By Bill Dickens
MaxPreps .com
San Diego Hoover High’s Angelo Chol and Idris ibn Idris were among the standouts at the third annual Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Basketball Classic at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
No doubt the top game of the day pitted Hoover’s Cardinals and Gardena Serra, which featured a match-up of two of the most highly coveted bigs in the west in the 6-foot-9, 200-pound Chol and Gardena’s 6-9 sophomore Kevin Johnson.
According to Joel Francisco, a basketball aficionado, scout and writer for 15 years, Chol won that face-to-face encounter and may be the No. 1 prospect in the loaded 2011 class in California.
A southpaw, Chol is just finding his game and can only get better. Those who have seen him play recognize his quickness off his feet and how, as a shooter, he’s a sure thing from 15 feet. His work in the paint is solid, but needs more experience in that area if he is to continue his dominance at the DI level. Consider this – 418 blocked shots (8.5 avg) in 49 games to date.
According to MaxPreps.com’s statistical leaderboards, Chol is the nation’s leader in blocked shots.
Surprise on the rise
Idris ibn Idris, a 6-3, 180-pound senior out of San Diego Hoover, has solid ball skills and a knack for scoring. Where Idris excels is in the transition game; he attacks the basket with the best. Defense is his strength, so the experts predict his ability to land a Division I scholarship hinges on his development as a shooter. His shot isn't completely broken, but his release is slow, Francisco says.
El Cajon Valley shuts down scoring king
Known more for his scoring prowess, El Cajon Valley junior Jordan Shivers cranked up his defensive game to shut down East San Diego County scoring leader Dean Miller of Granite Hills on Jan. 5 as the Braves overcame a 20-point deficit to gain a 49-48 victory. Shivers held Miller to 7 points – more than 20 below his season average. A week earlier Granite Hills hammered the Braves 70-46.
Payne’s awards are painless
Eastlake senior guard Cheyenne Curley-Payne was named Most Valuable Player of the Walt Disney All Sports Tournament. She scored 17, 15 and seven points for the Titans, who went 2-1, dropping their only game to Upperman High from Tennessee. Curley-Payne also earned all-tournament honors in the SoCal Prep Holiday Classic’s WNBA Division.
El Camino’s Evans goes wild
El Camino senior Luke Evans scored 27 points in a 52-50 win over Crespi and 33 points in a 107-80 win over Bishop Montague in the Desert Heat Classic, and 26 points in a 93-64 nonleague win over Otay Ranch.
Other Top Performances
— Six-foot-10 junior Jeremy Tyler of San Diego has scored more than 40 points twice (with a high 41), chalked up 30 or more three times and posted two games of 29 points for the Cavers (6-3) for an overall 30.9 average.
— Zach Wolfenzon, a senior out of La Jolla Country Day, directed his soccer team to the Francis Parker Tournament championship, scoring both goals in a semifinal win over Preuss and a goal in the Torreys' triumph over Parker in the final. His 63 career goals tie the La Jolla Country Day school record.
— Vista’s Quincy Lawson earned Most Valuable Player honors of the 20th annual Spartan Classic after leading the Panthers to a 57-54 win over Helix in the finals with 13 points, eight rebounds and nine blocks.
— Rancho Buena Vista sophomore goalie William Whiddon logged 10 saves as the Longhorns posted a 1-0 win in penalty kicks over Mission Hills in the finals of the Premier bracket of the Southern California Soccer Showcase.
— Conrad Snell of Poway was one of two CIFSDS wrestlers to capture a title at the El Cajon Valley Invitational. Snell claimed the gold medal in the 135-pound weight class, including three pins.
Coming Attractions
A one-day girls basketball extravaganza of top-notch teams will be held at Spring Valley Mount Miguel on Saturday (Jan. 10). The five-game menu includes: Ontario Colony vs. Santee West Hills, noon; San Diego vs. Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, 1:45; Chino Hills Ayala vs. Mount Miguel 3:30; Bishop Gorman (Nev.) vs. Chula Vista Eastlake 5:15; Laguna Hills vs. Our Lady of Peace 7.
Dickens Dealings
I went to school with Glen Takahashi. Granted it was only 7th and 8th grade, but we always maintained a cordial friendship. Whether it was at a wrestling meet or when Takahashi was the public address announcer at Valhalla football games, we were always close.
A champion wrestler who built the El Cajon Valhalla High School program into a state and national power, the 59-year-old Takahashi died of congestive heart failure on Dec. 31.
"It's not the circumstances you'd want because Glen wasn't done coaching,” said present Norsemen wrestling coach Mark Girardi, who captured the state 138-pound title under Takahashi in 1986. “He wasn't ready to retire."
The mild mannered Takahashi's high school coaching career lasted 33 years, posting a dual meet record of 234-52-2 at three local schools: University of San Diego High (now Cathedral Catholic), El Cajon Valley, then his final 19 seasons at Valhalla.
While with the Valhalla Norsemen, Takahashi’s teams captured the state CIF title in 1985 and the state runner-up in 1991. His teams finished 4th a total of four times. Only four other schools earned more top 5 finishes at the CIF state championships than Takahashi's teams.
His wrestlers included 83 CIF champions, 46 Masters champions, plus 37 state medalists, 7 individual state title winners, 10 All-Americans and a national champion in David Lopez.
As an athlete, Takahashi was a CIF-San Diego Section champion out of Monte Vista High, going undefeated from 1965-67, capturing the CIF San Diego Section Wrestler of the Year award in 1966. He went on to Brigham Young University (1967-71), gaining a berth on the All-Western Athletic Conference team in 1970 while earning his Bachelor's degree. He capped his education with a Master’s degree from San Diego State.
Takahashi was a nine-time Grossmont League coach of the year, five times the CIFSDS Coach of the Year, and eventually gained induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for lifetime service (1999) and California Wrestling Hall of Fame (2006).
Takahashi is survived by his wife Pamela, and two children, Chelsea and Branden.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 11th, at 2 p.m. at Faith Chapel, 9400 Campo Road, Spring Valley, CA 91977.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Glen Takahashi Memorial Scholarship Fund, Point Loma Community Bank, 1350 Rosecrans St., San Diego, CA 92106.
