Foothillers go the distance for first-round playoff win
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON -- A death in the family kept Grossmont High veteran coach FRANK FOGGIANO from attending Saturday's (Feb.19) San Diego CIF playoff meetings in person. Monte Vista coach ZACH PECK, the Grossmont South League representative at the meeting, noticed Foggiano's absence and put in a "good word" for the Foothillers. Those words were not what the Orange Glen Patriots wanted to hear. 
 
GROSSMONT 61, ORANGE GLEN 58 - Boy, do those Patriots resent Peck's honesty and Grossmont's appearance in Wednesday's (Feb. 23) 1st round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs in Escondido.
 
Senior TYLER HAJOSY set the charge for Grossmont (17-10), rolling in 24 points as the Foothillers won their 4th straight and 6th in the last 7 starts.
 
Hajosy has scored 82 points for a 27.3 average in Grossmont's last three starts.
 
Grossmont overpowered the 18-9 Patriots 31-20 in the middle two quarters.
 
"It was key that we did a very good job on the defensive backboard, rebounded very well," said Foggiano. "(Orange Glen) hit some 3s at the end but couldn't catch up."
 
Another key to Grossmont's success was the defensive job done on Orange Glen's 6-foot-4 John Cottey, who finished more than 16 points blow his season average at 2.
 
Grossmont's CASEY RUMMEL went 8-for-8 on free throws, 6-for-6 in the 4th quarter as he totaled 17 points for the night.
 
ROBERT GANGE of Grossmont lit the scoreboard for only 6 points, but grabbed a dozen rebounds. Senior guard TYLER BARBOUR logged 9 assists as the Foothillers' quarterback in the backcourt.
 
Grossmont now faces the daunting task of challenging top-seeded Steele Canyon on the Cougars' (26-1) home court in Saturday's (Feb.26) Division II quarterfinals at 7 p.m. The Cougars clobbered the Hillers 65-21 during the regular season, but Grossmont was playing without 4-year starter TYLER BARBOUR at point guard.
 
"We're a different team against pressure now," Foggiano said, noting the availability of Barbour. "They are such a good team and rely on pressuring the ball a lot. With Barbour, we're a little bit more effective at handling pressure."
 
Grossmont scoring:  Tyler Hajosy 24, Casey Rummel 17, Tyler Barbour 7, Luis Gonzales 7, Robert Gange 6.

MONTE VISTA 54, WESTVIEW 52 - Monte Vista veteran coach ZACH PECK was sick and tired of hearing "Do we have a chance," prior to the Monarchs trek to Poway's Westview High for Wednesday's (Feb. 23) SDCIF Division II opener.
 
"Why would we bother going if we didn't think we had a chance to win?" Peck said. "Turns out this was a good win for us. It was fun, leaves a better taste in our mouths."
 
Not that the Monarchs (11-17) are satisfied with this conquest. Monte Vista travels to University City for Saturday's (Feb. 23) Division II quarterfinals at 7 p.m.
 
Senior CLINTON SNYDER put together one the finest games of his senior season, knocking down 21 points, plucking 13 rebounds, pushing 6 assists and blocking 2 shots.
 
While Snyder garnered the high numbers, it was the smooth play of senior guard BRANDYN HARVEY (12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block) that helped seal the win for Monte Vista.
 
Harvey hit two free throws with 40 seconds left to give Monte Vista a narrow lead. The Patriots' Adam Chaimowitz then drove and scored to tie the score with 35 seconds left. That set the stage for Snyder's game-winning bucket.
 
"Harvey played real well, didn't force things," Peck said. "All of our kids tried not to be selfish with the ball. We're playing real well as a team right now."
 
Good timing.
 
The Monarchs now have a chance to avenge a season-opening 74-56 loss to University City on Saturday night. Added incentive for the Monte Vista crew was last year's 50-47 overtime loss to the Centurions on Monarchs' soil in the first round of last year's SDCIF playoffs.
 
Monte Vista scoring: Clinton Snyder 21, Brandyn Harvey 12, Trevor Peck 9, Ryan Slade 6, Allan Watson 4, Ian Croft 2.
 
STEELE CANYON 82,  OCEANSIDE 47 - Top-ranked Steele Canyon rarely changes stride no matter who the Cougars are facing. Case in point was Wednesday's 1st round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
 
The visiting Pirates (7-19) were merely cannon fodder for the 26-1 Cougars who used a 38-point 2nd quarter to send visiting Oceanside packing.
 
Steele Canyon junior guard RAYMOND WILLIAMS scored 15 of his 19 points during the Cougars' free-wheeling 2nd quarter.
 
The pint-sized Williams netted 9 of 13 shots from the field and one free throw, while senior enforcer JASON BEAUCHAMP rolled a 20-20, as in 20 points and as many rebounds. The 6-foot-3 Beauchamp was 10-for-13 from the floor
 
"Jason had a phenomenal game," said Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF. "He was the right man in the right place at the right time. We came out with some very good intensity and I was glad to see that."
 
RICHIE WILLIAMS plugged in 17 points, made 8 steals, cleared 8 rebounds and added 5 assists.
 
GEORGE CUNNINGHAM added 15 points and 9 rebounds for the Cougars.
 
"We're just getting prepared for Grossmont," Leaf said. "When we played them before they were without (TYLER) BARBOUR. So we throw that (65-21 rout) out and start over. It's a different game with Barbour in there."
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Jason Beauchamp 20, Raymond Williams 19, Richie Williams 17, George Cunningham 15, Emory Mitchell 6, Corey Morfey 3, Lionell Ball 2.
 
HELIX 75,  BONITA VISTA 54 - No question senior guard LANCE HURDLE enjoyed stamping his mark of approval on the Highlanders' San Diego CIF Division I playoff victory with a pair of 4th quarter slams Wednesday night (Feb.23) in La Mesa.
 
Hurdle's dunks helped extend Helix's lead to 71-45 with 3:50 remaining.
 
Those stuffs added to Hurdle's game-high 25 points, which came on 10-for-19 shooting and 3 for 4 free throws. Fifteen of those points came after intermission, which helped the Highlanders (22-5) swell their advantage.
 
"They came out in 'man' and then switched to zone and it took us a while to get used to it," Hurdle said.
 
Helix scored 14 points off Bonita Vista's 24 turnovers and cashed in a 45-30 rebounding advantage into a 14-5 scoring edge.
 
Bonita Vista MVP Pierce Hunter suffered a hip injury late in the 1st quarter, which left the Barons' chances to anyone who would step up. In this case it was sophomore Mark Kiefer, the son of former Helix guard CHRIS KIEFER. Young Kiefer finished with 23 points, including a half-dozen 3-pointers. All but six of Kiefer's points came in the first half, as BRANDON FOUNTAIN turned in a blue-chip defensive effort on the Barons' long ranger.
 
Kiefer's father was a teammate of current Helix coach JOHN SINGER.
 
"I don't remember what Chris averaged back in 1910," Singer joshed. "I was sitting on the bench watching him play (in the 1970s). He was good, but not as good as his son."
 
Young Kiefer was 9 for 16 shooting against the Highlanders.
 
"I told Mark before the game not to embarrass us," Singer said. "But he did in the first half. It seemed like every time he touched the ball he scored or one of his teammates did."
 
But Fountain, one of the lesser known Highlanders, put the brakes to Kiefer's big night. 
 
Helix senior CLINTON SHELTON continues to be the Highlanders' unsung hero, scoring 14 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing 3 assists and blocking 2 shots. He also took 3 charges, giving him 7 in the last two games.
 
Helix scoring:  Lance Hurdle 25, Clinton Shelton 14, David Jefferson 9, Matt Caldwell 8, Lawrence Hurdle 6, Aaron Tinsley 5, Brandon Fountain 4, Jericho Toilolo 2, Robert Carter2.
 
UNIVERSITY CITY 58,  EL CAJON VALLEY 54 -- A series of  "could-bes" and "what-ifs" may haunt El Cajon Valley for a long time after the curtain fell on an otherwise uplifting season for the Braves (10-16) in Wednesday's (Feb. 23) SDCIF Division II playoff opener.

After narrowly missing a chance to capture their first-ever Grossmont League basketball crown a week earlier, the Braves fell short in an upset bid at University City. The Centurions survived, as forward Tim Island poured in 16 of his game-high 36 points in the 4th period to secure the four-point win.

Despite unhappiness with the officiating, El Cajon Valley still had a chance to force overtime. Island, who was 13-for-13 at the foul line, including all seven attempts in the final minutes, finally missed after giving the Centurions a 57-54 lead with 11 seconds left. However, the Braves' 3-point shot to extend the contest bounded off the rim, as UC added a last-second foul shot to clinch a date in Saturday's semifinals.

"I have nothing to say. Absolutely, I have nothing to say," stated Braves coach NATE REED, disappointed at the 2-to-1 margin in fouls called against his troops (18 fouls vs. 9 to for the Centurions).

Despite the foul disparity, Reed should have been more upset with his team's lack of ball control, unable to maneuver through the University City pressure in the final five minutes.

"We switched our defenses all game, but when we went to the press, we got some turnovers," observed UC coach Terry Stonebraker, who saw a series of transition baskets, including four straight by Island, staking University City to a 48-46 edge with 4:14 to play.

El Cajon Valley reclaimed the lead on a 3-ball by DAVID KACHI, but then the 6-foot-5 Island took over. Island was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound, leading to a pair of free throws, and sank all four foul shots on a pair of one-and-one situations with just under a minute remaining.

"Tim is a senior whose leadership has brought this whole team together," added Stonebraker. "He can raise the level of everyone's play."

Island added 14 rebounds, four assists and a pair of 4th quarter steals.

The Braves leaped to a quick 19-14 lead, capped by an 11-0 run near the close of the 1st period. The lead reached 7 when UC temporarily lost forward Rueben Maughn, who was bleeding from the mouth when a teammate accidentally elbowed him while rebounding.

However, El Cajon Valley twice lost guard ABRAHAM MUHEIZE for brief stretches with a cut on his shin. Muheize was solid with 6 points and 5 assists, but he and NATE SCHAD, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the first, both were held without a shot in the 4th as the Braves forced the ball inside to FRANK COLLINS and SHANE MYERS. The Braves' inside duo could not offset Island.
 
And they say no man is an Island. Huh!
 
El Cajon Valley scoring: Nate Schad 14 (6 assists), Frank Collins 13 (7 rebounds), Shane Myers 9 (7 rebounds), David Kachi 8, Abraham Muheize 6 (5 assists), Stephon Stafford 4.

No. 2  EL CAMINO 59,  GRANITE HILLS 50 -- Senior DAVID BAXTER set the Granite Hills record for 3-pointers in a season during Wednesday's (Feb.23) San Diego CIF Division I encounter at El Camino.
 
Baxter netted five 3-pointers en route to his team high 19 points, raising his East County best total to 78 treys. Baxter's season total eclipses the Granite Hills high water mark of 76 set by BRENT GENTON in 2001.
 
NICK TAYLOR finished with 76 treys, as he netted a trio of 3-balls on his way to a 15-point total. The junior guard also grabbed 9 rebounds. Baxter pitched in 4 assists to his totals.
 
Granite Hills' inside duo of CLARK GORDON and KURTIS SMITH didn't contribute to the Eagles scoring, but managed 21 rebounds between them. Gordon also blocked 3 shots.
 
The Eagles (13-14) shot 40 percent from the field, including 8 of 21 from three-point range. They were perfect form from the free throw line, swishing all 8 attempts.
 
"In the 3rd quarter we played real well for a little stretch," said Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON. â¤We were down 14 at one point in the 2nd quarter and into midway of the 3rd, before we stopped them on 11 straight possessions."
 
That defensive stand pulled the Eagles to within 4 points of the No. 2 ranked Wildcats (22-6).  Granite Hills drew to within a single point on several occasions after that, but never could overthrow the two-time reigning Division I champions.
 
"I was proud of our kids," Anderson added. "They did a nice job the whole season. We lose six seniors to graduation and return the other six next year. I told the kids I think we've started something positive for Granite Hills basketball this season."
 
Granite Hills scoring: David Baxter 19, Nick Taylor 15, Ryan Snyder 6, Justin Villanueva 6, Kurtis Smith 2, Clark Gordon 2.
 
USDHS 64,  SANTANA 51 -- Coach TIM BARRY couldn't contain his excitement after his Sultans started Wednesday's (Feb. 23) San Diego CIF Division III playoff opener at USDHS with an 8-0 burst in the first 90 seconds.
 
"The beginning was a thing of beauty," Barry said.
 
The final result was on the opposite end of the spectrum, as Santana (10-17) suffered its fifth straight loss.
 
"Uni goes 6-8, 6-6, 6-5 up front," noted Barry. "They were able to keep a lot of balls in play. We ran out of gas. Every time we made a run at them, they hit a 3 or made a basket that upped their lead to double figures. This was a real tough gym to play in."
 
The Dons (12-16) bullied their way to a 34-21 halftime lead and were never serious threatened thereafter.
 
For one of the few times this season Santana received scoring balance, as RICKY MICHELMORE (13 points), TAI PURPERO (12 points, 6 rebounds), JON HERNANDEZ (12 points) and BILLY WICKENS (10 points) all reached double scoring digits.
 
"This is a good group," Barry said. "I'm pleased with their effort. We had only one senior with any varsity experience (Hernandez), only three seniors overall, and I think we have a bright future. I can't wait to get started again."
 
IMPERIAL 65,  CHRISTIAN 61 -- The Patriots (8-19) made a superb final stand  to a season that was ticketed to be a disaster from the outset in Wednesday's (Feb. 23)
 
First-year coach KEN BAILEY was informed that his team could quite possibly not win a single game. Bailey, a veteran coach from Texas, didn't buy it. After two losses to begin the campaign, Bailey's Patriots embarked on a four-game winning streak. But injuries and eligibility problems further thinned the already short-handed squad.
 
Earlier in the season when the Patriots were at full strength, Christian eked out a 48-44 non-league victory over Imperial. Had they not committed 37 turnovers in the San Diego CIF Division IV playoff rematch, the Patriots post-season would still be in progress.
 
"They hurt us with their full-court pressure," Bailey said. "Handling pressure has been our Achilles Heel all year."
 
Nevertheless, the Patriots were on the verge of pulling off a last second win at Imperial on Wednesday. Freshman guard DANIEL HAZLETT drained his second 3-pointer of the night, pulling the Patriots to within 63-61 with 0:07 remaining.
 
A blown defensive assignment by the Christian defense allowed the Tigers (17-7) to register a lay-up at the buzzer.
 
Imperial's Christian Ramirez burned the Patriots for 24 points, 13 rebounds and 6 steals.
 
"We had no answer for Ramirez," Bailey admitted.
 
DEREK LARSEN led Christian's scoring crusade with 20 points.
 
Christian scoring:  Derek Larsen 20, Wayne Richards 11, Daniel Hazlett 9, C.J. Schroeder 7, Kellen Rossitto 6, Grant Mills 5, Andrew Criswell 2, Lawrence Walker 1.
 
HOOVER 79,  MOUNT MIGUEL 56 - The visiting Matadors found the Cardinals difficult to deal with Wednesday night (Feb. 23) as Hoover eliminated Mount Miguel from the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
 
"They are really fast, and jumped on us early," said Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO, who watched the Cardinals (18-10) sprint to a 47-23 halftime lead. "After we took a breath and got our feet on us, we really competed. Their size didn't hurt us."
 
Still, it was too little, too late for the Matadors (10-18).
 
Hoover guard JayDee Luster burned the Matadors for 29 points, while Jamelle Horne delivered 20 points.
 
Mount Miguel's EDDIE DE ARCOS concluded his basketball career with a season-high 20 points, which included hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
 
DEVIYON CARTER cast in 13 points, the majority of his points coming from three shots above the arc. Carter concluded the campaign with 48 treys.
 
"We've been building and I believe we are on the verge of doing something," said Golovko. "I can't wait until next year."
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Eddie De Arcos 20, Deviyon Carter 13, Bud Newborn 9, Michael Love 8, Donnie Hiebing 6.
 
SAN PASQUAL (17-9) 87,  WEST HILLS (14-13) 68 - The Golden Eagles peppered host West Hills with a trio of 3-pointers to take the early lead in Wednesday's (Feb. 23) SDCIF Division II opener and never looked back.
 
It was an ironic ending to a topsy-turvy season for three-time Grossmont North League champion West Hills (14-13), which began the campaign with a 74-51 rout of San Pasqual.
 
West Hills senior RYAN SHUMAKER battled the Eagles (17-9) to the final buzzer, finishing his high school career with 32 points. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound post man delivered 10 free throws in 14 attempts, finishing just one point shy of his personal scoring high.
 
In his final six games, Shumaker punched in 137 points, an average of just under 23 markers per game.
 
Riddled by injury and illness, the Pack skidded to the finish line with four straight losses.
 
West Hills scoring:  Ryan Shumaker 32, Nathan Muzquiz 14, Matt Gilson 9, Philip Staback 4, Chris Lifgren 3, E.J. Brown 2, Matt Sutton 2, Peter Gilson 2.
(02-23-05)

Steele Canyon's Richie Williams (3) scored 27 points to help the Cougars win their 2nd straight Grossmont South League championship at Helix Friday night. (2-18-05/Photo by Miguel Johnson)

Easterners dot playoff map, led by super Cougs
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - East County basketball is proud to recognize Steele Canyon as its leader, but is equally as pleased to note that 10 of the area's 12 teams have secured San Diego CIF post-season playoff berths. The boys playoffs begin Wednesday (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m.
 
Coach BRAD LEAF's Cougars, the two-time Grossmont South League champions who are ranked in the majority of the state and national polls, tip off the Division II playoffs hosting Oceanside (7-18). No contest!
 
Most experts project Steele Canyon (25-1) as a contender for a state championship. Step one begins on Wednesday. Of course, the Cougars will be playing without one of their main men WES DAVIS (eye injury) throughout the SDCIF playoffs and maybe more.
 
In other Division II playoff openers: Three-time, injury-riddled Grossmont North League champion West Hills (14-12) hosts San Pasqual (16-9); Mount Miguel (10-17) faces No. 2 Hoover (17-10) in the Cardinals' cage; Grossmont (16-10) travels to Orange Glen (18-8); Monte Vista (10-17) goes to North County to take on Westview (19-8); and El Cajon Valley (10-15) dribbles to University City (17-9).
 
West Hills opened the season with a 74-51 romp over San Pasqual. But the Pack has sustained countless physical setbacks since then, so this week's rematch is not a lock for coach JEFF ARMSTRONG's squad.
 
DIVISION I
 
Perennial power Helix (21-5) would be celebrating another league championship if not for Steele Canyon. Nevertheless, the Highlanders, who have won 14 of their last 16 starts, rate as a darkhorse in the SDCIF Division I playoffs as they host Bonita Vista (16-9) in Wednesday's (Feb. 16) opening round.
 
Granite Hills (13-13), which fell 3 points short of posting a double knockout of Steele Canyon and Helix, will face a major challenge when the Eagles take flight against No. 2-ranked El Camino (21-6).
 
DIVISION III
 
Despite losing 15 of their final 20 decisions, the hard-luck Sultans (10-16) get a second life when they meet USDHS (11-16) in Wednesday's 1st round. If the Sultans can get past the Dons, they face the Harbor League scoring machine out of Crawford in Saturday's (Feb.26) quarterfinals.
 
DIVISION IV
 
Coach KEN BAILEY's Christian High Patriots weren't supposed to win a game this year according to those close to the program. The first year skipper from Texas proved that prediction was out of bounds as the Patriots posted 8 wins in 26 decisions.
 
Christian begins the post-season tourney with a trek to Imperial (16-7) where they take on the host Tigers, who believe they were cheated out of a higher seed.
(02-19-05)

Steele Canyon's Emory Mitchell (23), George Cunningham (1) and Jason Beauchamp (33) close in on Helix's Matt Caldwell (45) as David Jefferson (34) watches the action. (2-18-05/Photo by Miguel Johnson)

Steele Canyon subs toast Highlanders to secure South championship
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - Steele Canyon, the premier team of San Diego County boys' basketball, has been maligned for not having a bench. Supposedly, the Cougars (25-1, 9-1) have no depth. Five veteran starters and nothing else. The overall statistics no doubt indicate that scenario, but the hard-working Helix Highlanders found out otherwise in Friday's (Feb. 18) showdown for the Grossmont South League championship.
 
STEELE CANYON 63, HELIX 53 - The visiting Steele Canyon Cougars found out what it is like to work in the neighborhood of perennial power Helix. A capacity crowd turned out to watch this winner-takes-all finale in La Mesa won by the Cougars.
 
Steele Canyon, earning the top seed, takes on Oceanside in Wednesday's (Feb.23) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs at 7 p.m.
 
An impressive start in which the Cougars connected on 12 of 19 shots in the 1st quarter, while the Highlanders misfired on 10 of their 12 chances, vaulted Steele Canyon into a 26-9 lead in the regular season finale. Back-to-back 3-pointers by RICHIE WILLIAMS helped extend the Cougars advantage to 32-12 with 7:17 left in the 2nd quarter.
 
A blowout was in progress. That is, until the aggressive Cougars were whistled to the mat by an equally aggressive pair of officials. By intermission, four of the Steele Canyon starters were burdened with three or more fouls as the Cougars clung to a 41-34 advantage.
 
That's where the Steele Canyon bench jumped into the fray. Those forgotten Cougar sidekicks were forced into action and were the plank between a second straight league championship and falling short.
 
"The guys who came off the bench did a great job," said SC senior center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM. "I have a lot more confidence in my teammates now than I did at the start of the year.�
 
What the Steele Canyon backups contributed cannot be measured just in scoring. The non-starters popped in a mere 5 points, 5 rebounds and one block. More than that, though, is their collective efforts turned out to be one of those intangibles that aren't reflected in the boxscores.
 
Here's to the Steele Canyon reserve crew:
 
EMORY MITCHELL clicked on 3 of 4 free throws, while JACOB PRUITT took a perfect pass from Richie Williams to convert a lay-up. Senior COREY MORFEY grabbed two key rebounds in the final two minutes after two SC starters fouled out.
 
"Helix just about took us out of the game because of foul trouble, man," Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF said. "My goodness. What adversity these kids went through. We were going to guys who haven't played all season. And they came in and did what they had to do to win a basketball game. That's what they're taught."
 
Two scoring bursts by AARON TINSLEY brought the challenging Highlanders (21-15, 8-2) back into contention. Tinsley netted 5 of 5 free throws and a pair of three-pointers for 11 points in a 25-point second quarter that enabled Helix to cut the Cougars edge to seven.
 
Tinsley drilled in a pair of baskets worth five points in the 3rd quarter to hike Helix to within 45-40. The Highlanders continued their surge, riding back-to-back putbacks by CLINTON SHELTON to make it a four-point game (50-46 with 1:19 remaining).
 
"This environment, playing at Helix, is perfect to get ready for the San Diego CIF playoffs," Leaf said. "It was a hard-fought battle. Hey, congratulations to our guys for having won two in a row."
 
Helix coach JOHN SINGER was pleased by his team's performance despite senior guard LANCE HURDLE's off-the-mark 1-for-13 shooting and 11-point contribution.
 
"Steele Canyon is a very good basketball team and they are to be congratulated," Singer said. "In my mind there is no question they will win CIF (Division II)."
 
Richie Williams paced the Cougars, hitting 10 of 17 shots (4 of them 3s) and 3 free throws. He also handed out 7 assists.
 
Cunningham chimed in with 13 points and 7 rebounds, while blocking 3 shots. Foul-plagued JASON BEAUCHAMP chipped in 8 points and 5 rebounds. RAY WILLIAMS added 5 assists and 3 steals.
 
DAVID JEFFERSON rolled a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for Helix, while Shelton stuffed in 8 points and cleared a game-high 13 rebounds for the Highlanders.
 
Early morning results in Saturday's (Feb. 19) San Diego CIF Division I seeding meeting, tagged the Highlanders with a No. 5 seed and a first round home game against Bonita Vista on Wednesday (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m.
 
In that same early playoff return, West Hills hosts Ramona in Wednesday's opening round of the Division II playoffs
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Richie Williams 27, George Cunningham 13, Jason Beauchamp 8, Raymond Williams 4, Emory Mitchell 3, Jacob Pruitt 2.
 
Helix scoring:  Aaron Tinsley 15, Lance Hurdle 11, David Jefferson 10, Clinton Shelton 8, Brandon Fountain 5, Matt Caldwell 4.
 
GROSSMONT 61,  EL CAJON VALLEY 60 - The Braves of El Cajon Valley fell two points short of winning (or in this case sharing) the first Grossmont Conference championship in the 50-year history of the boys basketball program.
 
"When the playing field is level we have a good chance to win," said El Cajon Valley second-year head coach NATE REED. "When it's not, we have to struggle. We gave away too many rebounds and put-backs in the 4th quarter."
 
Grossmont (16-10, 5-3), which pulled into a second-place tie with the Braves,  led by 10 at the half, and 48-43 after three quarters.
 
"The game wasn't as close as the final score indicates," Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO said. "We were in control all night. They hit a couple of late 3-pointers to make it close at the end. But I never thought we were in danger of losing."
 
Reed seemed to take the Braves' narrow miss at a major milestone calmly.
 
"I like the progress that has been made in our program," said Reed, whose club finished 1-25 a year ago and won 10 times as many games this season in a 10-15 finish. â¤These guys have really learned to play hard."
 
Senior TYLER HAJOSY, a bona fide Grossmont North League Player of the Year candidate, continued his torrid scoring of late with a 23-point effort against the Braves. Four of Hajosy's hoops came from above the arc. Hajosy scored a career-high 36 points in his previous start.
 
CASEY RUMMEL canned 3 three-pointers en route to a 15-point night for the Foothillers. ROBERT GANGE added 9 points and 13 rebounds, while stellar senior point guard TYLER BARBOUR handed out 9 assists to tap in 7 points.
 
SHANE MYERS had a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds for El Cajon Valley, while FRANK COLLINS drilled in a team-best 15 points while garnering 9 rebounds.
 
PLAYOFF UPDATE: The Foothillers begin their SDCIF Division II playoff quest at Orange Glen Wednesday (Feb.23) at 7 p.m.
 
The Braves, after a four-year hiatus from post-season play, travel to University City for the first round of SDCIF Division II post-season playoff play Wednesday at 7 p.m.
 
Grossmont scoring:  Tyler Hajosy 23, Casey Rummel 15, Robert Gange 9, Tyler Barbour 7, Luis Gonzales 7.
 
El Cajon Valley scoring:  Frank Collins 15, Shane Myers 14, Abraham Muheize 13, Stephon Stafford 6, David Kachi 6, Nate Schad 3, Wisam Patros 3.
 
EL CAPITAN 67,  WEST HILLS 58 - The Wolf Pack did things the hard way, but the trophy case on the West Hills campus will never reflect the path taken by the Pack to clinch its 3rd straight Grossmont North League crown Friday (Feb. 18) in Lakeside.
 
Plaudits go to the host El Capitan Vaqueros (7-19, 2-6), who halted a 9-game losing streak by finishing with back-to-back league victories. Let's just say that the Vaqueros helped determine the league champion.
 
"This one did not have quite the intensity needed for the Wolf Pack in a championship game," West Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG said.
 
Leading 28-23 at the half, El Capitan embarked on a 9-0 run to begin the 3rd quarter and it looked like it was curtains for West Hills (14-12, 6-2).
 
Enter Wolf Pack senior MATTHEW GILSON, the oft-injured floor general. Staring at a 14-point deficit, Gilson -- nursing a re-injured hamstring -- came alive in the 3rd quarter, scoring 9 of his 16 points.
 
"Gilson was about 75 percent tonight," Armstrong said. "I give him a lot of credit for the gutsy effort."
 
RYAN SHUMAKER got on track in the 2nd half, scoring 13 of his 17 points.
 
The Pack closed the gap to 7 points midway through the 4th but could get no closer.
 
The El Capitan trio of CORY BROWN (23 points, 6 blocks 4 rebounds), DANIEL KRUEGER (17 points, 9 rebounds) and DAVID REEDER (16 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) led a gallant effort for the Vaqueros.
 
"Krueger beat us in the 3rd with three 3s and Reeder played well, netting 8 in the 4th," commented Armstrong. Krueger finished with 5 treys for the game.
 
"We have not been shooting the ball well of late. We have been getting good looks but the ball is not dropping. It will be nice to have the four days off to work on some things."
 
The Wolf Pack will test its playoff legs on Wednesday (Feb.23) against Ramona in a home game at 7 p.m.
 
El Capitan scoring:  Cory Brown 23, Daniel Krueger 17, David Reeder 16, Tyler Hills 7, Ray Harris 4.
 
West Hills scoring:  Ryan Shumaker 17, Matthew Gilson 16,  Kyle Hamann 10, Nathan Muzquiz 8, Miles Pivonka 2, Peter Gilson 2, Philip Staback 1.
 
MONTE VISTA 59, GRANITE HILLS 49 - The score was familiar, but the outcome was reversed in Friday's (Feb. 18) Grossmont South League finale at Monte Vista.
 
The Eagles won the 1st round encounter by this same 59-49 count and took the early lead in the rematch at Monte Vista. Then the bottom fell out of the Granite Hills offense in the 2nd quarter and the Monarchs took charge to lead 35-26 at halftime.
 
"We had a bad 2nd quarter," lamented Granite Hills RANDY ANDERSON. "We just couldn't score." Monte Vista claimed a 16-4 advantage during that 8-minute stretch.
 
Granite Hills thought it had an opening when Monte Vista senior strongman CLINTON SNYDER picked up his 4th foul and retreated to the Monarchs' bench midway through the 3rd quarter.
 
"We didn't capitalize on that," Anderson said."
 
Monte Vista coach ZACH PECK agreed.
 
"I thought the turning point was when Snyder picked up his fourth foul, but we maintained a 7 to 9 point lead until the middle of the 4th quarter," Peck said.
 
Granite Hills pulled to within 52-49 down the stretch, but the Monarchs regained the momentum when BRANDYN HARVEY hit a long 3-pointer.
 
"When Harvey threw that one up from a couple of feet behind the arc and scored, it was all over," Anderson noted.
 
Harvey finished with a game-high 22 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks.  The senior guard was 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
 
Clinton Snyder led the supporting cast with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
 
RYAN SNYDER (no relation) led the Eagles with 14 points. DAVID BAXTER hit a trio of 3-pointers and NICK TAYLOR nailed two, leaving the Granite Hills teammates tied for the East County regular-season long distance title at 73 each.
 
Monte Vista (10-17, 4-6), winner of three of its last four and 5 of 7, grabbed a playoff position with its late-season push. The Monarchs travel to Westview to face the Wolverines (19-8) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
 
"We had the same great intensity we've had the past few weeks," Peck said. "I'm really pleased with the way we played on defense. Granite Hills has a lot of experience and four outstanding shooters, and to hold them to 49 points (8 below their season average) is really special."
 
Indeed.
 
"Ever since the game at El Cajon (Valley), we've been putting things together on both ends of the floor," said Peck, who believes his team to be worthy of the San Diego CIF Division II playoff slot. "I like where we are right now. Playoffs, I'm not sure we're in but I think we have a good shot. Ten wins should get us in."
 
Granite Hills (13-13, 5-5) should qualify for the SDCIF Division I 16-team playoffs. The Eagles own the only victory over top-ranked Steele Canyon and lost by two points to No. 3-ranked Helix earlier this week.
 
Early returns from the Saturday (Feb. 19) seeding meeting, pits the Eagles against No. 2  seeded El Camino on Wednesday (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Brandyn Harvey 22, Clinton Snyder 14, Ryan Slade 9 (3 assists), Trevor Peck 8 (7 rebounds, 3 assists), Allan Watson 6.
 
Granite Hills scoring:  Ryan Snyder 14, David Baxter 11, Nick Taylor 11, Clark Gordon 7 (8 rebounds, 5 blocks), Kurtis Smith 6.
 
MOUNT MIGUEL 56,  VALHALLA 51 (OT) - For most of his senior season Mount Miguel guard DONNIE HIEBING hasn't received many opportunities to contribute.
 
Hiebing received the call in Friday's (Feb. 18) Grossmont South League finale on the Matadors' home court. The 6-foot sharp-shooter was up to the challenge, scoring a career-high 20 points. A dozen of his points came on 3-point buckets, including a clutch trey in overtime that helped the Matadors gain a 7-2 edge in the extra period.
 
DEVIYON CARTER also canned 4 three-pointers, including one in overtime for the Matadors (10-17, 3-7).
 
"Carter and Hiebing hitting those key 3s in overtime put us over the top," said Mount Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO.
 
"It was Senior Night and our seniors really played well tonight."
 
Senior EDDIE DeARCOS turned in a powerful performance for Mount Miguel, shoveling in 15 points, securing 12 rebounds, dishing off 3 assists and making 3 steals.
 
"That was Eddie's best game of the year," Golovko said.
 
BUD NEWBORN chipped in 5 assists, 4 steals and 4 points, while KARLIN STEWART popped in 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds for Mount Miguel.
 
With the score knotted at 49-49 at the conclusion of regulation, the Norsemen claimed the early lead on a bucket by KYLE LUHNOW (13 points, 9 rebounds). But Valhalla would score no more.
 
Carter's 3-pointer put Mount Miguel ahead to stay. Hiebing followed with his 3-pointer and DeArcos made a free throw, giving the Matadors a 56-51 advantage.
 
Despite winning only three league games, the Matadors gained a SDCIF Division II playoff berth at Hoover at 7 p.m. in Wednesday's (Feb.23) 1st round.
 
The Norsemen, who have been "Close-Calls-R-Us" all season, came up short as they did in Friday's finale. They were tied at Mount Miguel at 49-49 with 1:22 to play in regulation. Valhalla shot, missed, rebounded and got fouled. So thought Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS. The officials ruled a jump ball instead of a foul being awarded.
 
With 15 seconds left, Mount Miguel missed a shot to send the game into overtime.
 
"I feel like we played one of the toughest schedules in Division III," Thomas said. "I don't know of any other Division III team that would have liked to trade schedules with us."
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Donnie Hiebing 20, Eddie DeArcos 15, Deviyon Carter 12, Karlin Stewart 5, Bud Newborn 4.
 
Valhalla scoring:  Conner Ruyeras 16, Kyle Luhnow 13, Paul Martins 7, Ronnie Schwandt 6, Chris Zukose 4, Nasheel Raja 3, Brett Hansen 2.
 
CORONADO 55,  CHRISTIAN 46 -- The injury was completely accidental, when Coronado High forward Reid McLean landed awkwardly on his ankle after he leaped high with the ball, only to see his shot attempt from the paint thoroughly rejected by Christian High's ANDREW CRISWELL.

Not only was McLean gone after powering inside with six points in the game's opening seven minutes, his absence gave room to the struggling Patriots offense. But when that delicate balance was lost, the Islanders raced off nine straight points early in the 4th period, enough to secure a victory in the regular-season finale for both sides.

"We've come so close with so many of these teams -- four or five in league," said Patriots guard DEREK LARSEN. "But something always seems to happen where we make that one key turnover or they make that one key shot."

In Friday's (Feb. 18) Harbor League affair, it was "that" shot -- and from an unlikely source following a pair of Larsen free throws -- that gave the upset-minded Patriots a 34-33 lead with 6:46 remaining.

Coronado guard Chas Marks, who already missed his first 12 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, again turned the tables on Christian. With defenders helping inside after a member of the front line fouled out, Marks found extra space in order to drain a pair of the long-distance shots, igniting a 9-0 run to gain the victory at Ryan Athletics Center.

Upon McLean's exit, the lead then exchanged hands nine consecutive times, with each team moving back in front by a single point while alternating baskets. Included were a pair by Christian's WAYNE RICHARDS, who headed the Senior Night outing with a team-best 17 points, while C.J. SCHROEDER added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

"We played hard all season, but we didn't have a lot of experience," added Larsen, the team's top defender who added 9 points and 6 assists. "But we improved a lot and fought really hard."

Criswell, a senior transfer from Montana, finished his single season at Christian (8-18 overall, 1-9 Harbor) with two blocks while making all three of his field goal shots for 6 points. Marks finished with 14 for the Islanders (16-8, 5-5), but he converted a mere 5-of-22 shots.

"It was real tight, both teams played hard and close," said Christian assistant coach ADAM COX. "We missed too many shots in the 4th quarter, had to foul, and they hit their shots."
 
Coronado was 19-for-29 from the charity stripe. Christian was 7-for-12, although the Patriots did a better job from long distance, dialing in 7 of 12 from beyond the arc.

Christian scoring: Wayne Richards 17, C.J. Schroeder 10, Derek Larsen 9, Andrew Criswell 6, Grant Mills 2.
(02-18-05)
 

Patriots close gap, but Colts still crush
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON - It was a little easier to swallow this time around. At
least, the host Christian High Patriots held the visiting Crawford Colts
well below the century mark in Wednesday's (Feb. 16) Harbor League
rematch at the Ryan Athletic Center. Nevertheless, the Colts kicked up
their hooves to lead 56-23 by intermission and continued on for an 85-51
victory.

"This was one of those tales of two halves," said Christian coach
KEN BAILEY. "We didn't do a good job of getting back in the first
half, which gave them too many easy lay-ups. We did a better job on
defense in the second half, and (Crawford) coach Terry Tucker went to his
bench a lot more than he did in the first game."

Crawford clubbed Christian 112-33 in the first round of Harbor League
play. Ex-Patriot Tyrone Shelly rang up 48 points in that blowout, but
was limited to 21 markers this time even though he was still on the floor
midway through the final period.

DEREK LARSEN led Christian with 15 points, while C.J. SCHROEDER added
11.

The Patriots, however, contributed 32 turnovers to their latest defeat.

Christian scoring: Derek Larsen 15, C.J. Schroeder 11, Andrew Criswell
8, Wayne Richards 8, Lawrence Walker 7, Grant Mills 2.
(02-16-05)

(Modified) EL CAJON - More surprises in East County basketball on
Tuesday night (Feb. 15). El Cajon Valley stunned Grossmont North
League-leading West Hills to keep its chances for a first-ever share of a league
title alive, while El Capitan broke into the Grossmont North win column
by submerging Santana. Meanwhile, Helix pulled off a narrow escape at
Granite Hills, edging the Eagles 70-68 to set the stage for Friday's
(Feb. 18) Grossmont South League title bout against top-ranked Steele
Canyon in La Mesa.

EL CAJON VALLEY 52, WEST HILLS 46 - Just remember that these El
Cajon Valley Braves are coming off a 1-25 finish a year ago, and were
picked to land in the Grossmont North League cellar again this winter.

Apparently, second-year head coach NATE REED doesn't subscribe to
such negative theories or at least doesn⤙t believe all that he reads.

"We are definitely tasting victory tonight," said a jubilant Reed,
whose Braves moved to within one game of the Grossmont North League
lead with only a home game against third-place Grossmont remaining in the
regular season. Reed and his crew are hoping El Capitan will cooperate
by defeating West Hills in Friday's (Feb. 18) finale in Lakeside.

The Braves (10-14, 5-2) used a balanced attack spearheaded by junior
guard ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists) to
avenge an earlier 70-54 loss to the three-time league champion Wolf Pack,
which lost for only the second time in 25 circuit encounters.

"This was a very big win for us," Reed emphasized. "We needed
this win and we need the one on Friday. I'm hoping El Capitan will pull
out a miracle."

El Cajon Valley came up strong in the 4th quarter to rub out a 36-33
Wolf Pack advantage. Despite making only 5 of 11 free throws, the Braves
gained a 19-10 scoring edge over the final 8 minutes.

SHANE MYERS added 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Braves, who also
received 10 points from NATE SCHAD and a solid supporting effort from
FRANK COLLINS (14 rebounds, 8 points).

A major shortcoming for West Hills (14-11, 6-1) was the absence of
senior floor maestro MATTHEW GILSON, who watched from the sidelines after
aggravating an early season hamstring injury Saturday against San Diego
Southwest.

NATHAN MUZQUIZ fouled out in the 4th period. Both losses added to the
Pack's frustration.

"West Hills went at it," acknowledged Reed. "We contested pretty
much every shot they put up."

RYAN SHUMAKER (14 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) and KYLE HAMANN (13
points) topped the Wolf Pack's scoring charts. QUENTIN LONDON chipped
in with a season-best 6 assists

Nevertheless, the Wolf Pack shot a meager 29 percent from the field (18
for 63) and 50 percent from the foul line (6-for-12). West Hills
attempted 23 3-point shots, but connected on only 4 (17 percent).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Abraham Muheize 14, Shane Myers 11, Nate
Schad 10, Frank Collins 8, Stephon Stafford 3, David Kachi 3, Wisam Patros
2, Cameron Santos 1.

West Hills scoring: Ryan Shumaker 14, Kyle Hamann 13, E.J. Brown 7,
Nathan Muzquiz 7, Peter Gilson 3, Quentin London 2.
 
HELIX 70,  GRANITE HILLS 68 - How about those Granite Hills Eagles. Coach RANDY ANDERSON's squad fell 3 points shy of knocking off its second of two teams ranked among the San Diego Media Poll's top 3 Tuesday night (Feb. 15) in El Cajon.
 
"We played well enough to win," said Anderson said of his Eagles (13-12, 5-4).
 
Anderson felt Granite Hills could have survived a career-high 37 points poured in by Helix senior guard LANCE HURDLE, if they wouldn't have allowed junior guard AARON TINSLEY to can a career-best 17 points.
 
Three of Tinsley's five 3-pointers came in the 4th quarter as the Highlanders overcame a 48-47 Granite Hills edge entering the final period.
 
"We were keying on Lance Hurdle, and Tinsley got some good looks, so they earned it," Anderson lamented. "We were counting on Hurdle being the one to key on, and a couple of other guys stepped up for them."
 
While Tinsley finished 5-for-15 from the field, the focus on Helix continues to be the senior Hurdle. The UC Santa Barbara-bound Hurdle was at his best against the Eagles, connecting on 11 of 19 shots from the field and 15 of 16 free throws.
 
Obviously pleased that his Highlanders (21-4, 8-1) dodged the Eagles' upset bid, Helix coach JOHN SINGER wanted to step to the podium and state his case for Grossmont South League Player of the Year.
 
"This shows why Lance is the best player in the league," Singer roared. "It's been that way all year. There is no other individual in the league that has the impact that Lance has. If you take Lance off this team, it's pretty obvious what would happen. There's no question who is the best individual player in the league."
 
Sophomore LAWRENCE HURDLE hit 5 of his 9 points in the 4th quarter for the Highlanders, who have won five in a row and 17 of their last 19. The youthful Hurdle could have sewed up the victory, but made only one of two free throws with less than a minute to play, nudging the Highlanders' edge to two points.
 
Granite Hills had one more shot to tie or take a lead, but missed with less than 10 seconds remaining.
 
Helix scoring:  Lance Hurdle 37, Aaron Tinsley 17, Lawrence Hurdle 9, Clinton Shelton 4, Brandon Fountain 2, David Jefferson 1.
 
Granite Hills scoring:  Nick Taylor 28, David Baxter 9, Justin Villanueva 8, Ryan Snyder 8, Ricky Peitz 7, Clark Gordon 6, Kurtis Smith 2.
 
STEELE CANYON 76,  VALHALLA 47 - For a school in only its third year of varsity competition, the Steele Canyon Cougars (24-1, 8-1) are making national waves. That is, Steele Canyon is ranked No. 18 in the SchoolSports/Scout.com poll and No. 20 by Hoops/USA.
 
While flattering, to say the least, none of those numbers will help the Cougars beat the Highlanders in the duel for the Grossmont South League championship. Sure, the Cougars survived an early Helix burst to win round one by a misleading 64-49 count three weeks ago.
 
One major difference in Friday's rematch is Steele Canyon will be without the services of junior WES DAVIS, the wingman Cougars coach BRAD LEAF calls the "best defender in the San Diego Section of the CIF."
 
Davis, who suffered an eye injury against Granite Hills on Feb. 8, received a pair of gashes around his right eye that required six stitches. Davis then underwent successful eye surgery on Friday (Feb. 11).
 
Bottom line: Davis is lost to the Cougars at least for the duration of the SDCIF Division II playoffs. The 6-foot-2 standout could make it back by the start of the Southern California Regionals on March 8 should the Cougars survive without him.
 
"After the surgery, the doctors told us Wesley will be out from three to four weeks," explained his father TERRY DAVIS, athletic director at Southwestern College. "They've taken the stitches out and he's is good spirits and back at school."
 
Meanwhile, the Cougars sprinted to a 15-2 advantage over visiting Valhalla on Tuesday and never looked back.
 
The Williams Brothers - senior RICHIE and junior RAYMOND - combined for 17 points in the opening period, which concluded with Steele Canyon on top 21-8.
 
At Steele Canyon, everybody loves Raymond, who matched his career high of 23 points. The bulk of his output came off his 5 three-pointers, two of which came in the opening period.
 
The Cougars were in control 36-18 by the midway point, but Valhalla (9-17, 1-8) played Steele Canyon to a 17-all standoff in the 3rd quarter thanks to a 12-point effort by RONNIE SCHWANDT.
 
"I thought our kids never gave up even through we got behind early," said Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS. "The 3rd is Steele Canyon's best quarter in most games, yet we managed to keep pace. That's one of those moral victories. Don't get me wrong. Steele Canyon was never in danger of losing, but this game wasn't a blowout until the last six minutes when we both put our subs in."
 
Richie Williams netted 21 points, bagged 8 rebounds, dealt 7 scoring passes and made 4 steals.
 
SC's GEORGE CUNNINGHAM chipped in with 9 points, despite netting just 3 of 12 floor shots. He was credited with 21 rebounds, 8 blocks, 3 assists and 3 steals.
 
"In the 2nd half we looked really good, after kinda struggling in the 1st half," Leaf said. "JASON BEAUCHAMP was really active in the 2nd half (11 rebounds). And offensively he looked real good in the 2nd half."
 
Another plus for Steele Canyon was junior LIONELL BALL, who tossed in 6 points and reeled in 8 rebounds.
 
"We have a lot of trust in Lionell," Leaf said of the man attempting to fill the shoes of the absent Davis.
 
LYLE LUHNOW added 8 points and 9 rebounds for Valhalla.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Raymond Williams 23, Richie Williams 21, George Cunningham 9, Jason Beauchamp 9, Lionell Ball 6, Corey Morfey 3, Johnathan Douglas 3, Emory Mitchell 1, Matt McLaughlin 1.
 
Valhalla scoring:  Ronnie Schwandt 12, Kyle Luhnow 8, Paul Martins 6, Jordan Maitilasso 6, Conner Ruyeras 5, Stephen Streeter 4, Brett Hansen 4, Chris Zukose 2.
 
EL CAPITAN 61,  SANTANA 49- The return to the lineup of DAVID REEDER may not be headline news, but it was the lift the visiting Vaqueros needed to slip past Santana Tuesday night (Feb. 15) in Santee.
 
The victory snapped a 9-game losing streak for the Vaqueros (6-19, 1-6).
 
"Reeder played very well, hit the open jump shots," said El Capitan coach ROSS FURROW. "He helped us finally get over the hump."
 
Santana coach TIM BARRY was equally as impressed by the performance of Reeder, who missed last week's Grossmont game with the flu.
 
"Reeder was just awesome, he was on fire," Barry said of Reeder, who netted 8 of 15 shots from the field. "He was the difference tonight."
 
Despite their lackluster record, the Vaqueros may not be excluded from the SDCIF Division II playoff picture. Should they knock off West Hills in Friday's (Feb. 18) finale, their season could well be extended.
 
El Capitan outscored Santana (10-16, 2-6) in every quarter.
 
DANIEL KRUEGER chipped in with 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Vaqueros, who lost to Santana 54-46 in the first round of loop action. Krueger did most of his damage in the 4th quarter, chalking up 9 points, including 6-for-6 accuracy from the free throw stripe.
 
"Krueger played real solid," Barry emphasized. "That helps relieve some of the pressure that Brown feels."
 
Barry was referring to El Capitan's 6-foot-9 CORY BROWN, who added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.
 
Southpaw JON HERNANDEZ was the only Sultan to reach double figures, finishing with 17 points. The talented junior nailed a trio of 3-pointers and reeled in a team-high 8 rebounds.
 
The Vaqueros limited junior RICKY MICHELMORE to 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
 
"We were able to keep our focus on defense," Furrow noted. "We paid attention to their two scorers and really kept Michelmore under wraps."
 
The Sultans, who began the season with wins in five of their first six games, may still make the playoffs despite losing 15 of their final 20. More than half of those setbacks came by single digits.
 
It was Senior Night for Santana. Barry gave extended playing time to his three seniors BILLY WICKENS, TAI PURPERO and LUKE EISELE.
 
"I played them pretty much the whole game and they all scored," Barry said of the trio that combined for 21 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists.
 
El Capitan scoring:  David Reeder 16, Daniel Krueger 14, Cory Brown 12, Josh Ziegler 7, Nick Murico 6, Jason Ziegler 4, Tyler Hill 2.
 
Santana scoring:  Jon Hernandez 17, Billy Wickens 9, Ricky Michelmore 9, Tai Purpero 8, Luke Eisele 4, Brooks Bass 2.
 
MONTE VISTA 65,  MOUNT MIGUEL 37 - For one of the few times this season, the Monarchs were not playing catch up from the opening tip as they stormed in front of the visiting Matadors 18-2 in the 1st quarter of Tuesday's (Feb. 15) Grossmont South League game.
 
Monte Vista senior CLINTON SNYDER knocked down 24 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished off 6 assists in one of his better performances of the season. BRANDYN HARVEY popped in 16 points, handed out 5 assists and made 5 steals.
 
For good measure, Monte Vista senior ALLAN WATSON chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds, while TREVOR PECK pitched 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals.
 
DEVIYON CARTER canned 4 three-pointers on his way to a Mount Miguel-best 18 points. EDDIE DeARCOS added 10 points for the Matadors (9-17, 2-7).
 
"We didn't play well at all, they completely out-played us," said Mount Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO. "We're just running out of gas. We had nobody to battle them inside and they took advantage of this. Snyder was real tough.
 
"DEVIYON CARTER played real well," Golovko said. "He played all 32 minutes."
 
It was the third win in five starts for the Monarchs (9-17, 3-6) who probably bought themselves a ticket to the SDCIF Division II playoffs. A win over Granite Hills in Friday's (Feb. 18) regular season finale would slap a lock on a post-season position for the Monarchs. The Eagles, on the other hand, are in need of a win to secure a post-season spot in Division I. This finale should be a gem.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Clinton Snyder 24, Brandyn Harvey 16, Allan Watson 10, Ian Croft 6, Ryan Slade 4, Nick Garcia 2, Trevor Peck 2, Bobby Guinto 1.
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Deviyon Carter 18, Eddie DeArcos 10, Karlin Stewart 5, Bud Newborn 3, Michael Love 1.
 
CRAWFORD @ CHRISTIAN - A scheduling conflict between Christian High and the Christian Heritage College forced the postponement of the Patriots' Harbor League game against Harbor League-leading Crawford. CHC swept a doubleheader from Hope International on Tuesday night (Feb. 15).
 
Thus, the Colts will gallop into the Ryan Athletic Center on Wednesday (Feb. 16) at 4:30 p.m.
 
Crawford won the first round meeting 112-33 as former Christian standout Tyrone Shelley led the way with 48 points.
(02-15-05)
 

Short-handed Wolf Pack can't contain Raiders in end
EastCountySports.com
 
SANTEE - This was one of those games played as a tune-up for the San Diego CIF playoffs. The visiting Raiders proved their readiness, while host West Hills produced a pair of personal career-high performances, but suffered from the absence of two starters in Saturday night's (Feb. 12) non-league game won by San Diego Southwest, 79-75.
 
It was only the second West Hills loss in nine games.
 
Seniors RYAN SHUMAKER (33 points) and MATTHEW GILSON (25 points) registered their personal scoring highs for the season for West Hills (14-10), but it wasn't enough as guard RYAN HAMANN and forward NATHAN MUSQUIZ missed the game due to illness.
 
"Shumaker and Gilson carried the load tonight," Wolf Pack coach JEFF ARMSTRONG said. "They scored 15 of our 19 third quarter points and 18 of the 25 fourth quarter points."
 
Shumaker bullied the Raiders (14-11) to the tune of 15-of-21 shooting from the field, breaking his previous high-water mark by 7 points. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound post netted 3 of 4 free throws, piled on 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals and 3 assists.
 
It doesn't get much better than that.
 
"Matthew Gilson was spectacular tonight with several acrobatic moves to the basket," Armstrong said. "And Shumaker was unstoppable.
 
"We needed more Shu-touches tonight. PETER GILSON, playing more minutes tonight, had some big rebounds down the stretch and cashed in on 3 of 4 free throws late in the game."
 
Matthew Gilson, one of the top backcourt men in East County, knocked down 10 of 17 shots from the field and 5 of 6 free throws. The 6-2 Gilson also grabbed 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
 
"It was a tough played game," Armstrong said. "Southwest point guard Daryl Anderson played very well (32 points). He was in the middle of our defense all night."
 
Southwest built a lead of 65-50 after three quarters. But the short-handed Wolf Pack fought back.
 
"We went to a little pressure in the 4th quarter, which cut a double digit lead twice to 4 points," Armstrong said. "We just couldn't get it any closer."
 
With 30 seconds left and the Pack down by 4, PHILIP STABACK stole the ball. West Hills failed to capitalize, missing four shot attempts. Nevertheless, Armstrong believed his squad could easily have finished on top.
 
"We shot the ball well enough to win tonight," said Armstrong, whose club shot 52 percent from the field.  "But Anderson played possessed. We did not contain him like we needed to if we were to win."
 
West Hills scoring:  Ryan Shumaker 33, Matthew Gilson 25,  Peter Gilson 9, Quentin London 4, Philip Staback 2, E.J. Brown 2.
(02-12-05)
 

Chieftains have too much for Patriots in the end
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON -- Behind seven early points by guard DEREK LARSEN, the Christian High Patriots played a near-perfect opening period, shocking the visiting Chieftains to compile a 19-8 lead.
However, as Christian began to tire due to severe mismatches inside, Clairemont finally overpowered the Pats down the stretch, breaking a 35-all deadlock by outscoring the hosts, 17-3, over the final 5:52 to claim the Harbor League game at Ryan Athletics Center 52-38.
"That was as good as this team could play, considering Clairemont has a front line that runs 6-6, 6-3 and 6-2," noted Christian coach KEN BAILEY. "So when they finally went to the boards, we couldn't do much about it."
Julian Goodin scored 12 of his 13 points in the 4th period, while Jonathan Parker scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed seven offensive boards to lead Clairemont back from an 11-point deficit.
"We just turned up the defense and rebounded on them," said Parker, a junior forward. "We want to lead the county in defense -- we're like fourth right now -- so we finally got going."
For eight remarkable minutes, all of the naysayers who said Christian wouldn't even win a game this season would have been forced to eat their words after witnessing the hustle of the Patriots (8-16 overall, 1-7 Harbor).
Center KELLEN ROSSITTO got inside the Chieftains' front wall for a putback basket while being fouled. Although he missed the foul shot, GRANT MILLS powered inside for an immediate putback and a backhanded 4-point play to open the game.
Larsen followed with a drive into the lane for a 6-footer, WAYNE RICHARDS nailed a 3-ball, then Larsen and C.J. SCHROEDER nailed treys against the flat-footed Clairemont defense.
However, the Chiefs scored the first 15 points of the second period, as a Schroeder shot from beyond the arc with 56 seconds left would be the Pats' only points. The teams then battled even for the next 10-plus minutes, as a Richards steals and breakaway layin put the hosts up 35-33 with 5:52 remaining.
Clairemont (3-5, 8-16) then posted another 15-0 run to complete the season series sweep, despite Richards scoring 8 of his team-high 15 points in the period.
Christian scoring:  Wayne Richards 15, Derek Larsen 13, C.J. Schroeder 6, Kellen Rossitto 2, Grant Mills 2.
(02-11-05)

Wolf Pack gets share of another North championship
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - West Hills locked up its third straight Grossmont North League championship Thursday night (Feb. 10), smacking Santana 59-47. The Wolf Pack, which has won 23 of its last 24 league games, needs one win in its final two starts to secure the title outright. Steele Canyon and Helix were easy winners on Thursday to remain on course for next week's winner-takes-all Grossmont South League showdown in La Mesa.
 
GROSSMONT 54, EL CAPITAN 44 - During his four-year varsity career at Grossmont, TYLER BARBOUR has grown accustomed to completing passes. As the Foothillers' senior quarterback, Barbour clicked on better than 49 percent of his 152 passes for 1,219 yards and 10 TDs.
 
Barbour's passing eye has been keen as the point guard for coach FRANK FOGGIANO's Foothillers (15-10, 4-3) this winter. The top assistman in East County, Barbour dished out 9 scoring passes in Thursday's (Feb. 10) Grossmont North League triumph over the visiting Vaqueros.
 
One of the beneficiaries of Barbour's pinpoint passes is senior forward TYLER HAJOSY, who scored a career-high 36 points against El Capitan. That's nine points more than his previous best.
 
"Barbour does a good job of seeing the defense, reading what is going to be open and then getting Hajosy the ball," Foggiano said.
 
Hajosy nailed 12 of 22 shots from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. The 6-foot-2 Hajosy, one of East County's top 3-point shooters, did not camp outside all night. Time after time he burned the Vaqueros with his baseline drives and reverse lay-ups.
 
"It seemed like they were giving me the baseline because it was always open," Hajosy said.
 
Even the presence of El Capitan's 6-foot-9 junior center CORY BROWN didn't intimidate Hajosy in his quest to attack the basket.
 
"He's tall but he's not that mobile," Hajosy said. "So I could get around either side of the rim and put it up."
 
Hajosy also nailed 8 of 10 free throws, hauled down 4 rebounds, logged 2 steals and dished 2 off assists.
 
"Hajosy realizes why he's scoring as much as he does," Foggiano said. "He understands that it's the other guys who are setting screens and doing the other stuff that helps him get the shot he wants."
 
Barbour is a big Hajosy fan.
 
"The plan was for me to look the other way and then rip it back hard to him (Hajosy) so the baseline would be open," Barbour said. "Tyler has a pretty quick first step."
 
Despite a slow start, Brown produced decent numbers. He was limited to a mere 8 shots, but made 5. Of those on-target, 2 were from three-point distance as he finished with a team-high 14 points. Brown also claimed 12 rebounds, but only one off the offensive glass. He also blocked 4 shots and made 3 steals.    
 
Brown scored only 4 points the first half as Grossmont built a 29-12 lead by the break. 
 
"Our coaches made us real conscious of the big guy," Barbour said. "We knew their other guys could shoot a little bit, but they weren't going to beat us. So we made sure to double down on the big guy. And it paid off."
 
The Vaqueros, who were playing without two starters, garnered just 5 offensive rebounds. Grossmont had 12.
 
El Capitan coach ROSS FURROW cited the absence of the senior leadership of point guard DAVID REEDER, who was too ill to dress. "He's also our second-best shooter," Furrow noted.
 
Grossmont smothered Brown inside, which put the onus on the Vaqueros' perimeter shooters. The Vaqueros missed their first 10 shots and concluded the opening quarter 1-for-12 from the field.  Except for a pair of free throws by DANIEL KRUEGER (resulting from a technical foul on the Grossmont bench) and a last-second bucket by Brown, the Vaqueros were listless on offense over the first eight minutes.
 
"Cory is a good player," Furrow said. "He's no Bill Walton, but he has some great stats every game. He didn't lose this game for us."
 
TYLER HILL chipped in 11 points for the Vaqueros, the majority of them coming from above the arc. DANIEL KRUEGER added 10 points and 7 rebounds.
 
Grossmont led 16-4 by the close of the 1st period. The Foothillers lead swelled to as much as 19 points in the opening half.
 
El Capitan made a strong second-half run, slicing the Grossmont advantage to 46-39 with 4:25 remaining. Hajosy slammed the door on the comeback by scoring the Hillers last 10 points.
 
El Capitan scoring: Cory Brown 14, Tyler Hill 11, Daniel Krueger 10, Ray Harris 4, Josh Ziegler 3, Nick Murico 2.
 
Grossmont scoring: Tyler Hajosy 36, Luis Gonzales 5, Tyler Barbour 5, Robert Gange 5, Casey Rummel 3.
 
WEST HILLS 59, SANTANA 47 - The Wolf Pack won a heated Grossmont North League encounter from its crosstown rival Thursday (Feb.10) to assure West Hills of no less than a share of the circuit crown.
 
MATTHEW GILSON landed a game-high 20 points and RYAN SHUMAKER shoveled in 15 points, shared 10 rebounds and blocked 3 shots to steer West Hills (14-9, 6-0) into victory lane.
 
"Santana's defense was solid in the 1st half, but we were able to get some better looks and our shots were going in during the 2nd half," said West Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG. "We also shot the ball well from the free throw line, making 13-of-16 (7-for-8 in the 4th quarter, 12-for-13 in the 2nd half)."
 
The 1st half started off sluggish for both teams as West Hills staggered to a 19-17 edge by the break.
 
Matthew Gilson and E.J. BROWN put a spark in the Pack's pants, scoring 16 of  West Hills' 18 third quarter points. Between them they dialed in on three 3's, which propelled the Pack into a 37-29 advantage.
 
In the 4th quarter it was all about the West Hills 1-2 punch of Gilson and Shumaker. Together, the senior duo poured in 16 points. Shumaker scored 9 of his 15 points in the period, going 5-for-5 from the line.
 
"Matthew Gilson took over the game in the 2nd half," Armstrong added.
 
The coach's analysis was on the beam. Gilson was 7-for-11 from the floor, with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Shumaker, who went 4-for-5 on field goals, 7-for-7 from the line and gathered 10 rebounds in the final two quarters, anchored Gilson's supporting cast.
 
The Pack's support didn't stop there.
 
E. J. BROWN was tough on Santana southpaw JON HERNANDEZ, who settled for 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.
 
It was sort of a double-edged sword for Brown, who chipped in with 11 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. KYLE HAMANN nailed 3 of 6 shots from 3-point range on his way to an 11-point night that included 3 assists and as many rebounds.
 
Santana's RICKY MICHELMORE, who has been dogged by illness and injury the past week or so, regained his scoring poise with a 22-point outbreak, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Half of Michelmore's points came in the final period.
 
"We played OK," said Santana coach TIM BARRY. "It was there for the picking. We missed a lot of very nice moves at the finish. West Hills shot just tremendous from the line (13-for-16). Their big guns stepped up. That's where the difference was. (Matthew) Gilson and Shumaker did a good job."
 
West Hills scoring:  Matthew Gilson 20, Ryan Shumaker 15, Kyle Hamann 11, E.J. Brown 10, Nathan Muzquiz 2, Quentin London 1.
 
Santana scoring:  Ricky Michelmore 22, Jon Hernandez 11, Tai Purpero 5, Jon Corbisez 4, Garrett Happ 2, Brooks Bass 2, Jeremy Patterson 1.
 
STEELE CANYON 66,  MONTE VISTA 46 - No one could blame Steele Canyon senior center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM if his thoughts were someplace other than the Cougars' den during Thursday night's (Feb. 10) Grossmont South League game against the visiting Monarchs.
 
Cunningham, the Cougars' 6-foot-7 center, was scheduled for a "red-eye" flight (sans pillow) on American Airlines at 11 p.m. Destination: Evansville, home of the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, a Division II powerhouse.
 
Credit Cunningham for keeping his focus on the business at hand. The agile postman popped in a game-high 25 points, connecting on 10 of 18 shots from the field and 5 of 6 free throws. His game did not rest on the scoring end as he also corralled 14 rebounds, logged 3 steals and delivered 3 assists.
 
Senior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS added 16 points, 6 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds, while RAYMOND WILLIAMS pitched in 10 points, 6 steals, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
Not to be overlooked was JASON BEAUCHAMP, who snagged 12 rebounds, scored 8 points, handed out 3 assists and pilfered 2 passes.
 
"Richie did an excellent job defending (Monte Vista's BRANDYN) HARVEY," Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF said, noting that Harvey scored 8 of his 13 points in the final period after Williams had retired for the night.
 
Monte Vista's CLINTON SNYDER tested the Cougars' insides, ringing up 17 points, while securing 10 rebounds and dishing off 6 assists.
 
"Well, it was nice to play them with Brandyn and Clinton, and it was close for a half," said Monte Vista coach ZACH PECK, noting that the Monarchs (8-17, 2-6) trailed only 29-23. "Turnovers hurt us in the 3rd quarter obviously, yet I can't really say why we decided to turn it over in most cases. There were just bad decisions."
 
Meanwhile, the medical reports on Steele Canyon junior WES DAVIS, revealed a possible hairline fracture of the cheekbone and six stitches to sew up a wound he suffered in the 3rd quarter of Tuesday's romp over Granite Hills.
 
"It's too early to tell if there is indeed a fracture," Leaf said. "He won't play on Tuesday (against Valhalla). We expect he will play against Helix and wear some sort of mask to protect his injury."
 
With Davis on the shelf, the top-ranked Cougars (23-1, 7-1) turned to junior LIONELL "The Train" BALL to fill in.
 
"Lionell didn't score a whole lot (3 points), but he got some steals and got some offensive tips to keep it alive for us. On the upside of not having Wes, Lionell is getting a lot of valuable minutes of playing time," said Leaf.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  George Cunningham 25, Richie Williams 16, Raymond Williams 10, Jason Beauchamp 8, Jacob Pruitt 3, Lionell Ball 2, Emory Mitchell 2.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Clinton Snyder 17, Brandyn Harvey 13, Ryan Slade 7, Allan Watson 6, Trevor Peck 3.
 
GRANITE HILLS 47,  MOUNT MIGUEL 32 - Picked to finish 5th in the six-team Grossmont South League race, the Eagles of Granite Hills sewed up a 3rd place Thursday (Feb. 10) by dismantling the visiting Matadors.
 
"We played great defense and did a great job rebounding," said Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON. "The last time we played them we had kind of a letdown on defense (and lost 58-42).
 
"Tonight we wanted to make a point of defensively containing them. It was a big win for us at this point in the season."

Whether it was the Granite Hills defense or poor execution by the Matadors, Mount Miguel's marksmen could not locate the target with any consistency, hitting just 12 of 46 shots from the field (26 percent) and 5 of 16 free throws (31 percent).

"We played a great game on defense but had trouble shooting," said Mount Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO. "Too many mistakes."
 
DAVID BAXTER (14 points), RYAN SNYDER (12 points, 8 assists) and NICK TAYLOR (10 points) paced a balanced Granite Hills offense.
 
"Ryan Snyder for a four minute stretch early in the 3rd quarter, when he made 4 points and had 4 assists, just took the game over," Anderson said. "He and Baxter and Taylor played really well together."
 
CLARK GORDON came up big on the boards for the Eagles with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. KURTIS SMITH retrieved 9 ricochets.
 
"We challenged the kids before the game to win the war on the boards," said a pleased Anderson.
 
DONNIE HIEBING posted a Mount Miguel best 11 points, while BUD NEWBORN collected 11 rebounds and made 4 steals.
 
Granite Hills scoring:  David Baxter 14, Ryan Snyder 12, Nick Taylor 10, Clark Gordon 4, Kurtis Smith 4, Justin Villanueva 3.
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Donnie Hiebing 11, Warren Thodile 6, Deviyon Carter 5, Michael Love 4, Bud Newborn 4, Eddie DeArcos 1, Karlin Stewart 1.
 
HELIX 70,  VALHALLA 45 - Can't accuse the No. 3-ranked Highlanders (20-4, 7-1) of looking ahead. It took Helix about two minutes to blow in front the host Norsemen 10-0 in Thursday's (Feb. 10) Grossmont South League encounter.
 
The Highlanders, who have won 13 of their last 14 starts, led 23-4 before the end of the 1st quarter. AARON TINSLEY hit a pair of 3-pointers and LANCE HURDLE scored 7 of his game-high 23 points in that period, which ended with the Highlanders controlling a 17-point lead.
 
"We didn't fight very hard," Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS said. "Our kids are just too intimidated by Helix."
 
For good reason. The Highlanders won the 1st -round game by 31 points, and could have beaten that spread had coach JOHN SINGER not substituted freely in the rematch.
 
Fourteen Highlanders contributed to the scoring in the latest conquest of Valhalla (9-16, 1-7).
 
"We just talked about coming out and playing hard," Singer said. "We jumped on them pretty good."
 
Thomas agreed.
 
"The game was over in the first quarter," the Norsemen leader admitted.
 
Now Helix must avoid an upset at Granite Hills on Tuesday (Feb. 15) before lunging for the league title in a season-ending showdown against Steele Canyon on Friday (Feb. 18).
 
"We've kind of plateaued," Singer said. "I know we are good enough to beat a lot of teams, but I don't know if we've reached our peak."
 
Helix scoring:  Lance Hurdle 23, Lawrence Hurdle 9, David Jefferson 8, Aaron Tinsley 6, Sean Scarber 5, Greg Harvey 4, Clinton Shelton 3, Brandon Brown 2, Jericho Toilolo 2, Matt Caldwell 2, Brandon Fountain 2, Robert Carter 2, Edwin Hutsona 1, Joel Aftreth 1.
 
Valhalla scoring:  Brett Hansen 13 (6 rebounds), Paul Martins 9 (7 rebounds, 2 assists), Kyle Luhnow 7, James Connelly 6, Conner Ruyeras 4, Stephen Streeter 2, Ronnie Schwandt 2, Khalil Fakhoury 2.
(02-10-05)

Mount Miguel's Karlin Stewart (42) looks for an opening as Helix's David Jefferson (35) defends. (2-8-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva) 

Highlanders, Braves win tight games to keep pace in league race
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON -- It was another wild Tuesday night (Feb. 8) in the Grossmont Conference. Steele Canyon avenged an earlier one-point loss to Granite Hills, grounding the Eagles in convincing fashion. Helix slipped past Mount Miguel 56-50 to keep pace with the Cougars in the run for the Grossmont South League title. In the Grossmont North, El Cajon Valley edged El Capitan in overtime to maintain its grip on second place, while Grossmont smothered Santana.
 
STEELE CANYON 62, GRANITE HILLS 28 - The No. 1-ranked Cougars were out to prove a point Tuesday night (Feb. 8) in Rancho San Diego.
 
Mission accomplished. 
 
"We wanted to show them why we are No. 1," said Steele Canyon junior guard RAY WILLIAMS, who rang up 12 points and notched a game-high 5 steals. "When we play up to our ability no team in the county can stay with us."
 
It didn't take the Cougars long to send the visiting Eagles into a tailspin Tuesday.
 
"The guys were fired up for this game," Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF said.  "Yesterday (Monday) was probably the best practice we've had all year. I wasn't behind any of it. These guys have a lot of pride. I just ride their feelings."
 
That feeling was intensity for Steele Canyon, which broke open a one-point game with a 24-2 rush in the second quarter.
 
Steele Canyon (22-1, 6-1) was ringing up points off Granite Hills turnovers like a pinball machine, scoring almost at will in a 2nd quarter. The Cougars were riding the "Transition Express," making the outmanned Eagles pay nearly every possession over the final 5:25 of the 1st half.
 
"Those guys out there just have great instincts as a team, especially the five starters who have been playing together so long," Leaf said.
 
Granite Hills, of course, has the distinction of being the only team to defeat Steele Canyon this season. The Eagles claimed a 57-56 verdict over the Cougars in the first round of league play on Jan. 18.
 
"This game was all about respect," said Steele Canyon senior center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM, who grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds and added 3 assists. "I don't think we got the respect we deserved from them. We wanted to win this game by a lot, make a statement."
 
As lopsided as the final score was, it could have been even a wider margin had the final 11:13 not played with a running clock.
 
Senior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS scored 10 of his game-high 19 points in the pivotal 2nd quarter. His junior brother, RAY WILLIAMS, put down half of his 12 points in the period, while LIONELL BALL tallied all six of his markers during that 8-minute stretch, giving Steele Canyon a 38-15 halftime lead.
 
"For about five minutes there (actually four) I don't think they got the ball past the halfcourt line more than twice or maybe three times," Cunningham said of the Eagles (12-11, 4-3). "Our guards were clicking and Lionell came off the bench and gave us a lift."
 
Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON was pleased by his team's steady start, but mystified when the Eagles turned the ball over 15 times in the first half while forcing only one SC give-away.
 
"We did well for the first quarter and the early part of the second," Anderson said, noting that his Eagles trailed only 14-13 with 5:25 left in the half. "We stuck to our game plan and I thought it was going well until their pressure got to us.
 
"So why did we all of a sudden collapse? I don't know."
 
Was revenge sweet for Steele Canyon in round two?  Leaf denied that such thinking was even on his mind.
 
"This is how we are playing right now," Leaf said of yet another in a long line of lopsided Steele Canyon victories. "We beat Mount Miguel 61-33 in our last game and we led West Hills 49-23."
 
Leaf said he was sorry if Granite Hills felt the Cougars were targeting the Eagles as someone to run up the score against. Steele Canyon's average margin of victory is 20.4 points, although the Cougars have won by as many as 44 and 47 points.
 
"We are playing some phenomenal defense right now," Leaf said. "I'm not going to take my starters out with five minutes to go in the 3rd quarter."
 
If Leaf pulled his starters out a quarter or more early every game that could hurt his team in the long run. Come playoff time, when the Cougars face an opponent of equal talent, they would not be prepped for going a full four quarters.
 
The largest advantage the Cougars enjoyed against Granite Hills was a 41-spread with a little more than 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
 
"As it was, I took all of my starters out with two minutes left in the 3rd quarter," Leaf said.
 
That was about three minutes after SC junior WES DAVIS left the game, bleeding with two nasty gashes on his face. The injury occurred when Granite Hills guard RYAN SNYDER was caught in a trap by the swarming Cougars and attempted to break free. Instead, Snyder made a desperation pass and caught Davis with his forearm as threw the ball to a teammate.
 
Snyder was called for a personal foul as Davis lay on the floor bleeding. The veteran officials did not believe Snyder's actions were intentional. No flagrant foul, no technical foul, no ejection.
 
Steele Canyon followers were certain Snyder's actions were deliberate. The Granite Hills faithful saw the play otherwise. The officials had the final word.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Justin Villanueva 7, Clark Gordon 7, David Baxter 3, Ricky Peitz 3, Wayne Martin 3, Nick Polovitz 3, Nick Taylor 2.
 
Granite Hills scoring:  Richie Williams 19, Ray Williams 12, George Cunningham 8, Jason Beauchamp 8, Lionell Ball 6, Wes Davis 5, Johnathan Douglas 2, David Evans 2.
 
EL CAJON VALLEY 74,  EL CAPITAN 67 (OT) - It's been a few years since an El Cajon Valley boys basketball team has been in contention for a Grossmont League championship heading into the final 10 days of the season.
 
But second-year head coach NATE REED has his Braves positioned for a possible share of the Grossmont North League title or a runner-up slot at the very least. The Braves (9-14, 4-2) have games remaining with the league-leading Wolf Pack and another against 3rd-place Grossmont. Yet, they still need help if they are to earn a piece of the penthouse pie.
 
"We are going to West Hills Thursday (Feb. 10) to root for Santana," said Reed of he and his Braves, who have a bye that night.
 
El Capitan nearly turned El Cajon Valley's dreams into a nightmare on Tuesday (Feb. 8).
 
DAVID REEDER sank a pair of free throws to give the Vaqueros (5-18, 0-5) a one-point advantage with 25 seconds left in regulation. El Capitan got a steal by Reeder on the ensuing possession, but turned the ball back over to the Braves when he was called for stepping out of bounds with 6 seconds remaining.
 
The Braves' FRANK COLLINS was fouled with :02 to play, but hit only one of his two free throws to send the game into overtime.

"That play was set for Collins," Reed said. "He came off screens and had the option of taking a jumper or driving. He chose to drive and got fouled."
 
Collins finished with 27 points, including 5 three-pointers, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 blocks and 2 assists.
 
"Adrenalin was the difference," said Reed. "We didn't want to lose."
 
El Capitan turned the ball over five times in the extra stanza, while the Braves' NATE SCHAD hit a 3-pointer, ABRAHAM MUHEIZE chipped in a bucket and a free throw, Collins downed a deuce and SHANE MYERS (21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks) pitched in a free throw.
 
Six-foot-9 CORY BROWN scored 26 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and swatted away 7 shots for El Capitan, which suffered its 8th straight loss. DANIEL KRUEGER added 20 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Reeder finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
 
"It has to be frustrating for the boys," El Capitan coach ROSS FURROW said after the Vaqueros lost 61-59 in the 1st round. "It was our game to win, and we didn't."
 
El Cajon Valley scoring:  Frank Collins 27, Shane Myers 21, Nate Schad 10, Abraham Muheize 8, Stephon Stafford 6, Cameron Santos 2.
 
El Capitan scoring:  Cory Brown 26, Daniel Krueger 20, David Reeder 15, Nick Murico 4, Tyler Hill 2.
 
Helix's Brandon Brown (21) dribbles as Mount Miguel defenders Nick Campbell (24) and Eddie DeArcos (32) close in in a Grossmont South League game won by Helix 56-50. (2-8-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

HELIX 56,  MOUNT MIGUEL 50 - Credit the Matadors of first-year head coach MIKE GOLOVKO for not giving up on the season. These guys went to Helix for Tuesday's (Feb. 8) Grossmont South League game with ideas of springing an upset.
 
A pipe dream, you say.
 
Perhaps.  But the Matadors (9-15, 2-5) did not lie down for the 3rd-ranked Highlanders (19-4, 6-1). After Helix earned a 29-17 halftime advantage, the Matadors gained a 33-24 edge during the final two quarters.
 
"We played a lot of zone tonight," said Mount Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO. "And we were more active in the 2nd half."
 
Mount Miguel nailed 9 three-pointers in the game, while holding Helix to five. DEVIYON CARTER paced the Matadors' long range patrol with three treys, while LANCE HURDLE netted a game-high 4 shots from above the arc en route to a game-best 23 points for the Highlanders.

"Everybody wants to say 'why was the game so close?,' " said Helix coach JOHN SINGER said when posed with the question. "(Mount Miguel) played hard, they competed tonight."
 
WARREN THODILE scored a season-high 13 points to pace the Matadors. EDDIE DeARCOS added 12 points, while Carter cashed in 9 points and handed
out 5 assists.
 
Helix won the first round bout over the Matadors 56-40 on Jan. 18 at Mount Miguel.
 
"Here at the end of the season we're a little tired, maybe we're having a lull," Singer suggested. "But we're finding a way to win."
 
The Highlanders have won 12 of their last 13 and 15 of 17.
 
"Winning is great, but sometimes it kinda wears on us," Singer said. "It's just the web and flow of life. People don't feel the same from day to day, and neither do these kids. Helix has the reputation of always winning, and it can wear on you."
 
AARON TINSLEY enjoyed one of his best offensive outings, finishing with 14 points. DAVID JEFFERSON connected on 5 of 6 shots from the floor for 10 points. CLINTON SHELTON cleared a game high 10 rebounds.
 
Helix scoring:   Lance Hurdle 23, Aaron Tinsley 14, David Jefferson 10, Brandon Brown 4, Clinton Shelton 2, Brandon Fountain 2, Matt Caldwell 1.
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Warren Thodile 13, Eddie DeArcos 12, Deviyon Carter 9, Michael Love 6, Bud Newborn 5, Donnie Hiebing 3, Karlin Stewart 2.
 
GROSSMONT 42,  SANTANA 26 - When leading scorer RICKY MICHELMORE left Tuesday's (Feb. 8) Grossmont North League game at Grossmont, the Sultans were sunk.
 
The defensive-minded Foothillers (14-10, 3-3) held the struggling Sultans (10-14, 2-4) to single scoring digits in all four quarters. Santana did not have a single player reach double figures. Michelmore, who came in averaging 14 points, was blanked.
 
"We played real solid defense at half court," said Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO. "TYLER BARBOUR was our best player. He controls the ball at both ends."
 
Barbour funneled in 9 points, recorded 5 steals and dished 4 assists.
 
"I feel we forced them to use much of the shot clock," Foggiano noted. "This game reminds me of those games before the shot clock (was activated more than a decade ago)."
 
Grossmont's ROBERT GANGE was the only player in the game to reach double figures, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
 
"I told the team that tonight's game would come down to whose extra players would step up and perform," Santana coach TIM BARRY said.
 
Nobody on the Santana side had a big shooting night, as the Sultans (10-14, 2-4) were collectively 11-for-49 on field goals (22.4 percent).
 
"We played an abysmal 1st half offensively," said Barry, whose Sultans trailed 21-14 at the break.
 
Barry was pleased by his club's defense, especially holding Grossmont's TYLER HAJOSY to 7 points, nearly 12 below his season average.
 
"If you told me we'd hold Hajosy to 7 and Grossmont to 42, I'd have told you we'd blow them out," Barry insisted.
 
Grossmont scoring:  Robert Gange 12, Tyler Barbour 9, Luis Gonzales 8, Tyler Hajosy 7, Casey Rummel 6.
 
Santana scoring:  Brian Bailey 8, Jon Hernandez 8, Garrett Happ 2, Jon Corbisez 2, Billy Wickens 2, Brooks Bass 2, Tai Pupero 2.
 
MONTE VISTA 66,  VALHALLA 57 - For one of the few times all season the Monarchs used a three-prong attack to upend host Valhalla in Tuesday's (Feb. 8) Grossmont South League game.
 
Stanford-bound football lineman CLINTON SNYDER scored 19 points for the Monarchs, 10 in the 4th quarter. The 6-foot-4 Snyder also rustled up a team-best 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
 
"He killed us down the stretch," said Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS.
 
Monte Vista senior guard BRANDYN HARVEY, who recently accepted a football scholarship to Philadelphia's Villanova University, popped in 21 points, garnered 6 rebounds, dished 4 assists and blocked 2 shots.
 
With 2 minutes left and the score at 60-53 Monte Vista, Valhalla elected to start fouling.
 
"They made just enough free throws to stay ahead by 9 -- just what they beat us by," lamented Thomas. "We were holding on pretty well until the 4th quarter."
 
Valhalla shot 33 percent on field goals (22 of 66).
 
"You're not going to win games shooting like that," Thomas said.
 
KYLE LUHNOW turned in a powerful performance of 21 points and 15 rebounds (8 offensive) for the Norsemen (9-15, 1-6) who also received 16 points and 5 boards from CONNER RUYERAS.

Monte Vista went up 22-15 after one quarter and then Valhalla switched from man to zone. The Monarchs netted just 4 points in the 2nd period, while Valhalla tallied 12 to take a one-point halftime edge.
 
The combination of Harvey, Snyder and TREVOR PECK (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) was enough to lift the Monarchs to their third win in their last 13 starts.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Brandyn Harvey 21, Clinton Snyder 19, Trevor Peck 13, Allan Watson 8, Ryan Slade 5.
 
Valhalla scoring:  Kyle Luhnow 21, Conner Ruyeras 16, Brett Hansen 6, Paul Martins 6, James Connelly 4, Chris Zukose 2, Nasheel Raja 2.
 
MADISON 73,  CHRISTIAN 54 -- With their roster dwindling in numbers, the Christian Patriots found they could survive early foul trouble until DEREK LARSEN was forced to the bench in Tuesday's (Feb. 8) Harbor League venture.
 
"Derek's the best defensive player on the team," noted Christian point guard WAYNE RICHARDS. "So when he got that (4th) foul, Madison made a good run."
With Larsen forced to sit the final four minutes of the 3rd quarter, the host Warhawks skated past the defenseless Pats to the tune of 15 consecutive points, breaking open an otherwise close ballgame.

Madison point guard Terrance Long, who missed the teams' first meeting won by the Patriots, registered a game-high of 24 points, while Lamar Mitchell added 23 points, many on transition passes from Duane Owens (6 assists).

"It's hard enough to have players out for other (non-basketball) reasons," added Richards, one of three Patriots to score in double figures with 10 points. "But when we got into foul trouble, we weren't deep enough to stop them."

Trailing 19-12 early in the 2nd period, Christian (8-15, 1-6) rallied back to lead early into the second half. The game was tied at 39-all when Larsen left. By the time he returned to the court in the 4th period, Richards had collected his fourth foul.
 
The Pats were held scoreless over a 4:53 span to allow Madison (8-15, 2-5) to coast home with the victory.

Larsen finished with 11 points and three steals, while C.J. SCHROEDER paced the Patriots with 15 points, including a pair of 3-balls. ANDREW CRISWELL was the leading rebounder with 8 boards, as the battle on the glass was practically even at 38-36 for the Warhawks.

Madison made 16 of 32 free throws.

Christian scoring: C.J. Schroeder 15, Derek Larsen 11, Wayne Richards 10, Grant Mills 9, Andrew Criswell 4, Kellen Rossitto 3, Jon Fuller 2.
(02-08-05)

El Cajon Valley's Abraham Muheize (10) looks for an open pass as Santana's Billy Wickens (14) and Tai Purpero (42) defend in Friday's Grossmont North League game won by the Braves 52-49. (2-4-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Braves find themselves near top of table after beating Sultans
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON  -- The so-called "lost boys" of El Cajon Valley are starting to find their way into contention in the Grossmont North League race. The Braves registered a major 52-49 victory over visiting Santana Friday night (Feb. 4) to take over second place in the circuit standings.
 
"It's all about energy and we had it flowing," said El Cajon Valley center SHANE MYERS, who led the Braves with 17 points and 15 rebounds. "It's a team thing with us. Everybody stayed high."
 
El Cajon Valley (8-14, 3-2), which has never won a Grossmont Conference crown in boys basketball, needs something close to a miracle to overhaul first-place West Hills. The Pack owns a 2-game lead with three to play.
 
Myers, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound force inside the paint, nailed 7 of 14 floor shots, 3 of 4 free throws, while blocking 2 shots and lending one assist.
 
"It's all a team thing," Myers said. "If (my teammates) don't make the shot, I want to get the rebound and put it back in."
 
El Cajon Valley's Frank Collins (15) aims for the basket as Santana defender Tai Purpero (42) puts up a block. (2-4-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)  

Hard-nosed El Cajon Valley senior FRANK COLLINS mixed it up inside and out, finishing with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists.
 
In the end, however, it was senior guard NATE SCHAD, who banged the final nails in the Santana coffin.
 
After Santana leftie JON HERNANDEZ hit an off-balance jumper with 8 seconds to go, leaving the Sultans one point behind, it was Schad who was challenged to preserve the El Cajon Valley victory.
 
Schad hit both ends of a one-and-one free throw opportunity in the last six seconds that sealed the deal for El Cajon Valley.
 
"It feels good to be in second place all by ourselves," said Schad, who also hit a pair of 3-pointers. "We think we can still win this thing."
 
Schad scored 5 of his 8 points in the final frame. El Cajon Valley's STEPHON STAFFORD scored his only 4 points in the 4th period, including a bucket that snapped a 47-47 tie.
 
"The key to our win was taking away Santana's outside shots," Schad said.
 
That strategy paid off as the Sultans' top outside marksman was a paltry 3-for-17.

Santana coach TIM BARRY was more concerned that the Sultans couldn't execute their short game rather than their long-ball shooting. Santana was a frustrating 4-for-14 from the free throw line.
 
Despite being hampered by foul woes, Hernandez scored a game-high 22 points and collected 9 rebounds. The junior southpaw tallied 8 points in the final stretch, but did not get the support he needed to make Santana a winner.
 
TAI PURPERO punched in 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. RICKY MICHELMORE was off the mark all night, hitting just 3 of 17 shots for 7 points to go along with 8 rebounds.
 
The Sultans' three league losses have come by a total of six points.
 
"That's frustrating," Barry said.
 
Indeed.
 
Santana scoring:  Jon Hernandez 22, Tai Purpero 10, Ricky Michelmore 7, Billy Wickens 5, Brooks Bass 3, Jon Corbisez 2.
 
El Cajon Valley scoring:  Shane Myers 17, Frank Collins 14, Abraham Muheize 9, Nate Schad 8, Stephon Stafford 4.
 
WEST HILLS 55,  GROSSMONT 54 - NATHAN MUZQUIZ sank one of two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining Friday night (Feb. 4) to give the Wolf Pack the margin of victory and all but secure a second straight Grossmont North League championship for West Hills.
 
Muzquiz's decisive free throw was the only point he had in the game.
 
The victory vaulted West Hills (13-9, 5-0) into command of the league race. If the Pack wins two of its final three league games West Hills will lock up its third straight league title. Certainly, the odds favor the Wolf Pack.
 
Not that Grossmont (13-10, 2-3) didn't go down without a fight.
 
With 12 seconds left, the score was tied at 52-52. The Foothillers' TYLER BARBOUR hit a 10-foot jumper as the shot clock went off giving Grossmont the edge.
 
For some reason, Grossmont, a defensive-minded lot, allowed West Hills senior standout MATTHEW GILSON to dribble the length of the court and score a layup to tie the count, 54-54. Much to the Hillers chagrin, they were called for a foul and Gilson had a chance to drive the winning stake into the Grossmont comeback. Gilson, a 63 percent free throw shooter, missed the knockout punch.
 
However, the 6-foot-3 Muzquiz got the offensive rebound and gave West Hills the winning margin.
 
Grossmont had one last chance to answer. The Hillers inbounded the ball to Barbour, who dribbled to within 8 feet of the basket where there was contact as he missed the shot. Grossmont felt that Barbour was fouled; the referees didn't see it that way. Game over.
 
Needless to say, the Foothillers coach FRANK FOGGIANO was fuming. Biting his lip, Foggiano kept his thoughts of injustice to himself.
 
RYAN SHUMAKER broke out of a mild slump for a season-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for West Hills, which has won 6 of its last 7.
 
Gilson finished with 12 points and KYLE HAMANN nailed a trio of 3-pointers for 9 points.
 
Less than a week ago, Foggiano thought he had lost three-point marksman CASEY RUMMEL to a broken toe. Rummel, however, hasn't missed a beat. The senior forward hurled in 4 three-pointers and finished with 14 points against West Hills.
 
Grossmont's TYLER HAJOSY, one of the top 3-point marksmen in the East County, failed to hit a 3-point shot yet finished with a team-best 17 points.
 
West Hills scoring:  Ryan Shumaker 26, Matthew Gilson 12, Kyle Hamann 9, E.J. Brown 6, Nathan Muzquiz 1, Peter Gilson 1.
 
Grossmont scoring:  Tyler Hajosy 17, Casey Rummel 14, Robert Gange 8, Luis Gonzales 8, Tyler Barbour 7.
 
HELIX 57,  MONTE VISTA 35 - It has not been the best of times for the Monte Vista Monarchs this season.  But they were making a game of it against the 4th-ranked Highlanders (18-4, 5-1) Friday night (Feb. 4) in Spring Valley. 
 
That is, the Monarchs (7-16, 1-5) trailed only 32-27 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Then, Helix embarked on an 8-0 run and it was all over but the post-game handshakes.
 
It was business as usual in terms of points produced for Helix senior LANCE HURDLE. The 6-foot-2 guard, who leads East County in scoring, netted 9 of 18 floor shots and all four free throws for a game-high 22 points.
 
Monte Vista used a surprising defensive arrangement, putting 6-foot-4 senior CLINTON SNYDER on Hurdle. The experiment was something less than a success.
 
"(Monte Vista) put Snyder on Lance, so we isolated Lance and spread the floor," Helix coach JOHN SINGER said. "Snyder is a great kid (and has a football scholarship to Stanford), but he can't cover Lance."
 
Hurdle also collected 9 rebounds, dished 3 assists and logged 2 steals.
 
Monte Vista's Snyder, who usually does his work around the basket, picked up three fouls in the 1st quarter and did not play in the 2nd period. Snyder was limited to a season-low 4 points and eventually fouled out.
 
"We played very good defense tonight," Singer said. "We held Snyder, BRANDYN HARVEY and TREVOR PECK to below their average."

The Monte Vista trio totaled 19 points, some 14 beneath their collective average.
 
Helix sophomore DAVID JEFFERSON clicked on 6 of 9 shots for 12 points, snagged 5 rebounds and pilfered 5 passes. CLINTON SHELTON secured 9 rebounds and blocked 3 shots to go with his 7 points for the Highlanders.
 
Neither team shot particularly well. Helix hammered down 40 percent of 58 chances, while the Monarchs connected on just 31 of 49 shots. Monte Vista attempted only 4 free throws, making two.
 
Helix scoring:  Lance Hurdle 22, David Jefferson 12, Clinton Shelton 7, Brandon Brown 6, Lawrence Hurdle 5, Brandon Fountain 2, Matt Caldwell 2, Greg Harvey 1.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Trevor Peck 8, Brandyn Harvey 7, Allan Watson 6, Clinton Snyder 4, Ian Croft 4, Ryan Slade 4, Junior Wells 2.
 
STEELE CANYON 61,  MOUNT MIGUEL 33 - Top-ranked Steele Canyon proved yet again that the 3rd quarter is "Cougar Time," in Friday's (Feb. 4) Grossmont South League game against the visiting Matadors.
 
A 24-9 blitz during the 3rd stanza turned an 8-point lead into a 48-25 rout.
 
"That's always been our quarter," SC coach BRAD LEAF said. "We came out flat but played an excellent 2nd half."
 
The pivotal period began in positive fashion for the upstart Matadors (9-14, 2-4) who drew to within 6 points (24-18) with six minutes to play in the 3rd quarter.
 
"Then we lost our composure and they pulled away from us," said Mount Miguel coach MIKE GOLOVKO. "It's been proved that if you can handle their pressure, they can be beaten.�
 
Obviously, few teams have done so, as Steele Canyon won its 6th straight while rolling its overall record to 21-1 and league ledger to 5-1.
 
"We stood up against their pressure for a while, but overall we still need to handle the ball better," Golovko said. "They made us change our defense."
 
Senior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS appears to be back at full strength since suffering a high ankle sprain a month ago.
 
"Even when he was hobbled by that ankle thing, Richie's defense never sputtered," Leaf said. "But now you can see that he's getting more lift to his shot. It⤙s fantastic to have Richie's offense back."
 
The San Diego State-bound Williams canned 6 of 11 shots from 3-point range against Mount Miguel. He finished with 21 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
 
GEORGE CUNNINGHAM missed practice Thursday with a sore foot, but played 2 Â12 quarters against the Matadors, scoring 11 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.
 
"George was playing at about 75 percent," Leaf said.
 
JASON BEAUCHAMP popped in 10 points and snared 9 rebounds, while WES DAVIS garnered 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
 
RAY WILLIAMS' 9 steals spearheaded Steele Canyon's defensive effort.
 
BUD NEWBORN had 8 rebounds and 7 points to pace the Matadors.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Richie Williams 21, George Cunningham 11, Jason Beauchamp 10, Wes Davis 9, Ray Williams 8, Lionell Ball 2.
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Bud Newborn 7, Nick Campbell 7, Deviyon Carter 5, Warren Thodile 4, Michael Love 3, Donnie Hiebing 3, Karlin Stewart 2, Eddie DeArcos 2.
 
GRANITE HILLS 89,  VALHALLA 81 (OT) - This Grossmont South League game was close, but hardly qualified as a classic Friday night (Feb. 4). The Eagles led by as many as 17 points in regulation and maintained a 14-point advantage in the 4th quarter.
 
"In the last two minutes Valhalla did a nice job coming back and we had too many turnovers," Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON said. "Our kids kept their heads together, though. They could have collapsed after they gave up that lead, but they stuck with it."
 
The Norsemen (9-14, 1-5) used the charity stripe as their avenue back into the game. Valhalla hit 11 of 14 free throws in the final quarter. In fact, it was a KYLE LUHNOW free throw that tied the game at 73-all with 16 seconds remaining.
 
Valhalla took the early lead in the 4-minute overtime, but a 7-point rush by Granite Hills senior DAVID BAXTER gave the eventual nod to the Eagles (12-10, 4-2).
 
Baxter, who finished with 26 points, drilled in 6 of the Eagles' 15 three-pointers in the game. His short game wasn't bad, either, as he nailed all 4 of his free throw attempts.
 
Granite Hills' top gun was NICK TAYLOR, who registered a career-high 30 points. Half of his points came from 3-point range. He also logged 6 steals and pulled down 5 rebounds. Ironically, Taylor beat the Norsemen with a 3-pointer in the final 3 seconds of a 49-47 victory in the first-round meeting.
 
RYAN SNYDER added 12 points, including one 3-pointer, for the Eagles. The senior point guard also chipped in 8 assists and cleared 6 rebounds.
 
CLARK GORDON grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots for the Eagles, who also received 4 assists and 3 steals from guard JUSTIN VILLANUEVA.
 
Valhalla's ERIC THOMAS was quick to finger Granite Hills senior KURTIS SMITH for playing a key role. Smith netted 4 of 6 shots and 3 of 4 free throws for 11 points to go with his 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 3 steals.
 
CONNER RUYERAS led the Norsemen with 27 points - one shy of his career high. The senior wing scored 7 points in Valhalla's 4th quarter flurry of 24-16. He also had 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
 
PAUL MARTINS matched his season high of 20 points and 14 rebounds for Valhalla. Luhnow chalked up 17 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals.
 
RONNIE SCHWANDT pitched in with 7 points and 7 rebounds for the Norsemen.
 
Granite Hills scoring:  Nick Taylor 30, David Baxter 26, Ryan Snyder 12, Kurtis Smith 11, Justin Villanueva 4, Clark Gordon 3, Ricky Peitz 3.
 
Valhalla scoring:  Conner Ruyeras 27, Paul Martins 20, Kyle Luhnow 17, Ronnie Schwandt 7, James Connelly 6, Jordan Maitilasso 4.
 
HOOVER 78,  CHRISTIAN 32 -- The last time Hoover High met an East County opponent, standout Cardinals guard JayDee Luster had his poorest outing of his prep career, limited to a mere four points before fouling out in a loss to Steele Canyon.

Fortunately for Luster & Co., Friday (Feb. 4) night's opposition was not from  Cougar Canyon.

Luster was one of three teammates to score at least 20 points for the Cardinals, who raced past visiting Christian Friday (Feb. 4) in a Harbor League contest. Luster hit the target with 20 points, while adding 13 assists and 5 offensive rebounds.

With the absence of players inside the post for the Patriots, Hoover center Ryon White easily out-muscled his defenders, hitting 12-of-14 shots for a game-high 24 points. White also grabbed six boards and added a half-dozen blocked shots, while teammate Jamelle Horne scored 22 and recorded 14 boards.

Although the contest went to a running clock in the 4th period, Christian (8-14, 1-5) displayed some promise and didn't embarrass itself despite the physical mismatch.

Guard DEREK LARSEN moved inside against players with greater height, yet still managed 9 rebounds, including 4 off the offensive glass.

ANDREW CRISWELL scored 9 points and was credited with a pair of blocks to help offset 10 rejections by the Cardinals (5-1, 14-8). WAYNE RICHARDS posted a team-high 10 points, while matching Larsen with 4 assists.

Christian scoring: Wayne Richards 10, Andrew Criswell 9, Grant Mills 4, C.J. Schroeder 3 (5 rebounds), Kellen Rossitto 2 (6 rebounds), Jon Fuller 2, Derek Larsen 2.
(02-04-05)

Helix and Steele Canyon in a game last week.

Sultans boot Eagles for crossover road victory
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON - Santana escaped with a narrow victory in a controversial finish to Wednesday's (Feb.2) Grossmont Conference crossover contest at Granite Hills. A technical foul against the Eagles in the waning seconds led to four free throws by Santana's RICKY MICHELMORE that clinched a 76-69 victory.
 
With 4.5 seconds left, TAI PURPERO hit a free throw to put Santana up, 72-69.
 
That's when things got more interesting. Granite Hills senior guard RYAN SNYDER, who scored 21 points over the final 10 minutes of the game, had a chance to pull the Eagles even and force an overtime.
 
As Snyder drove the sideline and turned the corner, there was a collision with a Santana defender.
 
"We thought Ryan was fouled, which, when you think about it might have been a smart move by Santana since we were down by three," said Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON.
 
But no foul was called, as the officials ruled instead that Snyder had stepped out of bounds.
 
Snyder obviously disagreed, as he silently picked up the ball, took two steps and punted it "over the scorers' table" before he exited the gym with 2 seconds on the clock.
 
"Ryan didn't say anything to the ref," Anderson said. "His punt was more of a line drive without much hang time."
 
Although Anderson believed otherwise, Santana coach TIM BARRY was certain that two technical fouls were called against Snyder, as Michelmore calmly sealed the Sultans victory by sinking four free throws to raise his scoring total to a season-high 25 points.
 
"We are not pleased by his losing his temper and kicking the ball like he did," Anderson said. "But he really is a good kid. He came back and talked to me a few minutes after the game and cooler heads prevailed."
 
Anderson did not say whether disciplinary actions would be taken against Snyder.
 
"One thing he did is give us a spark that we've been lacking," Anderson said of Snyder who has missed the majority of the season with a foot ailment. "This is the first game Ryan has been at full strength. On top of that he gave us an emotional lift. He really took over the game for the last 10 minutes."
 
Santana was sitting on a 14-point cushion with 3.5 seconds to go in the 3rd quarter.
 
"We missed three consecutive front ends of a 1-and-1," Barry noted. "That gave them a spark, gave them life."
 
Snyder scored the final 3 points in the 3rd period and all 18 of Granite Hills' points in the 4th quarter - two treys, three conventional three-point-plays, another deuce and one free throw.
 
"That kid can penetrate," said Barry.
 
NICK TAYLOR tallied 17 points, while CLARK GORDON nabbed 9 rebounds and blocked 5 shots for the Eagles (11-10).
 
Santana's JON HERNANDEZ added 17 points, the bulk coming on 6-for-13 shooting from the floor. BILLY WICKENS pitched in 13 points and 5 rebounds for Santana (10-12).
 
"This was a really, really big win for us," Barry said.
 
Santana scoring:  Ricky Michelmore 25, Jon Hernandez 17, Billy Wickens 13, Tai Purpero 9, Jon Corbisez 6, Brooks Bass 2, Garrett Happ 2, Brian Bailey 2.
 
Granite Hills:  Ryan Snyder 21, Nick Taylor 17, David Baxter 9, Justin Villanueva 7, Ricky Peitz 6, Wayne Martin 5, Clark Gordon 4.
 
STEELE CANYON 54,  WEST HILLS 37 - No matter what the opposition institutes in its effort to shut down the Cougars of Steele Canyon, nothing seems to work for long. Host West Hills discovered that in Wednesday's (Feb.2) Grossmont crossover encounter in Santee.
 
The Pack took a deliberate approach from the opening tip and trailed only 23-18 by the break.
 
"That's the game plan everybody is going to take against us," SC coach BRAD LEAF said. "They want to work the shot clock down to 5 seconds and then go to the basket."
 
West Hills coach JEFF ARMSTRONG was reluctant to implement the deliberate approach against No.1-ranked Steele Canyon (20-1).
 
"We spread the floor and ran the shot clock down to 5 seconds," Armstrong said. "But this is not our normal style of offense, and it showed at times. We cashed in during the second quarter, but missed five lay-ups in the 3rd quarter."
 
Misfiring in the 3rd period against Steele Canyon is certain to be sudden death. The Cougars claimed a 19-5 scoring spread in the 3rd stanza to claim a 42-23 advantage.
 
"We experimented with an assortment of defenses," Leaf said. "We turned up the pressure in the 3rd quarter, trying to do things differently so we aren't so predictable. We played tremendous defense in the second half, one of our better defensive efforts of the year."
 
Senior center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM scored a game-high 17 points for the Cougars. In addition to sinking 8 of 13 shots from the field, he also snagged 13 rebounds and blocked 7 shots.
 
RICHIE WILLIAMS added a dozen points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. His sophomore brother RAY WILLIAMS netted 5 of 10 shots for 10 points and dished off 5 assists.
 
WES DAVIS pitched in 9 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for Steele Canyon, which stretched its current winning streak to five games.
 
Leaf praised the defensive work Cunningham and JASON BEAUCHAMP did on West Hills' 6-foot-6, 280-pound senior center RYAN SHUMAKER, who finished with one bucket and 3 free throws.
 
MATTHEW GILSON led West Hills (12-9) with 15 points, six coming in the final quarter.
 
"It was a hard-fought game, and I'm sure we will see them again in the (San Diego CIF Division II) playoffs," Leaf said.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  George Cunningham 17, Richie Williams 12, Ray Williams 10, Wes Davis 9, Jason Beauchamp 6.
 
West Hills scoring:  Matthew Gilson 15, Kyle Hamann 5, Ryan Shumaker 5, Peter Gilson 4, Philip Staback 2, E.J. Brown 2, Nathan Muzquiz 2, Matt Sutton 2.
 
GROSSMONT 76,  VALHALLA 47 --  The Foothillers served notice to Grossmont North League-leading West Hills that they are indeed ready for Friday's (Feb. 4) showdown at Grossmont.
 
Trailing Valhalla 32-30 at the half, the Foothillers completely dominated the visiting Norsemen in the second half Tuesday (Feb. 2) for their fourth win in five games.
 
"We just came out and made our shots in the 2nd half," said Foothiller coach FRANK FOGGIANO. "Our 2nd half defensive effort was outstanding."
 
ROBERT GANGE had a double-double for Grossmont, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
 
TYLER HAJOSY, hampered by foul trouble, scored just two points in the 1st half. The senior marksman came alive in the 3rd quarter, pumping in 13 points (3 threes) and adding 6 more in the final quarter to lead the Foothillers with a game-high 21 points.
 
"Hajosy had three fouls in the 1st half, then he made every shot in the 2nd half," noted Valhalla coach ERIC THOMAS.
 
LUIS GONZALES, primarily a defender and rebounder for Grossmont, poured in a season-high 13 points. Senior guard TYLER BARBOUR chimed in with 9 points, 7 assists and a pair of steals.
 
Grossmont's CASEY RUMMELL, who injured a toe in an off-court accident last weekend, managed to make it onto the floor to hit a pair of 3-balls.
 
The 15-point 2nd half was Valhalla's lowest wattage of the season.
 
"We came out flat in the 2nd half, did very little right," Thomas admitted. "(Grossmont) shot well, rebounded well and played superb defense in the last two quarters.
 
"For some reason we stopped feeding PAUL (MARTINS) the ball in the 2nd half," Thomas added. "I cleared my bench midway through the final quarter."
 
Martins finished with a team-best 16 points, including 5-for-6 free throw shooting. CONNER RUYERAS added 12 points for the Norsemen (9-13), doing most of his work from the free throw line where he netted 7 of 9 chances.
 
Grossmont scoring:  Tyler Hajosy 21, Robert Gange 18, Luis Gonzales 13, Tyler Barbour 9, Casey Rummel 6, Justin Rutherford 4, Dominic Elder 2, Trevor Thomas 2, Dane Jensen 1.
 
Valhalla scoring:   Paul Martins 16, Conner Ruyeras 12, Kyle Luhnow 6, Jordan Maitilasso 5, Ronnie Schwandt 4, Brett Hansen 2, Khalil Fakhoury 1, Stephen Streeter 1.
 
MOUNT MIGUEL 44,  EL CAPITAN 35 - Injuries and eligibility problems have stalked Mount Miguel all year. These mishaps have denied the Matadors the use of some of their top players much of the campaign.
 
Mount Miguel's most recent setback was the loss of point guard GREG MONROE, who re-injured a knee that required surgery and forced him to miss the majority of the last two seasons. The senior standout suffered his latest malady in last week's loss to Valhalla.
 
Matadors coach MIKE GOLOVKO can only hope the damages to Monroe are minimal and that he can return to the court this season. Odds are against that, however.
 
Despite Monroe's absence, the Matadors turned in their tightest defensive effort of the campaign on Wednesday (Feb. 2), holding El Capitan to a season-low 35 points.
 
"Obviously, we were really good defensively," Golovko said. "This is the type of game we're going to have to play down the stretch if we are to make the (San Diego CIF Division II) playoffs."
 
The Matadors' EDDIE DeARCOS knocked down 14 points, reeled in 7 rebounds and recorded a pair of steals. DEVIYON CARTER canned 12 points and cleared 7 rebounds.
 
Offense aside, Golovko was even more pleased by the aforementioned duo's defensive effort against El Capitan's 6-foot-9 center, CORY BROWN.
 
"Carter and DeArcos did a great job on Brown, forcing him to throw the ball back out most of the time once he caught it in the post," Golovko said.
 
Brown finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks for El Capitan (5-17), which suffered its 7th straight loss and 9th in the last 10 starts.
 
The Vaqueros shot a paltry 31 percent from the field and netted 7 of 9 free throws.
 
"We took care of the ball and took good shots," Golovko. "I'm really pleased with our effort tonight."
 
Mount Miguel scoring:  Eddie DeArcos 14, Deviyon Carter 12, Bud Newborn 7, Warren Thodile 5, Nick Campbell 3, Donnie Hiebing 2, Karlin Stewart 1.
 
El Capitan scoring:  Cory Brown 13, Daniel Krueger 9, David Reeder 4, Ray Harris 4, Tyler Hill 3, Josh Ziegler 2.
 
MONTE VISTA 68,  EL CAJON VALLEY 59 - Senior BRANDYN HARVEY returned to midseason form with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the visiting Monarchs to a non-league romp over El Cajon Valley in Wednesday's (Feb. 2) Grossmont Conference crossover action.
 
"We weren't in the game," El Cajon Valley coach NATE REED said. "They just killed us on the baseline. Then we really lost it in the 2nd quarter."
 
The Monarchs (7-15), who snapped a 4-game losing streak and won for only the second time in 11 starts, erased a one-point deficit with a 23-13 second quarter flurry.
 
CLINTON SNYDER regained solid footing, scorching the Braves (7-14) for 18 points and 13 rebounds. He also blocked a shot, while TREVOR PECK pumped in a season-high 16 points, hauled down 6 rebounds and passed out 3 assists.
 
"I thought we played fairly well," Monte Vista coach ZACH PECK said. "Of course when you come into a game with only six wins, every win is important."
 
CAMERON SANTOS paced the Braves with a career-best 15 points, while FRANK COLLINS cashed in 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. SHANE MYERS added 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals for El Cajon Valley. ABRAHAM MUHEIZE had 4 steals and NATE SCHAD dished 5 assists.
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Brandyn Harvey 25, Clinton Snyder 18, Trevor Peck 16, Allan Watson 6, Joey Belanger 2, Ryan Slade 1.
 
El Cajon Valley scoring:  Cameron Santos 15, Frank Collins 14, Shane Myers 11, Abraham Muheize 7, Nate Schad 6, Stephon Stafford 4, Tim Widjiji 2.
(02-02-05)
Steele Canyon ties the game in its matchup last week with Helix (photo by Debbie Hornsby)

Shelley, Tucker remind Patriots of awesome court presence
EastCountySports.com
 
SAN DIEGO - It wasn't a pretty sight. The talent-laden Crawford Colts, buoyed by sophomore scoring machine Tyrone Shelley and the pinpoint passing of sophomore guard Tyler Tucker, stampeded past the visiting Patriots of Christian High 112-33 in a Harbor League mismatch Tuesday (Feb. 1) in the Crawford corral.
 
Shelley, a muscular 6-foot-5 forward, produced 48 points - one point shy of the career best he netted as a Christian High freshman in a game against Vista last year. Tucker, who like Shelley was starting for the Patriots at this time last season, delivered an incredible 18 assists for Crawford (7-15, 5-0). Tucker's scoring passes ties him for sixth on the all-time San Diego CIF list for most assists in a game.
 
Maurice Clady added 23 points for the Colts, who had eight players contribute to the onslaught.
 
"We played really fast and kept getting open shots but we didn't full court press," said Crawford coach Terry Tucker. "We've got 10 kids that can play and this was the first time they all were together. "Every time I looked up the ball was going in the basket."
 
Those numbers aside, Tucker, an assistant basketball coach at Christian last year, insisted that he and his Colts were not running up the score on the outmanned Patriots (8-13, 1-4).
 
"I felt bad when I looked up and saw what the score was," Coach Tucker said. "We were not trying to run the score up."
 
He might have had a difficult time of convincing Christian coach KEN BAILEY. The Colts were galloping like run-away stallions. Crawford led 28-5 after one quarter and was breezing 54-19 by intermission.
 
"I told Coach Bailey at halftime we weren't going with a full court press," Tucker said. "But Christian had problems with turnovers, and everything we shot went in the basket. This is the first time I've been involved in a game like that."
 
Bailey's post-game feelings were similar only at the opposite end of the emotional stick.
 
"This is my worst loss ever in 20 years as a coach," Bailey said of Tuesday's massacre. "They never called the dogs off."
 
The Patriots trailed 85-29 entering the 4th quarter, which was played with a running clock. Despite the continuous ticking of seconds and minutes, the Colts carved out a 27-4 scoring edge during the final 8 minutes. Much of that was due to the short-handed Patriots being exhausted.
 
Christian was playing without two starters. The Patriots tallest player at 6-foot-4, was declared academically ineligible a day earlier. One of Christian's guards was hurting with a sore back and could play just a couple of minutes at the start of the game.
 
"The Christian kids are great kids and we talked after the game," Tucker said.
 
That was small consolation to Bailey and his depleted crew.
 
ANDREW CRISWELL started the game but had to pull out with a back injury suffered in football.
 
"There's not much you can do when they are scoring like that," said Christian assistant coach ADAM COX. "We didn't do much right and everything they did was perfect. It's tough to teach height and quickness, and they had them both."
 
Christian scoring:  Wayne Richards 8, Derek Larsen 8, Kellen Rossitto 6, C.J. Schroeder 5, Lawrence Walker 4, Grant Mills 2.
(02-01-05)