Knights get on board; Patriots, Matadors win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: April 15, 2021

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BASKETBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA – The Foothills Christian Knights got into the win column on Wednesday night, defeating the host Helix Highlanders at Caledonian Gym.

The Knights won for the first time in seven games this season.

Senior Derrien Carter-Hollinger led the way for the Knights with 22 points and eight assists.

Senior Chance Stout added 15 points for FCHS.

Foothills led 36-23 early in the third period and 54-37 at the end of the third.

Sophomore Derrius Carter-Hollinger had a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with eight points for the Knights.

Helix fell to 4-4.

CHRISTIAN 69, CLAIREMONT 22 – Talk about ready to go. The Patriots opened the season with a 25-8 run in the first quarter, only to extend that lead to 47-8 at halftime.

The contest was played without fans in attendance.

On his birthday, 6-foot-4 sophomore Patrick Perez, of the Patriots, had eight points in his first varsity game. Also, he grabbed seven rebounds, blocked four shots, and recorded four steals.

“This was a very good start to my varsity season,” Perez said. “We’ve got more to come. We can work well as a team if we all set our minds to it.”

Shawn Jackson-Ascura had 18 points in 18 minutes of game action, grabbing eight rebounds and making four steals.

“Our plan was just to put in all of our packages and see what worked,” Jackson-Ascura said. “We just need to start building our foundation so we know what to expect. We have a mindset of playing better each night and just keep grinding.”

The Patriots have just one senior on their roster this season.

“It was nice to play an actual opponent,” Christian High head coach Tim Brown said. “We have a new, young group. The guys liked putting up the points but more than that just playing together and trying to gel together as a team.”

Hunter Provience scored 10 points, had eight rebounds, and blocked six shots for CHS.

Isaiah Givens finished with 11 points and four steals for the Pats.

Junior L.D. Willis added seven points and four steals for the Patriots, while teammate Junior Nelson finished with five points.

MOUNT MIGUEL 47, VALHALLA 42 – The Matadors held off Valhalla on Wednesday night at The Mount in a battle of two of the East’s most promising clubs thus far.

It was Valhalla’s first loss in eight starts this season.

It was 43-42 with just a minute or so left in the game

Mt. Miguel’s Elijah Black had a field goal with four minutes left in the game to give his team a one-point lead.

Mount Miguel led by just two points at the end of three quarters.

Josue Amaya made a three-pointer to give Valhalla the lead in the third quarter with five minutes left.

Mount Miguel led by six at halftime.

Joe Avalos had a three-pointer in the second quarter to cut an early Mount Miguel lead to 10 points.

Dre Richardson hit a shot at the first-quarter buzzer as the Matadors led by nine.

Mount Miguel scored the first nine points of the game.

GROSSMONT 73, EL CAPITAN 35 – Foothiller junior River Elliot led the path to victory with 15 points.

Senior Noah Velasco added 11 points for Grossmont

Junior Elijah Williams came home with 10 points for the Hillers.