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2003-04 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL |
After just driving to the basket for a
layin, Helix freshman David Jefferson (right) receives plenty
of room -- and respect -- from a Torrey Pines defender, as Falcons
coach John Olive motions for his player to play off the bakk.
Jefferson nailed the jumper en route to a career-high 18 points
in Tuesday's CIF first-round victory. (2-24-04/Photo by Nick
Pellegrino).
11-year itch over as Santana captures playoff
victory over Madison
Highlanders, Foothillers win openers,
but other three east entrys all fall in overtime
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - Santana coach TIM BARRY remembers how it felt to win
a San Diego CIF playoff game as a player. He was the leading scorer
for the Sultans' 1988 Division I championship outfit. Barry has
longed to share the feeling of exuberance that accompanies the
post-season experience with his young Sultans. He finally got
his chance on Tuesday night (Feb. 24). And that's a good thing.
For the first time since 1993, the Sultans (11-13) won a SDCIF
playoff game Tuesday night (Feb. 24) as they held on to edge visiting
Madison 59-58 in a Division III opener.
"I feel like all our hard work has hit a turning point for
us," said Barry, whose Sultans had lost an earlier meeting
to Madison by 23 points. "I saw a character win tonight.
It was just great to have a huge crowd of fans, (purple) painted
faces, lots of cheering -- it was good for our boys basketball
program tonight."
It was a milestone of sorts, as the Santana boys were playing
their first home playoff game since Barry averaged a team-high
17.5 points for the Sultans' 25-3 Division I champions 16 years
ago.
The Sultans, who had played a mere two quarters since Feb. 12,
led by 8 points with 3:30 left to play. But they had to scramble
to the finish line.
With 13 seconds to play, sophomore RICKY MICHELMORE - known more
for his long distance shooting - hit two free throws to extend
the Sultans edge to 4 points. It turned out to be the difference
in the game.
Following Michelmore's success at the foul line, Barry called
his final timeout, and instructed his troops to play full court
pressure defense and cautioned his team not to touch the ball.
Madison shot and connected for a 3-pointer as time expired.
The odds were definitely stacked for the Sultans Tuesday night.
Not only were they hosting a Madison team that dealt them a 23-point
defeat in the regular season, they were without leading scorer
and rebounder BRYAN WICKENS. The 6-foot-3 Wickens, who is sporting
9 staples in his head from a second degree concussion suffered
in the regular season finale Feb. 20 against El Cajon Valley,
was limited to lending morale support.
Senior ZACH SHEPARD led Santana with a season-high 15 points and
7 rebounds, while JON HERNANDEZ added 13 points, 5 rebounds and
4 steals.
The victory over Madison was the Sultans' 1st playoff win since
1993 when they edged La Jolla 53-50. The 11 wins is the most for
Santana since the 1993-94 season.
Santana now faces a tall order in Friday's (Feb. 27) quarterfinals
when the Sultans travel to USDHS to take on the top-seeded Dons
(23-5) at 7 p.m.
HELIX 66, TORREY PINES 43 - Senior MARLON PIERCE poured
home 22 points, while freshman DAVID JEFFERSON drained 7-of-10
shots for a career-high 18 points, but it was the Highlanders'
suffocating defense that left Torrey Pines powerless in the second
half of Tuesday's (Feb. 24) SDCIF Division I playoff opener.
The Falcons' height advantage helped in the early going, but once
Helix got them moving by increasing the tempo, they simply withered
away, converting just 2-of-19 shots over the final 10:26 of the
contest.
Pierce punched holes in the Torrey Pines zone, going 5-for-5 from
3-point range. That created room for Jefferson and others to drive
to the basket against a single-minded Falcons defensive unit.
"All they wanted to do was try to be aggressive by blocking
shots," said Pierce. "So we either pump-faked or dished
off."
In his last three starts, Pierce has produced 63 points - anchored
by 24-for-37 shooting (65 percent). He is 9-for-10 from above
the arc in his last two games. Pierce also knows how to pass the
ball, as marked by his 23 assists over the past four games.
Considering Jefferson came in averaging just 4.3 points, Helix
coach JOHN SINGER, a veteran of these post-season battles, was
impressed by the poise of his 6-foot-3 freshman.
"He's pretty gifted," Singer said. "He had his
best game of the year - and in a playoff game, too."
Jefferson has performed well since becoming a starter the second
round of Grossmont South League play.
"The shots just came after I squared up," explained
Jefferson after his unexpected scoring spree. "We knew what
they wanted to do, and we knew how to beat them inside."
Guards LANCE HURDLE and ERIC ROBINSON drove the lane for baskets
on finger rolls or runners to expand the lead in the second half.
And when Pierce stole the ball and nailed a 3-ball at the buzzer
to end the 3rd quarter, the Highlanders (20-7) had doubled their
halftime spread to lead by 10 at 48-38, bringing the crowd at
Caledonia Gymnasium to its feet.
The Falcons (14-14) then made just one basket in the fourth period
as their fuel tank reached empty.
"We had to get used to being in a playoff game," said
Hurdle, who recorded game-highs of 9 assists and 10 rebounds.
"They're good, but we set the tempo to our speed."
The Highlanders forced Torrey Pines to defend for long stretches
before pulling the trigger on a shot. And when they did go for
the basket, they easily went around the front-liners to get to
the hoop.
"They were slower and couldn't get down the court,"
added senior DEMETRIUS HENDERSON, who scored 6 points and grabbed
7 boards off the bench.
Pierce scored eight of his points in the 1st period for the early
lead before Torrey Pines cut the margin to a bucket thanks to
center Michael McLaughlin, who scored nine of his 13 points in
the first half. However, Pierce answered with three more 3-balls
in the 3rd period, including his buzzer-beater, and the Highlanders
were never threatened.
Helix, winner of its last seven straight, advances to Saturday's
(Feb. 28) quarterfinals at No. 3-seeded San Diego (25-4). The
Cavers clipped Chula Vista 45-23 in round one.
GROSSMONT 59, ORANGE GLEN 49 - Much of the focus
on the shortcomings of the present power ratings playoff selection
system has centered on Grossmont and whether the Foothillers (15-9)
are worthy of the No. 2 seeding position in Division II.
"Yeah, I'm surprised we are a No. 2 seed," admitted
Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO, whose Foothillers are now guaranteed
a home court advantage until the March 6 finals at SDSU's Cox
Arena.
So far, the Foothillers have been able to answer the challenge
of their critics.
Grossmont, runner-up in the Grossmont North League, jumped out
to a 10-0 lead over the visiting Patriots (14-14) and never trailed
in Tuesday night's (Feb. 24) opening round.
This was a tale of different philosophies. While Grossmont coach
FRANK FOGGIANO prefers to take the ball inside to 6-foot-6 senior
center TYLER VICKERS, Orange Glen's second-year skipper and former
Christian High mentor CURTIS HOFMEISTER relies on his club's potent
perimeter game.
Vickers was a force in the paint, nailing down 18 points and gathering
15 rebounds against the smaller Patriots.
"Tyler played a real strong game inside," Foggiano validated.
LYONELL DOUGLAS, who has become a major contributor in the latter
stages of the season, added 13 points, while TYLER HAJOSY hammered
in 11 more.
Douglas, who began the season as a seldom-used reserve, has scored
30 points in his last two games. Hajosy has scored 27 points in
his last two outings.
Ryan Dew kept Orange Glen in contention with 19 points, most of
which came on his six 3-pointers.
Grossmont hosts University City (16-9) in Friday's (Feb. 27) quarterfinals
at 7 p.m.
HILLTOP 56, WEST HILLS 52 (OT) - The Wolf Pack put
up nothing but blanks in the four-minute overtime Tuesday night
(Feb. 24) as none of its four shots found the mark, resulting
in a frustrating SDCIF Division II first-round loss to upstart
Hilltop.
Not that Hilltop's marksmen were much better, as the Lancers converted
just one of three shots and a pair of free throws in the extra
session. But it was enough to give Hilltop (17-10) the upset victory
over the two-time defending Grossmont North League champions.
All of the post-regulation scoring was provided by Lancers junior
guard Luke Kelley, who popped in a short jumper with 2:16 left
in regulation and provided the save by sinking a pair of free
throws in the final 10 seconds.
The key to the game was Hilltop's ability to put the freeze on
West Hills' 6-foot-6, 280-pound junior center RYAN SHUMAKER. The
big fella had his way with the Lancers in the first go-'round,
scoring 18 points in a 49-34 West Hills victory in December. He
came in averaging 14 points but was handcuffed by the Lancers
in the rematch, scoring just 4 points. Shumaker was 1-for-4 from
the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
The Lancers neutralized Shumaker with a box-and-one defense. Six-foot-5
sophomore David Wynne was the key to Hilltop's defensive strategy.
"We just couldn't get the ball into 'Big Shu's' hands enough,"
West Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG said.
Despite his scoring drought, Shumaker was an impact on the defensive
end, blocking 4 shots while grabbing a team-best 11 rebounds.
"We went after No. 55 (Shumaker)," Hilltop coach Chuck
Vallero said. "We knew he was their (go-to) guy."
While Hilltop did put the brakes on Shumaker, the Lancers were
unable to contain Wolf Pack junior guard MATTHEW GILSON who proved
he is one of East County's best players. The lanky 6-foot-3 Gilson
rolled in a season-high 24 points, clicking on 10 of 19 shots
from the field and 3 of 5 free throws. He also snared 10 rebounds
and logged 3 steals.
Gilson scored 9 points in the 4th quarter as West Hills rallied
from a 45-37 deficit to force overtime. A lob inbound pass from
Gilson to reserve MIKE EDMONDSON staked the Pack to a 47-46 lead
with 5:39 remaining.
"Matthew played well again tonight, but didn't have the support
he needed to pull us through," Armstrong said.
So did Edmondson, who came off the West Hills bench for 4 points
and 4 rebounds in the heated 4th quarter.
A steal and lay-up by Gilson gave West Hills a 49-46 lead. Less
than a minute later Gilson took a pass from QUENTIN LONDON to
pad the Pack's advantage to five.
The Lancers went on a 6-0 run to regain control, but were forced
into overtime when Gilson connected on the first of two free throws
to tie the game 52-all with 0:59 left.
After that the West Hills offense came up empty.
"This was a tough one to lose," Armstrong said. "But
overall, we've had a great season."
Indeed. West Hills' 20-7 record is the best in terms of percentage
in school history. It's the third time the Pack has dribbled its
way to 20 victories, the first two coming in the 1994-95 and 1995-96
season when they finished 20-9.
Senior LEVI KIPP added 11 points, while DERRICK ZIZZO handed out
6 assists for West Hills.
Hilltop (17-10), which finished 2-23 a year ago, has made a major
turn-around with a starting lineup of one senior, two juniors
and a pair of sophomores. The Lancers take on No. 4-seed Escondido
in Friday's quarterfinals.
UNIVERSITY CITY 50, MONTE VISTA 47 (OT) - When
robust junior center CLINTON SNYDER is entangled in early foul
trouble, the Monarchs are almost certain to find themselves
in a hole. That was the case in Tuesday's (Feb. 24) opening round
of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
Snyder, a blue-chip defensive lineman in football, was saddled
with foul problems and had only four points in the 1st half. He
was sentenced to the Monte Vista bench for all but six minutes
of the first half as the host Centurions cruised to a 21-13 lead.
Monte Vista (13-15) trailed 30-15 with three minutes to go in
the 3rd quarter.
Yet somehow, the Monarchs scratched back to take a lead and maintained
a 38-37 edge. Victory was in hand as the Monarchs also had possession
with 33 seconds remaining. A one-point advantage and the shot
clock off. Perfect scenario. Except . . . the Monarchs turned
the ball over before time expired.
Monte Vista received a reprieve when ALEX GUINTO made one of two
free throws with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the game
39-39 and force overtime.
After University City (16-9) surged to a 45-41 lead, the Monarchs
missed four straight free throws. Monte Vista was playing catch-up
the rest of the way until the buzzer signaled the end of the Monarchs'
season.
"I don't think we hit an outside shot all night," Monte
Vista coach ZACH PECK said. "They were playing a 2-3 zone
and sometimes a flat 1-2-2 zone. But they really extended, which
opened up things for us inside. We scored 40 points in the paint."
Snyder led the way, ringing up 17 points in the final 20 minutes
to finish with a game-high 21 tallies. Guinto added 19 points.
Only two other Monarchs scored.
It's been a bittersweet season for the Monarchs, who were 12-11
after their football contingent joined the hardwood squad in mid-December.
"I'm pleased by how hard our kids played," Peck said.
"I think we played very well in one of the better leagues
(the Grossmont South) in the county."
SERRA 55, VALHALLA 49 (OT) - The Norsemen had
to be glad just to be playing in the post-season considering they
lost 11 of their last 12 regular-season games. More impressive
was the fact that Valhalla was ever-so-close to eliminating (former
Granite Hills) coach JIM GLEBOFF's Conquistadors in Tuesday's
(Feb. 24) first round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
The Norsemen led 49-48 with 0:40 left in overtime. Better yet,
they had PAUL MARTINS sink a free throw to apparently extend their
lead. Nope. A lane violation wiped out Martins' score and gave
Serra possession of the ball.
A 3-pointer by Michael Williams off a pick-and-roll all-but-clinched
the victory for Serra (12-16).
KYLE LUHNOW led Valhalla with 17 points and 7 rebounds, while
MANNY GONZALES added 13 points - including 7-for-9 free throw
shooting. DEVON JONES turned in a quiet 10 points for the Norsemen,
who had two starters blanked by the Serra defense.
The Q's advance to Friday's (Feb. 27) quarterfinals at No. 1 seeded
Mount Miguel at 7 p.m.
(02-24-04)
Grossmont's Ty Cook (20) shoots and West
Hills' Matthew Gilson (22) goes high in the air to block during
the final regular season game won by the Wolf Pack 62-60. Blake
Sutton (3), Ryan Shumaker (55) and Tyler Vickers (40) watch the
action. (2-20-04/photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
Matadors earn bye thanks to computer
ratings as eight east squads make postseason
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Eight East County squads have qualified for a berth
in the mammoth five-division, 66-team San Diego Section CIF boys
basketball playoffs, which tip off on Tuesday (Feb. 24) at 7 p.m.
The team selections and seeding are based on a complex power-ratings
system that is sure to go the way of the dinosaur as soon as next
year. Most startling of these numbers is 69 percent (66 of 96)
of the schools that field varsity basketball teams qualify for
post-season play.
The cluster of teams in terms of East County influence is in Division
II where five Inland teams will participate in the 15-team bracket.
Mount Miguel (19-8), Grossmont South League runner-up, earned
the top seeded position in Division II and thus draws a first-round
bye.
Mount Miguel's lofty ranking is a classic example of the flaws
in the current system.
"I'm not sure we deserve it, but we'll take it," Matadors
coach JIMMY HURST said of Mount Miguel's pinnacle perch. "Three
of our losses were to (Grossmont South champ) Steele Canyon (seeded
No. 2 in Division III)."
The Matadors also lost twice (in 3 meetings) to league rival Helix
(seeded No. 7 in Division I), (Valley League champ) Escondido
(seeded No. 4 in Division II), Harbor League champion Hoover (seeded
No. 3 in Division II) and powerful Los Angeles Fairfax. Those
are beneficial setbacks in that Mount Miguel secures the homecourt
advantage throughout the playoffs until the final championship
round Saturday, March 6 at SDSU's Cox Arena.
Mount Miguel is slated to host the winner of Tuesday's Valhalla
(11-17)-at-Serra (11-17) opening round game in Friday's (Feb.
27) quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, first things first. In Tuesday's other first-round
Division II games, No. 2 seed Grossmont (14-9) hosts Orange Glen
(14-13), Grossmont North League champion West Hills (20-6) entertains
Hilltop (15-10), and Monte Vista (13-14) travels to University
City (15-9). All games begin at 7 p.m.
Perennial power Helix (17-9) is East County's lone representative
in the 16-team Division I playoffs and is ticketed to host Torrey
Pines (14-13) Tuesday night at 7. The Highlanders, robbed of the
Division II title in a controversial call in the Division II finals
a year ago, toppled the Falcons 57-43 the fourth game of this
season.
Helix, winner of its final seven regular-season games, rates as
a darkhorse in Division I.
In Division III, No. 2 seed Steele Canyon (22-5), which lost in
the SDCIF finals but narrowly missed a first round upset in the
SoCal Regionals a year ago in its first varsity season, is more
experienced this time around. The Cougars will host the Brawley
(13-10)-at-Clairemont (13-15) winner in Friday's (Feb. 27) quarterfinals
at 7 p.m.
Santana (10-13) earned a Division III home game in the opening
round, hosting Madison (5-16) at 7 p.m. The Sultans have to love
the current power ratings system in that they lost to these same
Madison Warhawks 60-37, yet receive the higher seed in the playoffs.
(02-22-04)
Wolf
Pack goes back-to-back with win in final minute over Foothillers
Cougars secure outright South title
by holding off Matadors
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Talk about an unusual final night to the regular season? East County had it on Friday (Feb. 20). Two league championships were decided in the final seconds and one non-title game was an early knockout due to a bizarre injury to a player from the winning team. Read on . . .
WEST HILLS 62, GROSSMONT 60 - This one was a crowd-pleaser to be sure as host West Hills held off charging Grossmont to repeat as Grossmont North League champions.
"We had only three returning players from last year's first championship team in school history, so this was completely different yet equally as special in its own way," said junior guard MATTHEW GILSON of West Hills' back-to-back league titles.
Gilson provided West Hills (20-6, 7-1) with the winning formula in the final 12 seconds of Friday's (Feb. 20) championship encounter against Grossmont - a team that splattered the Pack by a 70-55 in the first round of league play.
His team trailing 60-59 with 0:19 left, Gilson found the ball in his hands as the clock ticked inside 10 seconds. He looked for 6-foot-6, 280-pound RYAN SHUMAKER, but elected to take the shot himself.
The 6-foot-2 Gilson made a nifty spin move as he drove to the basket. He was met with heavy resistance but managed to release a shot as he collided with Grossmont defenders. Gilson's shot was on the mark and he drew the foul and swiftly added a free throw to complete the three-point-play giving West Hills a 62-60 edge with 0:06 remaining.
The victory secured West Hills' second league title in succession.
In the rematch, West Hills appeared to have Grossmont pinned to the mat after garnering a 56-43 lead by the close of the third quarter. At that point, the Foothillers (14-9, 6-2) went on a 16-0 scoring binge, taking a 59-56 advantage on rebound baskets by TY COOK and TYLER VICKERS with 2:50 remaining.
RYAN SHUMAKER, a junior, scored a game high 22 points - connecting on 10 of 14 shots - as the Pack battled a physical Grossmont inside game anchored by senior 6-for-6, 205-pound senior TYLER VICKERS.
"It was simple, really - one game -
championship or no championship, and I'm
giddy," said Shumaker, who was a dominant 10 of 14 shooting
from inside the
paint. "We played hard, gave it the best defense we could
play,"
Mission accomplished.
However, the Wolf Pack found itself playing
catch-up, going scoreless for
more than six minutes and blowing a 56-43 lead.
"Just because we had a double digit
lead didn't mean the game was over," West
Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG said. "We had only three kids
coming back from
last year's championship team, so it was real nice to see those
other kids hop
on that bandwagon and help out with this win tonight."
Shumaker led West Hills with 22 points, two more than Gilson.
Armstrong singled out C.J. REED (5 points,
4 rebounds, one steal) and CHRIS
ORONA (8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) for their work in reserve
roles.
Vickers, who had two and sometimes three
defenders draped on him, powered his
way to 18 points and 8 rebounds for Grossmont.
"We had our chances," Grossmont
coach FRANK FOGGIANO said. "We made a nice
comeback, but we really didn't get enough stops at the defensive
end where the
game is won."
Foggiano said he wasn't surprised by Gilson's game-winning shot.
"He figured it would be Gilson,"
he said. "And we knew he was going to spin
(in the lane)," Foggiano said. "I thought he traveled,
but regardless, we
didn't make the stop."
STEELE CANYON 58, MOUNT MIGUEL 54 - Junior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS, arguably
the finest player in East County, single-handedly prevented a
late-season slide
which could have forced Steele Canyon to share the Grossmont South
League
basketball title.
Williams scored 10 of his game-high 23 points
over the final 1:47, including
a steal that led to a layin with 11 seconds remaining to snap
a 54-all
deadlock. However, controversy followed Williams' go-ahead shot,
preventing
Mount Miguel an opportunity to force overtime or win the game
on a 3-point shot on
the final night of regular season play.
With the Matadors setting up for the final
shot that if successful would give
them a piece of the crown, Williams correctly anticipated the
first pass
following the in-bounds play. The 5-foot-9, 135-pound Williams
then raced
coast-to-coast to give the Cougars a 56-54 edge and partially
silence the
standing-room only crowd at Mount Miguel.
"I'm not thinking about anything except
trying to make a play," said
Williams. "It was obvious he was going to give it (the ball)
up - we just put
pressure on them."
Surprisingly, Mount Miguel was charged with
an intentional foul on the play.
So, instead of Williams going to the foul line for a shot at a
3-point play,
the Cougars guard received two shots, with Steele Canyon maintaining
possession.
"He grabbed me, but I don't know if
it was an intentional foul," noted
Williams. "I'm just trying to make the basket."
With the bonus possession, Williams was
fouled again with eight ticks on the
clock. He then made 1-of-2 shots to push the Cougars' lead to
four points,
making the Matadors' final shot at the buzzer meaningless.
The controversial ruling seemed like a daylight
robbery to the hosts. And
Mount Miguel coach JIMMY HURST was willing to vent his frustrations
immediately
after the game, but later curbed his outrage.
The physical contest saw Steele Canyon get
a host of second shots due to
strong offensive rebounding, especially in the second and third
quarters, when
the Cougars stretched the lead to as many as six points.
However, the Matadors came back with the
final six points of the third
period, as a short jumper by DARREN NEWBORN barely beat the buzzer
to give
Mount Miguel a 40-38 lead, keeping the crowd buzzing.
"We didn't do a good job boxing out,"
noted Williams. "But we didn't lose our
composure."
Mount Miguel's scoring run reached 9-0 to
claim a 43-40 lead, as the Matadors
earned second chances by pounding the glass for rebounds. So Steele
Canyon
switched to a zone, setting up a dramatic finish with three lead
changes or the
game being tied on three occasions over the closing three minutes.
Williams drained a 3-ball to tie the game
at 49-all. J.R. GRIFFIN answered
with a trey for the hosts to reclaim the lead, only to see another
Williams'
triple level the game at 52-all with 55 seconds remaining.
Newborn was then fouled on a shot, but landed
awkwardly and twisted a knee.
JAMES ROBERTS sank the foul shots with 0:34 left, but Cougars
forward RICKY
BAILEY answered with two foul shots with 0:22 to go, setting-up
Mount Miguel's
chance at victory before Williams' dramatic defensive stop.
"I'm not going to comment on a referee's
call," said Steele Canyon coach BRAD
LEAF. "I can only talk about what a job Richie Williams did.
He's carried the
team for two years and he's only a junior."
Hurst was quick to laud Williams' efforts.
"Big-time players make big plays in
big games," Hurst said. "Of course we
helped him beat us by attempting a crosscourt pass when we had
the game in our
hands. We had it where either we hit the game-winning shot or
we go into
overtime. Instead, we make a dumb pass against the quickest and
best player in
the league."
The Cougars were also forced to change defenses
late when forward JASON
BEAUCHAMP fouled out with 3:34 left, as Leaf tried a zone trap
before switching
to a basic 2-3 alignment.
GEORGE CUNNINGHAM added 10 points and 9
rebounds for Steele Canyon (22-5,
9-1), while Bailey contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds. The 6-foot-3
Bailey
has scored 20 points - hitting 5 threes - in what turned out to
be Steele Canyon's
toughest week of the regular season. He netted nine in Tuesday's
(Feb. 17)
50-47 loss at Helix.
"Ricky is playing extremely well right
now," Leaf said. "He's ready for the
playoffs."
So are the Grossmont South League-champion
Cougars, who have won 21 of their
last 23 games.
Three different Matadors - Griffin, Roberts
and JANSSEN BARBER - scored 13
points each. Roberts also rejected seven shots, as Mount Miguel
blocked a total
of 11 Cougars shots. Griffin grabbed 9 rebounds, while Roberts
and KENNY KEY
each hauled in 8.
HELIX 81, MONTE VISTA 56 - As painful as it was at the time, looking back
at
it now, Helix coach JOHN SINGER believes that an overtime loss
to Monte
Vista on Jan. 30 was the spark his Highlanders needed to fuel
their stretch run
for the remainder of the regular season.
Not only did Helix avenge that loss, the
Highlanders (19-7, 7-3) haven't
finished on the short-end since - winning seven straight.
"I don't think there is much question
as to who is the best team in our
(Grossmont South) League right now," said Singer said. "We've
beaten everybody
in the second round."
Helix's backcourt trio of MARLON PIERCE,
LANCE HURDLE and ERIC ROBINSON were
collectively 24-for-31 (77 percent) shooting from the field as
they combined
for 57 points.
"There aren't too many teams who could
have beaten us tonight," Singer said.
"When our 'Big Three" are clicking, we're pretty tough."
Not only was the backcourt firm of Pierce,
Hurdle and Robinson deadly as an
offensive block, they also contributed 21 assists, 18 rebounds
and 9 steals.
Personally speaking, Pierce paced the Scotties
with 22 points, one more than
Hurdle.
Helix is obliged to compete in Division
I where El Camino is a heavy favorite
for the SDCIF Division I title.
"Our kids don't care who we play,"
Singer said. "They're just glad to be
going to the playoffs."
ALEX GUINTO led Monte Vista (13-14, 5-5)
led Monte Vista with 18 points.
CLINTON SNYDER added 13 points and BRANDON HARVEY chipped in with
a dozen.
SANTANA 2, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 (forfeit)
- Things were going along about
as
expected in Friday night's Grossmont North League finale at Santana.
The
playoff-conscious Sultans (10-13, 5-3) eased in front and were
sitting on a
36-22 lead early in the 3rd quarter when an injury to senior BRYAN
WILKENS brought a
premature end to the proceedings.
Santana was eventually awarded a forfeit win.
According to coaches TIM BARRY (Santana)
and NATE REED (El Cajon Valley) the
6-foot-3 Wilkens was airborne as he took an alley-oop pass from
guard COREY
ROBINSON and appeared to have a lay-up in hand.
Suddenly, Wilkens was unintentionally low-bridged
and was descending
headfirst toward the court. Upon contact with hardwood, Wilkens
reportedly lost
consciousness.
"His head was bleeding, so the paramedics
were called," Reed said. "It must
have been 30-to-40 minutes before they got to the (Santana) gym."
Barry said nobody on Santana's side was
blaming any of the El Cajon Valley
players for what happened.
"It was just one of those things," Barry added.
Reed, after conferring with his players,
Barry and the officials, decided it
best that El Cajon Valley forfeit the game.
"The players were so far out of it
that we decided to stop the game (with
6:07 left in the 3rd quarter) and give (Santana) a forfeit win,"
Reed said. It
was the Good Samaritan thing to do."
Barry said Wilkens was taken to a nearby
hospital where he received stitches
and was later released.
Ironically, Wilkens was enjoying a strong
outing as he had 10 points to share
game-high honors with teammate GREG GOBIN, who included a trio
of 3-pointers
in his abbreviated count.
None of the statistics from this forfeited game will count, however.
VALHALLA 71, GRANITE HILLS 50 - DEVON JONES, who was a questionable
participant with an ankle injury, erupted for 19 points and 10
rebounds Friday
night (Feb. 20) to help Valhalla snap an 11-game losing streak
with a season-ending
victory over visiting Granite Hills.
The Norsemen (11-17, 1-9) fell behind 19-12
after the first eight minutes
before Jones picked them up with a fast start in the 2nd period.
Jones, in
fact, scored the first six points and 7 of the first 9 as Valhalla
closed the
opening half with a favorable edge of 32-30.
Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS noted that the
Norsemen were able to score inside
because of the successful outside shooting of K.C. O'BRIEN, who
nailed a
pivotal pair of 3-pointers. Jones also hit two from beyond the
arc.
"We made an effort to get on the boards
and it paid off," said Thomas, whose
Norsemen lost the first-round bout to Grossmont South League rival
Granite
Hills 62-52 on Jan. 30.
MANNY GONZALES (11 points, 7 rebounds),
TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER (10 points, 7
rebounds) and TOMMY MILES (9 points, 4 rebounds) also contributed
to a balanced
Valhalla attack.
Some might consider the season finish posted
by youthful Granite Hills (6-21,
1-9) a disaster, but those on the outside looking in believe coach
MATT DAVIS
did a quality job at making the Eagles competitive in his initial
season. One
thing will reign for sometime is Granite Hills left its mark in
the San Diego
CIF record book with 216 three-pointers. That is the 7th-highest
season total
in history and the third best on the Grossmont Conference ledger.
"Basically, we have everybody coming
back," Davis said. "Plus we have some
good, fast kids coming up from JV. It was like one of my players
said after
tonight's game, 'Coach, I know we can turn this record around.'
I was glad to
hear that, because I think he's right."
Granite Hills junior RYAN SNYDER, who was
visibly sick prior to the game, got
well in a hurry, finishing with a game high 22 points. That includes
a
handful of 3-pointers. DAVID BAXTER banged in 11 points, while
JUSTIN
VILLANUEVA pitched in 6 points and 6 assists. CLARK GORDON blocked
4 shots.
CHRISTIAN 74, MADISON 64 - Freshman TYRONE SHELLEY muscled in 36 points and
grabbed 14 rebounds Friday night (Feb. 20) to help host Christian
(6-21, 1-9)
claim its first Harbor League victory of the season.
The 6-foot-4, Shelley scored 30 or more
points in half of his 26 starts,
topping out with a career-high 49 against Vista. He concludes
the regular
season with 740 points and an East County-best 28.5 scoring average.
He also averaged
11.5 rebounds, 3 steals and logged an East County-high 88 blocked
shots.
Freshman guard TYLER TUCKER added a career-high
16 points in Christian's
latest conquest. He also kicked out 3 assists and notched a couple
of steals.
DEREK LARSEN chimed in with 7 points, 5
assists and 4 steals, while C.J.
SCHROEDER recorded a game-high 6 steals and handed out 5 assists.
Christian erased a 4-point first quarter
deficit by outscoring the visiting
Warhawks 41-24 in the middle two periods.
"We came out sluggish in the 1st quarter,"
recalled Christian coach TOBIN
WILKINS. "Then we put on the full court press in the 2nd
quarter and turned the
game around - got a bunch of steals and lay-ups."
(02-20-04)
FRIDAY - FEB 20, 2004 EastCountySports.com Grossmont North League West Hills 62, Grossmont 60 Grossmont 10 23 10 17 - 60 West Hills 21 18 17 6 - 62 Grossmont scoring: Tyler Vickers 18, Lyonell Douglas 17, Tyler Hajosy 16, Ty Cook 9. West Hills scoring: Ryan Shumaker 22, Matthew Gilson 20, Chris Orona 8, Levi Kipp 7, C.J. Reed 5. - Santana 2, El Cajon Valley 0 (injury forfeit) (game called in 3rd quarter by mutual consent of teams) - Grossmont South League Helix 81, Monte Vista 56 Monte Vista 11 10 12 23 - 56 Helix 22 28 20 11 - 81 Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 18, Clinton Snyder 13, Brandon Harvey 12, Trevor Peck 9, Allan Watson 2, Branden Edwards 1, Robert Yousif 1. Helix scoring: Marlon Pierce 22, Lance Hurdle 21, Eric Robinson 14, Ryan Mills 8, David Jones 6, Iain MacMillan 5, David Jefferson 2, Demetrius Henderson 2, Greg Harvey 1. - Valhalla 71, Granite Hills 50 Granite Hills 19 11 13 7 - 50 Valhalla 12 20 24 15 - 71 Granite Hills scoring: Ryan Snyder 22, David Baxter 11, Justin Villanueva 6, Clark Gordon 5, Nick Taylor 3, Brennan Hayes 2, Ricky Peitz 1. Valhalla scoring: Devon Jones 19, Manny Gonzales 11, Travis Rothlisberger 10, Tommy Miles 9, K.C. O'Brien 8, Ronnie Schwandt 6, Rony Nasser 4, Conner Ruyeras 2, Paul Martins 2. - Steele Canyon 58, Mount Miguel 54 Steele Canyon 11 19 8 20 - 58 Mount Miguel 10 16 14 14 - 54 Steele Canyon scoring: Richie Williams 23, Ricky Bailey 11, George Cunningham 10, Raymond Williams 4, Jason Beauchamp 4, Walter Hall 2, Wesley Davis 2, Camillo Martinez 2. Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 13, J.R. Griffin 13, Kenny Key 13, Darren Newborn 8, James Roberts 7. - Harbor League Christian 74, Madison 64 Madison 19 11 13 21 - 64 Christian 15 22 19 18 - 74 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 36, Tyler Tucker 16, Derek Larsen 7, Bryan Fuller 6, Shane Stanovic 4, C.J. Schroeder 3, Mike Rundlett 2. (02-20-04)
Christian freshman Tyrone Shelley (3) goes
up for a shot in Friday's Harbor League game won by Coronado.
(2-13-04/photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
Chiefs toe the line to stop Patriots' shot
at league victory
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Christian High coach TOBIN WILKINS knows a little something
about free falling. Or free throwing. He can also recognize when
the numbers are a bit askew. Not one to complain about officials,
Wilkins couldn't help but notice that Clairemont claimed a 24-7
advantage in free throw opportunities Wednesday (Feb. 18), which
helped the visiting Chieftains claim a 49-45 Harbor League victory.
The Chieftains (13-14, 5-4) converted 18 of 24 shots from the
foul line as they rallied for the come-from-behind victory. The
Chiefs were 10-for-13 shooting free throws as they earned a 14-8
scoring edge in the final 8-minute stanza.
Wilkins noted that Clairemont scored 12 of its 25 second-half
points from the field via free throws.
"I was happy with our defense," Wilkins said, trying
to stay positive. "We were excellent."
On the offensive end, Christian's fate rested on the shoulders
of freshman TYRONE SHELLEY. The 6-foot-4 forward scored 30 points
- the 12th time in 25 starts that he's scored that much or more.
He also had 3 blocks and 5 rebounds.
"Nobody except Shelley could hit an outside shot," Wilkins
said.
Freshman guard TYLER TUCKER contributed 8 assists, 7 steals and
8 points for Christian (5-21, 0-9). BRYAN FULLER logged a team-high
9 rebounds and blocked one shot.
(02-18-04)
WEDNESDAY - FEB 18, 2004 EastCountySports.com Harbor League Clairemont 49, Christian 45 Clairemont 13 8 11 14 - 49 Christian 17 9 11 8 - 45 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 30, Tyler Tucker 8, Derek Larsen 5, Bryan Fuller 2. (02-18-04)
West
Hills' Levi Kipp (5) had a career-high 29 points, hitting 14 of
15 shots from the floor as the Wolf Pack rolled over El Capitan
74-58 in a Grossmont North League game. West Hills hosts Grossmont
on Friday (Feb. 20) for the league championship. (2-17-04/photo
by Adolfo Villanueva)
Highlanders turn lights out on cougars'
early celebration
EastCountySports.com
LA MESA - Not even the Men of Steele could knock the tradition-rich
Helix Highlanders off their perennial perch in Tuesday night's
(Feb. 17) Grossmont South League meeting. The visiting Cougars
were determined to seal the school's first major-sport championship,
but the Highlanders - stung by being eliminated from the title
chase early on - refused to be humbled on their homecourt. Sure,
the seven-time league-champion Highlanders could have folded,
but instead stalled Steele Canyon's title celebration by pulling
off a 50-47 upset victory.
Thus, the Highlanders (18-7, 6-3), who practiced in the dark when
the gym lights failed Monday afternoon, no doubt enhanced their
seeding position in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs by
smacking a Steele Canyon (21-5, 8-1) crew that had won 20 of its
previous 21 starts.
"When the lights went out, our kids thought we were going
home," Singer said. Instead, the Highlanders' veteran coach
ordered that the gym doors be opened to allow a dim atmosphere
inside.
"We shot the ball pretty well," Singer added. "But
the main thing I told the kids is we can still work on what we
do - 'D-up'. Our kids handled it. I said 'What do we care if it's
dark. All we're talking about is defense anyway.' "
That attitude carried over to Tuesday night.
As they did in a 48-44 first round loss at Steele Canyon, the
Highlanders controlled the tempo in a physical battle of pushing
and shoving and bodies on the floor.
"(Steele Canyon) wants a tempo faster than I want our kids
to play," Singer said. "I thought we did a good job
of running the clock, and keeping the game where we would have
our best players taking a lot of the shots."
Singer also praised the work of his big men - something he has
rarely done this season. "We were all over the offensive
boards, and that made a big difference," he said.
Senior RYAN MILLS came off the bench to contribute 9 points (on
4-for-5 shooting) and 8 rebounds.
"Coach was telling us we had to get on the boards,"
the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Mills confirmed. "A lot of the time,
we as the (Helix) big men get overlooked. But when it's a big
game, a close game like this, we all step up."
Unsung "big men" DAVID JONES (8 points, 8 rebounds)
and DAVID JEFFERSON (7 rebounds) helped the Highlanders earn a
42-31 on the glass.
Nobody took a bigger leap for the Helix cause than senior guard
MARLON PIERCE, who clicked on 8 of 15 shots en route to a game-high
19 points while snagging 11 rebounds.
LANCE HURDLE capped the 3rd quarter with a 3-pointer at the buzzer,
extending Helix's advantage to 42-32 with eight minutes to play.
In spite of that key hoop, the Cougars did not roll over and play
dead. A basket by RICHIE WILLIAMS, followed by a 3-pointer from
RAYMOND WILLIAMS off a steal by WES DAVIS started turning the
tide in Steele Canyon's favor. Seconds later Davis made another
theft and dished the ball to JASON BEAUCHAMP (8 points, 10 rebounds,
3 blocks) for a lay-up that sliced the Helix lead to 44-41 with
5:29 left.
Two buckets by Mills and another by Pierce kept Helix in front
50-44 with two minutes left.
That's when Richie Williams tried to win it for the Cougars. The
junior backcourt standout converted a 3-point-play to cut the
Highlanders' lead in half with 1:30 to play. When Williams went
for the game-tying trey in the final seconds, his 3-point launch
failed to send the game into overtime as the final buzzer sounded.
"We had the good shot we wanted with the guy we wanted to
shoot it," Cougars coach BRAD LEAF said. "It rimmed
in and out. That's all. You can't ask for more than that."
Steele Canyon's GEORGE CUNNINGHAM was blanked by the Highlanders
and sentenced to the bench in early foul trouble. RICKY BAILEY
filled in admirably in his absence with 9 points.
The Cougars, who were led by Richie Williams' 16 points, 10 rebounds,
7 assists and 2 steals, can clinch the Grossmont South League
championship outright by defeating the Matadors in Friday night's
(Feb. 20) regular season finale.
"We learned a lot tonight, I hope," Leaf added. "This
was a game between two great basketball teams. We weren't flat
tonight like we were against Monte Vista (a 40-39 win on Feb.
10). But they beat us up in that 3rd quarter, hitting a lot of
baskets on 2nd and 3rd shots to take a 10-point lead."
Leaf said he told his Cougars that San Diego CIF playoffs (unofficially)
began Tuesday night at Helix. Fortunately for his crew, this loss
cost the Cougars little if anything. From now on, though,
the price of failure will be severe.
WEST HILLS 74, EL CAPITAN 58 - Coach JEFF ARMSTRONG
and his Wolf Pack can't help but wonder "why we aren't ranked
somewhere." After all, West Hills (19-6) owns the best record
in Division II of the San Diego CIF. No question the Wolf Pack
can gain the attention it desires by knocking off Grossmont in
Friday night's (Feb. 20) Grossmont North League winner-takes-all
title bout in Santee at 7 p.m.
And based on Tuesday's (Feb. 17) outing at El Capitan, it would
appear that West Hills is primed for the challenge. Wolf Pack
senior forward LEVI KIPP scored a career high 29 points, connecting
on 14 of 15 shots from the field.
"Levi was everywhere," Armstrong said. "If he wasn't
scoring, he was rebounding (10 boards, 5 offensive)."
No question Kipp was planted in the paint, converting assorted
passes from his teammates as West Hills won going away. Kipp's
19 points in the first two quarters vaulted the Wolf Pack into
a 40-29 halftime lead it wouldn't lose.
MATTHEW GILSON played another outstanding game for West Hills
before leaving with a bloody nose early in the 4th quarter. It
was his second game in a row with double-doubles in handing out
10 assists and popping in 10 points (5 for 7 field goals) while
garnering 7 rebounds.
RYAN SHUMAKER, the Pack's 6-foot-6, 280-pound center, exhibited
several nifty low post moves, netting 9 of 12 shots en route to
a 22-point night. He also hauled in 6 rebounds and dished 4 assists.
"He was a force inside tonight," Armstrong said.
"It was one of our better efforts of the season," Armstrong
said, noting that West Hills shot 63 percent as a team. "The
big guys controlled the game tonight."
JUSTIN GALLOWAY paced El Capitan with 17 points, while JOHNNY
CURO pitched in with 11 points and 6 assists. The majority of
Galloway's points came on his trio of 3-pointers. JESSE LEATHERMAN
nailed down 10 points and dealt 5 assists for the Vaqueros, who
concluded the regular season campaign at 9-16 overall and 2-6
in league.
MOUNT MIGUEL 57, VALHALLA 45 - One thing the Mount
Miguel Matadors aren't known for is racking up assists. As a rule,
these Matadors prefer to use their athletic talents to beat opponents
off the dribble. Take 'em on one-on-one.
In Tuesday's (Feb. 17) Grossmont South League game against Valhalla,
the Matadors recorded 18 assists on 23 baskets as they positioned
themselves for a possible share of the league title. Mount Miguel
(19-7, 7-2) hosts front-running Steele Canyon (21-5, 8-1) Friday
night (Feb. 20) in need of a victory that would create a co-championship.
"We were on the verge of a blowout the whole night,"
Mount Miguel coach JIMMY HURST said of the win over Valhalla (10-17,
0-9). "I don't know how many lay-ups we missed or how many
times we turned the ball over when we had a 4-on-2 or 2-on-1 break."
But Jimmy what about those assists?
JAMES ROBERTS and DARREN NEWBORN handed out 5 scoring passes apiece,
while JANSSEN BARBER dished off 3.
J.R. GRIFFIN was one of those who benefited from the uncharacteristic
ball distribution, rolling in a game-high 20 points including
a pair of threes. Roberts added 17 points and 6 rebounds,
while DEVIYON CARTER contributed 11 points and KENNY KEY logged
8 rebounds.
DEVON JONES paced Valhalla with 19 points.
"Devon played like we've been wanting him to play,"
said Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS. "He had a great night."
Until he re-sprained an ankle late in the game and had to retreat
to the sidelines.
"Devon grew up in Spring Valley, has played in the Mount
Miguel gym a lot," Thomas said. "He wasn't about to
get embarrassed by them."
Not that Jones could save the Norsemen by himself.
As a team, Valhalla shot 29 percent against Mount Miguel. Jones
was 7-for-19, including a pair of threes. The remainder of the
Norsemen were collectively 10-for-38 (26 percent) shooting. They
were an unimpressive 8-for-15 from the free throw line.
"Our bugaboo is free throws and lay-ups," said Thomas.
"We probably lost 10 lay-ups tonight."
Valhalla, which has lost 11 in a row, trailed host Mount Miguel
only 33-31 with two minutes left in the 3rd quarter. That's when
Griffin, who scored 12 points in the 2nd quarter, hit two buckets
in a row and EDDIE DeARCOS scored his only basket to propel the
Matadors into an 8-point spread by the close of of the quarter.
The Norsemen never got closer than 6 points thereafter.
MONTE VISTA 86, GRANITE HILLS 64 - Last time these
two teams met, the Monarchs escaped with a four-point victory.
In Tuesday's (Feb. 17) rematch, Monte Vista produced its highest
offensive output of the year - pushing its four-quarter total
nearly 33 points above its season average.
Five Monarchs reached double scoring digits, led by ROBERT YOUSIF's
22 points. The senior sharpshooter nailed a quartet of 3-pointers,
while junior postman CLINTON SNYDER stamped the Granite Hills
defense for 20 points and 10 rebounds.
ALEX GUINTO contributed a quiet 14 points and TREVOR PECK tacked
on a season-high 13 points for Monte Vista (13-13, 5-4).
BRANDON HARVEY completed the Monarchs' "full house"
with 11 points.
"A horrible defensive effort on our part," said Granite
Hills coach MATT DAVIS. "We were simply out-hustled to every
ball and flatout beaten up and down the court. Only one or two
back on D every time up the court and lost badly because of the
fast break points given. We were never in the game."
Although its defense faltered, the night was not a complete disaster
for Granite Hills (6-20, 1-8). Eagles' sophomore NICK TAYLOR
scored a career high 28 points, shooting 11-for-17 from the field.
That included 5-for-6 accuracy from 3-point range.
"He played a tough game," Davis said. "He used
his body very well. He also had a team high 5 rebounds and shared
the lead with 3 assists."
JUSTIN VILLANUEVA also had another solid outing for the Eagles,
knocking down a career-high 14 points, with 3 rebounds, 3 assists
and 3 steals.
Granite Hills now ranks 8th in the San Diego CIF record annals
with 208 three-pointers this season.
GROSSMONT 69, EL CAJON VALLEY 44 - TYLER VICKERS
led the Foothillers' final tune-up for Friday night's (Feb. 20)
Grossmont North League showdown at West Hills, with a nifty double-double
of 17 points and 15 rebounds in Tuesday's (Feb. 17) romp over
the Braves.
This was Vickers' highest offensive output since he registered
19 points in a 70-55 victory over West Hills on Jan. 30. In fairness
to the 6-foot-6 Grossmont senior center, he has been bothered
by sore ankles at times and routinely smothered by a variety of
defensive schemes.
TYLER HAJOSY led the perimeter onslaught, nailing a trio of 3-pointers
as he finished with 13. LYONELL DOUGLAS also connected three times
above the arc as he totaled 11. TYLER COOK chipped in with 7 points
and 8 rebounds, as did JAMES CROOKS.
TYLER BARBOUR handed out 6 assists, notched a couple of steals
and scored 4 points for Grossmont (14-8, 6-1) which has won 7
of its last 8.
JOSH ROYS had a game-high 18 points for El Cajon Valley (1-24,
0-7).
(02-17-04)
TUESDAY - FEB 17, 2004 EastCountySports.com Grossmont North League Grossmont 69, El Cajon Valley 44 Grossmont 21 11 23 14 - 69 El Cajon Valley 14 10 8 12 - 44 Grossmont scoring: Tyler Vickers 17, Tyler Hajosy 13, Lyonell Douglas 11, James Crooks 7, Tyler Cook 7, Mark Nicholson 6, Tyler Barbour 4, Scott Small 2, Richard Magale 2. El Cajon Valley scoring: Josh Roys 18, Abraham Muheize 6, Eric Rosales 6, Stephon Stafford 6, Paul Broadner 6, Michael Singer 2. - West Hills 74, El Capitan 58 West Hills 20 20 18 16 - 74 El Capitan 9 20 11 18 - 58 West Hills scoring: Levi Kipp 29, Ryan Shumaker 22, Matthew Gilson 10, Chris Orona 4, Blake Sutton 2, Quentin London 2, Mike Edmondson 2, Kovan Abdul 2, C.J. Reed 1. El Capitan scoring: Justin Galloway 17, Johnny Curo 11, Jesse Leatherman 10, Cory Brown 7, Daniel Krueger 6, Andrew Hoffmaster 5, David Reeder 2. - Grossmont South League Monte Vista 86, Granite Hills 64 Granite Hills 8 21 17 18 - 64 Monte Vista 23 23 19 21 - 86 Granite Hills scoring: Nick Taylor 28, Justin Villanueva 14, Ryan Snyder 9, David Baxter 8, Clark Gordon 4, Ricky Peitz 1. Monte Vista scoring: Robert Yousif 22, Clinton Snyder 20, Alex Guinto 14, Trevor Peck 13, Brandon Harvey 11, Branden Edwards 5, Allan Watson 1. - Mount Miguel 57, Valhalla 45 Valhalla 5 12 14 14 - 45 Mount Miguel 11 18 10 18 - 57 Valhalla scoring: Devon Jones 19, Manny Gonzales 7, Kyle Luhnow 7, Rony Nasser 4, Travis Rothlisberger 4, Paul Martins 2, Tommy Miles 2. Mount Miguel scoring: J.R. Griffin 20, James Roberts 17, Deviyon Carter 11, Kenny Key 6, Eddie DeArcos 2, Darren Newborn 1. - Helix 50, Steele Canyon 47 Steele Canyon 12 13 7 15 - 47 Helix 9 18 15 8 - 50 Steele Canyon scoring: Marlon Pierce 19, Lance Hurdle 9, Ryan Mills 9, David Jones 8, Eric Robinson 4, David Jefferson 1. Helix scoring: Richie Williams 16, Ricky Bailey 9, Jason Beauchamp 8, Camillo Martinez 7, Raymond Williams 5, Wes Davis 2. (02-17-04)
Patriots guard Shane Stanivic reverses the ball around
Hoover defender Kenneth "Scooter" Maye, but the Cardinals
downed visiting Christian, 68-57 on Tuesday. Click here for Previous boys coverage/photo by Nick Pellegrino
Patriots fall to 0-8 in league with home
loss to Coronado
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -TYRONE SHELLEY tried a different approach in Christian
High's Harbor League engagement against Coronado Friday night
(Feb. 13) at the Ryan Athletic Center. Instead of trying to register
every point himself, the 6-foot-4 freshman decided to pass the
ball around. A thoughtful intention, but the execution by his
somewhat surprised teammates did not pan out as the visiting Islanders
claimed a 57-41 victory.
"When Coronado kept double- and triple-teaming him, Tyrone
did a nice job of kicking the ball back out," Christian coach
TOBIN WILKINS said. "Our problem was nobody could shoot it."
Shelley came into the game averaging more than 28 points per game,
but had only 3 points at the close of the first half as Coronado
gained a 30-19 advantage by the break.
The Patriots (5-20, 0-8) put the ball in Shelley's hand more in
the second half and he responded with 15 points, but the Islanders
already had the game in hand. Brett Milke led Coronado (18-7,
5-3) with 24 points.
(02-13-04)
FRIDAY - FEB 13, 2004 EastCountySports.com Coronado 57, Christian 41 Coronado 11 19 12 15 - 57 Christian 7 12 6 16 - 41 Christian scoring: Tyrone Shelley 18, C.J. Schroeder 7, Bryan Fuller 6, Shane Stanovic 5, Derek Larsen 3, Tyler Tucker 2. (02-13-04)
Wolf Pack quietly building another championship
season
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - West Hills has positioned itself to repeat as Grossmont
North League champions. The Wolf Pack moved into a tie with idle
Grossmont for the Grossmont North League, using a strong second
half to subdue the upset-minded Braves 62-37 Thursday night (Feb.
12) at El Cajon Valley High.
This victory gives the Pack the best overall record in Division
II of the San Diego CIF Section. Despite the impressive (18-6)
mark, West Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG finds the absence of the
Wolf Pack from any Top 10 Poll or honorable mention ranking somewhat
puzzling. Yet, Armstrong is biting his tongue and hoping his club
can clip El Capitan on Tuesday (Feb. 17) and Grossmont on Friday
(Feb. 20) to repeat as league champions.
"We've played four Top 10 teams," Armstrong said. "We
beat one of them. We lost to the No. 2 team in the state of Alaska
and the No. 4 team."
Since the San Diego High School Basketball Coaches Association
and the San Diego CIF administrators have elected to follow a
confusing power ratings system to determine which teams make the
playoffs. For decades coaches advisory committees ascertained
the playoff pairings through facts, dialogue and voting. It's
been a computerized selection the past three years, with little
human element involved.
Although the powers-that-be wish otherwise, this is the only sport
that governs its playoffs on the basis of power ratings - geared
on strength of schedule and home victories as opposed to road
victories.
Thus, Armstrong's logic and the various in-season polls - however
obvious - are virtually meaningless.
West Hills has won 9 of its last 10 starts, including a reversal
of a loss via forfeit to El Cajon Valley in the 1st round. The
Braves won that game last month 62-51, but were penalized for
using five ineligible players.
Despite the heavy losses in personnel, the Braves (1-23, 0-6)
made life uncomfortable for the visiting Wolf Pack in Thursday's
rematch. El Cajon Valley trailed only 28-24 after the first 16
minutes before West Hills sent the Braves packing in the final
two quarters.
A change of defense in the second half proved to be the deciding
factor.
"I was starting the 3rd in a match-up zone, and the kids
said 'Coach, we want to man these guys.' I say okay? we switched
and only yielded four 3rd quarter points. Great call on the kids'
part," Armstrong said.
MATTHEW GILSON and BLAKE SUTTON played a balanced floor game for
West Hills. Sutton collected 9 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and
4 boards, while Gilson contributed 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
and 14 points (7 in the 4th quarter).
CHRIS ORONA provided solid support off the West Hills bench, scoring
7 points with a couple of hard drives to the basket, and stable
work on the defensive end.
LEVI KIPP led West Hills with 13 rebounds.
ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (13 points) and STEPHON STAFFORD (10) paced the
El Cajon Valley offense.
SANTANA 66, EL CAPITAN 64 - Coach TIM BARRY likes
to believe that his Sultans secured a berth in the SDCIF Division
III playoffs via Thursday's (Feb. 12) hard-fought Grossmont North
League victory over the visiting Vaqueros.
'You talk about an emotional rollercoaster . . . We were down
by 17 in the 3rd quarter and up by 11 in the 4th," Barry
blurted.
Yet, the outcome came down to the final second.
After sophomore RICKY MICHELMORE sank two free throws to give
Santana (9-13, 4-3) a 66-62 lead with 0:13 remaining, the situation
appeared secure for the Sultans. The Vaqueros (9-15, 2-5), however,
weren't finished.
El Capitan countered when JOHNNY CURO followed his own missed
shot with the offensive rebound. The senior guard made a pump
fake and then hit the bucket with 0:02 left. He was fouled on
the play.
At that point, El Capitan coach ROSS FURROW instructed Curo "to
intentionally miss" the free throw, allowing the Vaqueros
a shot at a possible game-tying putback. Sound strategy to be
sure as Curo 'missed' the charity shot. El Capitan's 6-foot-8
sophomore CORY BROWN got a hand on the rebound, but could not
control the carom. Quick-thinking ANDREW HOFFMASTER caught Brown's
deflection in mid-air and released a shot all in one motion as
the buzzer sounded.
Hoffmaster's attempt missed its mark, but officials quickly determined
that time expired before the 6-foot-1 senior launched his bid
to force overtime.
"It was a brilliant play," Barry admitted, while obviously
relieved that Hoffmaster's heroics did not extend the game
Michelmore keyed Santana's 3rd quarter comeback, scoring 14 of
his 18 points during that eight-minute span. His major impact
was punching in 4 three-pointers in 5 attempts.
Then it was JON HERNANDEZ' turn to carry the Sultans. The sophomore
standout scored 12 of his 16 points in the 4th quarter.
"This is definitely a positive vision for the future, having
my sophomores (Hernandez and Michelmore) leading the scoring with
16 and 18 points," Barry said. "El Capitan played a
solid game. We just hit a tremendous, amazing run in the 3rd quarter.
"We had a few backdoor cutters in the 3rd quarter that opened
up Ricky to shoot from the three-point line."
Barry also praised the pinpoint passing of senior guard COREY
ROBINSON, who finished with 8 assists.
"Corey did a great job of seeing the floor, as he always
does," Barry said.
Brown paced El Capitan with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and
a pair of steals. DANIEL KRUEGER added 13 points and 6 rebounds,
while Hoffmaster finished with 13 points. JESSE LEATHERMAN lent
a hand with 7 assists to go with his 8 points.
HELIX 83, GRANITE HILLS 43 - One thing the Helix
Highlanders were determined to dilute Thursday night (Feb. 12)
at Granite Hills was the Eagles' 3-point fusillade. After all,
coach MATT DAVIS' Eagles rate as the third-best long ball shooters
in Grossmont Conference history.
"You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to see that these
guys are good at shooting the three," Helix coach JOHN SINGER
said. "What do they have . . . three of the top four, and
four of the top seven 3-point guys in East County?"
Indeed they do.
Helix was successful at containing the Eagles' 3-ball aerial circus,
limiting Granite Hills to just four connections from beyond the
arc.
None of that seemed to matter to the Highlanders (17-7, 5-3),
who defused the Eagles' shooting strength and then turned the
game into a rout with a 26-6 scoring spree in the second quarter.
MARLON PIERCE was the man of the hour for the Highlanders, executing
a triple double of 11 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
ERIC ROBINSON rifled in 22 points, hitting 9 of 14 shots - including
a trio of threes.
"Eric has really played well the past three games,"
Singer said. "He's taken on some of the leadership for us."
LANCE HURDLE added 20 points, 7 assists and 5 steals for the Highlanders,
who also received 7 points from GREG HARVEY, who was 3-for-3 shooting
and also hauled down 6 rebounds.
The Eagles average 8 three-pointers per game and have netted 200
in 25 starts this season. Only the 1991 Valhalla Norsemen (257)
and 1999 El Cajon Valley Braves (236) have connected for more
among Grossmont Conference teams. Furthermore, the Eagles' present
total ties them for 10th on the all-time San Diego CIF books.
Vista set the SDCIF record of 289 in 1992. The Eagles have two
more shots to add to their total in the final week of the season.
RYAN SNYDER accounted for 2 of the Granite Hills' treys and topped
the Eagles in overall scoring with 14 points. NICK TAYLOR added
9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while CLARK GORDON chipped
in 7 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.
STEELE CANYON 75, VALHALLA 49 - Steele Canyon, operating
in only its second varsity season, clinched at least a tie for
the Grossmont South League title Thursday (Feb. 12) by vanquishing
visiting Valhalla.
While the Norsemen (10-16, 0-8) were plummeting to their 10th
straight loss, the No. 4-ranked Cougars (21-4, 8-0) were winning
for the 20th time in their last 21 starts. SC needs just one win
in its final two games - at Helix (Tuesday, Feb. 17) or at Mount
Miguel (Friday, Feb. 20) - to claim the league laurels outright.
Rollicking RICHIE WILLIAMS scored 9 of his team-high 19 points
in the 1st quarter and CAMILLO MARTINEZ registered all of his
9 points in the opening period as the Cougars cruised to a 22-9
lead and never looked back.
Senior RICKY BAILEY buzzed in 10 of his 15 points in the 2nd quarter
as Steele Canyon's lead climbed to 43-24 by intermission.
JASON BEAUCHAMP banged in 10 points, retrieved a game-high 13
rebounds and blocked 3 shots for SC. Richie Williams added 5 steals
to his totals.
Valhalla senior guard DEVON JONES scored a game-high 20 points,
which included 7-for-7 free throw shooting. TRAVIS ROTHLISBERGER
corralled 10 rebounds and blocked 3 shots for the Norsemen.
MOUNT MIGUEL 65, MONTE VISTA 47 - JAMES ROBERTS rang
up 15 points, recorded 9 rebounds and made 4 steals, while KENNY
KEY cashed in a dozen points and 12 rebounds to lift the visiting
Matadors (18-7, 6-2) past Spring Valley rival Monte Vista in Thursday's
(Feb. 12) Grossmont South League action. The victory kept Mount
Miguel's slim league title hopes alive with one week left in the
regular season.
Trailing 23-20 at the break, the Matadors made a major turnaround
- scoring 45 points in the final two quarters.
"We were scared to death of (Monte Vista junior center) CLINTON
SNYDER in the first half," Mount Miguel coach JIMMY HURST
said. "I know if I was picking a team, I'd take (Steele Canyon
guard) Richie Williams first and Snyder second."
Snyder was deadly at blocking shots, rejecting 5 in the first
16 minutes alone. He slowed down considerably in the second half,
finishing with 8 points, 7 blocks and 9 rebounds.
"The big thing is we didn't fold," Hurst said of his
Matadors. "We came out in the second half and went right
at Snyder, took the game to him, got him into foul trouble. We
did a better job of penetrating and cutting."
Four Matadors reached double figures, led by JANSSEN BARBER's
20 points - half coming on 10-for-10 free throw shooting.
ALEX GUINTO led Monte Vista (12-13, 4-4) with 19 points.
(02-12-04)
THURSDAY - FEB 12, 2004 EastCountySports.com Grossmont North League West Hills 62, El Cajon Valley 37 West Hills 20 8 14 20 - 62 El Cajon Valley 10 14 4 9 - 37 West Hills scoring: Matthew Gilson 14, Ryan Shumaker 14, Blake Sutton 9, Levi Kipp 8, Chris Orona 7, Nathan Muzquiz4, C.J. Reed, Mike Edmondson 3. El Cajon Valley scoring: Abraham Muheize 13, Stephon Stafford 10, Eric Rosales 6, Paul Broadner 2, Laramore 2, Josh Roys 2, Cameron Santos 2. - Santana 66, El Capitan 64 El Capitan 14 17 14 19 - 64 Santana 12 9 25 20 - 66 El Capitan scoring: Cory Brown 15, Andrew Hoffmaster 13, Daniel Krueger 13, Johnny Curo 9, Jesse Leatherman 8, Justin Galloway 6. Santana scoring: Ricky Michelmore 18, Jon Hernandez 16, Zach Shepard 8, Bryan Wickens 7, Billy Wickens 6, Kyle Reed 5, David Bass 5, Corey Robinson 3. - Grossmont South League Mount Miguel 65, Monte Vista 47 Mount Miguel 14 6 22 23 - 65 Monte Vista 14 9 13 11 - 47 Mount Miguel scoring: Janssen Barber 20, James Roberts 15, J.R. Griffin 12, Kenny Key 12, Darren Newborn 6. Monte Vista scoring: Alex Guinto 19, Clinton Snyder 8, Robert Yousif 7, Brandon Harvey 5, D'Andre Overstreet 3, Trevor Peck 3, Charles Watkins 2. - Steele Canyon 75, Valhalla 49 Valhalla 7 17 6 19 - 49 Steele Canyon 22 21 20 12 - 75 Valhalla scoring: Devon Jones 20, Manny Gonzales 8, Rony Nasser 8, Travis Rothlisberger 6, Tomy Miles 4, Conner Ruyeras 3. Steele Canyon scoring: Richie Williams 19, Ricky Bailey 15, Jason Beauchamp 10, Camillo Martinez 9, Walter Hall 7, George Cunningham 5, Terrence Davis 4, Wes Davis 4, Chad Belledo 2. - Helix 83, Granite Hills 43 Helix 14 26 16 27 - 83 Granite Hills 10 6 17 10 - 43 Helix scoring: Eric Robinson 22, Lance Hurdle 20, Marlon Pierce 11, David Jones 9, Greg Harvey 7, David Jefferson 4, Rashad Garner 4, Ryan Mills 3, Matt Caldwell 2, Demetrius Henderson 1. Granite Hills scoring: Ryan Snyder 14, Nick Taylor 9, Clark Gordon 7, David Baxter 7, James Clark 6. (02-12-04)
Jeremian Whitten of Christian beats a Hoover
defender for the
layin in Wednesday's Harboe League affair.
Click here for Previous boys coverage/photo by Nick Pellegrino