Steele’s ‘Double Alex’ gains share of lead

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: January 30, 2023

Steele Canyon in a game at ECVHS / ECS file photo

2022-23 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

ECS staff report

EL CAJON – A review on high school boys basketball for the week of Jan. 23-28 featured the climb by Steele Canyon High, which defeated West Hills to forge a first-place deadlock in the Grossmont Valley League. The Cougars also captured two other contests to sport a 3-0 record for the week.

Since falling to West Hills early in the league campaign, the Cougars have busted off five straight victories to again reach the .500 plateau. Included were last week decisions over Santana (65-57), the Wolf Pack (68-53 and a non-league decision over the Falcons from Mabel O’Farrell High, 58-24.

The Cougars played like a runaway, double-axle, 18-wheeler freight truck with a “Double Alex” approach of Alex Jenkins and Alex Williams.

Tue., Jan. 24

Steele Canyon 57, Santana 57

SANTEE – Steele Canyon freshman guard Alex Williams equaled a career-high with his 26-point effort of the season, as the Cougars took down host Santana.

The coaching staff allowed Williams to shoot away, taking 31 shots from the floor. But he made 13 of them to match his scoring mark earlier set against Pacific Ridge and El Centro-Central.

Williams also posted numbers worthy of a slot machine: 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

The Sultans led throughout the first quarter, but Steele Canyon took the halftime lead, then kept expanding the margin in the second half.

Santana, which captured its league opener against El Cajon Valley, hasn’t won in GVL play since, falling to 1-5.

Fri., Jan. 27

Steele Canyon 68, West Hills 53

JAMUL – Entering this contest, even Steele Canyon would have to admit that West Hills deserved all of its recent attention. Riding a 16-game winning streak, the Wolf Pack has been featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune, plos extended highlight packages on various television news reports.

However, despite a 68-49 slap-down from the Pack in the teams’ first meeting, Steele Canyon showed they, too deserved respect with a decisive 15-point victory in the return contest.

Cougars forward Alex Jenkins tallied 9 of his 13 points in the first period to mount an early lead, then Alex Williams tallied 21 of his career-best 26 points over the final three periods to maintain the advantage.

“That was a very solid Steele team,: said West Hills head coacj Tim Barry. “We had a rough night getting the ball to fall, but I’m proud of our boys in putting together an amazing 16-game winning streak.”

“It;s time for us to turn the page.”

West Hills received consistent scoring from the starters and the bench.

Theron Humphries paced the Pack with 12 points, while Shawne Owens also reached double-figure with 10 points, including a pair of triples.

Other offense production came fromt Vince Hillman (9 points), Caden Akins (8), plus 5 points each from Zeid Salem, Luke Gibson and Loni Mesina.

Steele Canyon did not report, as all statistical information came courtesy of West Hills.

Sat., Jan. 28

Steele Canyon 58, Mabel E. O’Farrell Charter 24

JAMUL – Steele Canyon extended its win streak to six and finally reached the .500 plateau with a 12-12 overall record after stopping the Falcons of Mabel O’Farrell Charter, located two blocks west of Morse High School.

The Cougars raced to a 21-2 lead through the opening eight minutes. In the second half, Steele Canyon yielded just six totalp oints to the Falcons (5-18).

Do You Remember?: In 1954. President Bill Clinton made a visit to San Diego to sign the “Goals 2000” education bill and to visit O’Farrell because it was a charter

In her book, First Lady Hillary Clinton’s book It Takes a Village.^[4] It has a code of conduct of how to become a good citizen called The Falcon Way, of Focus, Attitude, Leadership, Citizenship, Organization, and Non-Violence,school.

Thus, the school changed its nickname from Panthers to Falcons,even though the San Diego Unified School District already has a school (Scripps Ranch) nicknamed the Falcons, along with nearby Torrey Pines.

Elsewhere

Granite Hills 72, Grossmont 52

FLETCHER HILLS – One of our reporters happened to be at Grossmont High for both the girls water polo tournament and the girls basketball game against Mount Miguel, when the Grossmont boys started between those events.

It proved to be a worthwhile peak into the gymnasium with an upset in the making in the early going by thee Foothillers in Friday’s (Jan. 27) Grossmont Hills League hoedown.

Grossmont leaped to a 5-0 lead before the Eagles woke up, but the Hillers battled back to forge a tie late in the first period and took a 27-25 lead into the halftime break.

However, the Eagles found their footing to extend the Hillers’ long losing streak to 21 games after winning their season opener against Pacific Ridge.

The second-halkf serge feature six 3-point goals by foyr different Granite Hills players, scoring 47 points in the second half, whiule the taller Eagles easily controlled the boards.

Robert “The Kicker” Petrich led GHHS with 23 points, including 18 in the first half beforethe rest of the ballclub woke up in the second half

Other scoring leaders fore the Eagles (10-10 overall, 2-3 GHL) were: Lawond Zangana (19 points) and Parlan Sanders (11).

Grossmont’s fast start saw Justin Brown caught the Cougars defense off-guard with a drive through three defenders for an uncontested layin, then Tavian Coleman (team-best 19 points) repeated the feat while being fouled for a traditional 3-point plat and a 5-0 lead.