New Steele Canyon coach hails from university ranks

EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO - BERNIE BALIKIAN is spending the next two weeks in his pop-up camper tent-trailer at an El Cajon area campground. The 49-year-old Balikian recently accepted the boys basketball coaching position at Steele Canyon High and now is in the process of finding a place to live.

So why would a coach who has spent the past 20 seasons at the college level suddenly want to return to the high school ranks?

"I'm at a different phase in my life right now and I felt my family and I needed a change," Balikian said. "As a young coach I wanted to climb the college ladder as far as I could. And I thought I had reasonable success. Once I reached the (NCAA) Division II level I saw things I didn't want to be a part of. It was cut throat where winning at all costs was everything. Recruiting year-round wasn't want I wanted."

Not that Balikian is coming to Steele Canyon to "retire."

"Getting out of the college recruiting wars is important because it's going to give me more time to spend with my family," said Balikian, who played his high school basketball at Venice before continuing his career at Santa Monica City College and Point Loma Nazarene University.

Balikian has coached at St. John Bosco High (Bellflower), Venice High, PLNU (assistant),  Mt. Vernon (Ohio) Nazarene), Hillsdale (Mich.) College) and LeTourneau University (Longview, Texas). In 1993, he was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year at Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Balikian, who has spent the last seven seasons as the LeTourneau Yellowjackets head coach, is moving west with his wife Karen and their three sons Russell (18), Riley (15) and Casey (11).

"Just having my son (Riley) around me counts for a lot," Balikian said. "He's only 6-foot, so he isn't a franchise player. But I'm happy to be able to coach him."

Word on the street is some of the Cougars' key players have transferred out of Steele Canyon, which finished 30-2 a year ago.

"I can't worry about that," Balikian said. "I can only coach the guys who are here."

Balikian, who was a teammate of West Hills head coach JEFF ARMSTRONG at PLNU in the middle 1970s, is anxious to return to Southern California.

"Following a successful coach like BRAD LEAF will be a challenge," said Balikian of Leaf who guided the Cougars to two consecutive section titles the past two seasons.
(06-27-05)

Leaf leaves Steele Canyon for new Venture
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO - To BRAD LEAF's way of thinking, family ties run deepest. That's why the 45-year basketball coach is changing his allegiance to tiny Venture Christian High after guiding Steele Canyon High into the national limelight.
 
During his three-year varsity tenure, Leaf's Cougars captured two San Diego CIF championships, a pair of Grossmont South League titles and advanced to the Southern California Regionals the past two campaigns. Steele Canyon, which compiled a three-year mark of 72-22, was ranked as high as 21st nationally in some polls with a 30-2 record last season.
 
Not unlike many coaches today, Leaf stepped down from his Steele Canyon post to "spend more time with my family." In his case, however, that doesn't mean curtailing his coaching career.
 
Leaf has accepted the varsity basketball coaching position at Venture Christian, a Division V school that will compete in the Citrus East League next season. His sons - Trent (16) and Troy (14) - are students at Venture Christian.
 
"I want to coach my two boys," Leaf said. "To have that opportunity means everything to me."
 
Leaf did not deny that he "loved coaching those kids at Steele Canyon." Furthermore, he said "If I didn't have a family I probably wouldn't have ever left."
 
After a strong showing at the junior varsity level in his first season at Steele Canyon, Leaf, buoyed by eventual scholarship players RICHIE WILLIAMS (San Diego State) and GEORGE CUNNINGHAM (South Indiana University), directed the Cougars to records of 16-15, 26-5 and 30-2.
 
So how hard was it to leave with the program at its pinnacle?
 
"Very tough," said Leaf, who owns a contruction company in Ramona. "I know some of the kids are very disappointed and I realize that. But I have to do what is best for my family."
(05-26-05)

Helix High's Lance Hurdle was a disputed 2nd place in the dunk contest at the San Diego vs. Los Angeles Senior All-Star game. (4-30-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

East County quartet gets groove on at All-Star jam
EastCountySports.com
 
SAN DIEGO - With a little bit of hip-hop and a variety of step dancing, the East Coast's version of kickin' it basketball visited San Diego State's Peterson Gymnasium on Saturday (Apr. 30) with the inaugural All-Star jam, featuring the top graduating seniors from San Diego and Los Angeles.
Although the night finished with the visitors from the smog capturing all of the major awards and the game, 102-86, a variety of East County talent demonstrated they could hold their own against the best from the Southland. Included was Helix High standout LANCE HURDLE, who was robbed in the final of the slam dunk competition.
Leading throughout the competition to beat all of his local opposition, the promoters from Dream Vision, which was operating its first all-star event of any kind, elected to hold an extra round of competition after Hurdle apparently won. Then, battling Al Brown of Taft, the dunkers tied in three overtime rounds before Brown nipped Hurdle in the fourth extra round to take first prize.
In the 3-point shooting event, West Hills guard MATTHEW GILSON defeated three other San Diego shooters to gain the final, but was downed, 17-13, by Robert Coleman of Fremont in the championship round.
Later, Gilson, who will go to Point Loma Nazarene University in the fall, was one of two players honored with the Dream Vision Outstanding Achievement Award for his near-perfect score of 1,560 (out of a possible 1,600) on the SAT college entrance exams. The other recipient was Ernest Pierce II of Sweetwater.
The All-star game saw San Diego mount a huge 58-40 first-half lead, but Los Angeles roared back to claim the easy victory after Coleman, the game´s MVP, poured home 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. Quincy Robinson of Horizon Christian paced San Diego with 14 points.
After gaining the spotlight in the dunk event, the UC Santa Barbara bound Hurdle took a secondary role in the game, setting up his teammates with a game-best six assists. However, he did accept an alley-oop feed from RICHIE WILLIAMS of Steele Canyon for the most spectacular slam of the game, giving San Diego a 64-51 lead midway through the 3rd period.
However, L.A. took exception to the dunk, taking control of the game and outscoring the locals, 51-22, over the final 16:28 of the contest, played with four 10-minute periods.
Center RYAN SHUMAKER of West Hills and guard Richie Williams of Steele Canyon added 12 each. Gilson added seven points on 3-for-3 shooting, while Shumaker was a solid 6-for-7 from the floor, including a nice reverse layin off a Hurdle pass. Also scoring in double figures was Justin Johnson (11), one of three players on the San Diego roster out of St. Augustine.

West Hills' Ryan Shumaker (25) was a force inside, clicking on 6 of 7 shots from the field, as the San Diego County Senior All-Stars battled the top Senior All-Stars from Los Angeles County Saturday night at SDSU's Petersen Gym. (4-30-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
DREAM VISION ALL-STAR BASKETBALL JAM
At Peterson Gymnasium, SDSU
Sat., Apr. 30 Results
LOS ANGELES 102, SAN DIEGO 86
  LOS ANGELES   17  23  36  26  --  102
  SAN DIEGO     27  20  20  10  --   86
LOS ANGELES                         FGS  3FG  FTS  PTS  OR-REB  AST  STL  BLK
02 Lawrence Tyson, Quartz Hill      2-4  0-1  0-0    4   1- 3     4    2    0
04+Al Brown, Taft                   5-5  0-0  1-2   11   2- 4     1    2    0
05+Mark Hill, Fremont              3-11  1-4  1-2    8   0- 1     2    1    0
08 Juan Rogers, N-A                 3-3  1-1  1-2    8   1- 6     1    0    1
21 Robert Coleman, Fremont          2-7  0-0  2-2    6   2- 2     1    0    1
22 Kyle Gibson, Dorsey             9-15  1-5  4-5   23   2- 7     3    2    2
23+Marcus Palmer, L.A. Price       6-13  0-3  1-2   13   3- 6     0    1    0
24+Sean Cunningham, Murphy          3-6  2-2  2-2   10   0- 3     3    1    1
33 Donald Thomas, N-A               3-8  0-0  2-2    8   0- 1     1    0    0
34+Brantley Watson, Dominguez      5-12  0-1  1-2   11   3-12     3    0    8
Team                                                     1- 3 (DBR: 2)
TOTALS                           41-84 5-17 15-21  102  15-48    19    9   13
SAN DIEGO                           FGS  3FG  FTS  PTS  OR-REB  AST  STL  BLK
01 Justin Johnson, St. Augustine   5-10  1-2  0-0   11   1- 2     1    0    1
03+RICHIE WILLIAMS, Steele Canyon  5-19  0-6  2-5   12   2- 6     4    5    2
05 Dominique Jones, Horizon Chr.    2-3  1-2  0-0    5   0- 0     2    0    0
11+LANCE HURDLE, Helix              3-8  1-3  0-0    7   2- 7     6    1    0
14 Quincy Robinson, Horizon Chr.   5-10  0-1  4-9   14   3- 5     1    0    0
22 MATTHEW GILSON, West Hills       3-3  1-1  0-0    7   1- 3     2    2    0
25+RYAN SHUMAKER, West Hills        6-7  0-0  0-0   12   1- 4     0    0    1
31 Luke Kelley, Hilltop             3-7  2-5  1-2    9   0- 3     3    1    0
32+Andre Hardy, St. Augustine      1-10  0-3  1-2    3   4- 8     3    3    1
33+James Pinkney, St. Augustine     3-6  0-0  0-0    6   1- 6     2    2    0
Team                                                     4- 7 (DBR: 5)
TOTALS                            36-83 6-23 8-18   86  19-51    24   14    5
+ starters.  Fouled out: none. Technicals: none.
(04-30-05)

Steele Canyon's George Cunningham (1), chosen the game MVP, scored 24 points and garnered a record 24 rebounds in the San Diego Senior All-Stars Supershowcase as the South beat the North 89-80 Friday at Mount Miguel. (4-29-05/Photo by Travis Downs)

Cougars' Cunningham is ultra-super in
Senior All-Stars Supershowcase with 24 and 24
EastCountySports.com
 
SPRING VALLEY - After gaining kudos on an MVP performance, Steele Canyon center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM was suddenly rushed back into Friday's (Apr. 29)  San Diego County Senior Supershowcase, hosted by Mount Miguel High School.
Informed he needed just four rebounds to establish a new record to the annual All-Star affair of the top graduating seniors in the San Diego CIF Section, Cunningham got his boards to complete a 24-point, 24-rebound performance, leading the South to an easy 89-80 triumph over a roster of North County stars. Cunningham was the unanimous MVP selection by both the coaches and the attending media.
"That was a lot of fun, although the record really doesn't mean anything," said Cunningham, the lone Supershowcase participant to gain an NCAA basketball scholarship for next season to the University of Southern Indiana." And it was nice to play with the guys one more time."
Cunningham joined Cougars teammate JASON BEAUCHAMP, who earned a football scholarship to UNLV, in rebuffing a pair of North comebacks after the South mounted an early lead.
Cunningham moved inside to take a Beauchamp pass for a slam dunk late in the first half, then on the next trip down the court, lofted home a 3-point shot for a 39-28 advantage.
Torrey Pines center Mike Laughlin helped the North cut the lead down to two, 64-62 with 8:32 remaining, by scoring 10 of his team-high 16 points in the second half. However, Cunningham and Beauchamp returned to the floor to spark a 14-3 run. Serra guard Ronnell Williams scored eight of his 21 points during the run.
"Actually, I wanted to play the entire game," noted Cunningham. "But coach said everyone had to play."
Cunningham scored 13 of his 24 points in the second half. He also blocked six shots, five in the first half. Beauchamp scored seven of his 9 points after intermission, including a 3-ball, while registering seven boards and a pair of assists.

SUMMARY
SOUTH 89, NORTH 80
NORTH - Mike Laughlin* (Torrey Pines) 16, Mike Wright* (Vista) 15, Jon Tallman (Rancho Buena Vista) 11, David Bickham (El Camino) 10, Ben Capon (Torrey Pines) 9, Kevin Small* (Escondido) 6, Thomas Golia (La Jolla Country Day) 5, Tom Kearns* (Carlsbad) 4, D´Andre Jones (El Camino) 4, Jose Oruna* (Escondido) 0, C.J. Reed* (Mount Carmel) 0, Cameron Harris (RBV) 0, Jim Voaklamler (La Costa Canyon) DNP. Totals 35 6-9 80.

SOUTH - GEORGE CUNNINGHAM* (Steele Canyon) 24 (24 rebs.), Ronnell Williams* (Serra) 21, Tyler Stewart (Mira Mesa) 10, JASON BEAUCHAMP* (Steele Canyon) 9 (7 reb.), Quincey Robinson* (Horizon Christian) 9, Dominique Jones* (Horizon Christian) 7, Jakari Blake (San Diego) 5, Dan Nguyen (Mira Mesa) 2, Alex Butcher (Morse) 0, Luke Kelley (Hilltop) DNP. Totals 37 7-17 89.
Halftime - South 42-39 (two 20-minute halves). 3-point goals - North 4 (Capon 2, Golia, Wright), South 8 (Williams 3, Cunningham 2, Beauchamp, Blake, D.Jones).  *starters.
(04-29-05)
 

Steele Canyon's Jason Beauchamp (33), playing for the San Diego Seniors All-Stars South in the Supershowcase, scored 9 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished a pair of assists in the South's 89-80 victory over the North All-Stars. (4-29-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Unheralded Smith, heralded Hurdle share MVP in South rout
EastCountySports.com
 
RANCHO SAN DIEGO -- In an atypical all-star game, a team consisting of Grossmont South League seniors roared to an early lead, waltzing to an easy 108-77 victory at the 7th annual East County Senior All-Star game, hosted by Cuyamaca College.
The divergence began early when the South scored 20 of the game's opening 23 points -- including the first 13 straight -- when KURTIS SMITH of Granite Hills scored 10 of his game-high 20 points. Smith went on to share game MVP honors with Helix's LANCE HURDLE, who also captured the slam dunk competition at halftime.
"I could always do it," said Smith about his shooting. "I finally got a chance to show it."
Smith, who plans to play for Cuyamaca next season, also grabbed 9 rebounds, one shy of the game-high 10 boards grabbed by Steele Canyon's JASON BEAUCHAMP of the South.
Hurdle edged out FRANK COLLINS of El Cajon Valley and BRANDYN HARVEY of Monte Vista in the slam competition. However, his best effort came in the second half of the game, when Baxter placed the ball off the backboard while Hurdle drove the lane, grabbing the carom high above the rim and finishing to the delight of the more than 500 fans at the exhibition.
The feat was repeated by Hurdle a few minutes later on a pass from Monte Vista's CLINTON SNYDER, who plans to play football at Stanford next season.
"It was great, but I still can't compare myself to any of the great players in the past like Bill Walton," said Hurdle. "He was an All-American, a gold medal winner and won a championship in the NBA. I still have to work hard if I ever want to get anywhere near that."

GEORGE CUNNINGHAM of Steele Canyon matched Smith with 20 points, while Harvey was the leading playmaker with eight assists.
The North, which consisted of players from the Grossmont North League and Christian High, went 5:26 without scoring until CASEY RUMMEL of Grossmont connected on a 3-point shot. However, Smith hit his next three shots for a 20-3 lead before the North scored again.
MATTHEW GILSON of West Hills was the team MVP for the North with 14 points, while Wolf Pack teammate QUENTIN LONDON was the only other North players to score in double figures with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting, including a a pair of 3-balls.
Prior to the contest, DAVID BAXTER of Granite Hills captured the 3-point shooting contest, placing first in all three rounds, including a 6-3 decision over Williams in the final.
 

 
FRIDAY, APR 15, 2005
7th Annual EAST COUNTY SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME
Four 10-minute quarters
at Cuyamaca College

SOUTH ALL-STARS 108, NORTH ALL-STARS 77
  SOUTH      24  30  20  34 -- 108
  NORTH      10  20  28  19 --  77
BOXSCORE
SOUTH                FGS 3FG FTS PTS  O-R AST STL BLK PF
04 R.Snyder    GH    1-2 1-1 0-0   3  1-4   2   0   0  0
13 K.Smith     GH   8-14 4-5 0-0  20  2-9   3   0   1  1
23 Baxter      GH    1-3 1-1 0-0   3  1-3   2   0   1  0
11+La.Hurdle   Hel   3-7 0-2 2-2   8  1-2   4   2   1  0
51+Shelton     Hel   1-5 0-0 0-0   2  1-8   2   1   4  2
22+C.Snyder    MV    3-8 0-0 4-6  10  3-3   1   1   1  1
34 Harvey      MV    4-7 0-1 0-0   8  0-7   8   1   0  1
03 DeArcos     MM    0-1 0-0 0-0   0  0-1   2   0   0  1
05 Carter      MM    4-9 2-5 0-0  10  3-5   0   0   0  2
01+Cunningham  SC   8-15 1-1 3-4  20  3-9   0   2   1  1
03+Ri.Williams SC   6-14 0-2 0-0  12  0-3   2   0   0  0
33 Beauchamp   SC    3-9 1-2 5-8  12 5-10   1   5   2  0
12 Luhnow      Val   0-2 0-1 0-0   0  1-1   2   1   0  0
Team                                  2-8 (DBR: 2)
TOTALS         42-96 10-21 14-20 108 23-73 29  13  11  9
NORTH                FGS 3FG FTS PTS  O-R AST STL BLK PF
34+Richards    Chr   3-9 1-2 0-0   7  1-3   1   0   0  2
15+Collins     ECV   1-6 0-3 0-4   2  4-8   0   0   0  1
30 Myer        ECV   1-5 0-0 0-0   2  2-7   0   0   0  3
10 Reeder      EC   2-12 1-2 0-0   5  2-3   4   0   0  1
30 Krueger     EC   2-12 0-2 0-0   4  3-6   0   2   0  1
40 Hill        EC   3-12 2-5 0-0   8  1-3   3   0   0  1
01+Barbour     Gro   2-7 0-2 0-0   4  2-6   2   2   0  0
22+Hajosy      Gro   2-8 1-3 2-2   7  0-2   1   1   0  1
30 Rummel      Gro   3-5 1-2 0-0   7  1-2   0   0   0  0
14 Wickens     San   DID NOT PLAY
20 Gilson      WH   5-12 1-3 3-4  14  1-5   3   1   1  0
22 London      WH    5-5 2-2 0-0  12  2-2   0   0   1  0
33 Musquiz     WH    DID NOT PLAY
55+Shumaker    WH   2-10 0-0 1-1   5  3-7   1   0   2  1
Team                                  2-5 (DBR: 3)
TOTALS          31-103 9-26 6-11  77 24-59 15   6   4 11
+starters.  Technicals: none.  Att.: 500.
Statistics provided by EastCountySports.com.

3-POINT SHOOTING CONTEST
FIRST ROUND (Top 4 scores advance): Baxter (GH) 9 pts.,
Ri. Williams (SC) 8, Richards (Chr) 7, Shumaker (WH) 6,
Hajosy (Gro) 5, Rummel (Gro) 3, Collins (ECV) 3, Shelton
(H) 2, Myer (ECV) 1, Krueger (EC) 1.
SEMIFINALS: Baxter (GH) df. Shumaker (WH), 7-4; Ri.Williams
(SC) df. Richards (Chr), 7-3. CHAMPIONSHIP: Baxter (GH) df.
Ri.Williams, 6-3.
CHAMPION: DAVID BAXTER, GRANITE HILLS
SLAM DUNK COMPETITION
PRELIMS (2 dunks; Top 3 scores advance): Harvey (MV) 24-30=54,
Collins (ECV) 30-0=30, La.Hurdle (H) 0-28=28, Beauchamp (SC)
22-0=22, K.Smith (GH) 0-15=15, Hajosy (Gro) 0-0=0, C.Snyder
(MV) 0-0=0. FINALS: La.Hurdle (H) 30-29=59, Collins (ECV) 28-
24=52, Harvey (MV) 0-21=21.
CHAMPION: LANCE HURDLE, HELIX
(04-15-05)

SDSU-bound Williams named to All-State first team
East County Sports.com
 
RANCHO SAN DIEGO - Steele Canyon High senior point guard RICHIE WILLIAMS has been named to the All-State first team as selected by CalHiSports.com.
 
One of only two San Diego CIF players to earn a Division I scholarship, the SDSU-bound Williams averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 4.5 steals and was a 42 percent shooter from the field. He turned down offers from Washington State, Oklahoma State, Idaho State and at least a dozen more to become an Aztec.
 
Playing at a Division I school close to home was the ticket sought by the soft-spoken, hard-nosed Williams, who shared EastCountySports.com Player of the Year honors with UCSB-bound LANCE HURDLE.
 
"We are tremendously excited to have San Diego native Richie Williams join us at San Diego State," Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher said. "He brings exceptional speed and quickness to our team. Richie is a tremendous competitor and a proven winner. He is a good student who will represent himself, the community and the University the right way."
(04-13-05)

Steele Canyon's George Cunningham has accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Southern Indiana. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Cougars' Cunningham commits to D-II power USI
East County Sports.com
 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Steele Canyon senior GEORGE CUNNINGHAM is going to take on a different look by the time he plays his first collegiate basketball game at the University of Southern Indiana. That's going to mean a lot of eating and weight lifting during the next 18 months for the 6-foot-7, 190-pound Cunningham, who has verbally committed to the NCAA Division II Screaming Eagles.
 
Cunningham, who produced 16.4 points and an East County-best 12.6 rebounds per game for the 30-2 Cougars as a senior, will redshirt next season at USI. That will not only allow him time to acclimate academically, it will give him more opportunity to bulk up.
 
I'm hoping I can put on 25 pounds over the summer," Cunningham said. "The coaches at USI want me to add 40 pounds by the start of the 2006-07 season."
 
Wow!
 
"They want me to play the 4 (power forward)," said Cunningham, who was a post man for Steele Canyon, which won San Diego CIF Division II (in 2005) and Division III (in 2004) titles. "Hopefully, I can move to the 3 (small forward) by the time I play my first game."
 
Cunningham is pleased to note that he will be in a position to vie for a starting job at USI.
 
"All of the big guys I met during my visit (recruiting trip) will have graduated by the time I'm ready to play," he said.
 
The Screaming Eagles were 27-5, won the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season championship with an 18-2 league record, and captured their first Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament crown in 2004-05. The Eagles have reached 20-or-more wins each of the last 13 seasons, have won 25 or more games 10 times since 1993-94, and have made 12 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in the last 13 years.
 
"This is a great program and a great fit for me," Cunningham said. "And it's far enough away from home, but not so far that I won't have family support."
 
Cunningham has grandparents and an uncle and aunt in nearby Sullivan, Ind.
 
"Sullivan is about an hour or so north of Evansville," Cunningham noted.
 
The tradition of Indiana basketball outweighed the freezing temperatures when Cunningham turned down other offers in more mild climates.
 
"I'm willing to change my wardrobe," Cunningham said. "I'm ready for those major temperature shifts. Besides, what's going on outside isn't going to affect me. I'll be working on my game and studying inside."
(04-05-05)

Hurdle, Williams get county coaches' Player of Year honors
East County Sports.com
 
EL CAJON: The honors just keep on coming for Grossmont Conference standouts LANCE HURDLE (Helix) and RICHIE WILLIAMS (Steele Canyon). The backcourt standouts earned San Diego CIF Division I and Division II Players of the Year (respectively) in balloting by San Diego County coaches.
 
Others selected to the SDCIF Division II honor squad are first-team pick GEORGE CUNNINGHAM (Steele Canyon) and second team selections RYAN SHUMAKER (West Hills) and JASON BEAUCHAMP (Steele Canyon).
(03-29-05)

Cougars' aggressive defense limited by whistles, Mater Dei
EastCountySports.com
 
HUNTINGTON BEACH -- One of the most successful basketball seasons in East County history came to an unfortunate conclusion Thursday (Mar. 10), when San Diego Section Division II champion Steele Canyon fell to second-seeded Santa Ana-Mater Dei, 69-57, before a sellout crowd of almost 4,000 fans at Ocean View High.

And with all the accolades and awards coming the way of the Cougars (30-2) in the ensuing weeks, the realization of how close Steele Canyon, ranked 21st in the nation by USA Today, came to advancing to the Southern California regional final came into view.

"The awards and all, they're all nice," said Cougars senior guard RICHIE WILLIAMS. "But I'd rather win a state championship."

Mater Dei guard Mike Gerrity scored 21 points to pace the Monarchs (29-3). His teammate Klint Taylor nailed 12 straight foul shots in the 4th period, as difficulties with fouls prevented Steele Canyon from exhibiting its usual 3rd period outburst against the Southern Section CIF champions.

Steele Canyon was stung with 26 fouls. Especially hindered by the referee's whistle was center GEORGE CUNNINGHAM, who collected three early fouls in the first period. The 6-foot-7 Cunningham collected his fourth foul a mere 11 seconds into the second half, then fouled out just 16 seconds into the 4th quarter.

However, it wasn't only Cunningham who was hampered by fouls. WES DAVIS also was ticketed three times in the first half, while Richie and RAYMOND WILLIAMS both finished with four fouls each.
 
"I'm not crying sour," said Cougars coach BRAD LEAF, never naming the noun to his wrath. "If we can't beat a Grossmont South League team without one of our top players, then how could we beat Mater Dei? Besides, we shot poorly."

The Cougars shot less than 31 percent from the field, including 6 of 26 from three-point range. They were a chilly 9 of 19 from the foul line.
 
The match-up seemed one-sided based on recent comparative scores. Mater Dei whipped Ontario-Colony, 85-51, to claim its section crown, while the Cougars only downed Colony by 10 points in its regional opener.

Nevertheless, the resilient Cougars still shook off a 13-point deficit, moving to within 52-47 with six minutes remaining. However, Mater Dei went to the foul line on nine of its next 11 possessions, as every little contact seemed to result in a whistle against the visitors.

"I didn't even get to play in the second half," said Cunningham, who was limited to six points and four rebounds in a total of 14 minutes of court time. "And when we moved to within five, they would get a call, which prevented us from getting going."

Mater Dei converted just two baskets in the final period, instead scoring from the foul line by making 18-of-22 shots, including Taylor's dozen as part of his 19 points.
 
"They wouldn't let us play," Leaf said after his team was restricted from playing its usual brand of aggressive defense.
 
The Monarchs were 31 of 42 from the free throw line in the game, as the Cougars outscored Mater Dei 48-38.
 
Without the 6-foot-7 Cunningham, the Monarchs front line -- which stands 7-1, 6-9 and 6-7 -- dominated the boards, despite 13 rebounds by the Cougars' JASON BEAUCHAMP.

"George wasn't a factor and you can't win if you can't rebound," added Leaf.
 
Mater Dei claimed a 51-42 rebounding advantage.

Richie Williams collected three steals in the opening period, helping overcome a quick 12-2 lead by Mater Dei, as Gerrity scored eight points for a 17-10 first-period lead. The margin hovered between 8-to-15 points the rest of the way until a late Cougars run, when Richie Williams nailed four 3-balls in the fourth, part of his game-high 22 points.

"I really don't think we fouled that much," said Richie Williams, the Co-East CountySports.com Player of the Year. "You get very frustrated when you make a good play, but they still call a foul on you. That's how they got ahead."
 
Added Raymond Williams, "So we have to play without two of our starters and go with our bench."

Even the Cougars reserves couldn't avoid the whistle, as LIONELL BALL scored 7 points and grabbed 5 boards, but after a dramatic block of the 7-foot-1 Taylor, Ball suddenly was tagged with five fouls over a 5-minute span.

Steele Canyon scoring:  Richie Williams 22, Jason Beauchamp 12 (13 rebounds), Raymond Williams 9, Lionell Ball 7, George Cunningham 6, Emory Mitchell 1, Wes Davis 0, Jacob Pruitt 0.
(03-10-05)
 

Cougars will travel to play Mater Dei after home regional win
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON -- Steele Canyon continues to prove why it is the No. 1 boys' basketball team in the San Diego Section. Granted, the Cougars' margin of victory has shrunk in recent weeks, but the victory column continues to rise like a thermometer in the heat of summer. The Cougars (30-1) will travel to Santa Ana to face Mater Dei (29-3) in Thursday's (Mar. 10) Southern California Regional semifinals in Santa Ana.
 
STEELE CANYON 69, ONTARIO COLONY 59:  Although he is a multi-talented athlete, West Hills senior forward JASON BEAUCHAMP's future is cast as an outside linebacker for the Nevada-Las Vegas football team.
 
Choices.
 
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Beauchamp is a lock as a defensive end or linebacker at UNLV.  Yet he has this hankering to test his skills as a walk-on with the Rebels basketball team as well.
 
Beauchamp scored a career high 24 points and collected 12 rebounds as the Cougars (30-1) capsized the visiting Titans (27-7) with virtual ease.
 
"Once we got them down and the game wore on it was hard for their seniors to accept the fact that this might be their last high school game," Beauchamp said. "They came back hard in the second half, hoping to make memories."
 
Those memories were based on a fast Steele Canyon start and an adequate free throw finish.
 
The visiting Titans were nearly blown off the floor as Steele Canyon claimed early leads of 7-0, 14-4 and 21-6. The Cougars cranked up their lead as high as 20 points but failed to put their visitor away.
 
Despite the fast start and inflated margin, SC coach BRAD LEAF said he never felt comfortable â¤no matter how big a lead we had.â¤?
 
The visiting Titans fought back to within 59-54 with 2:51 remaining.
 
"Heck yeah we were concerned (at that point)," Leaf exclaimed.
 
A hard driving layup by RICHIE WILLIAMS stifled the Titans' comeback and rekindled the Cougars' momentum with 2:41 left.
 
Ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 5 in the state by USA Today, the Cougars enjoyed a balanced offense led by Beauchamp's record count, GEORGE CUNNINGHAM, (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, one block), and Richie Williams' (15 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals).
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  Jason Beauchamp 24, Richie Williams 15, George Cunningham 15, Ray Williams 11, Wes Davis 4.

FAIRFAX 84,  HELIX 53:  Coach JOHN SINGER's Highlanders were no match for the visiting Fairfax Lions in Tuesday's (Mar. 8) opening round of the Southern California Regionals.
 
"They looked like a college team, men against boys," Singer said. "I wasn't disappointed with our effort. They were just a better team."
 
The Lions (26-4) roared out of the cage to a 41-24 halftime lead. That was it for all intents and purposes. Matters got worse in the second half as Fairfax flattened Helix by a 43-29 count over the final 16 minutes.
 
"They have so many big bodies that they don't care if you score," Singer said. "They are a factory. They play a higher level of basketball."
 
The loss left Helix with a 25-6 record.
 
"Our season won't be judged on this game," Singer said.
 
Helix scoring:  Lance Hurdle 19, Lawrence Hurdle 15, David Jefferson 7, Aaron Tinsley 6, Robert Carter 2, Matt Caldwell 2, Brandon Fountain 1, Jericho Toilolo 1.
(03-08-05)
 

Cougars, Highlanders composed, ready to host first-round games
EastCountySports.com
 
SAN DIEGO - One thing Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF and Helix veteran mentor JOHN SINGER have in common is both of their San Diego CIF championship teams will open the Southern California CIF Regional Tournament at home Tuesday (Mar. 8) night at 7.
 
Steele Canyon's Cougars (29-1), champions of the SDCIF Division II, received a No.3 seed and will host the Ontario Colony Titans (27-6) in the SoCal Regional quarterfinals,  while SDCIF Division I champion Helix (25-5) welcomes No. 3 SoCal seed Los Angeles Fairfax (24-5) to La Mesa in round one of this latest tilt of heavyweight bouts.
 
"This is a funny group in that there is no panic no matter what the situation might be," Singer said of his unsung Highlanders. "They've heard it all year from me. Yet, they've managed to remain low key."
 
Taking on the Lions of Fairfax will be no easy task. Three of Fairfax's five losses have come to top-ranked Westchester by an average margin of less than 8 points. This club also lost by 8 to Rice of New York City and by 3 to Portland Westview (Ore.) in overtime.
 
In other words, falling behind doesn't create panic in the Lions' den. Same can be said of the Highlanders, who have won 18 of their last 20 starts, losing only to Steele Canyon (twice).
 
"Riding back to school on the bus Saturday night (after the Highlanders won the section title 58-54 over El Camino) the guys were surprisingly quiet," Singer said. "Then out of nowhere DAVID JEFFERSON, a sophomore mind you, shouts 'Hey, we got another game on Tuesday.' That's great feeling to know that our younger kids are so locked in to what we are doing."
 
Fairfax is a team of giants, led by 6-foot-8 Jamal Boykin who is committed to Duke University. Boykin has scored 30 or more points nine times and has a 22.6 season average. He also pulls down 11.9 rebounds per outing and has blocked 68 shots.
 
Meanwhile, Steele Canyon, which lost to eventual state champion Compton Centennial 78-72 in the 1st first round of last year's SoCal Regionals, is determined to advance deeper into the post-season this time around.
 
"We are very focused," Leaf said of the Cougars' pending duel with Colony. "With no disrespect to any of the other teams we've played this season, this is what we've been pointing for."
 
Leaf's take on Colony is:  "They are a guard-oriented team that likes to press a lot. They are very athletic and score a lot off their defense."
 
The Titans boast a big-time 3-point shooter in 6-2 sophomore Stedman Merritt (21.7), who has nailed close to 100 treys.
 
"We are 29-0 with RICHIE WILLIAMS on the floor and that is a comforting thought as much as playing in our home environment," Leaf said.
(03-06-05)
 

Helix's David Jefferson (35) rebounds as teammates Clinton Shelton (51) and Aaron Tinsley (25) look on in Saturday's SDCIF Division I championship game won by the Highlanders over El Camino 58-54. (3-5-05/Photo by Travis Downs)

Championship a great hurdle for Highlanders
Supporting cast steps up to meet coach, team captain's season-long challenge

2004-05 SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
EastCountySports.com
 
SAN DIEGO -- The general impression of the Helix Highlanders is all about UC Santa Barbara-bound guard LANCE HURDLE and a faceless supporting cast. Well, that may be the outsiders' view of this surprising band of Highlanders but it is not what Hurdle or veteran coach JOHN SINGER have on their screen. Because man, can these so-called no-names play defense.
 
After the Scotties placed a defensive dome over top-seeded La Costa Canyon in a 35-point, semifinal-round knockout, more defense was in the offering in Saturday's (Mar. 5) San Diego CIF Division I championship game.
 
Trailing 20-14 early in the 2nd period, Helix shutout El Camino over the final 6:10 of the first half. The Highlanders continued their defensive mastery for nearly four minutes of the 3rd quarter and continued for a 58-54 victory and Helix's 6th section crown at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion.

"It was a personal challenge to me," noted Singer. "Except for Lance, no one on this team played on the varsity last year, except DAVID JEFFERSON, who was hurt and played on one leg for half of this season."

"And, of course, Lance carried us."

The section finale was no exception. The ever-reliable Hurdle poured in a team-high 24 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line in the 4th quarter to prevent a rally by the two-time defending champion Wildcats (24-7). Hurdle also added 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and a dramatic blocked shot to further frustrate the Avocado League champions.

"This is very exciting for us, for Coach Singer, and for everybody," said Hurdle. "We love being underdogs and our defense really sparked us. We didn't let down all year."
 
Admittedly, Singer is the chairman of the Lance Hurdle Fan Club.
 
"Lance is a helluva of a basketball player, but we didn't win just because of Lance Hurdle," Singer said. "We have a lot of parts from a lot of guys. The parts came together and synchronized beautifully."
 
No question this was among the finest coaching jobs in Singer's 24-year career as the Highlanders' Commander in Chief.
 
These Highlanders did everything from the ground floor. Seeded 5th in the Division I playoffs, the Highlanders  bowled over the No. 12, No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams to earn the SDCIF trophy.
 
There was no backing in here. The Highlanders (25-5), buoyed by a bunch of journeymen, took this thing straight on and came away with the hardware.
 
Meanwhile, back to Saturday's section title bout.
 
El Camino's offense was in the flow early, with guard Marquis Navarre gaining penetration and dishing for four early assists and a 6-point Wildcats lead. But when Helix saddled onto the Wildcats' playmaker, that avenue was effectively eliminated.

"We were a little tentative, so Navarre would split our double on him instead of going around the corner," noted Singer. "And the kids made the adjustment on their own. They know what they're supposed to do out there."

Meanwhile, El Camino guard D'Andre James was tagged with his fourth foul just 38 seconds into the second half while trying to defend Hurdle. With James relegated to the bench, the Helix offense went completely unleashed, polishing off a 19-2 run to mount a 33-22 advantage.

The second half of the siege was keyed by LAWRENCE HURDLE, as Helix scored on four consecutive possessions. First, he found center CLINTON SHELTON open on the baseline for a layin, then the sophomore guard drained a 3-ball. Hurdle then stole an inbounds pass and fed the ball to older brother Lance for another layin. AARON TINLSEY capped the flurry when he found Jefferson open in the paint for a 6-foot basket while being fouled.

Jefferson and Shelton were also responsible for preventing second-chance opportunities by El Camino, combining for 18 rebounds to lead Helix to a 34-21 advantage on the boards.

"Coach said a key for us to win was for me and Clinton to rebound," said Jefferson, who also hit 6-of-10 shots en route to a 15-point effort. "And we got it done."
Navarre, a junior guard who entered with an 18.7 scoring average, finished with 33 points, including a 3-ball to snap the basket-less streak after an incredible 9:37 span. He then hit a series of three 3-balls over the final 46 seconds to move El Camino within three points down the stretch.

However, Lance Hurdle made his foul shots to finish a 12-for-15 effort at the line, while Jefferson added two free throws, including the game-clinching shot with less than a second left. He also had 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots, while Shelton twice took the charge to force El Camino turnovers.

The Highlanders will host a state playoff game Tuesday (Mar. 8), while El Camino will also advance, probably as a road team. Pairings will be announced Sunday (Mar. 7).
 

Helix's Matt Caldwell (45) goes to the basket in the Highlanders' 58-54 SDCIF Division I finals victory at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion. (3-5-05/Photo by Travis Downs)

FRIDAY, MAR. 5, 2005
SAN DIEGO CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS
DIVISION I -- AT USD
HIGHLANDERS 58, WILDCATS 54
HELIX (25-5)            12 12 18 16 -- 58
EL CAMINO (24-7)        16  4 14 20 -- 54
.
HELIX              FGS 3FG FTS PTS OR-REB AST STL BLK
11 LAN.HURDLE    6-15 0-1 12-15 24   3-9   6   1   1
13 LAW.HURDLE      3-7 1-3 0-0   7   0-1   2   2   0
25 TINSLEY         1-3 1-1 1-2   4   1-1   2   0   0
33 FOUNTAIN        0-0 0-0 0-0   0   1-2   0   0   0
35 JEFFERSON       5-9 0-0 2-6  12   3-10  1   1   2
45 CALDWELL        1-1 0-0 0-0   2   1-2   0   0   0
51 SHELTON         4-5 0-0 1-5   9   3-10  1   0   1
TEAM                                 0-3
TOTALS          20-40 2-5 16-28 58  12-38  11  4   4
.
EL CAMINO          FGS 3FG FTS PTS OR-REB AST STL BLK
03 NAVARRE       9-24 4-9 11-11 33   0-1   4   2   0
10 WARNEMUENDE     0-5 0-3 1-2   1   0-2   0   2   0
15 McMICHAEL       3-4 0-0 2-2   8   1-5   1   1   0
22 JAMES           0-2 0-1 1-2   1   0-1   1   2   0
23 SIMS            2-3 0-0 0-0   4   1-3   0   0   0
32 BICKHAM         1-5 0-1 3-4   5   3-5   1   2   0
33 CASTILLO        1-1 0-0 0-0   2   1-3   1   0   0
TEAM                                 1-1
TOTALS         16-44 4-14 18-21 54   7-21  8   9   0
(03-05-05)
 

Steele Canyon's Jason Beauchamp (33) goes to the basket in the SDCIF finals game which saw the Cougars defeat the Scripps Ranch Falcons 46-43. Teammate George Cunningham (1) looks on. (3-4-05/Photo by Travis Downs)

Nerves of Steele

Cougars survive struggle against scrappy Scripps to claim second-straight section title
EastCountySports.com
 
SAN DIEGO -- Steele Canyon defeated traditional-laden St. Anthony's (N.J.), the No.1 team in the nation back in December. But the Cougars struggled as much as they have at any point this season on Friday (Mar. 4) as they attempted to annex the San Diego CIF Division II championship at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion.
 
The Cougars, ranked the No.1 team in the San Diego Section since the opening day of training camp, provided a stout defensive stance during the final 1:01 to turn back upset-minded Scripps Ranch 46-43, to claim the school's second straight section title.

A year ago, Steele Canyon secured the Division III crown before being promoted to its current, higher flight. On Monday, county media members are expected to place the rubber stamp on the Cougars' diploma as the top team in the section, regardless of division, heading into the state playoffs.

"It's always been because of the defense," noted guard RICHIE WILLIAMS, who scored a game-high 14 points, including a steal for a breakaway layin that gave Steele Canyon a 37-36 lead with 5:21 remaining. "We somehow toughed it out, just like we have all season with injuries and all sorts of things coming at us."

But it was actually RAYMOND WILLIAMS' 3-ball that gave the Cougars a 40-37 advantage they wouldn't lose.
 
The Cougars held Scripps Ranch without a field goal over the final 3:32, shutting the Falcons out for the final 2:09 to provide the finishing touches of the triumph. And several different players made contributions.

Included was a pair of defensive stands by WES DAVIS, who got his hand in the shooter's face when Adontis Flournoy twice attempted 3-balls in the final minute in hopes of forcing overtime. The first was a forced shot off an inbounds pass, which hit the side of the backboard with 18 seconds left, then Davis tipped the side of the ball on an attempt with four seconds to go.

Meanwhile, GEORGE CUNNINGHAM overcame getting smacked in the face to secure some important rebounds to close the game. After going 0-for-7 from the field and hauling down just one rebound in the first half, Cunningham came to life in the second half. He finished with nine points and nine boards, despite suffering a blow to the side of his right eye causing it to almost swell shut by the end of the game when Scripps Ranch's Gerald McLemore missed the ball on a rebound attempt, with the follow-through of his arm catching the Cougars' center.
 
"Yeah it was physical because the refs weren't calling anything," said Cunningham, who also blocked 3 shots. 

Raymond Williams also cashed in, hustling to the floor to secure a loose ball, as the resulting tie-up gave the Cougars possession on the arrow with 2:50 to play. On the next Falcons possession, Williams then blocked a shot, with brother Richie Williams scooping up the loose ball and passing to Davis for a bucket and a 46-41 lead with 2:23 left.

Falcons center Kenton Walker, who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards, added a pair of foul shots. Neither team could muster any more points when the defense for both sides took over.

"It wasn't like we played a bad game -- they're a great team," noted Davis, who added three steals, a block and took a charge. "But we still defended hard and won the ballgame."

Nevertheless, Davis admitted flashes of doubt buzzed through his head as the Falcons locked on and wouldn't let go.
 
"I don't think we played down as much as Scripps Ranch played up to our level," Davis added. "We know how to play in pressure games and I think that showed here tonight."
 
A less-than-stellar opening half saw both teams try to force the issue, as the Cougars limped to the locker room with a meager 17-14 advantage after both combined to shoot a poor 10-for-51 from the floor.
 
Usually a disciplined bunch, Steele Canyon seemed overly anxious to put Scripps Ranch (19-10) on its back in the opening moments, playing way too much one-on-one.
 
When the teams returned from intermission, the intensity returned to both sides, with each side exchanging baskets and the lead swinging six times before Raymond Williams's second 3-ball of the night put Steele Canyon in front for keeps.

"We pretty much played slow so we would have something left in the fourth quarter," said head coach BRAD LEAF, noting that his starters have rarely played all 32 minutes in a game all season. "We never really settled down in the first half, then we did what we had to do to win it."
 
The Cougars (29-1) will host a Southern California Regional game on Tuesday (Mar. 8) night against a team to be determined Sunday by the state CIF office.
"We're going to go against 6-7s, 6-8s and 6-9s in the state playoffs," Leaf said.

The Steele Canyon Cougars celebrated their San Diego CIF Division II championship following Friday night's victory over Scripps Ranch, 46-43. (3-4-05/Photo by Travis Downs)

SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
At USD
COUGARS 46, FALCONS 43
Scripps Ranch (19-10)    6  8 18 11 -- 43
Steele Canyon (29-1)     9  8 18 11 -- 46
COUGARS (29-1)  FGS  3FG FTS PTS OR-REB AST STL BLK
Cunningham     4-13  0-1 1-3   9   2-9   3   2   3
Davis           2-4  0-0 0-0   4   4-8   2   3   1
Ri.Williams    6-17  1-2 1-4  14   2-4   6   5   0
Ra.Williams     2-6  2-3 2-2   8   1-3   2   4   0
Ball            0-2  0-2 0-0   0   0-1   0   0   0
Mitchell        1-1  0-0 0-0   2   1-1   0   0   0
Beauchamp      3-12  0-0 3-4   9   3-7   0   0   2
Team                               4-4       
Totals         18-55 3-8 7-13 46 17-37  13  14   6
FALCONS (19-10) FGS 3FG  FTS  PTS OR-REB AST STL BLK
03 Array        2-7 0-1  0-0   4   0-3   2   0   0
04 Oubre        1-1 0-0  0-0   2   0-0   0   0   0
21 Flournoy     2-8 0-1  7-9  11   1-6   3   0   0
23 Wilson      5-12 0-0  0-0  10   4-8   2   1   0
32 McLemore     2-8 2-5  0-0   6   1-5   0   1   1
33 Gillespie    0-1 0-0  0-0   0   1-3   0   0   1
41 Walker      3-10 0-0  4-4  10   4-10  0   4   3
Team                               3-4
SCRIPPS       15-47 2-7 11-13 43  14-39  7   6   5
(03-04-05)

Steele Canyon's Jason Beauchamp (33) flies high to reject a University City basket in Wednesday's SDCIF semifinal game won by the Cougars 66-56. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Highlanders will join Cougars as east representatives in finals
EastCountySports.com
 
EL CAJON --  Anchored by Helix's stunning 77-42 thrashing of top-seeded La Costa Canyon on Wednesday (Mar. 2), East County will have two entries in the San Diego CIF finals this weekend at the University of San Diego's Jenny Craig Pavilion. The high-flying Highlanders (24-5) will engage No. 2 seed El Camino (24-6) for the Division I crown, while top-seeded Steele Canyon (28-1), which staved off a late challenge from University City to take a 66-56 semifinal win, meets Scripps Ranch (19-9) for the Division II title. The Highlanders and Cougars are guaranteed a berth in the Southern California Regionals.
 
HELIX 77, LA COSTA CANYON 42: Playing second fiddle behind Steele Canyon in the Grossmont South League all season, the Helix Highlanders were seemingly grouped in the "others" category without regard to how good coach JOHN SINGER's team actually is. And that lack of respect carried over to the SDCIF playoffs, where the Scotties were not among the top seeds and were forced to play a series of road games to advance.
 
"We've beaten the No. 12 seed (Bonita Vista), the No.4 seed (Hilltop) and the No. 1 seed (La Costa Canyon) to get the finals," Singer said. "Now, we need to beat the No. 2 seed (to give Helix its 6th SDCIF crown)."
 
Winning at Hilltop by a small margin wasn't totally unexpected, but when the Highlanders traveled Wednesday (Mar. 2) to the North County to meet the man many perceive as the best player in the San Diego Section, Helix had to be pleasantly surprised with the result.

Backed by 22 points and six assists of senior guard LANCE HURDLE, Helix, seeded 5th by the SDCIF playoff committee -- proved the naysayers wrong again after manhandling La Costa Canyon (22-7).
 
"We just played up on their shooters, then tried to keep as many bodies as possible on (Chase) Budinger," said Hurdle on the team's strategy to halt the Mavericks' 6-foot-5 post presence. "We came out hard and shut them down."

According to the Lakeside Rodeo website, steer wrestling (originally called Bull Dogging) tests a cowboy's muscle, courage and determination. And Helix completed the triple crown in the 2nd period, closing the half on a 15-2 run, including the final 12 points unanswered to leave the Mavericks roped on the floor, placing the game out of reach at 34-17.

Not bad for a Helix side which barely practiced during the days leading up to the SDCIF Division I semifinal.

"Yes, I threw them out of practice yesterday (Tuesday)," admitted Singer. "I was not happy, but the team came together to do what you have to do to win."
The defensive effort started with Hurdle, a 6-foot-2 guard, defending Budinger at the low post, limiting the Mavs' star to 2-for-10 shooting in the opening period.
 
Later on, the responsibility of badgering Budinger rotated among BRANDON FOUNTAIN, MATT CALDWELL, DAVID JEFFERSON and GREG HARVEY, each of whom received assistance from teammates in the area.

"We came in to play hard and stay focused as a team and we stuck together," noted Harvey, who scored 10 points and added 7 rebounds over the 2nd and 3rd quarters. "Then we had to rebound and box out because we knew we could out-jump them and run over them with our defense."

Frustration came to La Costa Canyon early with the offense in flux, as individuals took turns simply driving with the ball to the basket, yet rarely scoring. Only Budinger could muster much damage with 30 points, but 15 came in the 4th period, long after the Highlanders (24-5) mounted a 27-point cushion.

"No one has D'd up like that all year on La Costa," added a smiling Singer. "The defense did the trick."

Budinger, who is being heavily recruited by UCLA and Arizona among others, was a forgettable 9 for 25 from the floor.
 
"Obviously, the Budinger kid is a talent," Singer said. "But he didn't like the quickness we threw at him. We just kept running people in at him."
 
It took the Mavericks nearly half of the opening period before scoring a basket, but a pair of Budinger buckets trimmed the Highlanders lead to 9-8. From there, Hurdle took charge.  Hurdle was responsible for engineering an 8-0 run, including a baseline drive for a layin, a 3-ball, and then a pass to Fountain for a short jumper.

LCC (22-7) cut the margin back to 17-14, but the bandage was only temporary when Hurdle ignited Helix's big run to close the half. Included was a steal by the UC Santa Barbara-bound guard, getting fouled on the layin for a 3-point play, a pass to brother LAWRENCE HURDLE for a 3-point jumper, then Fountain slid into a passing lane for a steal and a breakaway basket.

And when Lawrence Hurdle snapped the cords on a 3-ball to end the half, the standing-room only crowd was left in silence, with the contingent of Highlanders fans giving their troops a standing ovation.
 
Other than Budinger, only two Mavericks scored. Jon Toledo recorded 7 points while Jimmy Voaklander added five before fouling out. LCC turned the ball over 19 times compared to a mere eight for Helix, including a 12-4 margin in the first half, as Lance Hurdle registered five thefts.
Helix scored 17 points off turnovers, while the Mavericks tallied but 2.
 
"I'm really proud of my kids," Singer said. "We've been maligned for not having this, being short of that. But look at us now. We're in the championship game."
 
Next up is Saturday's (Mar. 5) title bout against El Camino, a mirror image of these Highlanders. That is the Warriors, who began the season with back-to-back losses, feature a strong point guard in Marquis Navarre (ala Hurdle) and a bevy of role players.
 
It should be a classic showdown. El Camino is looking for a 3rd straight Division I crown.
 
Helix scoring: Lance Hurdle 22 (5 steals), Lawrence Hurdle 16 (5 assists), Greg Harvey 10 (7 rebounds), Aaron Tinsley 9, Clinton Shelton 7, David Jefferson 4, Brandon Fountain 4, Jericho Toilolo 3, Sean Scarber 2.
 
Steele Canyon's George Cunningham (1) dunks in Wednesday night's SDCIF semifinal game as the Cougars defeated University City 66-56. Cunningham scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. (3-2-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

STEELE CANYON 66,  UNIVERSITY CITY 56: It seemed almost too easy at the outset of Wednesday's (Mar.2) SDCIF Division II semifinal game in Rancho San Diego.
 
The top-seeded Cougars were playing at 78 rpm, while the visiting Centurions were clicking at about 45 rpm. Steele Canyon streaked to a 10-0 lead three minutes into the game. The Cougars upped their advantage to 18-4 and concluded the opening period with a 23-7 advantage.
 
It was more of the same in the 2nd period, as the Cougars scratched out the first eight points to put the game on the verge of being a blowout at 31-7.
 
For Steele Canyon, it was primarily an inside job. Six-foot-7 post GEORGE CUNNINGHAM and 6-3 forward JASON BEAUCHAMP were collectively 12-for-16 from the field for 26 points in the first two periods.
 
RICHIE WILLIAMS, who did not score a field goal in the first half, delivered 9 scoring assists as the Cougars built a 39-19 lead by the break.
 
Obviously, the focus of the University City defense was to neutralize the Cougars' speedy backcourt tandem of brothers Richie and RAYMOND WILLIAMS. The duo combined for 11 points, with Raymond accounting for 7 markers on 3-for-5 shooting.
 
In the 2nd half, the Centurions changed strategy. No longer were they going to permit Cunningham and Beauchamp to shoot their lights out.
 
"They sent everyone to the boards," Beauchamp said. "Basically, that made it me, George and WESLEY (DAVIS) against five."
 
It was sound strategy by University City coach Terry Stonebraker as Steele's aforementioned inside trio was a combined 4-for-9 from the field during the final 16 minutes.
 
"They saw their season fading away," Beauchamp said. "They knew this was going to be their last game, so they threw everything they had inside."
 
One miscalculation that hurt the Centurions was attempting to cover the Williams brothers in a man defense. Richie Williams repeatedly beat his defender off the dribble, nailing 6 of 10 shots to push his game total to 17 points. He finished with 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
 
"When they went man, Richie tore them up," Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF said.
 
Cunningham finished with a game high 18 points on 8 for 13 shooting. He also garnered 11 rebounds. Beauchamp settled for 15 points on 7 for 11 shooting, 7 boards, 2 blocks and a pair of steals.
 
"They made a nice run at the end, but I never thought the game was in doubt," Cunningham said. "Yeah, I'd say they are one of the best teams we've played. They are no doubt the best team we faced in the playoffs."
 
Steele Canyon, which won the SDCIF Division III title a year ago, was sitting on a 53-31 cushion with a little more than a minute left in the 3rd quarter.
 
But the Centurions weren't about to pick up their gear and head for the parking lot.
 
"That's what makes coaching these kids such a pleasure for me -" they never quit," Stonebraker said.
 
The Cougars led 66-51 with less than a minute to play. But the Centurions just kept coming. A missed dunk attempt by Beauchamp with 11 seconds left led to a 5-point turnaround as UC senior Tim Island buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The 6-foot-6 Island led the Centurions with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
 
"Island is a really fine player and the rest of their guys are really scrappy," Cunningham said. "But the bottom line is we won the game and will be playing for a championship on Friday night."
 
Leaf wasn't disappointed by the narrow margin of victory, which adds up to the 4th closest game of the season for the Cougars.
 
"We needed somebody to give us four quarters of intense basketball, and these guys did that," Leaf said. "Why they even came out and pressed us at the end. We needed to see that if we plan to do anything at the state level.
 
Considering Steele Canyon handled Hoover 63-49 during the regular season, the Cougars are probably better off facing Scripps Ranch in Friday's (Mar. 4) championship tussle.
 
The Falcons are a crafty lot that likes to control the clock and take high percentage shots. Whether the Falcons' can handle Steele Canyon's pressure is doubtful.
 
Steele Canyon scoring:  George Cunningham 18, Richie Williams 17, Jason Beauchamp 15, Raymond Williams 12, Wes Davis 2, Emory Mitchell 2.
(03-02-05)

Monte Vista's Brandyn Harvey (34) dribbles between University City defender Davy Hart (44) and a stand-in-your-way crowd of more than 1200 in Friday night's SDCIF quarterfinal won by the Centurions. Harvey finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. (2-26-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Centurions, fans make Monarchs feel unwelcome in quarterfinal defeat
EastCountySports.com
 
The San Diego CIF quarterfinals Saturday night (Feb.26) were spicy, to say the least. The final scores offer little to tell the story of the eventual outcome. Bottom line is Helix and Steele Canyon advance to Wednesday's (Mar.2) semifinals, while Monte Vista licks its wounds after a bizarre turn of events at University City.
 
UNIVERSITY CITY 50, MONTE VISTA 41:  The visiting Monarchs did not find a red carpet waiting for them when they arrived for Saturday's (Feb. 26) San Diego CIF Division II quarterfinal playoff game at University City High. Not that they expected any sort of warm welcome at the home of the Centurions in front of an overflow crowd.
 
Yet, the almost lawless conditions where those in the University City student section of the bleachers had the run of the place, made for a most volatile environment for the visiting Monarchs.
 
"In all my years of coaching I've never had kids (fans) putting fingers in my kids faces while they are attempting to bring the ball in," fumed Monte Vista veteran basketball coach and athletic director ZACH PECK.
 
Peck was noting the unbelievably close proximity of the University City home crowd to the basketball floor. No less than 100 fans were standing on the black sideline of the actually playing surface. On the Monte Vista side, however, the bleachers and fans were the customary 5 feet from the court.
 
One of the Monte Vista players suffered a gash above his right eye from normal activity on the court. And the fans showed him no mercy as he prepared to inbound the ball in front of the raucous UC partisans.
 
Monte Vista's Clinton Snyder (22) was surrounded all night and still got 11 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort to University City in the SDCIF quarterfinals Friday. (2-26-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

"The kid was cut, he's hurt, there was blood and you have kids in his face making fun of him," Peck said. "And nobody is doing anything. I just don't get it."
 
Peck was referring to the lack of security provided by University City High School and the San Diego CIF. Referees Mike Michalak and David Fryer did what they could to keep order on the court, but needed help from on-site administrators to control the crowd. The support they received was minimal. Despite the assignment of two campus supervisors to hold the line against the aggressive student body section, the UC kids repeatedly inched closer to the court.
 
"What happened here tonight is not high school sports," Peck said. "They're not teaching it and they aren't trying to. But that's a school issue, it's not their team. I want to be real clear about that."
 
The behavior of the University City crowd on Saturday night was the rule for them rather than the exception. Or so it seems.
 
Peck was stunned when UC basketball coach Terry Stonebraker approached him before the opening tipoff and said, " 'I apologize for this, but it's our students.' That's not right. This isn't Duke or N.C. State."
 
Stonebraker eventually walked across the court to ask the students to move back after things got out of hand. That was not his responsibility. He was there to coach, not control the crowd.
 
â¤When teams come to our gym, we don't let kids act like this," Peck said. "Helix doesn't do it. Mount Miguel doesn't do it. I used to play at Lincoln and they didn't allow this kind of stuff."
 
Despite the rowdy crowd, the Monarchs (11-18) came close to ending the 19-9 Centurions season. A bucket by ALLAN WATSON followed by a three-point play by CLINTON SNYDER pulled Monte Vista to within 42-39 as 2:31 remained.
 
A couple of turnovers and missing the front end of a bonus free throw situation by the Monarchs coupled with 6-for-8 free throw shooting by the Centurions sealed the victory for University City.
 
"This is definitely a hostile place to play, a homecourt advantage for them," said Snyder, who muscled in 11 points, yanked down 11 rebounds, delivered 4 bullet assists and blocked 2 shots.  "Their fans were yelling at us the whole game."
 
University City previously trampled the Monarchs 74-56 the third game of the season.
 
"That was our first game back from football for a lot of us," Snyder said. "I mean, they had a lot of confidence. We played them tough this time."
 
The UC fans focused their verbal abuse on the 6-foot-3 Snyder, who sank 4 of 9 shots from the floor and 3 of 5 free throws. More than that, though, is fans in the UC stands held up a mug shot of the Monte Vista standout and chanted,  "Snyder, Snyder, Snyder . . ."  for a good part of the evening. Some 200 of the Snyder photos were xeroxed by the UC administrators and distributed to the UC students, which they held up en masse as they chanted. The mug was a copy of an athlete of the week photo that ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
 
In response, the Monte Vista faithful chanted back "Stanford, Stanford, Stanford," Snyder's destination following graduation. It was a fitting stand-off.
 
"That stuff didn't bother me," Snyder said. "My focus was on what was going on the court," he said. Snyder even scooped up one of the infamous pictures as he left the gym.
 
Hard-nosed senior guard BRANDYN HARVEY cranked in 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished off 3 assists and made 3 steals for Monte Vista.
 
Despite the wild atmosphere, Peck admitted that his Monarchs did not play their best ball of the season.
 
"What happened in the stands with the fans isn't why we lost the game," Peck said. "UC played a good game, and we didn't shoot the ball very well (17-for-49, 35 percent). Their coach did a good job and his kids played great."
 
University City will leave its friendly confines to face top-seeded Steele Canyon in Wednesday's Division II semifinals at 7 p.m.
 
Tim Island led UC with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound senior will have his hands full against the Cougars.
 
Both Snyder and Harvey said they believe Cougars will claw the Centurions to pieces.
 
"Steele Canyon is going to tear University City apart," Snyder said. "How many points did UC get tonight? 50 points. You can't score 50 points and beat Steele Canyon. UC only has two scorers and they are going to need a lot more than that if they expect to make it to the finals."
 
Harvey agreed.
 
"I think the (UC) crowd intimidated the referees," Harvey said. "We didn't get any advantages, that's for sure. But we missed too many lay-ups and close shots.
 
"I don't think anybody thought we'd make it to the playoffs let alone make it as far as we did."
 
Monte Vista scoring:  Brandyn Harvey 13, Allan Watson 12, Clinton Snyder 11, Trevor Peck 3, Ryan Slade 3.
 
HELIX 58, HILLTOP 53 -- According to the NationMaster.com encyclopedia, Chris Webber's illegal timeout was "one of the biggest blunders in college basketball history," handing the 1993 NCAA championship to North Carolina after his Michigan Wolverines were assessed a technical foul for calling a timeout when the team had none remaining. The dramatic rally in the final seconds of Helix's SDCIF Division I victory over host Hilltop on Saturday (Feb. 26) was also aided by such a call.

After recapturing the lead at 54-53 when Helix's LANCE HURDLE converted both ends of a one-and-one with 8.6 seconds remaining, Hilltop was called for what everyone but the official scorekeeper thought was the Lancers' seventh timeout (a team is allowed five). A technical foul was called and Hurdle drained two more free throws to seal the Highlanders' upset victory over the 4th-seeded Lancers.

Helix (23-5) will now meet top-seeded La Costa Canyon (22-6) in Wednesday's (Mar. 2) Division I semifinals at 7 p.m. in Encinitas. The Mavericks advanced to the Final Four showdown by trashing Torrey Pines 85-55 Saturday night.
 
"We just have so many guys playing roles and playing them well," Helix coach JOHN SINGER said. "We weren't ranked in anybody's Top 10 at the beginning of the season. That's just fine, because I like being the 'Dog' (underdog)."
 
Hilltop, which claimed its first Metro Conference crown of any type since 1963, finishes its season at 25-3.

"I felt bad for them, because this was one of those Cinderella teams," Singer said of Chuck Vallero's Lancers. "They have guys who can stick the three(-ball), some pretty good shooters overall. But sometimes 'want' can mean more than talent. "
 
Lance Hurdle poured in a game high 22 points, including 6 over the final 28 seconds.
 
"We won it when it counted," said Hurdle. "I couldn't let my team down, and God blessed me the whole time."

After trailing by as many as 12 points in the 1st half, Hilltop finally got even at 47-all with 5:03 remaining, when Luke Kelley forced the ball through the paint for a layin. And when Lancers teammate Roger Davis did the same for a reverse layin for the lead moments later, the standing-room only crowd was roaring.
However, Highlanders demonstrated once again that they have more than just the senior Hurdle in their lineup.

With a chance to run out the clock while holding a 53-52 lead, Lancers guard Jon Orozco beat a defender and took the ball to the basket, only to see Helix forward DAVID JEFFERSON place a two-handed stuff block on the ball to force a turnover with 11 seconds left. Moments later, Hurdle was fouled, starting his impressive streak converting four straight pressure free throws. Hurdle was 10 for 11 from the foul line.

"Someone got beat on the dribble, so I had to help out," said Jefferson, who added eight points and six boards. "I just rolled over and helped out because we all had to do something. We really played a team game today."

The team concept came into play heavily in the first half, when Hurdle was sent to the bench with his third foul with 4:36 left. Although Hilltop trimmed an 11-point deficit down to 38-33 by the intermission, the rest of the Highlanders held their own without their UC Santa Barbara-bound guard.

"It took work and dedication to make it happen," noted forward CLINTON SHELTON, who recorded 11 of his 15 rebounds in the second half. "Lots of people think our team is just Lance, but guys like David (Jefferson), MATT (CALDWELL) and myself can make a difference, too."

AARON TINSLEY scored 8 points for Helix, including a pair of 3-balls in the opening minutes to mount a 22-14 advantage. Jefferson and Shelton each scored eight points, while LAWRENCE HURDLE posted 7 assists.

Moments before the technical foul was called, the game was delayed several minutes after the referees conferred with the scorekeepers to determine if Hilltop had just called an illegal 6th timeout. However, the home book (which said it was a legal, fifth timeout) took precedent. But on the ensuing restart, the Lancers inbounds passer called another timeout after Helix defender Lawrence Hurdle blanketed his attempts to put the ball in play.

"As a group, we pulled together," said sophomore Lawrence Hurdle. "It was a big game for us and nobody thought we could get this far."

Helix scoring: Lance Hurdle 22, Aaron Tinsley 10, Clinton Shelton 8, David Jefferson 8, Matt Caldwell 4, Lawrence Hurdle 4, Brandon Fountain 2.

STEELE CANYON 70, GROSSMONT 33:  The top-seeded Cougars (28-1) trounced the visiting Foothillers in Saturday's (Feb. 26) quarterfinals of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs in Rancho San Diego.
 
Led by the 17 points of JASON BEAUCHAMP, the Cougars were cruising 37-15 by intermission. Beauchamp, who finished with 19 against Grossmont, has scored 39 points in two playoff games.
 
"Jason was pretty impressive in that first half," said Steele Canyon coach BRAD LEAF of the 6-foot-4 UNLV-bound linebacker. Beauchamp was 8 for 13 from the floor, including one trey. He was 2-for-2 from the foul line and blocked 2 shots.
 
Steele Canyon senior GEORGE CUNNINGHAM, who was saddled with three fouls in the 1st quarter, scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
 
Scouts from Wagner College, a Division I school of 2,000 in Staten Island, N.Y., were in attendance and had to like what they saw from the 6-foot-7 Cunningham.

The Cougars' big man hit 7 of 12 shots from the floor and 7 of 8 free throws. He totaled 13 rebounds.
 
RICHIE WILLIAMS chipped in 16 points, 6 assists and 7 steals for the Cougars, who are 2 points shy of being undefeated.
 
Perhaps the biggest news for Steele Canyon was the return to (limited) active duty by junior WESLEY DAVIS.
 
"Yeah, it was good to have Wes back," Leaf said. Davis only played a few minutes, but will certainly see more activity when Steele Canyon hosts University City (19-9) in Wednesday's (Mar. 2) Division II semifinals at 7 p.m.
 
It was a long night and disappointing conclusion to an otherwise solid season for the Foothillers (17-11). 
 
TYLER HAJOSY paced the Hillers with 15 points, including a trio of treys against a Steele Canyon crew that beat them 65-21 earlier in the season. ROBERT GANGE added 7 points and 6 points for Grossmont, while TYLER BARBOUR pitched in 5 assists.
 
No doubt frustrated by the outcome, Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO had "no comment."
 
Steele Canyon scoring: George Cunningham 21, Jason Beauchamp 19, Richie Williams 16, Raymond Williams 5, Lionell Ball 5, Emory Mitchell 2, Wes Davis 2.
 
Grossmont scoring:  Tyler Hajosy 15, Robert Gange 7, Tyler Barbour 6, Dominic Elder 3, Justin Rutherford 2.
(02-26-05)

El Cajon Valley's Frank Collins (15) drives to the basket in Wednesday's CIF 1st round playoff action won by Hoover. (2-23-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

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.
 
El Cajon Valley's Shane Myers (30) looks for a shot in Wednesday's 1st round of CIF playoffs in a game won by Hoover. (2-23-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

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)