BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: A.V. CHRISTIAN WAS WELL PREPARED : SUMMER WORKOUTS KEY IN EAGLES' RUN TO TITLE GAME.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer This might as well have been Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Christian's regular season, not that series of Agape agape In the New Testament, the fatherly love of God for humans and their reciprocal love for God. The term extends to the love of one's fellow humans. The Church Fathers used the Greek term to designate both a rite using bread and wine and a meal of fellowship that included League muggings that resulted in an undefeated championship. The Eagles' key players pointed to an endless summer of camps, clinics and travel-league tournaments as the main reasons why they're still playing basketball. There's only one more prize to claim today as a result of that dedication: A.V. Christian meets Price in the Southern Section Division V-AA boys' basketball championship game at the Bren Center in Irvine. The second-seeded Eagles take a 21-2 record to Orange County with just one senior and the memory of last year's disastrous five-win season under then rookie rookie a novice; often an athlete playing his first season as a member of a professional sports team. [Sports: Misc.] See : Inexperience head coach David Nurse. He's taken A.V. Christian back to the section finals four years after the school's last appearance and subsequent tragic death of head coach Frank Lawton. ``Everybody's asking me what we did last year,'' Nurse said. ``I just tell them `Nothing.' '' Literally, as well as figuratively fig·u·ra·tive adj. 1. a. Based on or making use of figures of speech; metaphorical: figurative language. b. Containing many figures of speech; ornate. 2. . But all of that changed in April when Peter Beaudin, Jamal Flanagan and Matthew Nurse, all underclassmen, decided to spend their offseason getting better. They did. The Eagles offer not one or two but three players who average more than 20 points per game: Beaudin at 23.2, Flanagan at 22.0 and Nurse at 21.6. Beaudin, a junior, and Flanagan, a sophomore, transferred to tiny A.V. Christian from sprawling Golden League schools Lancaster and Littlerock last spring. Matthew Nurse, the coach's son, is also a sophomore. But combining their summer of basketball barnstorming
Barnstorming , David Nurse's intense practice habits and the run to the V-AA title game, the trio is far ahead of schedule. ``A lot of other players didn't do anything last summer. But we worked hard to get where we are at now,'' said Flanagan, a slashing slash·ing adj. 1. Bitingly critical or satiric: slashing wit. 2. Dashing; pelting: a slashing hailstorm. 3. small forward. ``At the beginning of the season, our goal was to get to the finals and that's where we're going to be on Friday,'' Beaudin said. David Nurse advised any of his players who had such lofty aspirations aspirations npl → aspiraciones fpl (= ambition); ambición f aspirations npl (= hopes, ambition) → aspirations fpl to attend as many basketball-related events as the summer calendar allowed. Matthew Nurse, Flanagan and Beaudin participated in the ARC camp at North Hollywood High
Playing against such larger-school standouts as Arizona-bound guard Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. (born January 6, 1982 in Florida[0]) is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards. Arenas overcame his modest NBA debut, including being a second-round draft pick, to establish himself as one of the most of Grant was much more of a tuneup for the Eagles than the Agape League. ``We were in a weak league,'' declared Beaudin, a 6-4 center who averages 13 rebounds. ``We just weren't going to see any of this kind of talent during the season.'' Furthermore, considering some of the Eagles' final scores in the regular season were of the 109-41, 105-53 and 102-57 variety, coach Nurse's practice sessions were more competitive. Nurse's goal during A.V. Christian workouts is to simulate simulate - simulation game situations and conditions. And a lot of running up and down the floor, the foundation of Nurse's up-tempo philosophy. The Eagles' players consider themselves to be in better physical condition than their opponents. ``Today, (Tuesday) we were a little lethargic because we went so hard yesterday,'' David Nurse said. ``That was good for us.'' The Eagles, whose rotation only goes about eight deep, have hardly been stagnant stagnant /stag·nant/ (stag´nant) 1. motionless; not flowing or moving. 2. inactive; not developing or progressing. once they take the court. A.V. Christian has exceeded the 100-point mark eight times. The game statistics have sometimes been staggering. It hasn't been uncommon to see three or four players record double-doubles. ``It's like . . . `Who do you want to try and eliminate?' '' Price coach Mike Lynch said. ``I don't think I've ever seen three players on a team who score 20 points a game.'' There is diversity among the Eagles' starting five. Beaudin is a dominating inside scorer but is capable of stepping out and making a perimeter jumper The simplest form of an on/off switch. It is just a tiny, plastic-covered metal block, which is pushed onto two pins to close that circuit. It is used to select a myriad of functions on a printed circuit board or on a peripheral device. . Matthew Nurse is a deadly outside shooter who buried eight 3-pointers in a 40-point performance earlier this season. Flanagan, despite averaging 21 points and 15 rebounds, has actually been ignored by teams focusing on Beaudin inside and Nurse outside. Power forward John Cho (13 rebounds per game) and guard Scott Hannah, the lone senior on the roster, are quintessential quin·tes·sen·tial adj. Of, relating to, or having the nature of a quintessence; being the most typical: "Liszt was the quintessential romantic" Musical Heritage Review. role players. ``The starting five has a lot of confidence in each other,'' Beaudin said. ``Everybody is going to get their shots. It doesn't matter who gets the points, it's just important that we win.'' With so many proven scorers on an offense that provides major matchup problems for its opponents, A.V. Christian lost just twice to larger schools: Nordhoff and Aquinas. David Nurse has given his players the freedom to let fly when their shot is available. At times, he'll wave the red flag, but the Eagles have been racing under green much of the year. ``We just pass the ball around very well. Peter can score inside, Jamal gets inside and gets the rebounds and I can hit the three,'' Matthew Nurse said. ``We've worked hard and have good chemistry with each other. . . . Our team motto is `Play Hard, Work Hard, Have Fun.' '' TODAY'S PLAYOFF play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. MEN'S BASKETBALL A.V. CHRISTIAN (21-2) VS. PRICE (28-2) Vitals vi·tals pl.n. 1. The vital body organs. 2. The parts that are essential to continued functioning, as of a system. : Southern Section Division V-AA boys' basketball championship game; 3 p.m. at the Bren Center, Irvine. Price outlook: The top-seeded Knights cruised through four playoff victims behind a stifling defense and a balanced scoring attack. Five players - Mychal Lynch, Othel Johnson, Jermaine Jamison Jermaine Jamison (born April 9, 1983) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. , Chris Alexander and Andrew Howard - average between 12 and 15 points per game. AV Christian outlook: The Eagles are in a section final for the first time in four years after winning just five games last season. Led by mostly underclassmen, second-seeded A.V. Christian has numerous options on offense with 20-point scorers Jamal Flanagan, Matthew Nurse and Peter Beaudin. Sophomore John Cho is a tireless rebounder (13 per game) but is also capable of adding scoring punch from the power forward spot. What does A.V. Christian have to do to win: Exploit potential matchup problems with Flanagan, Beaudin and Nurse. Neither Price coach Mike Lynch or A.V. Christian coach David Nurse expect the other to back away from their game plans. A.V. Christian wants a high-scoring game. The Knights are holding opponents' scores in the mid-40's but also surpassed the 100-point mark three times. Directions: Take the 405 Freeway toward Orange County. In Costa Mesa Costa Mesa (kŏs`tə mā`sə), city (1990 pop. 96,357), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific south of Santa Ana; inc. 1953. It is a transportation, residential, and light industrial center. , take the 73 Freeway south and exit at University Drive. Turn right at Mesa Drive at the campus. The Bren Center is located on the right. - Chris Cocoles CAPTION(S): Box BOX: TODAY'S PLAYOFF (See text) |
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