David Smith, Los Osos
Photo by Louis Lopez
David Smith, the boys basketball coach at
Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), is scheduled to have cancer surgery Thursday on his colon.
If surgery goes anything like his team's playoff run, he should be in good hands.
The Grizzlies were eliminated on Tuesday by second-seeded Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) in the Southern Section Division I-AA quarterfinals, but what a performance by Los Osos, which held a five-point lead lead with 3:09 remaining.
They were beaten in that game because Poly junior Alexis Moore connected on a three-point shot with two seconds remaining to give the Jackrabbits a 61-58 victory. Moore scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, proving Moore is too much.
It was a stout performance by Los Osos (20-9), the fourth-place team from the Baseline League, against a Poly squad that improved to 27-3 and went into the game ranked No. 4 in the state.
At one point in the second quarter, Los Osos guard Kendall Williams (24 points) made eight points in essentially one possession. He made three free-throws after being fouled on a three-point shot; two free-throws after a technical foul; and a three-point basket off the inbound after the technical fouls.
The technical foul was on Shelton Boykin, who has signed with Long Beach State; Williams is being recruited by Long Beach State, whose coach, Dan Monson was on hand.
After such a thrilling game, one thing is certain: Smith's heart is plenty strong. His team beat Thousand Oaks (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), last year's Division II-A champion, in overtime in the second round, 86-79, because Khalil Kelly and Williams combined for 61 points, and because Omar Ajanovic turned in a big second-half defensive performance against Alex Tiffin despite a five-inch height disadvantage.
Smith, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, told the San Bernardino County Sun: “With my surgery on Thursday, I just asked them to get me to Wednesday.”
Long Beach Poly celebrates a close win over Los Osos.
<center>Photo by Louis Lopez</center>
He has their number, and it's 40
Kyle Fuller made seven three-point baskets and scored 40 points to lead Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.) to a 65-57 victory over Lakewood (Lakewood, Calif.) in the second round of the boys' Division I-AA playoffs. Fuller would appear to have Lakewood's number: He scored 42 in a 65-64 victory over the Lancers in a December in the Ocean View tournament.
It was the 15th consecutive victory for Rancho Verde (25-3)
Running away or running it up?
In the first round of the City Section playoffs, second-seeded Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Calif.) beat Sylmar, 128-29. That's a 99-point margin of victory.
Ousted
The Southern Section does a good job of seeding basketball, but still, anything can happen. Top-seeded Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) was beaten by Santa Monica (Santa Monica, Calif.) in a low-scoring 40-39 contest as the Vikings reached the boys' Division I-A semifinals.
Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) also KO'd a No. 1, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 81-75, in the quarterfinals.
With the semifinals set for boys, 13 seeded teams in the 12 divisions who are not in the semis.
Meeting of the minds
A week ago we told you about Verdugo Hills (Tujunga, Calif.) winning the East Valley League title, the school's first since 1959. The coach of that team, Si Korach, 91, was scheduled to meet with current coach Jared Gibson, 33, on Friday.
A perfect 10
Tim Chung of Los Alamitos broke his own school record with 10 three-point baskets in a 68-50 victory over San Clemente in the first round of the boys' Division I-AA playoffs. Chung's 30 points helped propel the Griffins to a 68-50 victory. Los Al didn't have enough – and who does, really – for Mater Dei in the quarterfinals as the top-seeded Monarchs won, 80-60.
Moore is too much sometimes
Anyone questioning the veracity of the Moore League in girls basketball might want to rethink their position.
The league boasts top-seeded Long Beach Poly (25-2), which has outscored its first two opponents, 164-41, to set up a game at No. 7 Ontario Colony. But overall, the Moore League has three of the eight quarterfinalists that went into Wednesday's Division I-AA playoffs quarterfinals.
Third-place entry Long Beach Millikan (17-10), seeded No. 12, remained alive with a 40-31 overtime victory over No. 4 San Bernardino Cajon, the defending champion (although this season it has no seniors in the starting lineup). Amelia Patterson made two three-pointers in overtime to upset the Cowgirls. Next up for Millikan is Etiwanda (23-6).
Second-place Long Beach Jordan (22-7), seeded No. 8, beat Redondo Union and No. 10 Downey Warren, 55-53, to set up a game at second-seeded Corona Santiago (27-2), which boasts the Lister twins, Jasmine and Cinnamon.
Fourth-place Long Beach Wilson (12-16) was beaten by No. 15 Rancho Verde in the first round in overtime, 66-60.
St. Bonaventure forfeits games, league title
St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) forfeited its 11 victories of the 2009 football season because Troy Hill was a fifth-year senior. Hill came from Youngstown (Ohio) Chaney, where he had already completed his freshman year, but enrolled at St. Bonaventure to repeat his freshman year. A transcript provided to St. Bonny reportedly showed that Hill was a freshman but did not reveal he was a second-year freshman because of inadequate grades.
Hill was a All-Northern Section first team selection this season, and had signed with Oregon; it was the compliance officer there who alerted St. Bonaventure that it had discovered discrepencies.
St. Bonaventure, which moves to the Marmonte League next season, had a string of 13 consecutive league titles snapped by the forfeitures, according to the Ventura County Star. No team had won the Channel League title since St. Bonaventure's arrival; the new league champ will be Ventura Buena.
The issue ends with the forfeitures for the 2009 season, said Southern Section Commissioner Jim Staunton.
Causes of death released
Kevin Telles, the Garden Grove player whose death inspired his team to reach the Southern Section football finals for the first time since World War II, died of an inflammation of the heart muscle, according to the Orange County coroner. The technical term is myocarditis, an uncommon condition affecting the muscular walls of the heart that can cause chest pains and abnormal heart rhythms.
Telles, 17, collapsed in the final minutes of his team's season-opening game on a play in which he made no contact with other players. Better known as a linebacker, he was playing fullback at the time against Westminster on Sept. 11, 2009.
The death of another boy, Spencer Juarez, 13, a freshman running back at Hollywood High, was caused by a “massive cerebral edema due to blunt head trauma.” He collapsed on the sidelines after carrying the ball during a game against L.A. West Adams and died the next day, Oct. 17.
Loyola hires Carson coach
Mike Christensen had success at Lakewood (Lakewood, Calif.) for six years, and followed that with four years at Carson. Now, he has the task of restoring Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.) as a power in the Pac-5 Division.
The last of the four premier coaching positions to be filled – and, surprisingly, the first one made available – in the section's marquee Pac-5 Division, Christensen joins Jon Mack at Encino Crespi, Harry Welch at Santa Margarita and Jason Negro at Bellflower St. John Bosco.
Loyola competes in the Serra League, which includes Crespi. Neither qualified for the playoffs in 2009.
The Cubs' job became available when Jeff Kearin resigned on Oct. 3, about a month into the season. Adam Guerra replaced Kearin in the interim. The team, beset by key injuries – particularly to running back/linebacker Anthony Barr – finished 4-6 overall, 1-2 in the Serra League, which includes La Puente Bishop Amat, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Crespi and next season will add Mission Hills Alemany.
“It's a dream come true, to be honest, because I had so much respect for the school competing against them,” said Christensen, who has one son attending Loyola, sophomore linebacker Bryan, and an eighth-grader on the way, Spencer.
“Both our sons are going there regardless of whether I was going there or not,” Christensen said. “I might have a unique perspective, being a parent, but there's very little wrong with this school. I know it sounds crazy, but my son had fun (in the lower levels) and developed as a person and a player. (Guerra) did a great job stepping in, and for a young guy showed a lot of promise. He had passion, that's why they like having former Loyola people there.
“It's competitive, they're in a competitive league, and it's difficult, but I don't think there's a whole lot wrong, I just hope to get it back on track. In any program, that's usually where things go awry, when you lose sight of what the point is and the fundamentals of the game.”
Although Christensen is an outsider by definition, he was a parent of a Loyola student before the job became available, so he was committed to the school. But he plans to draw heavily on assistant coaches who are Loyola graduates “to uphold the traditions. I'm not there to change anything, I just want to enhance what they already have.”
His pedigree makes him a solid choice. He instituted a real sense of “program” at Carson, which had had previous successes, and won three Marine League titles in four seasons. He was also the perennial No. 2 to Long Beach Poly in the Moore League while at Lakewood for six seasons.
He has a chance to provide Loyola the kind of stability it enjoyed for many years under Steve Grady. Christensen expects this to be his last coaching job.
“I do not envision ever trying to go anywhere else,” Christensen said. “I'm hoping I can be successful there and be there for awhile.”
The school is looking for a game for Week 3.
Comings and goings
Mike Christensen's departure for Loyola now creates another plumb position – at Carson. The Colts have long been one of the City Section's top programs.
Eric Zomalt has been named the new football coach at Perris Citrus Hill. Zomalt was defensive coordinator for the team's entire five-year existence. A defensive back at California, Zomalt played three seasons in the NFL. This is his first head coaching position. He replaces Doug Dubois, who resigned earlier this month.
Matt Bechtel has been named the football coach at Ontario Colony. He was previously offensive coordinator at Los Osos. This is his first head coaching position. Colony won section titles in 2006 and 2007.
Scott Orloff, who had successful head coaching stints at Santa Ana Valley and Dana Hills, has been named the new football coach at Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills. He had been the defensive coordinator at Orange Coast College the past eight seasons. He replaced Jason Negro, who became the coach at Bellflower St. John Bosco.
Yucaipa and Colton are still looking for high school football coaches.
On the move
Freshman defensive back Su'a Cravens, reportedly the first freshman in 23 years to start at Temecula Valley, has transferred to Vista Murrieta.
“Just exercised his right as a freshman,” Cravens' father, Kevin, told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Freshmen athletes get a free pass to transfer schools without penalty prior to the the first day of their sophomore years.
Other movement among young players, according to the Los Angeles Times: Running back Dionza Blue, from La Puente Bishop Amat to West Hills Chaminade; running back Terrell Newby, from Van Nuys Montclair Prep to Chaminade; running back Timothy Hayes, from Santa Monica to Encino Crespi; running back Zachary Green, from Westlake Village Oaks Christian to Los Angeles Cathedral; quarterback Hayden Rettig, from San Clemente to Cathedral.
Rettig is the younger brother of San Clemente quarterback Chase Rettig, who has signed with Boston College and was a transfer himself before his senior season, from Pasadena La Salle.
Signing days
You never see kickers or punters play the hat dance in front of cameras, do you? Maybe it's because they're just happy they're being offered scholarships. Redlands kicker Shaun McClain accepted a scholarship to Weber State after averaging 38 yards per punt, 65 yards per kickoff, and booting 39 PATs and three field goals.
Martin Henderson began covering Southland preps in 1993 for the Los Angeles Times. He contributes to the Orange County Register, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun, and offers up motorsports opinions at Racescribe.com. You can reach him at southlandpreps@yahoo.com.
