Matadors take Hills title in finale

By John Duran
Updated: February 9, 2019

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

By John Duran

EastCountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY – For the second consecutive year, the Mount Miguel Matadors are league champs.

Mount Miguel defeated Helix 71-62 in front of a packed gym in Spring Valley on Senior Night to clinch the league title while also avenging a buzzer-beating loss to the Highlanders earlier in the season.

“It feels good. It feels like a repeat from last year so the next step is winning CIF,” Senior Mikeece Dunbar, who finished with 8 points, said after the game.

Senior Marquise Edwards scored 37 points to cap off a dominating regular season.

“I feel great. It’s an experience that I will never feel again,” Edwards said of becoming a league champ once again. “It was a great team win.”

Helix (16-11, 6-2) and Mount Miguel (21-7, 7-1) were going toe-to-toe for three and a half quarters before the Matadors finally pulled away.

Maurice Holmes and Keishon Trice each had 13 points for Helix, but it was not enough to overcome the defending CIF champion Matadors.

Mount Miguel Head Coach Jay Rowlett was pleased will all of his players, and looks forward to hopefully making it three CIF finals appearances in as many years.

“Five game winning streak, won league, hopefully we get some good matchups in the playoffs and we can try to make another run at CIF.”

Emotions were high for the Mount Miguel seniors after the game. They expressed their appreciation for all the support they have received over the years.

“The support is amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better support system than Mount Miguel,” Edwards said after the game.

“It’s great. It’s fantastic.”

“I’m going to miss Coach Jay the most and Marquise. CIF twice with him,” Dunbar said. “All my teammates I’m going to miss all of them.”

Helix and Mount Miguel will wait to hear when and where they will be playing for the playoffs.

EastCountySports.com