for JAMES CLARK, but
Clairemont's overplay left NICK TAYLOR open on the wing,"
Davis said.
Taylor was fouled driving to the basket, but failed to convert
either of his two free throws with 07.5 seconds remaining. The
Chiefs retrieved the rebound, but were unable to connect on a
long desperation shot as time expired in regulation.
Clairemont dominated the first 90 seconds of the extra session,
taking a 6-point lead. But a steal and 3-point play by Clark plus
two free throws by Taylor pulled the Eagles back to within one.
The Eagles seemed to lose steam down the stretch, and Kenny Barker,
who led Clairemont with 25 points, proved too tough to handle.
The Chiefs gained a 12-7 scoring edge in the four-minute overtime.
"Well, we finally knew what it was like to play with a lead,"
Davis said. "As I told the team after the game, we can either
learn from it or run from it."
Granite Hills jumped out to an early lead scoring all of its first
18 points from 3-point range as DAVID BAXTER hit 4 first-quarter
threes and Clark canned a pair of treys. The Eagles maintained
a 20-13 advantage after one period.
Clark canned two more buckets from beyond the arc in the 2nd quarter
and Baxter hit one trey while RYAN SNYDER dished 7 first half
assists. But Snyder sprained his ankle early in the 4th quarter,
Clark was in foul trouble and leading rebounder KURTIS SMITH sat
the game out due to sickness, all leading to a 4th quarter collapse.
"Despite all the setbacks, it was encouraging to have a shot
at the win at the end of the game," Davis said. "The
key was that we had 12 first half assists and only 3 in the second
half, none in the 4th quarter. Also we gave up only 3 offensive
rebounds in the first half, 11 in the second.
Granite Hills' RICKY PIETZ had a solid game on the boards with
6 rebounds, but drew several over-the-back calls. Snyder also
snagged 6 rebounds, while Clark registered 4 steals.
MONTE VISTA 54, WESTVIEW 27 - Senior ALEX GUINTO
cast in 24 points as the Monarchs tamed the Wolverines in Friday's
(Dec. 26) opening round of the Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic.
It was the 4th straight win for the Monarchs (5-5).
Guinto, a 6-foot-1 guard, has played a major role in Monte Vista's
resent surge. He's scored 90 points in five games - or 18 markers
per start.
To understand the magnitude of Guinto's latest effort one needs
only to match his shooting totals to those of the Westview crew.
While Guinto was drilling in 11 buckets (one of them a 3-pointer),
the Wolverines (2-8) were shooting a paltry 9-for-49 from the
field (a smidgen better than 18 percent).
In what was overall a sluggish game, the Monarchs managed to lead
20-9 by intermission. Then Guinto helped Monte Vista break the
game open, scoring 9 points in the 3rd quarter and a dozen in
the final period.
CLINTON SNYDER was steady in the middle as usual for the Monarchs,
netting 14 points. BOBBY PURVY returned to the lineup after suffering
a hip injury last week, and contributed 7 points.
VALHALLA 82, CALEXICO 61 - The Norsemen (5-5) made it three wins in a row
as TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER paved the way with 14 points in Friday's
(Dec. 26) opening round of the Granite Hills Sportland Festival.
"And RONNIE SCHWANDT had a good game defensively," added
Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS said. "Our second group
came in in the 3rd quarter with 3 minutes left and turned a 10-point
game into a 20-point game."
Ten Norsemen contributed to Valhalla's highest scoring output
of the season.
(12-26-03)
FRIDAY - DEC. 26, 2003 EastCountysports.com Aztec Holiday Invitational West Hills 49, Hilltop 34 Hilltop 8 8 8 10 - 34 West Hills 9 13 11 16 - 49 West Hills scoring: Ryan Shumaker 18, Levi Kipp 10, Blake Sutton 8, Derrick Zizzo 5, Kovan Abdul 2, Chris Orona 2, Matthew Gilson 2, Nathan Muzquiz 2. - Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic Monte Vista 54, Westview 27 Westview 4 5 14 4 - 27 Monte Vista 10 10 16 18 - 54 Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 24, Clinton Snyder 14, Bobby Purvy 7, Brandon Harvey 4, Nick Childs 3, Tyrone Gipson 2. - El Capitan 71, San Pasqual 6 El Capitan 25 12 17 17 - 71 San Pasqual 24 16 10 10 - 60 El Capitan scoring: Daniel Kruegar 18, Justin Galloway 16, Andrew Hoffmaster 14, Cory Brown 9, Jesse Leatherman 8, Johnny Curo 4, Noelle Noy 2. - Granite Hills Sportland Festival Clairemont 68, Granite Hills 63 (OT) David Baxter 20, James Clark 19, Nick Taylor 11, Ryan Snyder 10, Ricky Pietz 3. - Valhalla 82, Calexico 61 Calexico 16 17 8 20 - 61 Valhalla 29 14 18 21 - 82 Valhalla scoring: Travis Rothlisberger 14, Kyle Luhnow 10, Raymond Hanna 9, Devon Jones 9, Manny Gonzales 8, Tommy Miles 8, Conner Ruyeras 8, Rony Nasser 7, O'Brien 5, Ronnie Schwandt 4. (12-26-03)
A Grossmont player goes up as teammates
block out on Tuesday (12-23-03) during the Foothillers' Winter
Classic. photo by Nick Pellegrino
Mount Miguel entertains with Grossmont Winter
Classic championship over USDHS
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - After overcoming the mental obstacles, Mount Miguel
then conquered the physical ones with crowd-pleasing displays
of athleticism, enough to whip previously unbeaten USDHS at its
own game Tuesday night (Dec. 23) at Grossmont High.
Digging out of a 13-1 hole in the game's opening five minutes,
the Matadors (7-2) used an array of blocked shots and a strong
transition game in the second half to bounce the Dons, 75-68,
to capture the championship of the Grossmont Winter Classic.
"I don't know what we were thinking, but we were out of synch
-- we came out nervous," said Mount Miguel forward J.R. GRIFFIN.
"Maybe we were intimidated, but we stepped it up and left
it all on the floor."
In the air, too.
Despite giving up several inches per player along the frontline,
Mount Miguel's leapers challenged every Dons shot, blocking 14
and forcing turnovers on several other vacated attempts. The result
was a Matadors rally from a 12-point deficit to finally gain their
first lead with 7:23 to play on an ANDRE MARTIN steal and slam
dunk.
"We opened up like a deer in headlights - even the seniors
seemed to be intimidated," noted Mount Miguel coach JIMMY
HURST. "I burned something like three or four timeouts in
the first half to get us going.
"But our defense and conditioning puts us in much better
shape than in other years, when we had too many individuals on
the team. We're not into individuals anymore."
After Mount Miguel took a 59-57 lead, USDHS was able to tie the
game three times down the stretch. However, the Dons were running
on fumes while the Matadors just kept on running, closing the
game on a 10-3 flash. Included were six points by JANSSEN BARBER,
four foul shots by Martin, while EDDIE De ARCOS took a charge
on defense and registered a steal in the final three minutes.
Barber totaled a season high 25 points.
"He hit a lotta baby Js, but wasn't afraid to drive to the
cup." Hurst said. "He drove by people. He made good
decisions to either pull up or drive by people. He, like all of
our kids, wasn't afraid to a attack the rim."
USDHS's Rico Tucker scored nine of his 28 points in the
first quarter, but was held in check the rest of the way before
fouling out with 38 seconds to play.
"Tucker is a man-child," Hurst said. "But we wore
him down with our constant pressure."
USDHS's Stanley Hoens (23 points), a sharp-shooting
guard, also fouled out, and was assessed a key technical foul
with the game tied at 65-all with 3:15 to play.
Martin sank both ends of a one-and-one on the foul, then added
another point on the technical to put the Matadors in the lead
for keeps. And when DeArcos took the charge on the following possession,
the running game kicked into an even higher gear, including a
nice KENNY KEY pass for a Barber layin, leaving the Dons (9-1)
nothing to do but foul in the closing moments.
"We didn't do anything special to stop Tucker," added
Hurst. "We knew he'd get his points, so we just played man
and tried to get up-and-down the court. Our conditioning won this
game - we were still running. They were out of it near the end."
USDHS also was in the blocking contest, rejecting 11 shots by
the Matadors, including six by Tucker. The Dons' strong rebounding
also led to three consecutive transition baskets to start the
game on a 6-0 run, eventually building a 12-point lead before
Mount Miguel scored its first basket with 2:41 left in the first
period, when Barber stole the ball and waltzed to an uncontested
layin.
Mount Miguel's KENNY KEY collected a team-high 10 rebounds, while
JAMES ROBERTS, Griffin and Martin plucked 7 rebounds apiece. Martin
also handed out 9 assists while recording 5 steals.
GRANITE HILLS 53, DOVER BAY (Canada) 52 - RYAN SNYDER,
blanked throughout the contest, saved his lone bucket with the
game on the line Tuesday (Dec.23) as he released a shot at the
buzzer that found the bottom of the net for a game-winning 3-pointer
to defeat Dover Bay.
The teams traded threes in the last 30 seconds with NICK TAYLOR
hitting one to give Granite Hills a lead at 50-49 with under 30
seconds to go. Dover Bay's John Kuzminski hit a three from
the corner with 13 seconds to go to give the Canadians a 2-point
margin.
With the clock running the Eagles decided to forego a timeout
and Snyder raced up the court and dished to DAVID BAXTER on the
wing. Snyder circled around and Baxter returned the ball for a
21-foot jumper right in front of the bench.
"(Snyder) shot it right in line in front of me and it was
pure," Granite Hills coach MATT DAVIS said. "I
knew it was in after I saw it leave his hand and the buzzer blew
in midair. He struggled all night with his shot, but he
did dish out 7 assists."
JAMES CLARK carried the team in the first half, scoring 16 of
the 27 points the Eagles generated, showing his force on defense
by leading with 6 steals while hitting 4 three-pointers, finishing
with 24 points and 6 rebounds. A finally healthy Taylor
was inserted back in the starting lineup and paid immediate dividends
by book-ending 2 first-quarter 3-pointers with 2 fourth quarter
3 pointers, ending with 14 points.
KURTIS SMITH scored nine points, but played big against an oversized
Dover Bay front line and grabbed 11 rebounds.
"We led at the end of every quarter in a tight game, which
is a huge key to our success," Davis said. "We did not
have to play catch-up, and therefore had legs down the stretch
to finish strong. It was a far better team defensive effort than
anything we have turned out thus far."
ST. AUGUSTINE 59, GROSSMONT 58 - A missed free throw
with 0:02 by the Foothillers' top scorer Tuesday (Dec. 23) tagged
Grossmont with its 5th loss in 10 starts.
"The lead changed hands almost every time down the floor,"
Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO said. "We handled their pressure
well and my big guys played well."
TYLER VICKERS, as usual, paced Grossmont with 19 points and 15
rebounds, while JAMES CROOKS chimed in with 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Not to be overlooked was junior TYLER HAJOSY, who scored a team-high
20 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Santana sets a screen on Tuesday in the
consolation of the Grossmont Winter Classic. photo by Nick
Pellegrino
MONTE VISTA 53, SANTANA 34 - Coach ZACH PECK's Monarchs are on a roll as they
smashed the Sultans in a consolation contest of the Grossmont
Winter Classic on Tuesday (Dec. 23).
The Monarchs won their 3rd straight as ALEX GUINTO cast in 19
points, giving him 66 points in his first four games out of football.
"No question we have excellent depth, but we're still trying
to settle on a rotation, "Peck said. "In think our league
and the Grossmont Conference in general is on the upswing.
It's definitely up from where it was three years ago."
Junior BRANDON HARVEY led the Monarchs' supporting cast with 12
points.
Nobody on the Santana roster garnered more than 6 points against
the Monarchs.
VALHALLA 43, GALENA (Reno) 40 - The Norsemen shot
a paltry 28 percent (16-for-57) from the field, but made up for
that shortcoming by giving their finest defensive effort of the
season to capture the third place trophy in the Grossmont Winter
Classic Tournament by holding off the Nevada team on Tuesday (Dec.
23).
"It was without question our best defensive game of the season,"
Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS emphasized.
Five minutes into the game, Valhalla was trailing 2-1.
"They were playing us in a zone," Thomas said. "We
were working hard at denying the ball to their best player, Lawrence
Lorenz."
Valhalla broke a 3-2 edge into a 9-point lead when KYLE LUHNOW
hit a 3-pointer, TOMMY MILES rolled in a deuce and RONY NASSER
nailed a 3-pointer and drew a foul to complete a 4-points play
in successive order to earn the Norsemen a 11-2 edge.
In the 3rd quarter, Valhalla erupted for 22 points as MANNY GONZALES
and RAYMOND HANNA contributed 6 points apiece.
The Norsemen locked up this victory when Hanna scored off a pass
from TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER to give Valhalla a 43-38 lead with less
than a minute to play.
Sweetwater Lions Holiday Classic
EASTLAKE 60, EL CAPITAN 47 - The Vaqueros stumbled to
their 3rd loss in four Sweetwater tournament starts Tuesday (Dec.
23) after opening the season with 5 straight wins.
Eastlake controlled the boards 33-19, turning 9 offensive rebounds
into baskets. A 22-13 3rd quarter scoring burst turned the tide
in Eastlake's favor.
JOHNNY CURO led El Capitan with 14 points, while DANIEL KRUEGER
netted 12 points and collected a team-best 8 rebounds.
(12-23-03)
TUESDAY - DEC. 23, 2003 EastCountySports.com Grossmont Winter Classic Granite Hills 53, Dover Bay (Canada) 52 Dover Bay 15 9 14 14 - 52 Granite Hills 18 9 13 13 - 53 Granite Hills scoring: James Clark 24, Nick Taylor 14, Kurtis Smith 9, David Baxter 3, Ryan Snyder 3. - St. Augustine 59, Grossmont 58 St. Augustine 16 11 15 17 - 59 Grossmont 13 9 18 18 - 58 Grossmont scoring: Tyler Hajosy 20, Tyler Vickers 19, James Crooks 12, Tyler Barbour 5, Mark Nicholson 2. - 3rd Place: Valhalla 43, Galena (Reno) 40 Galena 2 9 19 10 - 40 Valhalla 11 4 22 6 - 43 Devon Jones 8, Raymond Hanna 8, Tommy Miles 7, Manny Gonzales 6, Rony Nasser 4, Travis Rothlisberger 4, Ron Schwandt 3, Kyle Luhnow 3. - Consolation: Monte Vista 53, Santana 34 Santana 3 12 11 8 - 34 Monte Vista 10 17 17 9 - 53 Santana scoring: Zach Shepard 6, Ricky Michelmore 6, Jon Hernandez 6, David Bass 6, Corey Robinson 3,Billy Wickens 3, Brooks Bass 2, Kyle Reed 2. Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 19, Brandon Harvey 12, Clinton Snyder 9, Trevor Peck 7, Nick Childs 2, D'Andre Overstreet 2, Allan Watson 2. - Championship: Mount Miguel 12 23 20 20 - 75 USDHS 21 15 21 13 - 70 Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 25, J.R. Griffin 16, Eddie DeArcos 10, Andre Martin 8, James Roberts 7, Kenny Key 5, Deviyon Carter 2, Darren Newborn 2. - Sweetwater Lions Holiday Classic EastLake 14 10 22 16 - 60 El Capitan 11 12 13 11 - 47 El Capitan scoring: Johnny Curo 14, Daniel Krueger 12, Justin Galloway 6, Jesse Leatherman 5, Cory Brown 5, Andrew Hoffmaster 3, David Reeder 2. (12-23-03)
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