PICK AND ROLL PREP BASKETBALL NEWS AND FEATURES FROM AROUND THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY ... AND BEYOND.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore and Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News.Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. TALE OF TWO TEAMS Having played on last year's City Section championship team at Taft of Woodland Hills, Toreadors senior Jerry Johnson Jerry Johnson can refer to:
And just like last year's Jordan Farmar-led title team, Johnson thinks this season's Toreadors can win the championship. ``I don't see why not,'' Johnson said. ``We have what you need to win.'' Of course, there are some differences. Farmar (now the starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the guard at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX ) was at times a one-man show, dominating games when needed, with minimal contributions from players like Matt Cook, Calvin Haynes and Johnson. ``This year, I think we have a lot more weapons, it's spread out quite a bit more,'' Johnson said. ``In a lot of ways, that makes us even more dangerous.'' Haynes is the team's top player, but talented freshmen Oscar Bellfield and Larry Drew Larry Donnell Drew (born April 2 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1980 NBA Draft. , Jr. have injected balance to the Toreadors, transforming them into a better defensive team. ``We can pressure teams all over the court, the whole game,'' Johnson said. Of course, with Westchester back in the playoffs after a one-year ban, the Comets will automatically go into the City Division playoffs next week as the favorites. ``But if we play our game, we can play with anyone,'' Johnson said. FIT TO BE TIED Wins tonight by Valencia (19-6, 7-2) over Hart of Newhall (11-12, 5-4) and Saugus (19-5, 7-2) over Canyon (12-13, 4-5) will create a tie for first place in the Foothill League. For playoff purposes, a coin flip will decide who the first- and second-place teams are. If Canyon wins and Hart loses, there will be a tie for third place, resulting in a coin toss. FRONTIER DAYS It has been a difficult year for Oaks Christian of Westlake Village. The Lions (8-17, 3-4) lost their best player - Matt Hornbuckle - to a season- ending leg injury and played without inspirational leader Duke Lemmens for the last two weeks because of a broken bone under his right eye. But it could get better tonight if the Lions beat Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. . If they do, and if Nordhoff of Ojai defeats Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. of Oxnard tonight, there will be a three-way tie for second place in the Frontier League The Frontier League, based in Troy, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States and Western Pennsylvania. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either. . That means the league will determine its second- and third-place teams with a one-day playoff Friday. ``We're ready to go,'' Oaks Christian coach Ryan Moore Ryan Moore is the name of:
It's all predicated on an Oaks Christian win tonight. If that happens, two scenarios will unfold. --If Oaks Christian and Nordhoff win: There will be a three-way tie for second place between Santa Clara, Oaks Christian and Santa Paula. The three teams will head to Nordhoff on Friday for a two-game playoff to decide the second-, third- and fourth-place teams. A draw will determine team A, B and C. Team A will play team B at 4 p.m., with the loser ending the year in fourth place. The winner will play team C at 7 p.m. to decide second and third place. --If Oaks Christian wins and Nordhoff loses: Oaks Christian and Santa Paula will finish in a third-place tie, and the teams will head to Santa Clara at 7 p.m. Friday to break the tie. For Oaks Christian, it's all about tonight's home game against Santa Paula. ``For things to go the way they did and for us to still be sitting here controlling our own destiny is a pretty good feeling,'' Moore said. `"We've been through quite a bit this year, but somehow, some way, we've stayed in the hunt. Now we have to go beat Santa Paula.'' Moore is not worried about the potential of playing three games in 24 hours. ``I think we've done a pretty good job in terms of conditioning this year, so you hope it doesn't come down to fatigue and I don't think it will,'' Moore said. ``Besides, in this situation I think the guys will be so pumped up for the chance they've been given, they'll find the energy.'' PLAYOFF PICTURES Taft and Cleveland of Reseda will likely end the regular season as co- champions of the West Valley League, and a coin flip will decide which team goes into the playoffs as the first-place team. Taft and Cleveland should be among the top six seeds in the City Section playoffs. Others receiving consideration will be Poly of Sun Valley - the surprise Sunset Six League champion - and Monroe and Sylmar, which will likely finish tied for the Valley Mission League title. Westchester and Fairfax of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. are expected to be seeded No. 1 and No. 2. The Southern Section announces its playoff seedings Sunday. Teams from the region expecting high seeds are Calabasas (Div. II-A), La Canada (III-AA), Harvard-Westlake of Studio City (III-A), Campbell Hall Campbell Hall can refer to:
n. The summit line of a hill. Christian of Granada Hills (Div. V-AA) and 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 in Div. V-A V-A abbr. ventriculoatrial . GREAT TURNAROUND By winning the Golden League championship, Quartz Hill completed a remarkable last-to-first turnaround in one season. ``It's been a great year,'' Quartz Hill guard Nate Forte said. ``We knew we would be good, but to predict that we would have done what we have, I'm not sure any of us could say that.'' With the Rebels (17-6, 8-1) winning the league title, second and third place comes down to Palmdale (14-11, 5-4), Highland (14-11, 5-4) and Lancaster (12-12, 5-4) tonight. Lancaster plays host to Highland at 7:30 tonight, with the winner assured of at least a tie for second place. Littlerock visits Palmdale, which also earns a share of second place with a victory. A coin flip will break any ties. LEAGUE UPDATES --Alpha: Paraclete of Lancaster thought tonight's game at home against Pacific Hills of Los Angeles would be for the league title, but a 55-52 loss to third-place Whittier Christian of La Habra La Habra (lə hăb`rə), city (1990 pop. 51,266), Orange co., S Calif.; inc. 1925. A suburb of Los Angeles, La Habra was settled in the 1860s by Basque sheepherders. on Saturday ended those hopes. Pacific Hills has clinched the league title with a 7-0 record. Junior forward Bria Fields was disappointed in the loss, but has her sights focused on the playoffs. Paraclete won the Delphic League two consecutive years but lost early in the playoffs. ``We could've played better, but everyone has their off days,'' Fields said of Saturday's loss. ``We need to do better in the playoffs. We lost in the first round two years ago and the second round last year so hopefully this year we can make a run to the (Long Beach) Pyramid this year.'' --Golden: Antelope Valley defeated Lancaster 39-37 Tuesday night to move into a tie for first place with Palmdale. Both teams are 7-2. Palmdale should win tonight against fifth-place Littlerock, but Antelope Valley must get by a dangerous Quartz Hill team that needs one more victory to become playoff eligible. If both teams win, they'll share the title and go into the playoffs as first-place teams since they are in different divisions of the Southern Section playoffs. It would be Antelope Valley's first league title since 2002, when it also shared the championship with Palmdale. With Tuesday night's 39-37 loss to Antelope Valley, Lancaster (18-8, 6-3) dropped out of first place for the first time this season. After opening 4-0, Lancaster has gone 2-3 to fall into third place. But with 18 victories, the Eagles are assured of making the playoffs for the third consecutive year. --Mission: Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame (8-1) clinched the first league title in school history with a 53-47 victory over Alemany of Mission Hills on Tuesday night. Chaminade (7-2) clinched second place with a victory over Louisville of Woodland Hills, also Tuesday night. Alemany (5-4) would finish third with a victory over last-place Louisville tonight, and Harvard-Westlake (5-4) can only make the playoffs by beating Chaminade tonight on the road. Alemany holds the tiebreaker tie·break·er n. An additional contest or period of play designed to establish a winner among tied contestants. Also called tiebreak. tie with Harvard-Westlake with two victories against the Wolverines. KEEPING TABS Former Newbury Park standout Brynn Cameron is third in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (43 percent) as a freshman for USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. , which is the surprise of the Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members in second place. Two former area stars will return to the area this week. Chaminade standout Christina Zdenek plays for Utah State, which visits Cal State Northridge at 7 tonight. Former Saugus star AnnMarie Summerhays will be in town Saturday. Summerhays plays for Idaho, which plays at Northridge at 7 p.m. WHO'S HOT Cela Sutton, Harvard-Westlake Early in the season it was clear just how much Harvard-Westlake of Studio City had lost from the previous season, when it won the Mission League title. Stefanie Clark Stefanie Clark (born November 10, 1980 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island as Stefanie Richard) is a Canadian curler. She throws lead rocks for Suzanne Gaudet. , a Daily News First-Team All-Area selection, graduated. So did all-league center Amanda Maddahi and another center quit before her senior year. The Wolverines lost their first three games by an average of 17 points. They didn't win until their eighth game and had lost nine games by Jan. 1. That was more than Melissa Hearlihy had lost in any one of her 20 seasons as a head coach. ``I think in that first tournament, we all were thinking `Geez geez interj. Used to express mild surprise, delight, dissatisfaction, or annoyance. [Shortening and alteration of Jesus1.] , we've lost so many players,' '' junior guard Cela Sutton said. ``But we've grown a lot as a team since then.'' Sutton has been at the forefront of the Wolverines' resurgence. She scored 19 points in Harvard-Westlake's upset of then-No. 3 Sylmar on Jan. 29, 28 points in a 64-62 overtime victory over No. 6 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks last Thursday and 19 points in a victory over Flintridge Sacred Heart The Sacred Heart is a religious devotion to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of the divine love for humanity This devotion is predominantly used in the Roman Catholic Church and also used in the Anglican Church. on Tuesday. Harvard-Westlake (10-13, 5-4) has won four of its past five games, but needs one more victory tonight against No. 8 Chaminade (17-8, 7-2) on the road at 7 tonight. Kourtney Uchiyama The sophomore guard broke into the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes when Joy Sterling and Kellie Lewis went down with ankle injuries and has run with her opportunity. ``She handles the ball well, she can make an open shot and she plays good defense,'' Hart senior Ashlee Trebilcock said. Uchiyama scored six points in Hart's 66-59 victory over Valencia on Tuesday night. That might sound insignificant compared to Trebilcock's 38. But Hart won the game largely with more balanced scoring, compared to the first game, a 55-52 Valencia win on Jan. 18. Kelly Cochran, Chaminade The 6-foot senior forward had her second consecutive 32-point game and third of the season Tuesday against Louisville of Woodland Hills. Kelly Winther, Royal The University of San Diego-bound guard needs 20 points in her next two games to break the school's career scoring record. Winther has 1,658 points. The school record is 1,678 points by Kinsley Mittel (1999-2003). Winther already holds Royal's school record for career steals (339), career assists (465), career 3-pointers (107), single-game points (33), single-game steals (10), single-season steals (135, 2003-04) and single-season assists (185, 2003-04). NAME GAME Pasadena passed Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. as the second-best team in the Pacific League, thanks in large part to junior forward Brittany Spears, who is averaging 23.7 points and 11.9 rebounds. Yes, that's right, Brittany Spears. But there's no relation to the pop singer. Spears might share a name with a celebrity, but she can't compete with Quartz Hill's Fa'cion Edwards (pronounced ``fashion'') for originality. Edwards graduates in June, but little sister Mystery Edwards should carry on the family legacy. At Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , guard Meaghan Goodenough has been just that. Goodenough averages 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the Pioneers. Sylmar's Seyram Gbewonyo, whose family is from Ghana, might have the most difficult name in the area to pronounce pro·nounce v. pro·nounced, pro·nounc·ing, pro·nounc·es v.tr. 1. a. To use the organs of speech to make heard (a word or speech sound); utter. b. . Sometimes, she's not even sure how to say it. ``I think it's `buh-wayne-yo,' but I have to call my dad,'' she said. After pulling out a pink cell phone, she reported that it's actually ``buh-when-yo.'' Teammate LaShay Fears rolled her eyes and laughed. ``I've been calling her 'buh-wayne-yo' all these years,'' Fears said. ``I don't think she really knows.'' The best basketball name in the area could belong to Harvard-Westlake sophomore Yosepha Greenfield, who goes by the nickname ``Yo-Yo'' and happens to be a good ball handler A software routine that performs a particular task. It often refers to a routine that "handles" an exception of some kind, such as an error, but it can refer to mainstream processes as well. The term is typically used in operating systems and other system software. . CAPTION(S): 3 photos, 4 boxes Photo: (1) TAFT'S AUSTIN REED
Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News (2) Kelly Cochran (3) Kelly Winther Box: (1) BOYS' TOP 10 (2) SEVEN-DAY FORECAST (3) GIRLS' TOP 10 (4) SEVEN-DAY FORECAST |
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