Sierra Canyon routs Taft in Division I regional basketball opener
A couple of hours earlier than a Sierra Canyon-hosted Division I regional basketball opener that became a celebration for a highway Taft crowd in Chatsworth, Toreadors head coach Derrick Taylor picked up the cellphone, exasperated.
Some child on campus, he defined, was shopping for tickets for Tuesday evening’s conflict towards the Trailblazers and promoting them for $25. By tipoff towards Sierra Canyon, he had came upon it was a freshman on his staff.
“What can I say,” Taylor mentioned. “Capitalism at its best.”
Everyone on campus was excited, as evidenced by the roars that went by way of Sierra Canyon’s health club after Bishop Brooks hit a three-pointer to open the sport. Everyone was excessive. Taylor was not. This was a embellished coach with the advantage of hindsight on the days when he and Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier had their battles within the City Section, he and former Cleveland coach Chevalier competing to draw the very best youngsters within the San Fernando Valley.
So everybody walks into the health club towards Sierra Canyon, Taylor mentioned, and will get intimidated. Not him on this evening. Not his reigning City Section-champion Toreadors. They would muck it up if the Trailblazers tried to play gritty or run with them in the event that they tried to play quick.
“I’m just going to play it by ear, see whichever one of the styles that work,” Taylor mentioned. “Now, if neither one of them work, yeah, s—, call 911. There’s an assault.”
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the sirens got here within the second as Taft simply couldn’t run with Sierra Canyon in transition, the Trailblazers capturing the lights out and dominating the paint in an 84-47 win.
Senior Jimmy Oladokun led the best way with 16 factors with future University of San Diego coach Steve Lavin sitting courtside, Ashton Hardaway added 15 with a number of deep threes, and Noah Williams had 14 and Bronny James 13.
Twenty years in the past, when the highschool basketball panorama ran by way of the City Section, the tables had been turned. Chevalier was a younger coach attempting to knock off Taft, his Cleveland program brimming with expertise like future NBA participant Nick Young, and Taylor had a cabinet filled with future Division I athletes.
Twenty years later, Chevalier’s ascended by way of the private-school ranks, now his flip to captain a roster filled with future collegiate expertise as personal and prep faculties reign. And aside from a short stint at St. John Bosco, Taylor has remained within the City, seeing the expertise cabinet run sparse.
“You think back on it, you always wonder _ what if it stayed the same?” Taylor mentioned of the altering recreation. “I don’t cry about none of it … you either adjust to it, or you get consumed by it and you get bitter.”
In entrance of a packed Valley crowd _ hometown youngsters like Taft alumnus and “Last Chance U: S2” star Demetrius Calip II in attendance _ Taft got here out bombing away with zero hesitation, enjoying the Trailblazers robust in a 26-20 first quarter. But James yo-yoed right into a stepback three to push the result in 10 come the second quarter, and the Trailblazers had been off, Taft merely not closing out shortly sufficient to shooters in transition and halfcourt.
Chevalier patrolled the sidelines in a go well with and tie, a noticeable change in outfit from his regular Sierra Canyon tracksuit. In a last stretch of the season and Southern Section playoff run decimated by damage and inconsistency, Sierra Canyon had gone 3-7 over its previous 10 video games, in want of a palate cleanser within the state bracket.
The mentality, Chevalier mentioned postgame of his outfit change, was all enterprise.
“Change the mojo,” he smiled. “Do something different.”
In handshake traces after an eventual blowout win, Taylor pulled his former rival apart, the 2 exchanging last phrases on the day after a dialog earlier reflecting on “where we come from,” Chevalier mentioned.
“Obviously, it’s the changing of the guard – the private schools have taken over a bit,” Chevalier mentioned of Taylor. “So, it’s a bit different. But I still respect him for what he’s done. It’s not easy to win a championship, and he did that this year.”
Sierra Canyon will advance to the second spherical of the DI bracket to play Etiwanda Thursday.
In different video games, top-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took management within the second half to defeat Fairfax 84-68. Dusty Stromer scored 21 factors and Caleb Foster and Mercy Miller added 20 apiece. Dante Ogbu added 13 factors. Darius Carr scored 27 factors for Fairfax. Notre Dame will play host to Manhattan Beach Mira Costa on Thursday. Mira Costa defeated San Diego Montgomery 49-45.
The greatest upset of the evening belonged to King/Drew of the City Section. The No. 16 seed in Division II, King/Drew defeated top-seeded Anaheim Canyon 73-65. No. 2-seeded Tesoro acquired 26 factors from Carson Brown in a 60-51 win over Bakersfield Centennial.
In Division IV, Van Nuys Grant defeated Newport Harbor Sage Hill 59-59 on a three-pointer by DJ Gains with 5.6 seconds left.
In ladies Division I, Orange Lutheran rallied for a 62-59 highway victory over City Section Open Division champion Westchester. Granada Hills defeated Torrance Bishop Montgomery 59-57 behind Marianne Boco’s 25 factors. No.16 West Hills Chaminade upset No.1 Ontario Christian 88-65.
Girls soccer
Marina 2, Bakersfield Centennial 0: Samantha Esparza and Sarah Sumrall every had targets in a Division III opener.
Hart 2, El Camino Real 0: The top-seeded Indians grew to become the primary staff to attain on City champion ECR after 15 consecutive shutouts to win their Division II regional opener. Gianna Costello and Macey Edemann every scored targets.
Bishop Amat 4, Cleveland 1: Lenea Guerrero scored three targets in Bishop Amat’s Division III victory.
Boys soccer
Birmingham 2, Montclair 1: Tony Macedo and Oscar Vargas scored targets within the Division I recreation.
Baseball
St. John Bosco 2, Lakewood 1: The Braves improved to 4-2. Colin Caycedo struck out six and allowed 5 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Zach Woodson had each RBIs.
Harvard-Westlake 6, St. Francis 1: The Wolverines (4-1) opened Mission League play with a highway victory. Thomas Bridges struck out 10 in 4 2/3 innings. Eli Weinbach had a two-run double.
Arcadia 4, Claremont 2: Gabe Lopez improved to 3-0 with 4 1/3 innings. Ian Hoffstetter struck out 5 in 1 2/3 innings. Jerry Carlos had two hits and two RBIs.