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EAST COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL - 2007-08
CIF Tip-Off Basketball Classic (Revised Schedule, 7-17-08)
Wed., Nov. 26 -- at West Hills
GIRLS
Mater Dei vs. Brawley, 4
Our Lady of Peace vs. La Costa Canyon, 7:20
BOYS
Calexico vs. Poway. 5:40
Escondido at West Hills, 9

Patriots’ Joaquim changes course,
heads for Nebraska instead of USD

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (7-7-08, 12:34 p.m.) – Christian High senior center VANDER JOAQUIM, who once played for the national team of Angola, has made a sudden shift in direction considering his collegiate future.

With one season remaining in his high school career at Christian, the 6-foot-10, 220-pound Joaquim has uncommitted to play at the University of San Diego and instead will attend Nebraska starting in the 2009-10 season.

Joaquim’s decision to attend the Big 12 university centers around assistant coach WALTER ROESE. After spending last winter under Bill Greer at USD, Roese landed a position with Nebraska veteran head coach Doc Sadler.

“I think his connection with coach Roese is the reason Vander changed his mind,” said Christian High coach KELVIN STARR. “Coach Roese speaks Portuguese as does Vander. He is also a friend of the family back in Angola. So when coach Roese went to Nebraska, Vander wanted to follow. He made it clear that he wanted to play at a college where Roese was involved.”

The East County leader in rebounding (16.8 rpg) as a junior, Joaquim generated a 21.1 scoring average and netted better than 54 percent of his shots from the field. His numbers attracted attention throughout the college basketball community. But the combination of Roese and the opportunity to play in the Big 12 Conference convinced Joaquim to recommit.

“Vander is a loyal kid who was nervous about telling USD ‘no’,” Starr said. “I think he is enamored about going to a big-time school like Nebraska. Honestly, I think his chances of turning pro are better at Nebraska. He already has all the ‘X’ factors. He just needs more experience.”


Gleboff marks his return
to coaching, joins Braves

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-20-08) — JIM GLEBOFF, who has coached for nearly a half century, has accepted the boys basketball post at El Cajon Valley High.

Gleboff takes over for NATE REED who directed the Braves the past four seasons.

“It seems almost second nature for me to be coaching somewhere,” said Gleboff, who last coached women’s basketball at Cuyamaca College two seasons ago. “This is a nice fit for me. It is close to where I live and it offers me another challenge.”

Gleboff is a familiar face locally, nationally and internationally. In East County, he’s also coached boys basketball at Granite Hills and El Capitan. In addition, he directed the Serra High boys basketball program a decade ago.

“My first coaching job was in 1958 when I did both football and basketball for three years at Eleva Strum High School in Eau Claire, Wis.,” Gleboff recalled. “I’ve been all basketball after that.”

His resume includes six seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Superior as well as high school coaching stops in Reno and Las Vegas. On the international level, Gleboff left his coaching mark in Egypt and Tahiti.



10th Annual EAST COUNTY SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME
Fri., Apr. 4 -- At Cuyamaca College
     SOUTH ALL-STARS 88, NORTH ALL-STARS 72
         SOUTH      26  20  20  22 -- 88
         NORTH      18  15  15  24 -- 72

SOUTH                FGS 3FG FTS PTS    R AST STL BLK
Hazlett        Chr  4-11 2-5 0-0  10    3   2   2   0
Abukar         Hlx   6-9 1-2 3-6  16    6   1   6   1
Narcisse       Hlx  3-10 0-0 3-4   9    7   2   9   0
Chandler       Hlx   3-5 0-0 2-2   8    2   2   0   0
Houser         MV    4-8 0-0 3-4  11    8   0   0   0
Caples         MM   4-12 0-0 2-4  10    7   0   0   2
Moore          MM    3-5 1-1 0-0   7    1   4   2   0
MWatkins       MV    3-7 1-3 0-0   7    2   0   1   1
Carter         SC   3-10 2-4 2-6  10    3  10  11   0
TOTALS          33-77 7-15 15-26  88   39  21  31   4

NORTH                FGS 3FG FTS PTS    R AST STL BLK
Hale           FC    2-6 0-2 0-0   4    2   2   3   0
Stafford       ECV   2-4 0-1 0-0   4    1   0   1   0
Franco         ECV   0-3 0-1 0-0   0    1   1   1   0
Braun          EC   8-13 4-7 4-6  24   10   2   4   3
Waters         Gro   3-8 2-4 0-0   8    3   6   5   1
Graham         Gro   2-6 0-2 2-2   6    2   3   3   0
Cochran        Gro   1-2 0-0 0-2   2    3   2   2   0
Ogunsalu       Gro  6-12 0-1 4-8  16   14   2   4   6
Blackledge     San   3-6 0-2 2-4   8    7   1   3   2
TOTALS          27-60 6-20 12-22  72   43  19  26  12

3-POINT SHOOTING CONTEST CHAMPION: KHALID WATERS, Grossmont SLAM DUNK COMPETITION CHAMPION: RICHARD OGUNSALU, Grossmont Statistics provided by East County Sports.com
Carter paces South
with triple-double

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (4-5-08) — Steele Canyon High guard ELIJAH CARTER pulled off a triple-double of 10 points, 10 assists and 11 steals to help lead a balanced attack for the South, which defeated the North 88-72 in Friday’s (Apr. 4) 10th annual East County Sports.com Seniors All-Star Game at Cuyamaca College.

The South, which led from start to finish, recorded 31 steals. DEMOND “Red” NARCISSE record 9 thefts and Helix teammate KAREEM ABUKAR swiped 6 passes. Abukar, the Highlanders’ point guard and Grossmont South League Player of the Year, added 16 points.

El Capitan’s BARRETT BRAUN of the North led all scorers with 24 points.

Guard KHALID WATERS of Grossmont won the 3-point shooting contest and the Foothillers’ RICHARD OGUNSALU won the dunk competition.

It was the fifth straight win for the South, which leads the all-time series 7-3.


2007-08 ALL-COUNTY TEAM
Selected by San Diego Hall of Champions
Player of the Year -- Jeff Withey, Horizon
Coach of the Year -- Ollie Goulston, Hoover
First team -- Angelo Chol, Hoover, Fr.; Taylor Darby, Mission Hills, Sr.; Shawn Hempsey, La Costa Canyon, Sr.; Troy Leaf, Foothills Christian, So.; Patrick McCollom, San Diego High, Sr.; James Rahon, Torrey Pines, Sr.; Nelson Rosario, El Camino, Sr.; Corey Trisby, Hoover, Sr.; Jeremy Tyler, San Diego, So.; Jeff Withey, Horizon, Sr.
Second team -- Kenneth Bradford, Eastlake, Sr.; Jevon Carmon, Hoover, Sr.; Anthony Cosentino, Otay Ranch, Sr.; Luke Evans, El Camino, Sr.; David Howard, Army-Navy, Sr.; Dee Love, El Camino, Sr.; Jensen Moore, Mission Hills, Sr.; Richard Ogunsalu, Grossmont, Sr.; Peter Sefton, La Jolla, Sr.; Jywrell Wilson, The Bishop’s, Sr.
East County All-Star Game set
for Apr. 4th at Cuyamaca College

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-29-08) — Cuyamaca College will host the East County Seniors All-Star boys basketball game on Friday (Apr. 4) at 7 p.m. The annual event is co-sponsored by East County Sports.com.

A 3-point contest will take place at 6:40 p.m. and a Dunk contest at half-time.

Grossmont North will wear white; Grossmont South and Christian will wear dark.

Senior players invited to participate include:

Christian: Daniel Hazlett; El Cajon Valley: Laroy McGee, Lucas Stafford, Chris Franco, Shivan Sulyman; El Capitan: Barrett Braun, Tila Case; Foothills Christian: Aaron Hale; Granite Hills: Wayne Martin; Grossmont: Richard Ogunsalu, Ian Cochran, Khalid Waters, Michael Graham; Helix: Kareem Abukar, Demond Narcisse, Donald McGowan, Darrell Chandler; Monte Vista: Mike Watkins, Ryan Houser; Mount Miguel: Travon Caples, Devyn Moore; Santana: Tyler Blackledge; Steele Canyon: Elijah Carter, Riley Balikian; West Hills: Tim Nowlin.


North tips South in All-Star Game

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO BERNARDO (3-22-08) -- The North slapped the South 108-93 in Friday night's (Mar. 21) annual San Diego Boys' Senior All-Stars basketball game held at Rancho Bernardo High.

The East County players playing for the South made paltry contributions adding up to 11 points.

Helix point guard KAREEM ABUKAR tallied 7 points. El Capitan's BARRETT BRAUN and Grossmont's RICHARD OGUNSALU added 2 points apiece.

Peter Smith of Escondido and James Rahon of Torrey Pines led the North with 25 and 22 points, respectively.


2007-08 ALL-EAST COUNTY
BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
F
G
F
C
F
Troy Leaf
Kareem Abukar
Richard Ogunsalu
Vander Joaquim
Ian Cochran
Foothills Christian
Helix
Grossmont
Christian
Grossmont
6-1
6-2
6-5
6-8
6-6
So.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Player of the Year: TROY LEAF, Foothills Christian
Rookie of the Year: BRAD BARRETT, Mount Miguel
Coach of the Year: JOHN SINGER, Helix
SECOND TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
F
G
G
F
F
Dean Miller
Kalob Hatcher
Brad Barrett
Barrett Braun
Donald McGowan
Granite Hills
Foothills Christian
Mount Miguel
El Capitan
Helix
6-3
6-0
6-2
6-3
6-3
Jr.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
THIRD TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
F
F
G
G
F
Demond Narcisse
Travon Caples
Daniel Hazlett
Jebari Robinson
Geoff Hartman
Helix
Mount Miguel
Christian
Steele Canyon
Monte Vista
6-1
6-2
6-0
5-10
6-4
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Leaf's skills keep branching out

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-12-08) -- Foothills Christian High sophomore TROY LEAF, who led East County with a 25.1 scoring average, has been selected the East County Sports.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-2 guard, who made the All-East County Sports.com second team and was named the Rookie of the Year as a freshman, shot 48 percent (293 of 614) from the field, 75 percent (136 of 181) from the free throw line, buried 82 three-pointers, averaged 7.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the two-time San Diego CIF Division V champion Knights (23-10) this season.

East County Sports.com Rookie of the Year honors went to Mount Miguel junior BRAD BARRETT. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 19.4 points and 6.8 rebounds for the 18-10 Matadors. A transfer from Chicago, Barrett also shot better than 79 percent (95-of-120) from the free throw stripe. He also knocked down 47 three-pointers. Ten of those treys came in a 41-point outing against Sierra Vista (Nev.).

For the second year in a row and the third time in four seasons Helix's JOHN SINGER has been named East County Sports.com Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Singer turned a team around that lost seven of its first 13 games to finish 20-8. That remarkable run included closing the regular season with 13 consecutive victories and a first-round San Diego CIF playoff win over Rancho Buena Vista. The Highlanders' season ended when they lost in the Division I quarterfinals to top-seeded El Camino in overtime. Singer's squad secured its second straight Grossmont South League title and now has won 21 circuit contests in succession.

The first team includes two members of Grossmont High's Grossmont North League championship team -- RICHARD OGUNSALU and IAN COCHRAN -- as well Helix floor leader KAREEM ABUKAR and Christian 6-foot-8 junior center VANDER JOAQUIM. Cochran was a second team pick as a junior and East County Sports.com Rookie of the Year as a sophomore. Abukar was a third team choice last year.

2007-08 ALL-LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS
(Selected by Coaches)
GROSSMONT NORTH LEAGUE
FIRST TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
F
F
F
F
G/F
Richard Ogunsalu
Ian Cochran
Barrett Braun
Laroy McGee
Tyler Blackledge
Grossmont
Grossmont
El Capitan
El Cajon Valley
Santana
6-5
6-6
6-3
6-1
6-2
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
GROSSMONT SOUTH LEAGUE
FIRST TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
G
G
G
F
F
Kareem Abukar
Jebari Robinson
Dean Miller
Travon Caples
Demond Narcisse
Helix
Steele Canyon
Granite Hills
Mount Miguel
Helix
6-2
5-10
6-3
6-2
6-1
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Co-Players of the Year
IAN COCHRAN & RICHARD OGUNSALU
Championship Team — GROSSMONT
Player of the Year – KAREEM ABUKAR
Championship Team — HELIX
SECOND TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
C
G
G/F
G
G/F
Tim Nowlin
Khalid Waters
Lucas Stafford
Michael Graham
Shivan Sulyman
West Hills
Grossmont
El Cajon Valley
Grossmont
El Cajon Valley
6-4
5-6
6-1
5-7
5-8
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
PG
G
F
F
G
Elijah Carter
Brad Barrett
Donald McGowan
Geoff Hartman
Austen Suhay
Steele Canyon
Mount Miguel
Helix
Monte Vista
Valhalla
6-1
6-2
6-3
6-4
5-11
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
THIRD TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
G
G
G
G/F
G
Jesse Vargas
Tila Case
Michael Overson
Chris Franco
Garrett Cabral
Santana
El Capitan
El Capitan
El Cajon Valley
West Hills
5-7
5-10
5-11
5-10
6-0
So.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Jr.
HONORABLE MENTION

Granite Hills: Wayne Martin (Sr.), Aaron Harris (Jr.). Helix: Levine Toilolo (Jr.), Darrell Chandler (Sr.). Monte Vista : Mike Watkins (Sr.), Ryan Houser (Sr.). Mount Miguel: A.J. Stanford (So.), Devyn Moore (Sr.). Steele Canyon: Riley Balikian (Sr.), Eric Gilbert (Jr.). Valhalla: Kyle Kriebel (So.), Trevor Cahoon (Jr.).

CENTRAL LEAGUE -- FIRST TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
Jevon Carmon
Angelo Chol
Daniel Hazlett
Terrence Ingram
Vander Joaquim
Hoover
Hoover
Christian
Hoover
Christian
Sr.
Fr.
Sr.
So.
Jr.
CENTRAL LEAGUE -- SECOND TEAM
Pos
Player School
Hgt
Year
Carlton Billingslea
Marc Campanero
Idris Ibn Idris
David Lamar
Demario Robinson
Madison
Clairemont
Hoover
Madison
Crawford
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
So.
So.

North-South Senior All Stars games

© East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (3-11-08) — The CIF-San Diego Section is pleased to announce the 2008 Girls and Boys Senior All Stars basketball games to be held Friday (Mar. 21), at Rancho Bernardo High School pitting the North All Stars against the South All-Stars.

The girls game will start at 5:30 p.m. with a 3-Point Shooting Contest at halftime.

The following East County student athletes will compete on the girls South All Stars team: NICOLE BRZECZEK (Santana), CINDY EKWEOZOR (Mount Miguel), MOLLY HILLENBRAND (Granite Hills), AUTUMN SPIKES (Mount Miguel), BRITTANY WILLIAMS (Helix).

The boys games will begin at 8 p.m. with a 3-Point Shooting Contest at halftime. A Slam-Dunk Contest will be held at approximately 7:15 p.m.

The following East County student athletes will compete on the boys South All Stars team: BARRETT BRAUN (El Capitan), IAN COCHRAN (Grossmont), DANIEL HAZLETT (Christian), DONNIE McGOWAN (Helix), RICHARD OGUNSALU (Grossmont).


CIF STATE PLAYOFFS

Complete brackets HERE

CIF SO. CALIFORNIA REGIONAL - SEMIFINALS

Top-seeded Price discounts Foothills

© East County Sports.com
LOS ANGELES (3-7-08) — What has been a successful season ended in a resounding thud for Foothills Christian in Thursday’s (Mar. 6) CIF Southern California regional semifinals.

Facing off against perennial power and top-seeded Price, the San Diego-based Knights lost to the Los Angeles-based Knights 61-41.

This game was never in doubt as Price pranced to a 19-9 first quarter lead and enjoyed a 32-16 bulge by halftime. It didn’t get any better in the 3rd quarter as Price pushed its advantage to 49-25.

The ever-reliable Foothills leader, sophomore TROY LEAF, punched in 23 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and made 2 steals to pace the Knights (22-10).

Sophomore KALOB HATCHER added 10 points, 7 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds.

Foothills, which lives on the 3-point line, was a dismal 2 of 21 from long distance against Price.

Foothills averaged more than 70 points per game but concluded its season with its lowest output of the year.

Foothills Christian scoring: Troy Leaf 23 (4 reb, 2 stl), Kalob Hatcher 10 (4 reb, 5 stl, 7 ast), Zach Kaul 4 (4 reb, 3 stl), Aaron Hale 2 (4 reb, 2 stl), Andrew Atia 2, Brandon Hale (2 reb).


CIF SO. CALIFORNIA REGIONAL - QUARTERFINALS
Mar. 3: Bakersfield Christian vs. Foothills Christian,
CIF Regional Quarterfinals at Granite Hills
(Slideshow by Chris DeRosier)
DOUBLE-CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR ENTIRE SLIDESHOW

Foothills secures 1st regional win
Meets top-seeded Price in semifinals

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-4-08) -- Things just keep getting better for the Foothills Christian Knights.

A year ago, the Knights celebrated winning the San Diego CIF Division V championship. They repeated that effort again this season.

Dribbling into the Southern California Regional Division V quarterfinals Tuesday (Mar. 4) against a physical Bakersfield Christian High crew at Granite Hills, the Knights were poised to take their season another step deeper.

And so they did. The Knights (23-9) staved off several second-half challenges by the visiting Eagles to prevail 68-62 for their first regional victory in their young history.

"Yeah, it's really nice to get this first one," admitted Foothills coach BRAD LEAF.

Bakersfield Christian, which twice got as close as one point -- 38-37 and 41-40 in the third quarter -- could never tie the game. But the Eagles made the Knights earn the victory as they refused to roll over.

Sophomore TROY LEAF was a major cog in Foothills Christian's ability to hang on. Leaf, who produced a game high 25 points hitting 9 of 16 field goals and 4 of 6 free throws, was brilliant down the stretch.

" Troy hit some big shots for us," said Foothills point guard KALOB HATCHER, who contributed 18 points himself. "When he's hitting, nobody is really going to stop us."

Leaf scored 10 points in the 1st and 3rd quarters, and added three free throws and blocked three shots in the 4th quarter.

"I think the difference in the game was our defensive intensity," said Leaf, who totaled 4 blocks and 5 steals in the contest. "We were on all the loose balls and going after every rebound . . . we just fought them the whole way."

A bigger, more physical Bakersfield bunch controlled the boards with a 44-25 advantage. The Knights' quickness allowed Foothills to force 20 turnovers compared to only 8 for the local champions.

"We were out of here in one (game) in the state playoffs last year, and we didn't want that same outcome again," Troy Leaf said. "So we played with a little more heart and a little more passion. It feels great to come out on top."

Foothills held a precarious lead 54-46 by the close of the 3rd quarter. Bakersfield Christian's Marcus Hall, who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, converted both ends of a bonus free throw opportunity to leave the Knights on top 59-57 with 3:59 remaining.

AARON HALE hit a bucket to double Foothills' advantage. Hall answered back with a bucket of his own. Then it was Leaf's turn and he tacked on a pair of free throws to make it 63-59.

Hatcher added 2 free throws, Leaf added one and Aaron Hale finished the job with a pair of charity tosses with 14.3 seconds left.

"Troy and Kalob are only sophomores, but play like they are juniors or seniors," coach Leaf said. "They are at the level now where they make plays and win big games."

Thursday's SoCal Regional semifinal in Los Angeles against top-seeded Price (30-3) doesn't get much bigger.

Foothills Christian scoring: Troy Leaf 25 (4 reb, 4 blk, 3 ast), Kalob Hatcher 18 (5 reb, 5 ast), Zach Kaul 10 (5 reb, 3 ast), Aaron Hale 8 (6 reb), Brandon Hale 7 (5 reb).

Foothills hosts Bakersfield Christian in regional opener

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-4-08) -- For the second time in coach BRAD LEAF's three-year tenure at Foothills Christian, the Knights will march into the Southern California Regional Division V playoffs.

The Knights (21-9), who handled Maranatha Christian, 66-55, to capture the San Diego CIF Division V title, will host Bakersfield Christian (20-7) in Tuesday (Mar. 4) night's quarterfinal at Granite Hills. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

"We happened to see them play when we were up in San Luis Obispo at the Mission Prep tournament," Leaf said. "They run a 1-2-2 zone and full court press the whole game."

Bakersfield Christian, which has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the state's Division V poll, was upset in the Central Section CIF playoffs by Emanuel Reedley, 66-61.

Marcus Hall, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, leads the Eagles in scoring (20.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg). Junior guard Colby Herron also adds punch (13 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.9 spg). Six-foot-6, 200-pound junior center Morgan Howes is a force in the middle, as is 6-6, 294-pound senior Ryan Clanton.

TROY LEAF is top gun for Foothills Christian, averaging an East County-best 25.1 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. Guard KALOB HATCHER leads East County in assists (8.1) and steals (4.8) while producing 18.8 points per game.

The Knights favor the 3-point shot as all five starters are able to connect from beyond the arc. As a team Foothills Christian is connecting on 36 percent from long distance (271 of 749).


CIF PLAYOFFS -- CHAMPIONSHIP

Hatcher cracks Maranatha
as Foothills goes B2B

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (3-1-08) -- The season-long goal for Foothills Christian High was simple enough: mark a return to the San Diego CIF Division V title game and prove its 2007 championship was anything but a fluke. But when standout guard TROY LEAF was quickly saddled with three fouls in the opening four minutes, panic could easily have engulfed the Knights.

"Things could've collapsed, but we kept our calm," noted Knights guard ZACH KAUL. "Then we basically went back out there, still going through the motions just as if no one was in foul trouble."

Fortunately, the "been there, done that" factor also kicked into gear in the form of sophomore KALOB HATCHER, who fueled a key change in defense with seven steals in the second half of Friday's (Feb. 29) title contest, giving the tiny El Cajon school another San Diego Section crown by skating past Maranatha Christian, 66-55, at San Diego State's Cox Arena.

Hatcher finished with a triple-double after posting 19 points, 10 assists and 10 steals, as Foothills (24-9) advances to the Southern California Regionals of the CIF State Championship. The pairings will be announced over the weekend.

Despite Leaf's foul difficulties, the Knights continued to make shots, racing to a 37-25 halftime lead. But when the Eagles (24-7) crept to within 51-44 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter -- not coincidentally just after Leaf collected his fourth foul -- Foothills coach BRAD LEAF pulled a long-held ace from his sleeve.

"We went into a 1-3-1 (zone defense) and Maranatha didn't know what to do," said the skipper, who captured his 4th SDCIF crown in five seasons (Steele Canyon 2004 and 2005). "I was holding that back all year just for this particular game -- we hadn't showed it in at least a month."

Leaf could've been tempted to utilize his secret weapon in the regular-season finale at Mira Mesa -- a CIF Division I (large school) program -- but realized it was better to take a loss than tip his hand en route to the championship.

"We could've given Mira Mesa a better game, but we didn't want to show them anything -- we knew Maranatha's coaches were in the stands," explained the coach. "But that game didn't mean anything, so we weren't going to show our 1-3-1 until we had to."

"A think a lot of people were counting us our early, maybe because we were hurt and not playing well late in the season. But we were confident and we were healthy and we were ready for this game."

However, Hatcher gained individual respect with his big second half on both ends of the court. Along with his thefts following the intermission, Hatcher scored 12 points and passed for four assists, including a back-handed dish to Troy Leaf, who went for a driving layin that spun around the rim almost three times before falling.

"As you can see, Kalob has developed into one of the top players in San Diego -- and he's only a sophomore," added coach Leaf. "He's got a lot of weapons, so they're -- Kalob and Troy -- a great complement to each other.

Hatcher took the victory in stride while stealing the spotlight from several more tested veterans.

"It takes five people to play defense," Hatcher noted. "They (the coaches) put me in the right situation and I just made plays."

Hatcher's teammates took notice, too.

"Kalob did a great job keeping the team in the game," noted Troy Leaf, who still finished with 18 points. "I've never seen a guy steal the ball like that before -- it looked like he's playing against little kids."

Included were a series of kickout passes by Maranatha center Chen Cai, a 6-foot-8 exchange student from China, who was hounded by double- and triple-teams all contest. However, Hatcher anticipated several passes for turnovers to jump-start the transition game, especially when the Knights were in zone coverage.

"We tried to save our 1-3-1 until the championship -- we didn't want to go with it earlier. So we brought it out tonight and it really gave them problems," added Troy Leaf. "And BRANDON (HALE) hit a couple of big shots near the end of the first quarter while I was on the bench -- everyone stepped up while I was gone."

Kaul added 14 points and a team-best 7 rebounds.

Foothills scoring: Kalob Hatcher 19 (10 ast, 10 stl), Troy Leaf 18 (6 reb), Zach Kaul 14 (7 reb), Brandon Hale 8, Aaron Hale 6, Justin Esselstrom 1.


Feb. 25: Vincent Memorial vs. Foothills Christian,
CIF Div. V semifinals at Granite Hills
(Photos by Chris DeRosier)
CIF PLAYOFFS -- SEMIFINALS

Knights qualify for Div. V finals

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-26-8) -- This Division V semifinal of the San Diego CIF playoffs didn"t figure to provide much suspense.

Closer it was, but the outcome was never in doubt as Foothills Christian clobbered Vincent Memorial 70-54 in Tuesday"s (Feb. 26) playoff action at Granite Hills. Just two weeks ago Foothills flattened Vincent Memorial (18-10) in a 92-55 blowout.

So gearing up for a "rematch" was hard to do from an emotional sense.

"We never got a great flow going tonight," said Foothills Christian assistant coach JAMES McHUGH. "Offensively we were OK, got things done, but nothing really ever "clicked." It was a great tune-up for Friday though. I think we got a lot of kinks out of the way."

"Defensively we played pretty well tonight, we forced a lot of turnovers but we also had a lot of fouls that we just can't afford from here on out. Guys had great stretches for us tonight we just didn't have one clear-cut stand-out performance.

"ZACH KAUL had 6 steals in the first two quarters, then he turned to rebounding, grabbing 9 boards in the late 2nd and 3rd quarters."

TROY LEAF notched 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists for the top-seeded Knights. KALOB HATCHER added 17 points and 10 assists.

The Knights (20-9) broke the game open with a 28-11 second quarter burst and now will meet Maranatha Christian (21-6) for the SDCIF Division V crown on Friday (Feb. 29) at San Diego State"s Cox Arena at 11:30 a.m.

"We've been thinking Maranatha for months now and (Eagles) Coach Rle Nichols has been to plenty of our games so we know they have been focused on us as well," McHugh said.

"This has been a very interesting season for us. Last year it seemed that they boys could not win. When we were playing lower level Division 5 teams, people would say they weren't going to bother coming because we would just kill them. This season when we lost to much better teams it seemed as though people never expected us to lose."

"What I truly respect the most about this group of young men is that they personify teamwork. Some of these kids will be all over the record books when their careers are said and done, but you can see them feed off each other every game. No single player accomplishments ever overshadow the goals and visions of these guys, and that could be very easy to fall into for young men with the talent that these guys possess."

MISSION HILLS 72, GROSSMONT 45 -- One of Grossmont High"s best seasons in recent memory did not conclude with a happily-ever-after ending Tuesday night (Feb. 26) at Mission Hills.

The second-seeded Grizzlies (24-6) chewed up the visiting and third-seeded Foothillers in a SDCIF Division II semifinal that was never close.

Mission Hills forged in front 18-7 after one quarter and extended its advantage to 39-26 by intermission.

While it appeared that the Foothillers (20-8) were well within striking distance at the break, Grossmont"s one-two inside punch of RICHARD OGUNSALU and IAN COCHRAN were saddled with three and two fouls, respectively.

The Grizzlies outscored the Hillers in each of the final two quarters to record the lopsided outcome.

Cochran led Grossmont, which had won 14 of its previous 15 decisions, with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Ogunsalu, before fouling out, added 10 points and 6 boards.

Senior guard Adam Bemanian led Mission Hills with a career-high 34 points, including five 3-pointers.

Mission Hills now faces Hoover for the Division II championship Saturday (Mar. 1) at 1:45 p.m. at SDSU"s Cox Arena.

Grossmont scoring: Ian Cochran 11 (6 reb), Richard Ogunsalu 10 (6 reb), Michael Graham 10 (5 reb, 2 stl), Khalid Waters 8 (2 reb), Alex Leon 2 (2 reb), Robert Sullivan 2, Graham Hajosy 2.


Patriots' Joaquim commits to USD

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-21-08) -- Christian High center VANDER JOAQUIM, a junior who once played for the national team of Angola, has made an verbal commitment to play for the University of San Diego starting in the 2009-10 season according to reports.

Joaquim, the East County leader in rebounding (16.9 per game in the regular season) and field goal shooting (54.7 percent), has helped lead the Patriots (19-8) into the quarterfinals of the San Diego CIF Div. IV playoffs.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Joaquim entered the postseason with a 21.3 scoring average, despite often facing double- and triple-team coverage by opponents. Still, Joaquim helped Christian finish in second place in the Central League behind Hoover, which is the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs.

Joaquim will become the second member of his family to play college basketball. His uncle, who hails from Brazil, once played for Wayland Baptist (Texas).
CIF PLAYOFFS -- QUARTERS

Singin' in the Foothills
Both Grossmont, Knights
gain Final Four berths

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-24-08) -- The last time Grossmont High played for a SDCIF basketball championship, the Foothillers needed to go into overtime before finally downing Helix for the 1994 San Diego Section Division II championship.

For this season's edition of the Hillers to gain a Final Four berth, they would again need extra time after allowing a 9-point lead to disappear over the final 4:02 of regulation.

However, senior guard KHALID WATERS came to the rescue Saturday (Feb. 23), registering nine of his team's 16 points in overtime to propel third-seeded Grossmont past visiting Westview, 59-53.

"They penetrated on our defense with a nice kid (Grant Taylor, who tallied a game-high 29 points) who can shoot the ball," said Waters. "But our defense came out in overtime ready to play."

In regulation, Waters was finding it difficult to hit his jumper. But in the overtime, he hit his most important 3-point shot of the season.

CIF -SAN DIEGO SECTION
BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Quarterfinals

DIVISION I
Fri., Feb. 22
(1) El Camino (27-2) 65, Helix (20-8) 58 (OT)
(4) La Costa Canyon (23-6) 78, Poway (21-9) 73
(3) San Diego (20-4) 72, Escondido (17-11) 60
(2) Torrey Pines (13-17) 55, Rch. Bernardo (19-10) 52

DIVISION II
Fri., Feb. 22
(1) Hoover (24-5) 73, Steele Canyon (16-13) 54
(4) Oceanside (16-11) 41, Monte Vista (11-19) 40
(2) Mission Hills (23-6) 80, Serra (13-14) 56
Sat., Feb. 23
(3) Grossmont (20-7) 59, Westview (11-19) 53 (OT)

DIVISION III
Fri., Feb. 22
(1) La Jolla (21-8) 66, Mount Miguel (18-10) 39
San Marcos (`8-11) 65, (4) Canyon Crest (16-11) 63
St. Augustine (13-15) 51, (3) Mission Bay (16-8) 50
University City (16-11) 60, (2) Cathedral (19-10) 48

DIVISION IV
Fri., Feb. 22
(1) Horizon (19-10) 72, Imperial (19-7) 46
(4) Francis Parker (18-9) 49, Santa Fe Chr. (15-13) 46
The Bishop’s (20-8) 57, Christian (19-9) 53
(2) Army-Navy (20-4) 55, LJ Country Day (7-17) 28
DIVISION V
Fri., Feb. 22
(4) Vincent Memorial (19-10) 60, Lutheran (18-9) 46
Maranatha Chr. (20-6) 61, (3) Calvin Chr. (13-13) 42
(2) Escondido Adventist (18-7) 62, Vista Calvary Christian (13-14) 39
Sat., Feb. 23
(1) Foothills Christian (20-9) 85, San Pasqual Academy (10-16) 45

Moments after IAN COCHRAN drilled a baseline jumper while drawing a foul, his eventual missed free throw was rebounded by ROBERT SULLIVAN, who quickly fed Waters for an open shot at the top of the key.

"I had to hit that one," mused Waters. "I had to hit at least one today."

Waters hit nothing but the bottom of the net for a quick, 5-point sequence to open the overtime, and Grossmont (20-7) never looked back.

"That was a play -- we call it ' Iowa ' -- we run on a lot of free throws," noted Cochran, who paced the Hillers with 22 points. "So Robert got the weak-side rebound and kicked it out to Khalid."

Grossmont head coach FRANK FOGGIANO added, "Robert just hustles and just doesn't give up. That's what you need to do to get the offensive rebound."

Waters later added another triple, this time from the corner, but Westview's Taylor answered with a trey at the 1-minute mark. However, Grossmont came out of a Wolverines timeout with a long touchdown pass, as MICHAEL GRAHAM threw a pin-point, 50-foot pass to Waters for a breakway layin.

"You had to bring up the football analogy," joked Waters, who was also a standout running back-cornerback for the Grossmont football team."

Senior RICHARD OGUNSALU turned in a quiet double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Foothillers.

The late comeback by Westview (11-19) didn't rattle Grossmont, which pleased Foggiano.

"We didn't get out and cover their shooters -- that's how they caught us -- then we got a couple of bad breaks on rebounds," said Foggiano. "In the overtime, we ran our stuff pretty well and we showed our composure. Ian stepped up, then that out of bounds play we went deep on really hurt them."

Westview jumped to a quick 9-2 lead, but Grossmont forced several turnovers in the third period to win the period, 16-6, to gain the lead.

"Westview started out real fast and we were not playing with them," noted Cochran. "In the second half, we just started playing harder than them. We came right out and got a steal and that changed the momentum to start the third quarter."

"In the fourth quarter, when we get unlucky bounces like that on rebounds, we just have to make sure to block out, especially our guards to help us out inside."

The Wolverines late rally was aided on three offensive rebounds when Grossmont held position, but the ball bounced long each time, leading to a series of second-chance points. The last one led to a Taylor jumper with 9 seconds left to tie the contest at 43-all.

However, Grossmont scored 16 points in the extra session -- the best they scored during a regulation, 8-minute period was also 16 -- to advance to the semifinals.

The Hillers, who have won 14 of their last 15, travel to meet second-seeded Mission Hills -- coached by former Christian High mentor CURTIS HOFMEISTER -- in Tuesday's (Feb. 26) 7 p.m. semifinals in San Marcos .

Grossmont scoring: Ian Cochran 22 (10 reb), Richard Ogunsalu 14 (14 reb), Khalid Waters 12 (2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Robert Sullivan 4 (3 reb), Michael Graham 3 (6 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Billy Gange 2 (2 reb), Alex Leon 2 (2 reb).

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 85, SAN PASQUAL ACADEMY 45 -- The Knights continued on their collision course for a SDCIF Division V section championship encounter against Maranatha Christian on Friday (Feb. 29) at San Diego State's Cox Arena.

Top-seeded Foothills Christian (20-9) flattened visiting San Pasqual Academy in Saturday's (Feb. 23) quarterfinals at Granite Hills High. The Knights need only to beat Vincent Memorial in Tuesday's (Feb. 26) semifinal to set up the title bout with Maranatha Christian. Foothills clobbered Vincent Memorial just two weeks ago 92-55.

TROY LEAF set the pace for the Knights' knockout of outmanned San Pasqual Academy by ringing up 35 points. The sophomore guard sank 14 of 24 floor shots -- four of them 3-balls. Leaf has 741 points and needs just 23 points to etch his name in the SDCIF record books for markers in a single season.

Foothills, which was 7-for-10 from three-point range, has 259 threes made to rank 4th on the all-time SDCIF list. The Knights made 280 treys a year ago, which stands 2nd on the section's record chart. Vista set the standard with 289 in 1992.

It was 48-22 Foothills after the first half and 82-33 after three quarters.

"We really just controlled the game from the outset," Foothills Christian assistant coach JAMES McHUGH said. "We moved the ball really well and got everyone involved on offense. We played great aggressive defense tonight and that led to a lot of turnovers."

Foothills Christian scoring: Troy Leaf 35 (5 reb, 1 blk, 5 stl, 4 ast), Kalob Hatcher 17 (3 reb, 7 ast), Zach Kaul 16 (4 reb, 6 stl, 2 ast), Aaron Hale 10 (6 reb, 1 blk, 4 stl, 2 ast), Andrew Atia 3 (1 blk), Brandon Hale 2 (5 reb, 2 stl), Ryan Smith 2 (2 reb).


A Friday to forget

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-23-08) — Only two East County teams remain alive in the San Diego CIF boys basketball playoffs. Both of them play quarterfinal games on Saturday (Feb. 23).

The Grossmont North League champion Grossmont Foothillers (19-7) host Westview (11-18) at 7 p.m. in Div. II.

Also on Saturday, Division V top-seed Foothills Christian (19-9) entertains San Pasqual Academy (10-15) in the Granite Hills gym at 4 p.m.

On Friday night (Feb. 22) it was a disaster for East County teams, as all five teams lost.

EL CAMINO 65, HELIX 58 (OT) – The visiting Helix Highlanders, who were seeded No. 9 in the SDCIF Division I playoffs, came ever so close to knocking off top-ranked El Camino in Friday’s (Feb. 22) quarterfinal in Oceanside.

At the midway point the Highlanders (20-8), who came in with a 14-game winning streak, trailed the Wildcats (27-2) by a 35-20 count. To those in attendance it appeared the game was over.

Helix coach JOHN SINGER was not among those predicting the early demise of the Highlanders.

“I challenged the kids at halftime and they answered,” Singer said. “I could see it on the faces of the El Camino kids that they were scared. I think we really shocked them.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that we were the better team in the 2nd half.”

Helix, the defending Division I champions, tied the game at 53-all on a pair of DONALD McGOWAN free throws with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. The Wildcats tried to maintain their cool as they worked for what they hoped would be a game-winning shot.

That shot was never delivered during the allotted 32 minute contest as Helix forced a turnover with 5 seconds remaining.

In their haste to position themselves for the winning shot, the Highlanders fired a long pass downcourt, where El Camino’s Nelson Rosario was there to intercept.

Overtime belonged to El Camino, which outscored the upset-minded Scotties, 12-5.

McGowan, who hit 7 of 14 shots from the field and 6 of 7 free throws for a game-high 21 points, fouled out with a minute left in regulation. His absence was clearly evident in the four minute overtime.

LEVINE TOILOLO, who finished with 15 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, played what Singer called his best game of the season.

“He was a man out there,” Singer said. “He showed me something. I think he’s got a great future.”

Considering the Highlanders started out the year 6-7, their growth over the course of the season was remarkable.

“I’m so proud of the way our kids played in that second half,” said Singer. “They played a great game tonight. The intensity out there was like a CIF championship game.”

Helix scoring: Donald McGowan 21 (1 blk), Levine Toilolo 15 (17 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Kareem Abukar 8 (6 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl), Demond Narcisse 6 (8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk), Derrall Chandler 5 (3 ast), Andray Jackson 2, Anthony Anderson 1 (4 reb).

OCEANSIDE 41, MONTE VISTA 40 – JAMES CARROLL admits that there were no doubt some people that believed his Monte Vista Monarchs did not deserve a post-season playoff berth.

Maybe not.

But the Monarchs (11-19) fell only one basket short of reaching the SDCIF Division II semifinals. And to add to their anguish, they had plenty of chances to knock off No. 4 seeded and host Oceanside in Friday’s (Feb. 22) quarterfinal.

Monte Vista took a 40-39 lead on a bucket by GEOFF HARTMAN inside the paint with 3:20 remaining.

“We called a timeout and setup that play,” Carroll said. “It’s one we’ve had success with in the past. RYAN HOUSER made a nice pass.”

Oceanside countered on the next possession as football running back Armani Taylor drove to the hoop for a layup 16 seconds later, which would prove to be the winning bucket.

Neither team scored in the final 3 minutes. Oceanside (16-11) missed 8 straight free throws, including the front end of three one-and-one opportunities. Monte Vista wasn’t much better, as one of its top free throw shooters was fouled above the arc and received three charity tosses. He missed them all. The Monarchs also missed the front end of a bonus.

“It was barbaric out there,” Carroll said. “The officials allowed it to become a football game – there were bodies all over the floor.”

With that said, Carroll admitted that his team had plenty of opportunities to pull off the upset.

“When you can’t box out on a free throw you don’t deserve to win,” he said. “And when you can’t do any better than 50 percent on 16 free throw chances, you can only blame yourself.”

Monte Vista trailed 28-16 at the half.

“We played great 2nd half defense,” Carroll said. “We changed to man-to-man pressure and it worked well for us. We got some nice transition baskets off it.”

Monte Vista held Oceanside to 13 points over the final two periods, including only 2 points in the 4th quarter.

“Our defense has been solid in these two playoff games,” Carroll said. “Remember, in the first round we held Mt. Carmel to 18 points after the 1st quarter.”

Monte Vista shot just 31 percent (15 of 49) from the floor.

“It seemed like we just couldn’t hit a thing,” Carroll said. “We wanted to get the ball inside to Geoff and we were able to do that. But then he just got hammered and we didn’t get any calls.”

MIKE WATKINS finished with 13 points to pace the Monarchs, while Hartman added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

“My kids deserve a lot of credit,” Carroll said. “I think we showed that we belonged in the playoffs. I’m proud of the way we finished the season, even though it was bittersweet.”

Monte Vista scoring: Mike Watkins 13 (3 reb, 2 stl), Geoff Hartman 12 (8 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Brian Williams 6 (4 reb), Chris Jones 4 (2 reb, 3 ast), Anthony Bell 3 (3 reb), Ryan Houser 2 (5 reb).

LA JOLLA 66, MOUNT MIGUEL 39 -- In a wacky SDCIF Division III quarterfinal game, three of the four seeded teams were toppled on Friday (Feb. 23). Unfortunately for the Matadors, the top-seeded Vikings easily avoided the upset bid with one of the top shooting performances of the season.

La Jolla drilled 8-of-12 shots (73 percent) from beyond the arc, including 4-of-5 during the decisive third quarter, as the Western League champions shot a blistering 58 percent overall (26-for-45) to race past Mount Miguel.

"We got rebounds and pushed it up the court for easy layins all night," said Vikings senior center Peter Sefton, who already has a water polo scholarship to Stanford in his pocket. "Or we kicked it out and shot the '3' -- they were wide open and we knocked them down."

Sefton led the way with 20 points, shooting a smoking 8-for-9 from the floor, including a perfect pair from the arc in the first half to mount a 31-21 halftime lead. He also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds.

La Jolla then pushed the lead to 20-plus points by out-scoring Mount Miguel, 19-4, in the third period when Spencer Moyer scored eight of his 10 points. The Vikings' Jerrell Agnes added 11 points, while Matt Jones added 10.

"We’re probably the best running team in San Diego, I think," added Sefton. "When we're at our best, we're pushing the ball. I don't think people can stay with us when we're running up and down."

The passing ability of La Jolla shined, as the Vikings registered seven assists as a team in the third period alone.

"We just couldn't score points today -- that's the bottom line," explained Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT. "That third quarter killed us -- they hit something like five 3-pointers on us."

Meanwhile, only BRAD BARRETT could score consistently for Mount Miguel (18-10). The forward scored 7 of his 18 points in the opening 5 minutes, but the rest of the Matadors shot just 35 percent (7-for-20) in the first half, getting challenged on nearly every shot attempt.

"We really shut them down on the defensive end," Sefton noted. "We really pressured them and they couldn't get a good look."

While La Jolla (21-8) advances to the Final Four against three unseeded opponents, the young Matadors, which start three underclassmen, seems well-suited to make an even longer postseason run in the immediate future.

"It's the offseason for us starting right now -- we're done -- so we have to get back into the gym and work hard. No one's going to hand us anything," said Barrett, who recorded a game-best 9 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. "It was real frustrating."

The passing ability of La Jolla -- led by Agnew's 9 assists -- and skill-level of La Jolla came as a surprise to Barrett.

"We saw (Sefton) on film and he was good and fundamentally sound -- but he shocked me," Barrett noted. "But they always made the extra pass, and that's what counts. They ran the lanes right, and were ready. We came out thinking everything would be all sweet like we would run through them, but no, they were a hard team.”

Following a 32-point effort in the first round against El Centro-Central, TRAVON CAPLES was limited to just 10 points and 6 rebounds. Taking away Barrett's statistics, the rest of the Matadors struggled through a 10-for-33 shooting night. The entire team went a dismal 0-for-7 from the foul line.

La Jolla advances to meet San Marcos, which upset 4th-seeded Canyon Crest. 65-63. The other half of the draw finds a pair of unseeded ballclubs in St. Augustine (a 51-50 winner over No. 3 Mission Bay) going against University City (which bounced No. 2 Cathedral, 60-49).

Mount Miguel scoring: Brad Barrett 18 (9 reb, 2 blk), Travon Caples 10 (6 reb), J.J. North 4 (4 reb), Charles Graves 3, Arthur Hobbs 2, A.J. Stanford 2.

THE BISHOP’S 57, CHRISTIAN 53 – Senior DANIEL HAZLETT did everything he could to make sure that Friday’s (Feb. 22) SDCIF Division IV quarterfinal was not going to be his final game as a high school athlete.

Hazlett, who ran his East County-leading count to 104 by landing 4 triples, finished with 18 points. But it still wasn’t enough.

“Every time Hazlett came off the screen he was challenged – every shot he took was challenged,” said Christian assistant coach TOBIN WILKINS. “He did not have one easy look. Down the stretch he had some unbelievable shots to keep us in the game.”

Even the 27 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks by 6-foot-8 junior VANDER JOAQUIM couldn’t save the Patriots (19-9) from elimination.

“It was close the whole way,” noted Wilkins, as the game was tied at 14 after one quarter and the 3rd-seeded Bishop’s led just 23-22 at the break. The Knights (21-8) stretched their advantage to 40-35 by the close of the 3rd period, but the Patriots refused to fold.

Joaquim nailed 8 of his 16 shots from the floor – 2 of them 3-balls – and 7 of 8 free throws.

“Vander played big-time tonight,” said Wilkins. “Every time he got the ball he was double- and triple-teamed.

“All in all it’s been a pretty good season. We are proud of the way all of our guys played tonight.”

Christian scoring: Vander Joaquim 27 (14 reb, 6 blk), Daniel Hazlett 18, Andrew Sexton 3 (3 reb, 2 stl), Lawrence Walker 3 (2 reb), Manny Walker 2 (6 reb, 1 blk), Bradley Johnston (3 reb).

HOOVER 73, STEELE CANYON 54 – It’s no secret that the strength of the Steele Canyon basketball team this season is its backcourt. That fact was not lost on host Hoover in Friday’s (Feb. 22) SDCIF Division II quarterfinal game.

The top-seeded and fast-break oriented Cardinals (24-6) actually forced the Cougars to run a bit faster than normal, which caused the visitors to play out of control at times.

“That’s what we do to people,” said Hoover coach Ollie Goulston. “We’re in shape and we’re deep, and that’s how we like to play. We definitely had them going faster than they’re accustomed to.”

Steele Canyon ’s backcourt tandem of JEBARI ROBINSON and ELIJAH CARTER were a combined 8-for-30 shooting (27 percent), which is far below the duo’s norm.

“We also got the ball out of their main guys’ hands a lot,” Goulston added. “So other guys had to make plays that they’re not used to making. Their backcourt is good, but we’ll take ours.”

Steele Canyon shot 31 percent as a team, hitting 20 of 64 attempts from the floor. Couple that with Hoover ’s 54-32 rebounding advantage and it’s easy to see why the game was one-sided.

“To lose by less than 20 points and shoot as poorly as we did…,” said Cougars coach DEREK STEPHENS. “I thought our seniors stepped up and played great tonight. We just couldn’t hit any shots.”

The Cougars also had no answer for Hoover ’s 6-foot-8 freshman Andrew Chol, who scored 16 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. Jevon Carmon chipped in 25 points and 10 boards, while Corey Trisby pitched in 17 points for the Cardinals.

Robinson led the Cougars with 10 points, while Carter tacked on 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

RILEY BALIKIAN landed a pair of 3-balls on his way to 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Junior JOSIAH SMITH delivered 6 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Another junior, ERIC GILBERT, was 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

“I thought some of our juniors did a pretty good job tonight so we have a good outlook for next year,” Stephens said.

Steele Canyon scoring: Jebari Robinson 10 (1 blk), Elijah Carter 9 (5 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk), Riley Balikian 8 (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Zane Keith 6 (3 reb, 1 blk), Josiah Smith 6 (5 reb), Eric Gilbert 5 (3 reb), Nick Stathas 4 (4 reb, 3 stl), Jake Ransom 4 (2 reb, 4 stl), Cameron Moss 2 (3 reb).


CIF -SAN DIEGO SECTION
BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
Tuesday's First Round
DIVISION I
(1) El Camino (26-2) 86,. Chula Vista (14-14) 35
Helix (20-7) 64, Rancho Buena Vista (19-10) 57
Poway (21-8) 73, Hilltop (21-7) 72 (OT)
(4) La Costa Canyon (22-6) 64, Mira Mesa (18-10) 59
(3) San Diego (19-4) 75, Carlsbad (16-12) 58
Escondido (17-10) 64, Eastlake (20-8) 57
Rancho Bernardo (20-9) 64, Otay Ranch (20-9) 58
(2) Torrey Pines (21-7) 57, Fallbrook (11-18) 37

DIVISION II
(1) Hoover (23-6) 93, Ramona (8-20) 54
Steele Canyon (16-12) 58, El Centro-Southwest (17-10) 43
Monte Vista (11-18) 51, Mt. Carmel (12-15) 34
(4) Oceanside (15-11) 64, West Hills (10-18) 51
(3) Grossmont (19-7) 64, San Pasqual (9-17) 46
Westview (11-18) 58, El Cajon Valley (13-17) 41
THIS QUARTERFINAL -- Now Saturday, 7 p.m.
Serra (13-13) 77, Sweetwater (14-12) 62
(2) Mission Hills (22-6) 74, Scripps Ranch (10-17) 43

DIVISION III
(1) La Jolla (20-8) 68, Castle Park (9-18) 50
Mount Miguel (18-8) 57, El Centro-Central (18-8) 53 VIDEO
San Marcos (17-11) 56, Madison (12-15) 39
(4) Canyon Crest (16-10) 77, Kearny (11-13) 70
(3) Mission Bay (16-7) 68, El Capitan (10-18) 58
St.Augustine (12-15) 80, Mar Vista (14-11) 66
University City (15-11) 56, Valley Center (12-15) 50
(2) Cathedral (19-9) 62, Santana (14-14) 48

DIVISION IV
(1) Horizon (18-10) -- bye
Imperial (19-6) 64, Coronado (13-10) 50
Santa Fe Chr. (15-12) 72, Olympian (8-16) 60
(4) Francis Parker (17-9) -- bye
(3) The Bishop's (20-8) -- bye
Christian (19-8) 62, Preuss (9-16) 42
La Jolla Country Day (7-16) 55, Mater Dei (12-16) 41
(2) Army-Navy (19-4) -- bye

DIVISION V
(1) Foothills Christian (19-9) 92, Christian Life (5-18) 46
San Pasqual Academy (10-15) 64, Tri-City Christian (4-22) 47
THIS QUARTERFINAL -- Now Saturday, 4 p.m.
Lutheran (18-8) 54, SoCal Yeshiva (11-9) 52
(4) Vincent Memorial (17-10) 59, San Diego Jewish (8-11) 52
Wed.: (3) Calvin Christian (13-12) 61, West Shores (10-9) 20
Maranatha Christian (19-6) 85, Borrego Springs (15-12) 41
Vista Calvary Christian (13-14) 66, San Diego Academy (10-5) 62
(2) Escondido Adventist (18-8) 70, Rock Academy (3-10) 33
PLAYOFF DATES
Quarterfinals -- Fri., Feb. 22
Semifinals -- Tue., Feb. 26
Championships
At Cox Arena
Div. I -- Fri., Feb. 29, 9 p.m.
Div. II -- Sat., March 1, 1:45 p.m.
Div. III -- Fri., Feb. 29, 3:30 p.m.
Div. IV -- Sat., March 1, 10:15 a.m.
Div. V -- Fri., Feb. 29, 11:30 a.m.
CIF PLAYOFFS -- FIRST ROUND
Cougars are back on the board

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-20-08) -- Three years after collecting the second of consecutive CIF San Diego Section championships, Steele Canyon High is back on the board with a postseason victory.

ELIJAH CARTER pumped home 18 points and JEBARI ROBINSON added 15, as the Cougars took advantage of 17 first-half turnovers by El Centro-Southwest to skate past the visiting Eagles, 58-43, in Tuesday's (Feb. 19) opening round of the Division II playoffs.

The triumph was the school's first in the postseason at the section level since rattling off seven straight to claim titles in 2004 (Div. III over USDHS) and 2005 (Div. II over Scripps Ranch).

"It's the first time we've made it through to the second round since I've been here," said Robinson, who was in 8th grade the last time Steele Canyon reached the podium. "And it's something the team's been talking about -- we really wanted to win a playoff game."

Robinson and Carter made sure early, hitting consecutive 3-point shots out of the blocks for a 6-1 lead. The pair also combined for 10 steals in the contest, as Southwest fell behind early due to turnovers. The Eagles gave up the ball 17 times in the first half, and 26 through three periods before the benches cleared.

"We played hard and came in pumped up because we haven't won in the playoffs for so long," added forward JOSIAH SMITH, who added 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Any doubts about an Eagles comeback were vanquished by the Cougars defense midway through the second period. On consecutive possessions, RILEY BALIKIAN and ZANE KEITH blocked shots, with Carter grabbing the loose ball each time, then dribbling coast-to-coast through traffic for fastbreak layins.

Carter scored 15 of his 18 in the first half enabling the Cougars (16-12) to mount a 35-19 halftime advantage.

Southwest forward Joshua Holmes single-handedly cut the margin to 9 in the fourth period, going to the foul line over five straight possessions (7-for-10) to make it a 44-35 contest. However, Robinson drove the lane for a dramatic reverse layin to reclaim control.

The Cougars, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, will travel to meet top-seeded Hoover in Friday's (Feb. 22) quarterfinals.

"We look forward to playing Hoover , but it will be a tough game," added Robinson. "They have a big guy we have to jam up on and make it tough on him."

Steele Canyon: Elijah Carter 18 (6 stl, 6 reb.), Jebari Robinson 15 (4 stl), Josiah Smith 11 (9 reb), Nick Stathas 5 (4 stl), Riley Balikian 3 (3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Zane Keith 2 (6 reb, 2 blk), Eric Gilbert 2 (4 reb, 3 stl), Jake Ransom 2.

CHRISTIAN 62, PREUSS 42 – With the opponent's focus on the Christian High inside game, Patriots guard DANIEL HAZLETT reminded The Preuss School that they have an outside game, too.

Hazlett poured home a game-high 27 points, including seven 3-point goals, pacing Christian past the visiting Tritons, 62-42, in Tuesday's (Feb. 19) opening round of the San Diego Section CIF Division IV playoffs. His treys gave the senior exactly 100 for the season, making him the 12th player in section history to achieve the milestone.

Hazlett connected on three of his triples in the 2nd quarter, surging the Patriots to a 30-20 halftime advantage. However, the ballclub expected more despite the double-digit lead.

"We didn't have the defensive intensity we needed in the first half before we picked it up," said Hazlett. "We'll need to do better to beat Bishop's."

Christian (19-8) will meet The Bishop's School, the No. 3 seed, in Friday's (Feb. 22) quarterfinals at the Fleet Center in La Jolla.

Following a sloppy opening period, Hazlett came out firing in the 2nd quarter, draining a pair of treys to push the lead to 19-10 after the Tritons (9-16) elected to double- and triple-team Patriots 6-8 center VANDER JOAQUIM every time he touched the ball.

However, all of the guards benefitted with open looks, even when Joaquim went to the bench with second-half foul trouble.

"We put in a new offense and it's opening up shots for players who normally don't get a lot of shots," added Hazlett.

The alterations resulted in diverse scoring, as eight different Patriots hit the scorebook. And four players who aren’t normally play-makers registered multiple assists, led by four from BRADLEY JOHNSTON.

Joaquim finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds, while also blocking 5 Preuss shots.

"We're trying to come up with new ways to score, so we put this new offense in," noted head coach KELVIN STARR, who collected his first high school playoff victory following a series of national tournament appearances when he guided San Diego Christian College. "The bread-and-butter for this team is still defense, but if we want to beat Bishop's we need to do better than this."

It was the fourth straight win for Christian.

Christian scoring: Daniel Hazlett 27, Vander Joaquim 11 (16 reb, 5 blk), Andrew Sexton 6 (6 reb), Aaron Whitten 5, Bradley Johnston 4 (4 ast), Taylor Eichhorst 3 (7 reb), Tyrone Sauls 3, Andrew Whitten 3.

MONTE VISTA 51, MT. CARMEL 34 — Monte Vista first-year head coach JAMES CARROLL wasn’t sure his Monarchs would even qualify for the SDCIF Division II playoffs considering his squad stumbled to the regular season finish line with four losses in their last five games.

Yet, behold the inflated SDCIF tournament found room for the Monarchs, whom host Mt. Carmel probably looked upon as pure cannon fodder in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) playoff opener in North County .

After fighting to a 16-16 draw in the 1st quarter, Monte Vista (11-18) slapped the defensive clamps upon the Sundevils (12-15), limiting the North County crew to 6 points in each of the final three quarters.

“We got off to a good start but Mt. Carmel tied the game at the end of the 1st quarter by hitting a 30-foot 3-pointer,” Carroll said.

Clinging to a 24-22 halftime edge, the Monarchs put together a 15-6 3rd period to force the Sundevils to play catch up the remainder of the night.

“We played a great 2nd half. I’m pleased with how we played on both offense and defense. MIKE WATKINS hit 2 big 3s in the 2nd half to help keep us ahead the whole half.”

GEOFF HARTMAN paced Monte Vista with 17 points, nailing 7 of 13 shots from the field. He also gobbled up 8 rebounds, made 4 assists and logged 3 steals.

Watkins totaled 12 points and 4 steals, while ANTHONY BELL pitched in 8 points and pilfered 4 passes.

“RYAN HOUSER did a great job on ( Tyler ) Fricke, Mt. Carmel ’s best player,” Carroll said.

Monte Vista was much too quick on defense for Mt. Carmel . The Monarchs totaled 18 steals.

“Our steals helped keep them off the tempo they wanted,” Carroll said. “I’m happy we get to play at least one more game. It’s a great feeling for the seniors.”

Monte Vista scoring: Geoff Hartman 17 (8 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Mike Watkins 12 (3 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Anthony Bell 8 (2 ast, 4 stl), Chris Jones 5 (5 reb, 3 ast), Brian Williams 4 (4 reb, 1 blk), Ryan Houser 3 (7 reb, 2 stl),Tony Jackson 2 (4 reb, 1 blk).

HELIX 64, RANCHO BUENA VISTA 57 – When the Highlanders opened the season, they were crushed by Rancho Buena Vista, 59-36. That was back in December.

“The lineup we started that night is 60 percent different than the one we started tonight,” said Helix coach JOHN SINGER.

Lots of things have changed in the Helix look since then. For example, the Highlanders (20-7) – champions of the Grossmont South League – are riding a 14-game winning streak following Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) SDCIF Division I playoff victory over the visiting Longhorns (19-10).

“We have three different guys starting tonight that weren’t even with us the last time we faced RBV. All of them are starters now,” Singer said. “We’re better defensively now than we were then and we are much more balanced offensively.”

Not that Singer declared the Highlanders’ playoff opener a thing of beauty.

“We weren’t exactly stellar out there tonight, but we did enough things right to win the game,” he said. “I think we shared the ball and our balance was key.”

DEMOND “Red” NARCISSE paced the Highlanders with 15 points (hitting 7 of 12 from the floor), 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

LEVINE TOILOLO, the Highlanders’ 6-foot-8 sleeping giant, awakened to net 14 points and grab 11 rebounds.

Despite being hampered by cramping, DONALD McGOWAN chipped in with 10 points, 11 boards and 4 assists, while floor leader KAREEM ABUKAR tallied 11 points and dished 6 assists.

Now the Highlanders – the defending SDCIF Division I champions – must travel to Oceanside to face El Camino (26-2), this year’s top-ranked team.

“We’re going to play the best team in the tournament,” Singer said. “We’re going to have to play at a high level and hope that they’re not on their game.”

Helix scoring: Demond Narcisse 15 (7 reb, 3 stl), Levine Toilolo 14 (11 reb), Kareem Abukar 11 (3 reb, 6 ast), Donald McGowan 10 (11 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk), Derrall Chandler 8 (2 reb), Joubert Ballard 4 (3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Anthony Anderson 2 (3 reb).

GROSSMONT 64, SAN PASQUAL 46 – Playing with one wing down, the host Grossmont Foothillers – champions of the Grossmont North League – found a way to prevail in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) SDCIF Division II playoff opener.

RICHARD OGUNSALU, a 6-foot-5 senior, enjoyed a career night, registering 36 points and 18 rebounds to lead the No. 3 seed Foothillers (19-7) to their 13th win in their last 14 decisions.

Ogunsalu scored 25 points in the 1st half – 2 more than visiting San Pasqual totaled as a team. The Foothillers lead 35-23 at the break.

The fact that Grossmont won so handily was impressive in itself as senior veteran IAN COCHRAN did not play in the game due to missing practice a day earlier.

“The other five seniors stepped up and did very well,” said Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO.

ALEX LEON came up big with 8 points and 11 rebounds, while MICHAEL GRAHAM contributed 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists to the Foothillers cause.

“We had a very good combination of guard quickness penetrating to the basket by (KHALID) WATERS and Graham coupled with the inside power of Ogunsalu and Leon,” said Foggiano. “All five of my players played very well together.”

Grossmont scoring: Richard Ogunsalu 36 (18 reb), Michael Graham 9 (8 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Alex Leon 8 (11 reb, 2 ast), Khalid Waters 6 (3 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), Robert Sullivan 5 (4 reb, 2 ast).

MOUNT MIGUEL 57, EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 53 VIDEO Although 6-foot-2 senior TRAVON CAPLES is obviously not the biggest inside player in the San Diego Section, he does get results.

The visiting Matadors (18-8), who had to travel to El Centro for Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) SDCIF Division III playoff opener to face Central Union, could easily have folded under the Spartans’ early pressure which led to a 20-16 lead for the home team.

“Caples kept us in it early,” said Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT.

Caples finished with a powerful double-double of 30 points and 20 rebounds, propelling Mount Miguel into a quarterfinal showdown against top-seeded La Jolla on Friday night (Feb. 22) in the beach city.

Twenty-two of Caples points came in the 1st half – 12 of them in the 1st quarter. It could have been a record night for Caples had he not gotten into foul trouble and played sparingly in the 2nd half. However, his contributions were enough to give the Matadors their 8th win in 10 starts.

“He had a breakout game on the boards, especially on the offensive boards,” Rowlett said. “He had a lot of putbacks.”

Mount Miguel was sitting on an 11-point lead with 4 minutes left in the game. And then Caples fouled out, which clearly concerned Rowlett.

“We had three guys foul out. We got some questionable calls but my guys fought through it and didn’t let it get to them, he said.”

BRAD BARRETT, who missed the final two games of the regular season due to a family emergency, came up strong in the opener with 17 points and a dozen rebounds for the Matadors.

Mount Miguel scoring: Travon Caples 30 (20 reb), Brad Barrett 17 (12 reb, 2 stl), A.J. Stanford 8 (4 ast, 4 stl), J.J. Norton 2 ( 4 ast, 2 stl), Devyn Moore (3 reb, 4 ast).

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 92, CHRISTIAN LIFE 46 – Nobody expected the top-seeded Knights to be challenged by Christian Life Academy in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) opening round of the SDCIF Division V playoffs. And they weren’t.

The Knights used a 32-9 second quarter run to take a 55-24 halftime lead.

There was good news and bad news for Foothills Christian (19-9), which was led by ZACH KAUL’s 21 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds and 6 steals.

AARON HALE, who had been sidelined with a week-long battle with vertigo and an inner ear infection, scored 14 points in the 1st quarter and totaled 19 in the game. Hale missed only 2 of 11 shots from the floor.

His brother BRANDON HALE banged in 18 points and added 4 assists, while KALOB HATCHER chipped in 16 points and 10 assists.

On the down side county scoring leader TROY LEAF played sparingly due to a chronic groin pull. He finished with just 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

“Troy ’s groin injury seems to be getting worse,” said Knights assistant coach JAMES McHUGH. “He could not practice yesterday and he played just 10 minutes tonight and simply could not go anymore.”

“I think we wanted to get the ball to Troy early and he just did not have a lot of mobility. Aaron stepped in and hit everything he took, Kalob did an excellent job of moving the ball around and Zach was left with the task of running the offense when Hatcher headed to the bench for a much deserved rest with about half of the 3rd quarter remaining.”

Foothills Christian scoring: Zach Kaul 21 (10 reb, 1 blk, 6 stl, 8 ast), Aaron Hale 19 (3 reb, 2 stl), Brandon Hale 18 (3reb, 4 ast), Kalob Hatcher 16 (4 reb, 2 stl, 10 ast), Troy Leaf 8 (7 reb, 3 stl, 5 ast), Ryan Smith 6, Travis George 2, Daniel Labahn 2, Andrew Atia (2 reb), R.J. Najera (3 reb).

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 62, SANTANA 48 – Sultans coach TIM BARRY should have brought his team out with a fife and drum as a prelude to Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) Division III SDCIF opener in North County .

The battered and bruised Sultans (14-14) were paired against No. 2 seed Cathedral Catholic and it appeared a rout would be in the offing. Although the Dons (19-9) scurried to an early 14-0 lead, the outmanned Sultans kept clawing back.

Santana, which lost seven games by a total of 20 points, got a 3rd quarter boost from KEVIN ENGELKE, who hit a 3-pointer and then a 2 in the opening 45 seconds of the 2nd half, slicing Santana’s deficit to 5 points.

Engelke, who has been dogged by a dislocated shoulder all season, did not play in the first half.

“Kevin wanted to play all night so I asked him at the start of the 2nd half if he could give it a try and he was eager to do it,” said Barry. “So we started him in the 3rd quarter.”

Although Cathedral Catholic (19-9) probably thought they would blow the Sultans out such plans never materialized.

“Every time we made a run at them they had an answer for us,” Barry said.

TYLER BLACKLEDGE paced Santana with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while BRETT ROMERO also rolled a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

ANTHONY DeBARROWS buried a trio of treys for Santana, which saw its hardluck season come to an end.

“The game was closer than the score indicates, but we had to foul in the last 4 minutes. The Dons hit 10 of 12 free throws during that span.

Santana scoring: Tyler Blackledge 12, Brett Romero 10, Anthony DeBarrows 9, Chris Sodergren 6, Kevin Engelke 5, Carlos Vargas 4, Sean Doyle 2.

OCEANSIDE 64, WEST HILLS 51 – The host Pirates slapped a diamond-1-2-1-1 press on visiting West Hills, which rattled the Wolf Pack considerably in the early going of Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) SDCIF Division II playoff opener.

West Hills (11-18) turned the ball over 28 times, many of them coming early in the contest at the Pirates (15-11) took a 20-13 first-quarter lead.

The Wolf Pack eventually found the formula to crack the Diamond D and the Pirates elected to play aggressive man-to-man.

“Our early turnovers forced us to play catch-up all night,” said West Hills junior guard LUCAS ARMSTRONG, who hit 4 triples to finish with 14 points. “It seemed like we were going uphill the whole game.”

Although Oceanside did not connect on a single 3-point shot, the Pirates were able to capitalize on transition and from the free throw line.

West Hills fought to cut the deficit to 5 points with 4 minutes remaining. The Wolf Pack would not get closer.

Oceanside salted away the victory as Markese Cronk hit 7 of 8 free throws in the 4th quarter.

TIM NOWLIN paced the Wolf Pack with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

To add insult to injury, when the West Hills players came out after the game to board their charter bus they discovered that the tires had been slashed. Thus they had to wait another hour for a replacement bus to come and fetch them home.

West Hills scoring: Tim Nowlin 17, Lucas Armstrong 14, Chase Senter 6, Kyle McLaughlin 5, Garrett Cabral 4, Kyle Navarre 3, Billy McGarvey 2.

MISSION BAY 68, EL CAPITAN 58 – The visiting Vaqueros produced some pretty impressive numbers in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) Division III playoff game against No. 3 seed Mission Bay.

Senior BARRETT BRAUN led El Capitan (10-18) with 27 points and 8 rebounds, while sophomore MICHAEL OVERSON added 18 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals.

Junior JON MOLZEN came up short on the scoring end with only 6 markers, but hauled down a game-high 19 rebounds while blocking 4 shots and recording 5 steals.

Mission Bay (16-7) led 38-19 at halftime and that, for all intents and purposes, ended the game.

“It was easy for the kids to give up in a game like this, but this team did not do that,” said El Capitan coach JASON CAVAZOS. “Every player showed some fire tonight. We battled the whole night – up and down the roster, it was a great team effort.”

“Looking back at the whole season it was a season of underachievement. We weren’t expected to have this type of season. I’m proud of this team.”

El Capitan scoring: Barrett Braun 27 (8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Michael Overson 18 (6 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl), Jon Molzen 6 (19 reb, 2 ast, 4 blk, 5 stl), Jake Zawlacki 2 (2 reb, 2 stl), Jonathan Kulp 2 (2 stl, 1 blk), Michael Landis 2, Tila Case 1 (2 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl).

WESTVIEW 58, EL CAJON VALLEY 41 – Even though the visiting Braves scored only 16 points in the 1st half of Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) SDCIF Division II playoff opener, they trailed by just two points.

Westview picked up the offensive pace in the second half and El Cajon Valley was unable to keep pace.

“These guys didn’t play like they were supposed to,” said El Cajon Valley coach NATE REED.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Shivan Sulyman 14 (three 3-pointers), Laroy McGee 7, Anthony Ussery 7, Chris Franco 6, Devin Lesch 3, Raylondo Ford 2, Lucas Stafford 2.


© 2014 East County Sports
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Hit Counter:

 
2007-08 STANDINGS
Grossmont North League
School
W
L
W
L
Pct.
Grossmont
7
1
20
7
.741
El Cajon Valley
4
4
13
17
.433
El Capitan
4
4
10
18
.357
West Hills
3
5
11
18
.379
Santana
2
6
14
14
.500

Grossmont South League
School
W
L
W
L
Pct.
Helix
10
0
20
8
.714
Steele Canyon
8
2
16
13
.552
Mount Miguel
6
4
18
10
.643
Granite Hills
2
8
13
14
.481
Valhalla
2
8
11
15
.423
Monte Vista
2
8
11
19
.367

Central League
School
W
L
W
L
Pct.
Hoover
10
0
26
6
.813
Christian
7
3
19
9
.679
Coronado
5
5
12
10
.545
Madison
5
5
12
15
.444
Clairemont
2
8
7
16
.304
Crawford
1
9
2
17
.105

Independent
School
W
L
Pct.
Foothills Christian
23
10
.697
Schedule subject to change

CIF PLAYOFFS
First Round
Tue., Feb. 19
Division I

Helix 64, Rancho Buena Vista 57
Division II
Steele Canyon 58, El Centro-So'west 43
Monte Vista 51, Mt. Carmel 34
Grossmont 64, San Pasqual 46
Westview 58, El Cajon Valley 41
Division III
Mount Miguel 57, El Centro-Central 53
Mission Bay 68, El Capitan 58
Cathedral Catholic 62, Santana 48
Division IV
Christian 62, Preuss 42
Division V
Foothills Christian 92, Christian Life 46

Quarterfinals
Fri., Feb. 22
Division I

El Camino 65, Helix 58 (OT)
Division II
Hoover 73, Steele Canyon 54
Oceanside 41, Monte Vista 40
Division III
La Jolla 66, Mount Miguel 39
Division IV
The Bishop's 57, Christian 53

Sat., Feb. 23
Division II

Grossmont 59, Westview 53 (OT)
Division V
Foothills Christian 85, San Pasqual Academy 45

Championships
Fri., Feb 29
Division V

(1) Foothills Christian (21-9) 66,
Maranatha Christian (21-7) 55
Division I
(3) San Diego (22-4) 74,
(1) El Camino (28-3) 68 (OT)
Division III
(1) La Jolla (23-8) 65,
(2) University City (17-12) 57
Sat., Mar. 1
Division II
(1) Hoover
(26-6) 54,
(2) Mission Hills (24-7) 43
Division IV
(1) Horizon (21-10) 58
(2) Army-Navy (21-5) 53

REGULAR SEASON
Mon., Nov. 26
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

El Cajon Valley 65, Bonita Vista 60
Vista 62, Steele Canyon 52

Tue., Nov. 27
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

Granite Hills 63, SD-Southwest 41

Wed., Nov. 28
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament

Foothills Christian 76, Horizon 56
Eagle-Vaquero Classic
San Marcos 76, El Capitan 64
El Cajon Valley 65, Calexico 43
Ram Classic
Santana 70, Julian 25
Titan Tournament

Grossmont 64, Ramona 54

Thur., Nov. 29
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament

St. Augustine 65, West Hills 46
Ram Classic

Vincent Memorial 49, Santana 48
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

Carlsbad 59, Steele Canyon 50

Fri., Nov. 30
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament

Foothills Christian 88, West Hills 54
Ram Classic

Santana 68, Calipatria 39
Bulldog-Titan Tournament

La Jolla 46, Grossmont 36
Hilltop Tournament

Rancho Buena Vista 59, Helix 36
Monte Vista 79, Chula Vista 62
Eagle-Vaquero Classic
Morse 81, El Capitan 64
Granite Hills 50, Calexico 40
Steele Canyon 62, Bonita Vista 52

Sat., Dec. 1
Hilltop Tournament

Helix 59, Coronado 58
Torrey Pines 72, Monte Vista 48
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament
Foothills Christian 77, St. Augustine 69
Ram Classic

Championship: Santana 64, Vincent Memorial 50

Mon., Dec. 3
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

El Capitan 67, San Ysidro 51
San Marcos 75, Granite Hills 65
Mount Miguel 84, SD-Southwest 64
Titan Tournament
Poway 60, Grossmont 47

Tue., Dec. 4
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament

Otay Ranch 85, West Hills 57
Eagle-Vaquero Classic
El Cajon Valley 50, Mount Miguel 48
El Camino 73, Steele Canyon 34
Hilltop Invitational Tournament
Helix 47, Point Loma 42
Hilltop 68, Monte Vista 63

Wed., Dec. 5
El Capitan 64, Calexico 41
Granite Hills 66, San Ysidro 30
La Jolla Small Schools Tournament

Christian 63, Calipatria 45
Non-League

Santana 58, Clairemont 40
Titan Tip-Off Tournament

Grossmont 55, Eastlake 52

Thur., Dec. 6
Hilltop Invitational Tournament

Monte Vista 61, Point Loma 50
Helix 48, Hilltop 46
Eagle-Vaquero Classic
Mount Miguel 74, San Ysidro 38
La Jolla Small Schools Tournament

LJ Country Day 63, Christian 62 (OT)

Fri., Dec. 7
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

El Capitan 67, SD Southwest 42
San Pasqual 54, El Cajon Valley 40
Hoover 84, Granite Hills 74
Mt. Carmel 52, Steele Canyon 47
The Bishop’s 85, Mount Miguel 71
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament
Horizon 69, West Hills 40
Foothills Christian 90, Otay Ranch 83
Bulldog-Titan Tip-Off Tournament
Mira Mesa 60, Grossmont 52
Hilltop Invitational Tournament

Third: Monte Vista 66, Coronado 53
Championship: Torrey Pines 50, Helix 28
La Jolla Small Schools Tournament

Christian 63, Lutheran 42

Sat., Dec. 8
Eagle-Vaquero Classic

Mount Miguel 62, Calexico 44
Carlsbad 69, El Cajon Valley 46
Wolf Pack-Horsman Tournament

Serra 66, West Hills 24
Championship: Foothills Christian 74, Mission Hills 72
La Jolla Small Schools Tournament
Silver Div. final: Christian 52, St. Margaret’s 47

Tue., Dec. 11
Non-League

Valhalla 70, Calexico 42
Army-Navy 98, Foothills Christian 79
EC Southwest 53, El Cajon Valley 49
Tri-City Christian Classic
Santana 50, Saddleback Valley Chr. 28

Wed., Dec. 12
Non-League

Granite Hills 64, Point Loma 49

Thurs., Dec. 13
Tri-City Christian Classic

Santana 72, San Pasqual Academy 53
Red Bluff Christmas Tournament
Pleasant Valley 43, Helix 31
Imperial Valley Classic
Paloma Valley 77, Valhalla 54
Non-League
Foothills Christian 71, Escondido Adventist 58
Canyon Crest 61, El Cajon Valley 40

Fri., Dec. 14
Tri-City Christian Classic

Santana 54, San Dieguito Academy 50
Red Bluff Christmas Tournament
Helix 54, Paradise 36
Imperial Valley Classic
Valhalla 78, Calipatria 51
Non-League
El Capitan 66, Ramona 57
Mount Miguel at Lincoln, susp., 3rd qtr., fight in the stands
Christian 66, Canoga Park-Faith Baptist 44

Sat., Dec. 15
Red Bluff Christmas Tournament

Enterprise 54, Helix 32
Tri-City Christian:Classic
Santana 49, Tri-City Christian 47
Championship: Santana 68, Tri-City Christian 29
Imperial Valley Classic
Valhalla 63, Borrego Springs 40
Consolation final: Valhalla 39, Valley Center 31

Mon., Dec. 17
Sweetwater Holiday Classic

Mount Miguel 82, Castle Park 36

Tue., Dec. 18
Sweetwater Holiday Classic

Mount Miguel 81, Shawnigan Lake (BC, Canada) 46

Wed., Dec. 19
Otay Ranch-Mater Dei Holiday Invitational

West Hills 2, Maranatha Chr. 0 (forfeit)
Otay Ranch 87, El Cajon Valley 50
Grossmont Winter Classic
University City 65, Monte Vista 45
Foothills Christian 70, Burroughs 61
Grossmont 52, Clairemont 30
Christian 62, Canyon Crest 60 (2OT)
Westview 60, Santana 47
Kiwanis Tournament
Torrey Pines 76, El Capitan 28
Mira Mesa 59, Steele Canyon 58 (OT)
Sweetwater Holiday Classic

Carlsbad 70, Mount Miguel 49

Thur., Dec. 20
Otay Ranch-Mater Dei Holiday Invitational

West Hills 55, Kwantlen Park (Canada) 49
West Hills 60, San Ysidro 44
Orange Glen 69, El Cajon Valley 67
Kiwanis Tournament
Scripps Ranch 69, El Capitan 55
Steele Canyon 71, San Pasqual 40
Grossmont Winter Classic
Westview 68, Foothills Christian 56
University City 50, Christian 35
Grossmont 56, Bonita Vista 54
Canyon Crest 75, Monte Vista 55
Santana 53, Burroughs 49
Sweetwater Holiday Classic
Semifinal: Mount Miguel 47, Sweetwater 45
Championship: (will not be played)
Matador Shootout, Bullhead City, AZ
Granite Hills 61, River Valley (AZ) 37
Valhalla 54, Kingman (AZ) 42

Fri., Dec. 21
Otay Ranch-Mater Dei Holiday Invitational

El Cajon Valley 63, Montgomery 33
Francis Parker 58, West Hills 35
Kiwanis Tournament
El Capitan 64, Morse 55
La Costa Canyon 55, Steele Canyon 50
Grossmont Winter Classic
Monte Vista 73, Burroughs 54
Canyon Crest 63, Santana 54
Foothills Christian 64, Christian 60
Rancho Bernardo 83, Grossmont 67
Matador Shootout, Bullhead City, AZ
Hilltop 59, Granite Hills 44
Santa Rita (Tucson) 79, Granite Hills 64
Rocky Mountain (Colo.) 92, Valhalla 53
Mohave (Ariz.) 61, Valhalla 46

Sat., Dec. 22
Kiwanis Tournament

San Pasqual 71, El Capitan 52
Serra 67, Steele Canyon 56
Matador Shootout, Bullhead City, AZ

Granite Hills 81, Sir Winston Churchill (Ontario, Can.) 43
Valhalla 56, Paris (Ontario, Can.) 47
Grossmont Winter Classic
Christian 69, Bonita Vista 51
Clairemont 46, Santana 43
Foothills Christian 79, St. Augustine 70
Monte Vista 60, Ramona 40
University City 55, Grossmont 50
Championship: Rancho Bernardo 50, Westview 45
Otay Ranch-Mater Dei Holiday Tournament

Mater Dei 56, El Cajon Valley 37
Mar Vista 70, West Hills 65

Wed., Dec 26
Granite Hills Holiday Tournament

Kearny 74, El Cajon Valley 41
Granite Hills 83, Edwin Parr (Can.) 32
A.N. Myer ( Can. ) 61, Mount Miguel 38
Valhalla 62, Northern (Toronto, Ont.) 57
Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic

West Ranch 77, El Capitan 40
Above the Rim Tournament

Corona 73, Foothills Christian 64
Chula Vista Spartan Classic

Steele Canyon 74, Point Loma 45
Grossmont 59, Crawford 49
Helix 56, Cowichan (B.C., Canada) 43
Torrey Pines Classic

LACES 88, Monte Vista 77
Aztec Holiday Invitational

West Hills 60, Brawley 54

Thur., Dec. 27
Granite Hills Holiday Tournament
El Cajon Valley 62, Leduc (Can.) 53
San Pedro 73, Valhalla 52
Mount Miguel 49, Maple Ridge (B.C., Can.) 33
Granite Hills 61, El Centro-Central 56
Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic
Newbury Park 73, El Capitan 56
Above the Rim Tournament
Perris (Can.) 75, Foothills Christian 68
Chula Vista Spartan Classic
Eastlake 69, Steele Canyon 41
Grossmont 53, Vista 39
Helix 68, Mater Dei 63 (3-OT)
Torrey Pines Classic
Monte Vista 66, Rancho Buena Vista 63 (OT)
Aztec Holiday Invitational
Paramount 70, West Hills 39
Tri-City Christian Holiday Tournament
Christian 86, Santa Clara-St. Lawrence 54

Fri., Dec 28
Granite Hills Holiday Tournament
Mount Miguel 70, Northern (Can.) 50
Valhalla 84, LA Banning 72 (2-OT)
El Cajon Valley 52, Patrick Henry 50
Granite Hills 61, Kearny 51
Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic
Valley Center 59, El Capitan 26
Above the Rim Tournament
Foothills Christian 76, Army-Navy 66
Chula Vista Spartan Classic
Vista 61, Steele Canyon 58
Eastlake 65, Grossmont 39
Fountain Valley 53, Helix 50 (OT)
Torrey Pines Classic
Coronado (Nev.) 86, Monte Vista 73
Aztec Holiday Invitational
West Hills 66, Montgomery 48
Tri-City Christian Holiday Tournament
Canyon Crest 47, Christian 46
Christian 82, San Pasqual Academy 53

Sat., Dec 29
Granite Hills Holiday Tournament
Championship: Granite Hills 64, San Marcos 61
El Centro-Central 66, Valhalla 65
El Cajon Valley 57, Northern (Can.) 56
Mount Miguel 79, Leduc (Can.) 44
Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic
El Dorado 56, El Capitan 35
Above the Rim Tournament
Foothills Christian 83, Village Christian 64
Chula Vista Spartan Classic
Third: Grossmont 59, Helix 44
Steele Canyon 74, Mater Dei 50
Torrey Pines Classic
Pacific Hills 64, Monte Vista 63
Ponderosa 56, Monte Vista 28
Aztec Holiday Invitational
Third: West Hills 47, EC Southwest 38
TCC Holiday Tournament
Third: Christian 60, Santa Fe Christian 53

Fri., Jan. 4
Mission Prep Showcase
Foothills Christian vs. Pacific Hills, at San Luis Obispo, ppd. (power failure)
Non-League
Sweetwater 55, El Cajon Valley 53
Christian 65, Village Christian 59

Sat., Jan. 5
Non-League

Steele Canyon 69, Escondido 56
Santa Fe Christian 55, Christian 39
Mission Prep Showcase
Pacific Hills 62, Foothills Christian 58
Mission Prep 59, Foothills Chr. 57 (OT)

Mon., Jan. 7
Grossmont Conference Crossover
Steele Canyon 81, El Capitan 52
Grossmont 56, Monte Vista 42
El Cajon Valley 65, Granite Hills 55
West Hills at Mount Miguel, ccd.
Non-League
Santana 48, Olympian 36
West Hills 60, SD Southwest 44

Tue., Jan. 8
Non-League
Christian 62, Christian Life Academy 31

Wed., Jan. 9
Non-League
Santana 61, Mountain Empire 34
Grossmont Conference Crossover
Grossmont 45, Helix 39
El Cajon Valley 58, Monte Vista 55
West Hills 55, Valhalla 49
Mount Miguel at El Capitan, ccd.

Fri., Jan. 11
Grossmont South League
Helix 59, Steele Canyon 48
Mount Miguel 62, Valhalla 52
Monte Vista 62, Granite Hills 48
Grossmont North League
El Capitan 45, West Hills 33
Grossmont 65, El Cajon Valley 47
Non-League
Foothills Christian 66, Calvin Chr. 57
Central League
Hoover 67, Christian 47

Sat., Jan. 12
South Bay Challenge

Chula Vista 60, West Hills 56
Foothills Christian 67, Otay Ranch 55

Mon., Jan. 14
Grossmont Conference Crossover
Grossmont 64, Steele Canyon 60
Helix 82, El Cajon Valley 29
Valhalla 49, El Capitan 47
Granite Hills 57, West Hills 46

Tue., Jan. 15
Non-League
Foothills Christian 85 Tri-City Chr. 52

Wed., Jan. 16
Grossmont South League
Steele Canyon 83, Mount Miguel 54
Helix 63, Monte Vista 46
Granite Hills 55, Valhalla 42
Grossmont North League
El Cajon Valley 52, Santana 49
Grossmont 52, West Hills 42

Fri., Jan. 18
Grossmont South League
Helix 67, Mount Miguel 45
Valhalla 73, Monte Vista 53
Steele Canyon 49, Granite Hills 48
Grossmont North League
El CCapitan 62, El Cajon Valley 56
Grossmont 54, Santana 38
Central League
Christian 51, Clairemont 39

Sat., Jan. 19
Non-League
Las Vegas-Eldorado 81, Mount Miguel 79
Horizon Super Showcase
Cathedral Catholic 65, Foothills Christian 48

Mon., Jan. 21
Non-League

Mount Miguel 70, Las Vegas-Sierra Vista 54
Martin Luther King Shootout
Eastlake 80, Foothills Christian 67

Tue., Jan. 22
Grossmont South League
Mount Miguel 58, Granite Hills 53
Steele Canyon 85, Monte Vista 56
Helix 68, Valhalla 46
Grossmont North League
Santana 55, West Hills 42
Grossmont 54, El Capitan 40
Central League
Hoover 82, Coronado 58
Crawford 45, Clairemont 45

Wed., Jan. 23
Central League
Christian 56, Madison 48

Thurs., Jan. 24
Central League
Hoover 79, Crawford 34

Fri., Jan. 25
Grossmont South League
Steele Canyon 70, Valhalla 56
Helix 59, Granite Hills 56
Mount Miguel 65, Monte Vista 55
Grossmont North League
West Hills 48, El Cajon Valley 47
El Capitan 57, Santana 53
Central League
Christian 60, Coronado 42
Madison 43, Clairemont 37

Sat., Jan. 26
Non-League
Foothills Christian 87, Tri-City Chr. 53

Mon., Jan. 28
Grossmont Conference Crossover
Steele Canyon 75, El Cajon Valley 55
Helix 62, Santana 35
Monte Vista 68, West Hills 57
El Capitan 55, Granite Hills 48
Grossmont at Mount Miguel, ccd.
Central League

Christian 94, Crawford 71
Hoover 68, Clairemont 20
Madison 51, Coronado 49

Wed., Jan. 30
Grossmont Conference Crossover
Grossmont 67, Valhalla 51
Mount Miguel 61, El Cajon Valley 44
Helix 72, West Hills 37
Monte Vista 60, El Capitan 51
Santana at Steele Canyon, ccd.

Thur., Jan. 31
Non-League

Preuss 61, Santana 53

Fri., Feb. 1
Grossmont South League

Helix 60, Steele Canyon 47
Granite Hills 53, Monte Vista 37
Mount Miguel 60, Valhalla 53
Grossmont North League
West Hills 58, El Capitan 56
El Cajon Valley 52, Grossmont 44
Central League
Hoover 72, Christian 56
Coronado 37, Clairemont 26
Madison 81, Crawford 56

Sat., Feb. 2
Non-League

Foothills Christian 78, Santana 68

Tue., Feb. 5
Grossmont South League
Steele Canyon 66, Mount Miguel 60
Helix 63, Monte Vista 52
Valhalla 57, Granite Hills 54
Grossmont North League
El Cajon Valley 64, Santana 60 (OT)
Grossmont 55, West Hills 43
Central League
Madison 44, Christian 41
Hoover 81, Coronado 38
Clairemont 48, Crawford 40

Fri., Feb. 8
Grossmont South League

Helix 48, Mount Miguel 36
Monte Vista 61, Valhalla 51
Steele Canyon 76, Granite Hills 70
Grossmont North League
El Cajon Valley 52, El Capitan 47
Grossmont 44, Santana 40
Central League
Christian 59, Clairemont 30
Hoover 54, Madison 47
Coronado 66, Crawford 55

Sat., Feb. 9
Non-League
Foothills Christian 72, El Capitan 46

Tue., Feb. 12
Grossmont South League
Mount Miguel 59, Granite Hills 46
Helix 66, Valhalla 47
Steele Canyon 57, Monte Vista 50
Grossmont North League
Grossmont 69, El Capitan 58
Santana 42, West Hills 40
Central League
Christian 72, Crawford 34
Coronado 62, Madison 52
Hoover 69, Clairemont 37

Wed., Feb. 13
Non-League

Foothills Christian 92 Vincent Memorial 55

Thur., Feb. 14
Grossmont South League

Helix 61, Granite Hills 47
Steele Canyon 66, Valhalla 54
Mount Miguel 58, Monte Vista 57
Grossmont North League
El Capitan 49, Santana 48
West Hills 55, El Cajon Valley 50
Central League
Christian 62, Coronado 39
Hoover 90, Crawford 43
Clairemont 44, Madison 36
Non-League
Mira