Madness of Madison Avenue

El Cajon Valley High fans swarm the court to carry off Braves scoring leader Andre Nikkita.after leading the school to its first-ever boys basketball championship, clinching the Grossmont Valley League title outright following Friday's 69-61 triumph at Mount Miguel. ECVHS will host a CIF first-round playoff ballgame on Wednesday. (Courtesy photo, ECVHS parent)

Valhalla's Kevin Mills hangs while sinking a short jumper in an upset of first-place Grossmont, forcing the Foothillers to settle for a tri-championship in the Grossmont Hills with Steele Canyon and Helix. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

VIDEO: Watch the game-winning 3-point shot by Granite Hills' Codie Simmons to beat West Hills. (Video by Robby Tennant) Sorry, we not possess video-editing software, so the highligh is sideways -- yes, we know.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-16-13) — For one of the few times in Grossmont Conference history, there is a 3-way tie for the championship in the Grossmont Hills League circuit as Helix, Grossmont and Steele Canyon all finished 6-4.

Given that the Highlanders won 3 of 4 games against the teams they tied for the penthouse makes Helix the No. 1 seed headed into the playoffs. Pairings for the post-season tournament will be disclosed on Saturday.

On the flip side El Cajon Valley won its first boys basketball championship in 57 years to earn East County’s top representative in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.

GRANITE HILLS 66, WEST HILLS 55 — Eagles senior CODIE SIMMONS drained a deep 3-ball with 6.5 seconds remaining, handing the host Wolf Pack yet another agonizing setback in the final moments of a Grossmont Hills League contest in Friday's (Feb. 15) action on Senior Night at West Hills.

Granite Hills, long ago eliminated from the GHL chase following a 1-6 start, closed the campaign with three straight victories, forging a three-way deadlock for fourth place between both schools plus Valhalla.

West Hills snapped a 63-all ballgame when senior MARTIN PANAYOTOV sank a pair of foul shots with 28.3 seconds left. Granite Hills called timeout to set-up what turned out to be the game-winning play.

"We ran the play to perfection," said Simmons. "D.J. PALOMERA beat the double-team and got me the ball. All I had to do was set my feet and shoot – and I hit it."

The bomb came directly in front of his coach after rotating off a screen from the low block.

The Pack's last chance saw a 50-foot pass and a quick timeout with three seconds to play. But on the ensuing inbounds pass, the ball-handler attempted to cut around a defender to avoid a trap, but slipped and fell, with the ball rolling free to a defender as the buzzer sounded.

Simmons paced all scorers with 18 points, one of three Eagles in double figures, while West Hills saw four players score 10 or more.

Granite Hills held a 6-point lead in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, thanks in part to 17 offensive rebounds. But when two starters fouled out over a span of 24 seconds, the Wolf Pack found an opening for a comeback.

Six different players scored for the Pack over the final five minutes. But it was a pair of steals by JONNY PRESTON – one for his breakaway layin, the other leading to a D.J. LEWIS basket – which put the hosts in front for the first time since early in the second quarter, with the team trading several leads until Simmons’ game-winner.

For West Hills, JERON SATTERFILED performed well, registering 9 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Granite Hills: Codie Simmons 18 (4 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk), Joey Grubb 15 (6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Koltin Higgins 10 (11 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk, 1 ast), Seth Collins 9 (11 reb, 1 ast, 1 charge), D.J. Palomera 6 (4 ast, 3 stl, 2 reb), Trevor Sperry 4 (16 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Danny Smith 3 (2 reb), Andrew Manning 1 (1 reb), Alonzo Beepath (1 reb, 1 stl), Brayan Turner (1 reb).

West Hills: Chase Parsons 14 (5 reb, 4 stl, 1 ast), Martin Panayotov 14 (3 reb, 3 stl, 1 ast), Will Llamas 13 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 charge), Jonny Preston 10 (5 stl, 3 ast), Jeron Satterfield 9 (13 reb, 5 blk, 3 ast), D.J. Lewis 5 (5 reb), Brent Wilder (1 reb), Austin Alderson (1 reb), Spencer Moyer (1 reb).

— Nick Pellegrino

VALHALLA 55, GROSSMONT 52 – The Norsemen pulled out a key victory as SPENCER HAVIRD hit two free throws in the final six seconds Friday night (Feb. 15) to force the Foothillers to settle for a tri-championship in the Grossmont Hills League along with Helix and Steele Canyon.

“We did a good job of attacking the basket,” said Valhalla coach KEITH JACKSON. “DAVID GAZALE and ANDREW LOZOYA hit a couple of key threes down the stretch, then Havird came through with those clutch free throws.”

Jackson said he hopes his team will get a No. 12 or 13 seed in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.

Only four Foothillers scored in defeat but the main line was the Hillers only made 6 of 18 free throws.

“If you can’t make free throws you’re not going to win many games,” said Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO.

Both teams are looking forward to the playoffs.

Valhalla: Spencer Havird 18 (4 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 3 stl), David Gazale 11 (1 reb), Jordan Qsar 8 (6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Kevin Mills 5 (7 reb, 7 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl), Andrew Lozoya 8 (1 ast, 2 stl), George Fakhoury 3 (1 reb, 2 stl), Jacob Hammett 2 (2 reb, 1 stl), Cody Gladu (6 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl).

Grossmont: Bilal Rahim 19 (11 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Austin Swisher 16 (6 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Tommy Rutherford 11 (14 reb, 2 ast), Jake Herrod 6 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Tom Lore (2 ast, 1 stl), Anthony Lawrence (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), J.T. Barnes (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl).

HELIX 46, STEELE CANYON 38 – It seems almost predestined that Helix will find its way to the top of the pack, which the Highlanders did in Friday’s (Feb. 15) regular season Grossmont Hills League finale.

For the record the Highlanders share the league championship with Grossmont and Steele Canyon at 6-4.

“I know people thought I was just blowing smoke when I said I thought our team was the best team in the league,” Helix coach JOHN SINGER said.

Well... ‘nuf said.

The Highlanders will be awarded the top seed in the GHL for having a 3-1 record against Steele Canyon and Grossmont.

KAELEN MITCHELL, who is a defensive dynamo for the Highlanders, enjoyed his best offensive output, hitting 8 of 14 shots from the field for 22 points. He also had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks.

“Mitchell has probably been our best player all season,” Singer said. “He did a great job against ( Steele Canyon ’s CASEY) BALIKIAN.”

Singer was pleased that his team came from two games behind this year in the final three games and wound up getting another league title.

The Cougars finished 4-1 in the second half of league play to earn their share of the title.

“I’m happy with what we got,” said Steele Canyon coach DEREK STEPHENS. “But they should be pleased that they are champions.”

Helix: Kaelen Mitchell 22 (7 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk), Romario Wilson 7 (6 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk), Xavier Jones 6 (1 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Titus Young 5 (5 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Will Mildenhall (2 reb, 2 ast), Jordan Velasco (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Derrick Chandler 4 (8 reb, 2 stl), Ernesto Martinez 2 (2 reb, 1 blk).

Steele Canyon: Daniel King 14, Casey Balikian 10, Zach Kissel 6, Dylan Hamlett 6, Donovan Habib 2.

MONTE VISTA 55, SANTANA 42 – JAHZDION TAYLOR, arguably the top post player in East County, scored 10 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 2 shots as Monte Vista overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat Santana in Friday’s (Feb. 15) Grossmont Valley League finale.

HASANI JARVIS added 16 points and BRENDAN HARRIS tagged on 12 points for the Monarchs, who finished the regular season in a second place tie in the GVL with a 15-12 record.

After falling behind 21-6 in the first quarter Monarchs coach JAMES CARROLL asked his team, ‘Do you really want to end the season like this?’”

Carroll pointed out that the senior Taylor gave a vocal tirade at halftime. It seemed to catch fire with the rest of the team as they played a much stronger second half, the coach said.

Bottom line is, Monte Vista made only 8 of 34 free throws in its last two games.

“But we were able to make adjustments to turn the game around in our favor,” Carroll said.

It was another frustrating loss for Santana. The high point for the Sultans was DANIEL SHIVELY, who finished with 14 points and 8 steals. He nailed 7 of 8 shots from the field.

“ Shively has been a very surprising standout,” said Sultans coach TIM BARRY. “We have six freshman starters on the JV who will come up and help us, so the future looks good for us.”

Monte Vista: Hasani Jarvis 16 (4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Brendan Harris 12 (3 reb), Jahzdion Taylor 10 (13 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Adam Wallace 8 (1 reb, 3 ast. 1 stl), Justin Brandy 5 (6 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl), Jemeil Jackson 4 (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Jordan Jackson (3 reb), Erik Collins (3 reb, 1 stl).

Santana: Daniel Shively 14 (3 reb, 1 ast, 8 stl), Christian Barry 12 (2 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Andy Miller 6 (2 ast, 4 stl), Dustin Murphy 5 (7 reb, 1 stl), Jordan Vargas 2 (5 reb, 2 stl), Tim Huson 2 (2 reb, 1 stl), Gabe Kruse (2 stl), Derrick Burks (1 reb, 1 stl).

Christian freshman Tim Harrison (35) drives to the bucket for two of his 10 points vs. Kearny. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE Updated Photo Gallery HERE

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-14-13) — The Christian High Patriots concluded the regular Central League season on Wednesday (Feb. 13) by knocking off visiting Kearny, 56-44.

There was no secret formula to the Patriots latest conquest, which left them with an overall 12-14 ledger and 4-8 mark in league.

Christian's Brandon Tardiff shoots in front of Kearny's Wilton Guillory. (Don DeMars Photography)

“We made only 10 turnovers and that’s less than half the number we’ve been making in some games,” said Patriots coach KELVIN STARR.

The Patriots took a 25-16 halftime lead in the rematch and never looked back.

“It makes a lot of difference when you take care of the ball, which we didn’t the first time we played them and scored only 30 points (in a 5 point loss),” Starr said.

Five Patriots scored 8 points or more in the victory.

“We defended well in the first half and had a good scoring balance led by TYLER BALLARD’s 11 points,” Starr said.

The way Starr views the playoffs, he figures Christian will be a No. 10 seed in Division IV. The playoffs begin on Wednesday (Feb. 20).

Christian: Tyler Ballard 11 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), David Todd Jeremiah 10 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Tim Harrison 10 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Zach Kinninger 9 (7 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Phillip George 8 (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Brandon Tardiff 5 (1 reb), Michael Carrillo 3 (1 reb, 1 ast), Stephen Johnston (1 ast, 3 stl), Trent Sauls (1 ast, 3 stl).

Casey Balikian of Steele Canyon (left) looks to drive around Grossmont's Austin Swisher. Balikian scored 17 of his 25 points in the third period, allowing the Cougars to rally for a 55-50 victory. Both ballclubs share the Grossmont Hills League lead. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.vom) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Steele Canyon forwards Zach Kissel (left) and Casey Balikian await the call from the referee. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.vom)

Cougars: From 'worst' to GHL co-leaders By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-13-13) — There were two reasons why Steele Canyon High was motivated to rally and knock off visiting Grossmont, the leaders of the Grossmont Hills League. Neither had anything to do with winning the league crown. "We really wanted to avenge our first loss to Grossmont," explained Cougars senior CASEY BALIKIAN. "And we want to prove we were not a last-place team." Last place? Oh, yeah. A certain East County media outlet selected Steele Canyon to finish in the GHL basement. But look at the Cougars now, rallying from a 13-point deficit to bounce the Hillers, 55-50, giving both ballclubs a share of the GHL lead with one contest remaining. Balikian led the charge following a forgetful first half, scoring 22 of his game-high 25 points after the intermission, including 17 in the third period after his side once trailed 28-15. "Of course we want to win league, too," added Balikian. "But we had to make some changes. At halftime, our coaches told us they had confidence in us, we needed to pick up the tempo." The Cougars successfully slowed down Grossmont center TOMMY RUTHERFORD (10 points, 9 rebounds) with a double- and triple-team, but the Hillers still maintained their usual 12-to-14 scoring rate per quarter. So the ballgame was decided on the other end of the court. In the first half, Grossmont was able to score inside, or beat the stacked defense by kicking the ball for open jumpers. For Steele Canyon, they instead drove into the lane before distributing the ball for open looks. Included was a 3-ball by Balikian, giving the Cougars their first lead at 37-35 with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter to cap a 14-2 run. The hosts were helped when a Grossmont player collected a foul on a 3-point shot, plus a technical complaining about it, resulting in five fouls shots (4 made) and continued possession of the basketball. "We were out-working them, which is something me and DANIEL KING talked about at halftime. We were the two seniors that start for us, and we didn't want to go down in our last home game," Balikian said. The fourth quarter also saw JORDAN JOHNSON add some spark in the final minutes. The sophomore came off the bench to hit a deep triple, registered a steal which resulted in a fastbreak basket, and grabbed three rebounds to preserve the lead. " Jordan has been doing that from off the bench all season," said coach DEREK STEPHENS. "He doesn't get a lot of notice, but he's been very important for us." Johnson, a small forward, joined in the efforts to plug the lane, especially in the final two minutes after King fouled out. "I just try to contribute to our team," noted Johnson. "I wanted to come out there with a bang, refused to give up." Grossmont earned one last chance down the stretch after AUSTIN SWISHER held his ground in the late part of the inning to induce a charging call, leading to a BILAL RAHIM basket off a pass by TOM LORE on the next possession to move within 51-48 with 1:12 left. However, a putback basket by the Cougars’ DYLAN HAMLETT off a missed foul shot with 36 seconds to go thwarted the late comeback. On Friday (Feb. 15) Grossmont and Steele Canyon will both finish the regular season on the road, each needing a win to insure at least a share of the league crown. The Hillers go to Valhalla, but if they fall, Steele Canyon will win the title outright with a win at Helix. Should both co-leaders go down, Helix would forge a tri-championship. Steele Canyon : Casey Balikian 25 (8 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Zach Kissel 11 (1 reb, 1 stl). Daniel King 7 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Dylan Hamlett 6 (6 reb, 3 ast), Jordan Johnson 3 (3 reb, 1 stl), Donovan Habib 3 (4 ast, 1 reb, 1 stl). Grossmont: Austin Swisher 19 (5 reb, 5 stl, 2 ast, 1 charge), Tommy Rutherford 10 (9 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Bilal Rahim 9 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Anthony Lawrence 7 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), J.T. Barnes 3 (2 reb, 1 ast), Tom Lore 3 (5 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Jake Herrod (1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-13-13) — El Cajon Valley fourth-year basketball coach MARTY ELLIS has a meeting scheduled with principal STEVE GOTOWALA on Wednesday (Feb. 13). The topic of discussion will be where Ellis will park his automobile.

“Three years ago when I talked to Steve, we talked about if I could have a front row parking spot,” said Ellis. “He said ‘When you win, we’ll talk about it.’”

Following the Braves' 77-53 victory at Santana on Tuesday (Feb. 12), which clinched the Grossmont Valley League championship – the first boys basketball circuit crown in El Cajon Valley’s 57 year history – Ellis figures he has pretty good negotiating power.

“I’m looking for a front row spot,” chuckled Ellis.

Of course that’s the least of his concerns at the moment.

Knocking off Mount Miguel in Friday’s (Feb. 15) regular season finale would give the Braves the GVL title outright. Should they stumble, the Matadors would be co-champions.

“We’re not looking for any asterisk,” Ellis said. “We’re still not satisfied, we want the complete prize all to ourselves.”

“The game against Mount Miguel is huge – probably the biggest game of our kids’ lives,” he added.

So far.

Ellis has been title-conscious from the opening day of practice.

“My players know what the deal is,” he said. “There’s a banner up in my office that we made and laminated that says ‘Team goal is winning league,’ and all our kids have believed that to be possible since Day One.”

In Ellis’ first season at El Cajon Valley his team did not win a single game. A year later they won twice. Momentum started to swell in year three when multi-talented ANDRE NIKKITA transferred to El Cajon Valley from San Diego. They won eight games that year.

Heading into the final game of the regular season the Braves own an overall record of 18-8 and a league mark of 6-1.

Not surprisingly, Nikkita led the Braves with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists at Santana (11-15, 2-5 GVL).

DERRICK MOORE added 7 of 12 shots from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line to score 19 points inside the paint to go along with a dozen rebounds.

A surprise influx for the Braves was BRENDEN BROCIOUS, who hit four treys on his way to a 14 points finish.

ANDY MILLER, CHRISTIAN BARRY and DUSTIN MURPHY combined for 41 points for Santana.

The pivotal period of the contest was the second quarter when the Braves claimed a 22-3 scoring advantage.

“El Cajon Valley is the real deal,” said Sultans coach TIM BARRY. “They are one team that is a match-up nightmare for my team.”

El Cajon Valley: Andrew Nikkita 31 (11 reb, 5 ast), Derrick Moore 19 (12 reb, 2 blk), Brenden Brocious 14 (2 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Loqman Sulyman 9 (1 ast, 3 stl), Brandon Rumley 4 (3 reb), Ibraham Ali (1 reb, 2 ast), Sangar Hasan (9 ast, 2 stl), Edon Lushi (3 reb, 1 ast), Mathew Shearin (1 blk).

Santana: Andy Miller 15 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Christian Barry 14 (7 reb, 5 ast), Dustin Murphy 12 (6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Daniel Shively 6 (3 reb), Jordan Vargas 3 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Tim Huson 2 (3 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Burks 1, Gabe Kruse (3 reb), Tiano Franco (1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (2-13-13) — It’s been a rebuilding year this season at El Capitan High. It’s been filled with disappointment. But the Vaqueros concluded the campaign with an overtime upset 55-54 victory over Monte Vista on Tuesday (Feb. 12).

“Last year we lost in the playoffs (66-63 in an overtime loss to Imperial) and we were so sad,” said El Capitan coach JASON CAVAZOS. “This year, the crowd rushed the court at the end and it was like we won a championship. It was just a great way to end the season.”

That is, the Vaqueros finished the season 3-22 with one league win in eight starts.

“This year we don’t make the playoffs but the kids and the crowd went crazy,” Cavazos said. “It was a very good way to end the season. Everyone contributed. We only have eight guys and we just found a way to win tonight.”

“With 30 seconds left in regulation KEVIN GARCIA hit a 3 to tie it at 50-all. We got fouled with.3 seconds remaining and sophomore JOEY LaCHAPPA missed both free throws to send us into overtime.”

In overtime sophomore ADAM WALLACE hit a 3 for Monte Vista. El Capitan countered with a layup by DRE KYLE followed by a free throw by KEVIN GARCIA. Then Monte Vista’s JAHZDION TAYLOR made a free throw.

With 30 second left IAN GRENQUIST made a layup for the Vaqueros for a one point lead to end the game.

“It’s just so fitting. These kids played so hard all year long. They kept fighting and never gave up. Everyone was so happy for them.”

Monte Vista coach JAMES CARROLL was pleased by the performance of ADAM WALLACE, who hit 5 three-pointers and finished with 21 points to lead the Monarchs.

“I’m so pleased with his performance,” Carroll said. “He’s going to be a major cog in our future.”

Sturdy JAHZDION TAYLOR rolled a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, blocked 2 shots and made 3 steals.

“The thing that really hurt us the most is we made only 5 of 22 rebounds,” Carroll said. “We were 0-6 in overtime. You can’t win a game doing that.”

El Capitan: Justin Phoenix 17, Dre Kyle 14, Ian Grenquist 8, Travis Hulsey 7, Kevin Garcia 4, Myles Emmerson 3, Joey LaChappa 2.

Monte Vista: Adam Wallace 21 (2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Jahzdion Taylor 17 (11 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl), Justin Brandy 8 (7 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Jemeil Jackson 6 (5 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast), Hasani Jarvis 2 (2 reb, 1 stl), Jordan Jackson (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Lonnel Smith (1 reb, 1 stl), Josh Martinez (1 reb).

GRANITE HILLS 72, VALHALLA 67 – JOEY GRUBB tallied 21 points and CODIE SIMMONS added 17 as the Eagles nailed the Norsemen Tuesday (Feb. 12) at Valhalla in a Grossmont Hills League game. Granite Hills led 46-33 at halftime.

“In the first half we played real well offensively, then we cooled off in the second half,” said Granite Hills coach RANDY ANDERSON. “ Valhalla hit some big threes in the fourth quarter to tie the game down the stretch. We held on and kept our composure. With 30 seconds remaining ALONZO BEEPATH made a nice pass to KOLTIN HIGGINS, who hit a big three – his only shot of the night – to put us up by 6.”

“I was proud of the guys the way they played in the first half and how they finished the game tonight,” Anderson added. “I was happy with our improvement in rebounding.”

D.J PALOMERA had 13 points, while TREVOR SPERRY had 10 points and 9 rebounds for the Eagles.

Valhalla (13-12, 3-6) made a belated comeback in the second half.

SPENCER HAVIRD paced the Norsemen with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while KEVIN MILLS tossed in 12 points, ANDREW LOZOYA made 11 and JORDAN QSAR accounted for 10.

Granite Hills: Joey Grubb 21 (7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Codie Simmons 17 (3 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl), D.J. Palomera 13 (2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Trevor Sperry 10 (9 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), Alonzo Beepath 6 (8 reb, 1 ast), Koltin Higgins 3 (2 reb), Seth Collins (8 reb, 1 stl), Danny Smith (1 reb), Brayan Turner (1 reb).

Valhalla: Spencer Havird 19 (11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk), Kevin Mills 12 (3 ast, 8 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk), Andrew Lozoya 11 (8 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Jordan Qsar 10 (9 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), David Gazale 9 (2 reb), Jacob Hammett 2 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), George Fakhoury 2 (2 reb, 1 ast), Cody Gladu 2 (2 reb, 1 ast).

HELIX 67, WEST HILLS 43 – This encounter is typical of the wars waged in the Grossmont Hills League race. The Highlanders lost to the Wolf Pack in the first round by three points, but came back on Tuesday (Feb. 12) for a blowout victory.

By winning, Helix (16-9, 5-4 GHL) is still in the market to create a 3-way tie in the GHL. The Highlanders close the regular season hosting Steele Canyon on Friday (Feb. 15).

A victory by the Scotties over the Cougars, and a loss by Grossmont to Valhalla would create a 3-way tie for the championship.

“In my opinion we’re the best team in our league when we stay within ourselves,” said Helix coach JOHN SINGER. “We played like we can for 28 of the 32 minutes tonight which is why we were able to win easily. But honestly, we’re not that good, and none of the teams in this league are that good.”

ROMARIO WILSON paced the Highlanders with a game high 27 points, hitting 13 of 16 shots from the field. KAELEN MITCHELL also was on the mark, nailing 6 of 9 shots.

Nobody on West Hills scored more than 10 points, as the Highlanders outscored the Wolf Pack (14-9, 4-5 GHL) across the board.

“Very disappointing effort tonight,” said West Hills assistant coach LUCAS ARMSTRONG. “We didn't have very much energy. It was by far one of our worst games of the season.”

Helix: Romario Wilson 27 (5 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Kaelen Mitchell 14 (5 reb, 1 ast), Titus Young 9 (10 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl), Derrick Chandler 6 (7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Xavier Jones 5 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Ernesto Martinez 4 (5 reb, 1 stl), Will Mildenhall 2 (5 reb, 1 blk), Marcus Norris 2 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Jordan Velasco (2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Jeremiah Wylie (1 reb), Desi Dixon (1 stl).

West Hills: Martin Panayotov 10 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jeron Satterfield 10 (3 reb, 1 ast), Chase Parsons 9 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Will Llamas 6 (2 reb, 1 stl), D.J. Lewis 4 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Jonny Preston 2 (4 ast, 1 stl), Ricardo Barajas 2 (1 reb), Conner Finnstad (2 reb), Brent Wilder (2 blk), Elias Totah (1 reb).

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-12-13) — Foothills Christian High proved that it’s more than just a one-man team as 6-foot-7 freshman T.J. LEAF took the night off Monday (Feb. 11). No, he’s not injured nor was it for disciplinary reasons. It was the coach’s decision because of the nature of the game.

Paced by another freshman in JEROME SHERMAN the Knights rolled to an 83-58 Sunset League victory over Calvary Christian Academy of Chula Vista.

It was the final regular season game for the Knights (18-13, 8-0 SL) who also picked up two forfeit league wins from Ocean View Christian. Foothills Christian has now won a San Diego CIF record 59 league games in a row and six consecutive league crowns.

Sherman nailed the first seven shots of the contest and finished 10 of 13 from the floor for 21 points. He also had 12 assists.

The Knights broke the game open in the second quarter with a 26-8 run. LORO TOMBE scored 9 of his 11 points in that period and Sherman tallied 8 markers.

CALEB HOFFMAN was steady as usual, pouring in 19 points and dishing 6 assists.

The Knights had some unsung heros in junior AUSTIN MONSTRONG, who rolled a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds – 8 caroms coming off the offensive glass.

Foothills Christian won’t play again until the playoffs begin on Monday (Feb. 18).

Foothills Christian: Jerome Sherman 21 (5 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl), Caleb Hoffman 19 (5 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl), Nick Louden 14 (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Loro Tombe 11 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Austin Monstrong 10 (14 reb, 1 ast), Luis Salgado-Villegas 6 (4 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), J.R. Rivera 2.

CIF San Diego Section Record Book Longest League Winning Streak (thru Feb. 12)	Consecutive League Titles By Foothills Christian
Wins  Team, League(s), Coach Years   59 54 52 51 50 *Foothills Christian, Citrus So./Sunset, Brad Leaf Lincoln Prep, Central, Ron Loneski Horizon, Coastal, Zack Jones Carlsbad, Palomar, Dmitri Poradosky Sweetwater, Mesa, Gary Zarecky 2005-p. 1985-93 1995-01 1962-66 1981-85 *first two wins as Venture Christian High; 2007-08 not included (school played as an independent).	Year  League Record 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 Citrus South League Independent Citrus South League Citrus South League Citrus South League Sunset League Sunset League 10-0   —   9-0   10-0   10-0   10-0   8-0

Foothills Christian center T.J. Leaf (22) skies over Darren Carrington of Horizon in Saturday's non-league affair. Leaf finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, but Horizon won, 60-59, on a buzzer-beating layin. (Photo by LuAnn O'Neil)

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-10-13) — Horizon senior Markel Byrd accepted a half-court pass then dribbled past three defenders to score on a layin as the final buzzer sounded, giving the Panthers a dramatic 60-59 decision over Foothills Christian in Saturday's (Feb. 9) non-league thriller held at Granite Hills High.

The dramatic finish saw the Knights miss a foul shot with 4.6 seconds remaining, which would've guaranteed the hosts no worse than overtime. Horizon grabbed the rebound and called a timeout, setting up one final chance with 3.9 seconds left.

Starting 84 feet away, Ethan Underwood fired a 40-foot inbounds pass to Byrd, who cut to the middle of the court on the dribble, weaving through the defense en route to the basket. Both referees immediately conferred to confirm that the shot beat the final horn, allowing Horizon to overcome an 11-point deficit.

"I was supposed to go as far as I could before passing," said Byrd. "But I kept finding space and kept going to the basket."

Foothills Christian (14-13) mounted a 50-41 advantage through three periods, then saw center T.J. LEAF sink a pair of foul shots to open the fourth quarter.

However, the Panthers (12-10) answered with an 11-0 run to knot the contest at 52-all. Byrd led the rally, scoring nine of his team-high 19 points over the final seven minutes.

Leaf, who paced both sides with 24 points and 14 rebounds, would convert a layin while being fouled thanks to a nice pass from JEROME SHERMAN. The foul shot for a 3-point play gave the Knights a 59-58 advantage with 1:43 to go, but they wouldn't score again.

Horizon's Darren Carrington was limited to 8 points and 8 boards due to early foul trouble. However, Underwood picked up the slack with 17 points and 9 rebounds, giving the Panthers a 36-29 advantage on the boards.

The outcome of this contest will most likely give Horizon the No. 1 seed in the San Diego CIF Division IV playoffs.

“That really hurts,” said Foothills Christian coach BRAD LEAF. “Obviously we had this game in our hands.”

Referring to the fateful final basket, Leaf said he switched his defense from a 2-3 zone to man-to-man in the last possession.

“We let the guy dribble right through us,” the coach said. “Blame the loss on me because it was a poor decision to make that change.”

Leaf believes that the Knights should gain the No. 2 seed in Division IV.

Given the strength of schedule, that should be a sure thing.

Foothills Christian: T.J. Leaf 24 (14 reb, 4 ast, 4 blk, 1 stl), Jerome Sherman 13 (4 ast, 1 reb), Caleb Hoffman 12 (5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Loro Tombe 4 (4 reb, 1 ast), Luis Salgado-Villegas 3 (2 ast, 2 stl, 1 charge), Nick Louden 3 (2 stl, 1 reb), J.R. Rivera (1 reb).

VALHALLA 77, EL CENTRO-SOUTHWEST 65 – In a game that was scheduled earlier in the season but was postponed, the Valhalla Norsemen made a trip to El Central for Saturday’s (Feb. 9) non-league game a profitable venture.

The Norsemen (13-11) had to survive eight 3-point buckets by the Eagles Chris Arambula to come away with the victory.

“I knew this was going to be a tough game for us and I told my kids to look at it like the start of the playoffs,” said Valhalla coach KEITH JACKSON.

Senior SPENCER HAVIRD scored 29 points – one shy of his season high – to pace the Norsemen. The 6-foot-2 stalwart hit 10 of 14 shots from the field and 7 of 11 free throws. Included in his totals was a pair of treys.

“You know you can always count on Spencer,” Jackson said. “I think he’s definitely an all-league first team pick.”

Valhalla jumped out to 22-11 first quarter lead but took only a 2-point edge into the final period.

“The big thing about this was we regained the momentum and didn’t let this one slip away,” said Jackson. “I think this should be the springboard for the rest of the season.”

Valhalla: Spencer Havird 29 (6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Andrew Lozoya 13 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Jordan Qsar 11 (2 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Kevin Mills 8 (5 reb, 8 ast, 6 stl), David Gazale 6 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Jacob Hammett 4 (1 ast, 1 stl), George Fakhoury 2 (4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Terrell McKay 2 (2 reb), Sean Crosby 2, Cody Gladu (1 stl).

THE BISHOP'S 89, CHRISTIAN 63 — The visiting Knights from La Jolla leaped to a 9-0 advantage in the opening 52 seconds, building a 29-9 lead through one quarter to take down the Patriots in Saturday's (Feb. 9) non-league bout on Senior Night at Ryan Athletic Center.

The victory came less than 24 hours after The Bishop's fell to Horizon by a single point, which should offer the San Diego CIF playoff seeding committee additional complications when postseason pairing are announced next weekend. The Knights' effort was even more impressive since it was their fourth ballgame in five nights.

Jamere Jones powered The Bishop's (11-11) with a game-high 25 points. Included was 15 in the first period on 7-for-8 shooting, beating the Patriots down the court for an array of breakaway layins when the Knights took advantage of the college-length, 94-foot court to extend Christian's defense.

Meanwhile, Wes Fishburne tallied 10 of his 16 points in the first half, propelling the Knights to a 53-31 halftime cushion.

The lone bright spot for Christian (11-14) saw TYLER BALLARD tally 10 of his team-best 15 points in the second quarter.

Christian: Tyler Ballard 15 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Joe Ross 9 (1 reb), Phillip George 9 (6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), David Todd Jeremiah 6 (1 reb), Tim Harrison 5 (4 reb, 1 ast), Trenton Sauls 5 (7 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Kyle Stowers 4 (2 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Stephen Johnston 4 (3 reb, 1 ast), Jacob Sandusky 2, Zach Kinninger 2 (2 reb, 1 stl), Brandon Tardiff 2 (3stl, 2 ast, 1 blk), Michael Carrillo (1 reb, 1 stl).

VALLEY CENTER 59, SANTANA 35 – Facing one of the top teams in Division III, host Santana fell behind Valley Center 21-5 and never recovered in Saturday’s (Feb. 9) non-league game.

“They are just flat good,” said Sultans coach TIM BARRY of the Jaguars (17-6).

In an attempt to control a slower pace the Sultans (11-14) managed to keep the game close for three quarters. They trailed only 37-27 going into the final period.

“I figure my job as coach is to try to find a way to win, no matter who we play,” Barry said. “ Valley Center had to be frustrated because we wouldn’t run with them, but I was really determined to implore more patience from our kids, and they followed through. But we just couldn’t hold them off.”

Santana: Dustin Murphy 11 (1 ast), Daniel Shively 9 (2 stl), Christian Barry 8 (1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Gabe Kruse 4 (1 reb, 1 stl), Tim Huson 3 (1 reb), Andy Miller (2 reb, 1 stl), Jordan Vargas (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Ryan Bratlien (2 stl).

NOTABLE: It was alumni night at Santana.

“We had a pretty good attendance,” Barry said. “There were guys from my 1988 San Diego CIF championship team.”

In what has become a tradition, Barry played in the alumni game. And for the 10th straight season he hit a 3-pointer and then took himself out of the fray.

“Big Daddy hasn’t lost his touch,” Barry laughed. “On the third possession I hit a 25-footer.”

Valhalla's Andrew Lozoya (4) puts up the 3-ball in front of a Steele Canyon defender. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-9-13) — Eliminated from the race for the league title, Granite Hills High could have folded up shop. But the Eagles weren’t embarrassed by wearing the title of spoilers and they proved that Friday night (Feb. 8) by blowing out Helix, 66-49, in Grossmont Hills League action

“There’s no quit in this team,” said Eagles coach RANDY ANDERSON of his Eagles (11-13, 2-6 GHL). “Of course we’d rather be challenging for the championship but if we have to play spoiler, so be it. I’m proud of our kids’ effort because it’s the first game in awhile that we put together four full quarters.”

If Helix (15-9, 4-4 GHL) hadn’t stumbled over Granite Hills, it would have been only one game behind front-running Grossmont, which pulled a one point narrow escape over West Hills. Now the Highlanders trail by two games with two games to play, so the best they can do is tie.

This has to be frustrating for coach JOHN SINGER’s Highlanders, who own the only two victories over first-place Grossmont.

For Granite Hills the victory snapped a 4-game losing streak. CODIE SIMMONS set the pace for the Eagles, scoring 19 points to pace a balanced attack. D.J. PALOMERA (16) and JOEY GRUBB (15) also joined the double digit scoring parade.

“In the 2nd quarter we played really solid defense,” said Anderson of the Eagles, who used a 14-7 scoring edge in that period to take a 33-29 halftime lead.

For Helix it was the Highlanders third loss in their last four starts.

ROMARIO WILSON led Helix with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while KAELEN MITCHELL poured in 13 markers and 11 rebounds.

Granite Hills: Codie Simmons 19 (7 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), D.J. Palomera 16 (2 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 5 stl), Joey Grubb 15 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Koltin Higgins 9 (4 reb, 3 stl), Trevor Sperry 5 (6 reb, 1 ast), Seth Collins 2 (2 reb, 1 ast), Brayan Turner (2 reb), Alonzo Beepath (1 stl).

Helix: Romario Wilson 14 (8 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk), Kaelen Mitchell 13 (11 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Derrick Chandler 8 (4 reb, 2 stl), Jordan Velasco 6 (1 reb, 1 ast), Will Mildenhall 4 (5 reb, 1 blk), Xavier Jones 2 (3 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk), Ernesto Martinez 2 (1 reb, 1 ast), Titus Young (2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Jeremiah Wylie (2 reb), Lewron Lacy (1 reb).

MOUNT MIGUEL 77, MONTE VISTA 46 – Chances of a 3-way tie for the Grossmont Valley League title were further emphasized Friday night (Feb. 8) when Mount Miguel buried host Monte Vista.

It was no surprise that IZZY WAGNER set the tone for the Matadors (15-11, 5-2 GVL) with 39 points and 8 steals. He also nailed 14 of 17 free throws.

“We only have six guys on our team now but I like the guys we have,” Wagner said. “We all do what it takes to win.”

Mount Miguel barged in front 33-4 by the middle of the 2nd quarter and the game was all but over.

“Our pressure defense really turned the game in our favor,” said Matadors senior guard MIKE TAYLOR, who finished with 15 points, all of them coming from 3-pointers.

In his last five games Taylor, who rode the bench the majority of the season, has hit 17 treys.

“Once I got my chance, I didn’t want to miss it,” said Taylor. “Shooting the three – that’s what I do.”

Mount Miguel has one game remaining in the regular season and that is Friday (Feb. 15) against front-running El Cajon Valley in Spring Valley. If the Matadors win it will create a possible 3-way championship. If the Braves win, they will take the title outright.

Even though Monte Vista is standing at 14-11, 4-2 GVL, the Monarchs can also grab a share of their second straight league title if they sweep the bottom two teams and El Cajon Valley succumbs to Mount Miguel. That would create a tri-championship.

Monte Vista coach JAMES CARROLL is hoping he can regroup his team for the final run.

“We haven’t played a good game since the last time we beat Mount Miguel three weeks ago,” Carroll said. “It’s time to put up or shut up.”

Turnover laden Monte Vista received 11 points apiece from JAHZDION TAYLOR and BRENDAN HARRIS.

“I like the six players we have on our team right now,” said Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT. “I think we’re ready to make a run for the title. I think the fact that we have Taylor as a scoring threat should help take some of the defensive pressure off of Izzy.”

Rowlett was also pleased with the performance of 6-foot-4 junior post CARL DEE ROBERSON, who made difficulty for the Monarchs inside the paint.

“We need Carl Dee to come up big like that,” Rowlett said. “We don’t expect him to be a big scorer, we expect him to be a big defender and rebounder.”

Mount Miguel : Izzy Wagner 39 (5 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 8 stl), Mike Taylor 15 (2 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Tony Wills 9 (6 reb, 3 stl), Carl Dee Roberson 6 (5 reb, 2 stl), Austin Smith 6 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Donnell Payne 2 (5 reb).

Monte Vista: Jahzdion Taylor 11 (6 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl), Brendan Harris 11 (5 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Jordan Jackson 6 (4 reb), Justin Brandy 4 (7 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Adam Wallace 4 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Hasani Jarvis 4 (1 reb, 1 stl), Meliek Johnson 4, Jemeil Jackson 2 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Erik Collins (1 reb, 2 ast), Jesse Rivas (1 reb).

Flying toward the basket is Daniel King of Steele Canyon. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

STEELE CANYON 69, VALHALLA 64 – Don’t count out the Steele Canyon Cougars, who are still in position to challenge for the Grossmont Hills League championship heading into the final week of the season.

The Cougars (15-10, 5-3 GHL) posted their 5th win in their last six starts with a 28-11 third quarter scoring burst in Friday night’s (Feb. 8) game at Valhalla.

DANIEL KING, who has been on a scoring tear of late, knocked down 26 points to lead Steele Canyon.

CASEY BALIKIAN added 20 points – the majority coming on 4 three-pointers. He was 6-for-8 at the free throw line.

“Balikian shot well tonight and King was phenomenal,” said Cougars coach DEREK STEPHENS. “He got in foul trouble in the first half but got 21 points in the 2nd half before he fouled out with a minute to go.”

Sophomore post DYLAN HAMLETT had 8 points, one fewer than teammate ZACH KISSEL.

“King and Hamlett – in the paint and on the boards – combined for 19 points in the 3rd quarter,” Stephens said. “ Valhalla pressed us in the 3rd quarter. In the last three games we have been down at the half and came out and played a much stronger second half.”

But Steele Canyon found itself backpedaling in the final period as Valhalla (12-11, 3-5 GHL) battled back from the free throw line.

Valhalla shot 15 free throws in the last 2 minutes. In the 4th quarter the Norsemen were 11 of 19 on free throws.

Not surprisingly SPENCER HAVIRD paced Valhalla with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 5 steals, and JORDAN QSAR cranked in 16 points and wrestled 9 rebounds.

“Their No. 21 (Qsar) hit a 3 with 3 seconds left,” Stephens noted.

“The 3rd quarter made the difference for us for sure,” the coach added. “We did much better in the second half. We were very unselfish tonight and passed the ball well. We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds in the first half.”

Steele Canyon: Daniel King 26, Casey Balikian 20, Zach Kissel 9, Dylan Hamlett 8, Donovan Habib 4, Jordan Johnson 2.

Valhalla: Spencer Havird 24 (9 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk, 5 stl), Jordan Qsar 16 (9 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Andrew Lozoya 8 (6 reb), Jacob Hammett 5 (3 reb, 1 ast), George Fakhoury 4 (2 reb, 1 stl), Kevin Mills 4 (1 reb), Cody Gladu 2, David Gazale 1.

SANTANA 60, EL CAPITAN 53 – With the alumni game on tap for Saturday (Feb. 9) several of coach TIM BARRY’s former players and teammates were in town to witness the Sultans Grossmont Valley League victory over visiting El Capitan Friday night (Feb. 8).

“When you’re not playing for a league championship you’d think people might lose interest, but that wasn’t the case,” Barry said. “The place was packed – I had people come up to me and say they couldn’t even find a place to park in the parking lot. Now that’s an old-fashioned rivalry where people want to see the game, no matter what the teams’ records are. It was a fun time.”

ANDY MILLER scored 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to help Santana (11-13, 2-4 GVL) snap a 5-game losing streak.

“After CHRISTIAN (BARRY) fouled out with 5:50 left in the game, which was tied at that point, I thought we were really in trouble,” coach Barry said. “But Andy stepped up and had one of his best games when we needed him.”

The game was still up for grabs in the final period when RYAN BRATLIEN made a picture perfect pass to Miller, who made it a two possession game.

A few seconds later DANIEL SHIVELY hit a 3-pointer to give Santana a lead it wouldn’t lose.

Santana: Andy Miller 17 (7 reb, 1 ast), Dustin Murphy 12 (4 reb, 1 stl), Jordan Vargas 10 (2 reb, 2 ast), Daniel Shively 9 (3 reb, 3 stl), Christian Barry 7 (1 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Gabe Kruse 3 (1 reb), Ryan Bratlien 2 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Tim Huson (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl).

El Capitan: No report.

MADISON 67, CHRISTIAN 58 – After falling behind 19-6 in the opening period of Friday’s (Feb. 8) Central League at Madison the Patriots were forced to play catch-up.

With 90 seconds to play Christian (11-13, 3-8 CL) had shaved the deficit to 2 points. But the Patriots had to foul and the Warhawks (11-15, 6-4 CL) converted at the free throw line to preserve the victory.

Madison made 23 of 32 free throws while Christian was 13 of 22 from the charity stripe.

Gee, that’s a 10 point difference, and what did they lose by?

Nine Patriots contributed to the scoring attack led by freshman TIM HARRISON’s 13 points. The 6-foot-5 forward also grabbed 7 rebounds, two fewer than ZACH KINNINGER, who also chipped in 9 points.

Football player TRENT SAULS, who has been injured most of the season, grabbed 7 rebounds. DAVID TODD JEREMIAH pitched in 10 points, including a pair of treys, while MICHAEL CARRILLO also hit two 3s.

Christian: Tim Harrison 13 (7 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), David Todd Jeremiah 10 (3 reb, 1 ast), Zach Kinninger 9 (9 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk), Michael Carrillo 6 (2 reb), Phillip George 5 (4 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Stowers 5 (1 reb, 4 ast), Tyler Ballard 4 (2 ast), Stephen Johnston 4 (1 ast), Joe Ross 2 (3 reb), Trent Sauls (7 reb, 1 stl), Brandon Tardiff (1 reb).

© East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (2-7-13) — LUIS SALGADO-VILLEGAS and NICK LOUDEN scored career highs of 22 and 20 points, respectively, as Foothills Christian rolled over Lutheran 87-42 in Wednesday’s (Feb. 6) Sunset League game at Chula Vista Recreation Center.

Salgado-Villegas nailed 9 of 15 shots from the floor, including 4 of 10 from 3-point range as Foothills Christian (15-12, 5-0 SL) extended its San Diego CIF record-setting 56th straight league win.

Louden, meanwhile, scored most of his points from 3-point land, sinking 5 of 13 shots.

Steady 6-foot-7 freshman T.J. LEAF had a triple-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He also had three dunks in his three quarters of play.

Freshman point guard JEROME SHERMAN had a double-double of 15 assists and 12 points to go along with 7 steals.

J.R. RIVERA, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound freshman post, contributed 8 points and 10 rebounds.

The Knights played without the county’s leading assist man, CALEB HOFFMAN, who was ill. In his absence the Knights recorded 34 assists.

Foothills Christian: Luis Salgado-Villegas 22 (1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Nick Louden 20 (4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), T.J. Leaf 17 (10 reb, 10 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl), Jerome Sherman 12 (4 reb, 15 ast, 2 blk, 7 stl), J.R. Rivera 8 (10 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Loro Tombe 5 (7 reb, 2 ast, 6 stl), Phillip George 3.

IT'S A BLOCK PARTY West Hills' Brent Wilder (35) rejects the shot by Valhalla's David Gazale, one of a flurry of shot blocks by the Wolf Pack in a 62-50 GHL triumph. (Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE Click Photos For Enlargements
West Hills co-captain Jeron Satterfield (25) offers a simple message to Valhalla senior guard Andrew Lozoya. "Talk to the hand."
West Hills' Martin Panayotov (far left) reaches around to block the scoop shot attempt by Spencer Havird of Valhalla. Also on defense is Wilder (right).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (2-6-13) — Rarely has there been a more balanced Grossmont Conference race than this year’s Grossmont Hills League battle.

Heading into the final 10 days of the regular season, one game separates the top four teams. Grossmont stands on top with West Hills, Helix and Steele Canyon one game back.

Host West Hills (14-7, 4-3 GHL) knocked out Valhalla 62-50 in Tuesday (Feb. 5) night’s encounter.

Valhalla (12-10, 3-4 GHL) made a late run, cutting West Hills lead to 3 with 4 minutes left but the Wolf Pack came back and led by as much as 16 points before settling on the victory.

“JONNY ( PRESTON ) led us with great point guard play (only one turnover, 12 points, 3 steals),” said West Hills assistant coach LUCAS ARMSTRONG. “MARTIN (PANAYOTOV) had a good game as well with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.”

Unsung WILL LLAMAS played his best game of the season with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

“Will came down with big rebound after big rebound in the 4th quarter,” said Armstrong.

JERON SATTERFIELD chipped in with 13 points and 7 rebounds for the Pack.

Defense was probably West Hills greatest strength.

"Our kids executed our game plan pretty well,” Armstrong said. “We had great play from all four seniors tonight.”

Challenging a shot by Jordan Qsar (21) of Valhalla are two players from West Hills in D.J. Lewis (left) attempting a block, while Will Llamas takes the charge. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

“We didn’t shoot well from the floor, especially around the basket,” he said. “We came in having won 4 of our last 5, but just folded.”

JORDAN QSAR had 17 points for Valhalla and 9 rebounds, while GEORGE FAKHOURY punched in 12.

“The best thing we have going is we have our final three league games at home plus one non-league game on Saturday (Feb. 9) at El Centro Southwest.

West Hills: Martin Panayotov 16 (8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Will Llamas 15 (9 reb, 2 blk), Jeron Satterfield 13 (7 reb, 3 ast), Jonny Preston 12 (3 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Chase Parsons 4 (2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Brent Wilder 2 (7 reb, 2 blk), D.J. Lewis (1 stl), Spencer Moyer (1 reb, 1 ast).

Valhalla: Jordan Qsar 17 (9 reb), George Fakhoury 12 (2 reb, 3 stl), Andrew Lozoya 7 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Correy Ruth 7 (8 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl), Spencer Havird 5 (8 reb, 6 ast, 5 blk, 4 stl), David Gazale 2 (5 reb, 1 stl), Terrell McKay (1 reb, 1 stl), Cody Gladu (1 reb).

EL CAJON VALLEY 67, EL CAPITAN 40 – The Braves, continuing their surge for the first Grossmont League boys basketball championship in the 57 year history of El Cajon Valley High School, dunked visiting El Capitan with relative ease Tuesday night (Feb. 5) to ascend to the top spot in the Grossmont Valley League.

The Braves turned the game into a blowout with
a fourth-quarter scoring blitz.

DERRICK MOORE added 12 points from inside the paint, while IBRAHAM ALI cranked in 10 points.

“Ibraham and Derrick are starting to step up right now,” noted Braves coach MARTY ELLIS. “They’re scoring in double figures. Ibraham is blooming at the right time. We put him on the point guard – the guy who dictates everything – each night and he shadows him all night. He’s very long and very athletic.

“Ibraham sets the table on defense and if he doesn’t set the table, we don’t eat.”

“Derrick has a nice jumper and he’s competent in shooting it,” added Ellis.

Winning the league championship is the No. 1 goal for El Cajon Valley.

“I’m still trying to chug along,” Ellis said. “Everybody knows what the mission is. We actually get to hold the top spot this week.”

On the flip side it’s been a game of survival for El Capitan (2-21, 0-6 GVL).

“We’ve had a lot of issues to deal with this season,” said El Capitan coach JASON CAVAZOS. “We lost three guys to disciplinary reasons, our best scorers SCOTT ROSS broke his ankle Friday night against Mount Miguel with 10 seconds left, and SCOTT ROOT broke his arm a couple of weeks ago, and I lost my iPad with all my stats in it, had to buy a new one.”

“We play hard, we just have a hard time scoring. El Cajon has kids that can shoot. They are a pretty good team this year – Marty is doing a good job with them.”

El Cajon Valley: Andre Nikkita 23 (6 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl), Derrick Moore 12 (5 reb), Ibraham Ali 10 (3 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Loqman Sulyman 9 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Edon Lushi 7 (2 reb, 1 stl), Brandon Rumley 2 (10 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Mike Readus 2 (2 reb), Sangar Hasan 2 (1 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl), Brenden Brocious (1 reb), Shauntal King (1 stl), Lando Butrus (2 reb).

DRE KYLE led the Vaqueros in scoring with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

El Capitan: Dre Kyle 10 (9 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Kevin Garcia 7 (7 reb, 3 ast), Justin Phoenix 6 (4 reb, 1 stl), Travis Hulsey 4 (6 reb, 3 ast), Ian Grenquist 4 (5 reb), Joey LaChappa 4 (2 reb), Myles Emmerson 3 (1 reb), Aaron Price 2.

The pivotal point of this contest was the Cougars’ 28-10 run in the 3rd quarter.

Senior CASEY BALIKIAN led the charge with 20 points, including a pair of threes and 10-for-10 free throw shooting.

“Casey Balikian did well, particularly at the free throw line,” said Cougars coach DERK STEPHENS.

Five Cougars scored 9 points or more, including DANIEL KING who had 15 points.

“JORDAN JOHNSON came off the bench and played well,” noted Stephens. “He had 2 threes in the 3rd quarter. Johnson, ZACH KISSEL and DONOVAN HABIB did a good job on their guards.”

JOEY GRUBB poured 15 points to lead the Eagles but he had little support, which led to Granite Hills 9th loss in 11 games.

“We played well in the 1st half,” said Eagles assistant coach DAN DUFFY. “They came out ready to go in the 2nd half and we didn’t. No one shot well.”

Steele Canyon: Casey Balikian 20, Daniel King 15, Zach Kissel 11, Donovan Habib 9, Dylan Hamlett 9, Jordan Johnson 6, Aaron Pisiona 4, Kaedyn Thomas 1.

Granite Hills: Joey Grubb 15 (2 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl), Seth Collins 6 (6 reb, 1 blk), Codie Simmons 5 (3 reb, 4 ast), D.J. Palomera 5 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Danny Smith 5 (1 stl), Junior Ferreira 5 (1 reb, 1 blk), Koltin Higgins 3 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Brayan Turner 3 (2 reb, 1 stl), Andrew Manning 3 (3 reb, 1 ast), Wes Wehrman 3 (3 reb), Alonzo Beepath 2 (5 reb).

The Knights (14-12) may be the best kept secret in town as they match their youth against more experienced teams and more often than not are coming out on the right end of the score.

Leaf nailed 17 of 25 shots from the field and 6 of 7 free throws in his record run against the Warhawks (10-15). A master of many moves, Leaf’s turnaround jumper was sharp throughout. He scored 15 of his points in the 2nd quarter as the Knights took a 39-32 halftime lead.

One of the reasons for Leaf’s success has been the crisp passing of CALEB HOFFMAN, who racked up 11 assists against Madison, giving him 171 helpers to lead the county. Hoffman also cranked in 14 points, two more than point guard JEROME SHERMAN, who also logged 7 assists.

Perhaps the most telling stats of the night was Foothills Christian turned the ball over only 5 times.

Foothills Christian: T.J. Leaf 41 (11 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk, 1 stl), Caleb Hoffman 14 (4 reb, 11 ast, 1 stl), Jerome Sherman 12 (3 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk), Luis Salgado-Villegas 5 (4 reb), Loro Tombe 4 (6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Austin Monstrong 3 (4 reb, 2 blk), J.R. Rivera (2 reb), Nick Louden (1 reb, 1 ast).

MOUNT MIGUEL 71, SANTANA 47 – It was another big night for IZZY WAGNER, who poured in 38 points, including a trio of treys to lead the Matadors past visiting Santana Tuesday night (Feb. 5) to remain one game behind pace-setting El Cajon Valley in the Grossmont Valley League race.

A 6-foot-2 senior, Wagner broke the 30 point barrier for the 17th time in 25 games. His primary weapon was from the free throw line where he converted 13 of 15 chances. For the season Wagner has netted 232 of 265 for an accuracy rating of .875.

MIKE TAYLOR added 11 points and 5 assists. He could be the key to Mount Miguel ’s success as he can hit the long ball, which relieves some of the defensive pressure off Wagner. In his last three games Taylor has nailed a dozen treys and has 27 for the season.

“ Taylor has really been hitting his open shots,” said Mount Miguel coach JAY ROWLETT. “He’s definitely added to our offense. I really like the team we have right now – everybody knows their roles.”

Not to be overlooked in the Matadors’ latest conquest was the rebounding of CARL DEE ROBERSON who collected 11 caroms, two more than Wagner.

Junior guard DANIEL SHIVELY hit 6 of 10 shots from the field, including one trey, to pace Santana with a career best 16 points. Shively was hoping to fill the gap left by DUSTIN MURPHY, who missed a game due to illness.

“ Shively got his chance to start and he made the most of it,” said Sultans coach TIM BARRY. “He did a great job on the back door and got himself open.”

Another Santana reserve who enjoyed a positive outing was TIM HUSON, who was 4-for-4 from the floor on his way to a 9 point finish.

Mount Miguel : Izzy Wagner 38 (9 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Mike Taylor 11 (1 reb, 5 ast), Tony Wills 9 (2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Carl Dee Roberson 6 (11 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Donnell Payne 5 (3 reb, 1 stl), Austin Smith 2 (2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl).

Santana: Daniel Shively 16 (3 reb), Tim Huson 9 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Jordan Vargas 7 (4 reb, 4 ast), Andy Miller 5 (2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Christian Barry 4 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Gabe Kruse 2 (4 reb), Ryan Bratlien 2, Tyler Kirk 2, Derrick Burks (1 reb).

CORONADO 40, CHRISTIAN 36 – Patriots coach KELVIN STARR made no bones about it.

“We should have won this game,” he said of Tuesday’s (Feb. 5) Central League encounter at Coronado.

Christian (11-12, 3-7 CL) was sitting on a 5-point lead with 2 ½ minutes remaining, but five turnovers and a missed shot down the stretch led to their demise.

“When you turn the ball over 25 times against a non-pressure defense, you know you’re going to be in trouble,” the coach added.

None of the Patriots reached double scoring digits. The team made 14 of 36 (.389) shots from the floor.

If there was a high point it was the shooting of TIM HARRISON, who buried 3 of 6 shots from long distance for a game high 9 points.

Christian: Tim Harrison 9 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Phillip George 8 (8 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Tyler Ballard 7 (2 reb, 1 ast), Zach Kinninger 6 (6 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), David Todd Jeremiah 3 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Trent Sauls 2 (3 reb, 1 stl), Michael Carrillo 1.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-3-13) — T.J. LEAF and CALEB HOFFMAN each rolled a double-double as Foothills Christian High smacked Santana, 75-47, in a non-league game Saturday (Feb. 2) at Granite Hills.

Leaf netted 10 of 13 shots from the floor and reeled in 17 rebounds before an early departure.

Hoffman buried 5 of 9 shots from the floor and 3 of 3 free throws for 15 points and dished 10 assists as the Knights (13-12) took a 12-0 lead and never looked back.

Hoffman erupted for 12 points in the opening quarter as the Knights took a 28-7 advantage. Leaf landed 8 points in the same period.

“They were just too big for us,” said Santana coach TIM BARRY, whose Sultans fell to 10-12. “Leaf is good enough to catch the ball and go up, and we couldn’t do anything about it.”

After falling behind 45-21 in the first half, Barry said he was pleased that his Sultans didn’t’ quit.

“I was very pleased with our effort in the second half,” said Barry, who benched his son and leading player, CHRISTIAN BARRY, for all of the final two periods for disciplinary reasons.

ANDY MILLER led the Sultans with 14 points, including a pair of treys.

Of all the stats Foothills Christian compiled, the 29 assists is probably the most impressive.

Foothills Christian: T.J. Leaf 23 (17 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Caleb Hoffman 15 (2 reb, 10 ast, 3 stl), Jerome Sherman 9 (5 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl), J.R. Rivera 8 (7 reb, 2 blk), Austin Monstrong 6 (5 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Luis Salgado-Villegas 6 (1 reb, 6 ast), Loro Tombe 5 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Nick Louden 3 (1 reb, 1 ast), Jonny Van Ommering (1 reb), Connor George (1 reb).

Santana: Andy Miller 14 (5 reb, 2 stl), Christian Barry 9 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Daniel Shively 8 (3 reb), Dustin Murphy 7 (2 reb, 1 ast), Tim Huson 4 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Ryan Bratlien 3 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jordan Vargas 2 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Gabe Kruse (3 reb, 1 stl), Tyler Kirk (1 reb), Tiano Franco (1 reb).

HORIZON 67, MOUNT MIGUEL 64 – The Mount Miguel Matadors allowed a 4-point lead to slip away in the final 70 seconds of Saturday’s (Feb. 2) Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament held at The Bishop’s School's Fleet Center.

“I’m disappointed that we lost but I can’t be upset with our effort,” said Matadors coach JAY ROWLETT. “We definitely played well enough to win and overall better than we have recently.”

IZZY WAGNER set the scoring pace for the Matadors (13-11) with 27 points, hitting a trio of triples and 10 of 12 free throws.

MIKE TAYLOR connected for 14 points, including 4 treys, giving him 9 long distance baskets in 24 hours.

“You know, if we can win out we could create a possible tri-championship, and that would be OK with me,” said Rowlett. “Our destiny is in our own hands and our guys are fully aware of what’s at stake.”

Two of Mount Miguel ’s final three games are against co-leaders Monte Vista and El Cajon Valley.

Mount Miguel: Izzy Wagner 27 (8 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Mike Taylor 14 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Tony Wills 9 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Austin Smith 8 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Donnell Payne 4 (4 reb, 1 stl), Carl Dee Roberson 2 (9 reb).

	It case you weren't sure, D.J. Palomera (left) of Granite Hills wears uniform No. 5. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE
	Braves easily swat Monte Vista, move within three wins of history © East County Sports.com SPRING VALLEY (2-2-13) — El Cajon Valley High, which has never won a league boys basketball championship, took a step closer Friday night (Feb. 1) by knocking off front-running Monte Vista, 55-34, to create a tie for the Grossmont Valley League lead with three games remaining. The Braves (16-8, 4-1 GVL) snapped Monte Vista’s 12-game league winning streak with relative ease. Before a capacity crowd in the El Cajon Valley gym – a rarity in itself – the Braves used a 32-16 second-half run to pull out the victory. Senior ringleader ANDRE NIKKITA erupted for 15 of his 18 points after intermission. He hit 6 of 12 shots from the field, dished 7 assists and pulled down 9 rebounds for the Braves. “He is so smooth,” Monte Vista coach JAMES CARROLL said of Nikkita. “We thought we did a pretty good job of defending him in the first half. But he did such a good job of distributing the ball it really didn’t matter. He’s real subtle, but he does everything right.” JAHZDION TAYLOR continues to be a force in the middle for Monte Vista, when the Monarchs can get him the ball – which hasn’t been real often lately. He hit 5 of 9 shots from the floor and collected 8 rebounds to lead Monte Vista (14-10, 4-1 GVL) in both categories. El Cajon Valley: Andre Nikkita 18 (9 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl), Ibraham Ali 12 (2 reb, 5 ast, 5 stl), Ty Donahoo 11 (8 reb, 2 blk), Derrick Moore 6 (2 reb, 3 stl, 3 blk), Loqman Sulyman 3 (1 reb), Sangar Hasan 2 (5 ast, 1 stl), Brandon Rumley 2, Mathew Shearin 1. Monte Vista : Jahzdion Taylor 11 (8 reb, 1 stl), Jesse Rivas 7 (2 reb, 1 stl), Thomas Walker 3 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Jemeil Jackson 3 (6 reb, 1 ast), Adam Wallace 3, Hasani Jarvis 2 (3 reb, 1 stl), Lonnel Smith 2 (3 reb), Justin Brandy 1 (4 reb), Jose Jimenez 1, Jordan Jackson (3 reb).
	Romario Wilson of Helix drops it in for two. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

No longer leader of the pack
Helix falls into log jam, Grossmont leads by 2 games

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (2-2-13) — About this time of year, the Helix Highlanders are preparing for the postseason as the league championship is usually securely in hand.

That’s not the case this season. The Highlanders (14-8, 3-3 GHL) are struggling, having lost three of their last four encounters. That includes a heart-breaking 48-47 setback to Grossmont Hills League rival Valhalla on Friday night (Feb. 1).

This league has turned into a real mess, with five of the teams – including Helix – tied for second place at 3-3.

Valhalla put the game away in the final 2.9 seconds as SPENCER HAVIRD hit a pair of free throws to give the Norsemen the winning margin.

“We like to think we’re still in it,” said Valhalla coach KEITH JACKSON. “But I realize we’re probably a longshot to win the league title. Right now it’s about getting the best playoff position we can get.”

Havird is one of the top players in the league, as he was in football. He finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals for the Norsemen (12-9, 3-3 GHL).

This was somewhat of a miraculous victory for Valhalla, which surrendered a 20-11 battle of offensive rebounds.

The latest Valhalla victory wasn’t all about Havird as ANDREW LOZOYA hit 2 clutch free throws in the comeback run.

Helix was led by TITUS YOUNG who pitched in 17 points, and a double-double of 10 points and 18 rebounds by ROMARIO WILSON. DERRICK CHANDLER also came up big for Helix with 7 points and 10 rebounds.

His effort was cancelled out by Valhalla ’s JORDAN QSAR who scored 11 points and hauled down 11 rebounds.

“I feel fortunate that we won this game,” said Jackson. “It keeps us alive for bigger and better things in the future.”

Valhalla: Spencer Havird 16 (12 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), Jordan Qsar 11 (11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk), Andrew Lozoya 11 (1 reb), George Fakhoury 5 (2 reb, 1 stl), Kevin Mills 4 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), David Gazale 1 (2 reb, 1 blk), Cody Gladu (1 reb).

Helix: Titus Young 17 (3 reb, 2 ast), Romario Wilson 10 (18 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Derrick Chandler 7 (10 reb, 1 stl), Kaelen Mitchell 4 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Will Mildenhall 4 (6 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk), Christian Bell 3 (5 reb, 1 stl), Jordan Velasco 2 (4 ast), Xavier Jones (3 reb, 1 ast).

STEELE CANYON 66, WEST HILLS 44 – To contemplate what happened in Steele Canyon’s Friday night (Feb. 1) Grossmont Hills League blowout of visiting West Hills can easily be discovered in the rebounding category.

The Cougars claimed 43 caroms while West Hills cleared only 12 shots off the boards.

Leading the charge for Steele Canyon was 6-foot-6 sophomore DYLAN HAMLETT, who bagged 13 caroms off the glass. Senior CASEY BALIKIAN grabbed 10 boards and DANIEL KING collected 8 ricochets.

“We like to think we’re pretty strong inside,” said Hamlett.

“We’re kind of an inside-out team,” King said. “We have guys that can hit the three and we do a pretty decent job of pounding the boards.”

The Cougars had a balanced attack that included 18 points from King, 13 points from Balikian, 12 from ZACH KISSEL, and 10 from DONOVAN HABIB.

West Hills shot a pathetic 26 percent on 54 shots. On the flip side Steele Canyon was 20-for-41 (.488 percent). It was equally as ugly from the free throw line where the Cougars held a 22-11 advantage.

The mismatches continued as Steele Canyon had 12 assists and the Pack only had 2, which added to the surprisingly lopsided game.

In the first round of league play West Hills claimed a 53-46 victory over the Cougars in Santee.

“We know that we have to run the table to stand any chance of winning league,” said Balikian. “I have a lot of confidence in this team and I know we are capable of doing that.”

MARTIN PANAYOTOV led West Hills with 11 points, while CHASE PARSONS and JERON SATTERFIELD added 10 apiece.

Steele Canyon: Daniel King 18 (8 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Casey Balikian 13 (10 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Zach Kissel 12 (4 reb, 3 ast), Donovan Habib 10 (6 reb, 1 ast), Dylan Hamlett 7 (13 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl), Kaedyn Thomas 3 (2 reb), Aaron Pisiona 3 (2 ast).

West Hills: Martin Panayotov 11 (2 reb), Chase Parsons 10 (2 stl, 1 blk), Jeron Satterfield 10 (1 reb, 1 ast), D.J. Lewis 4 (2 reb), Jonny Preston 3 (2 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Elias Totah 3 (1 stl), Brent Wilder 3 (4 reb, 1 blk).

GROSSMONT 62, GRANITE HILLS 52 – Grossmont High freshman TOMMY RUTHERFORD continues to amaze as he scored 21 points and snared 15 rebounds in Friday night’s (Feb. 1) Foothillers’ Grossmont Hills League victory at Granite Hills.

The 6-foot-7 Rutherford only promises to get better.

When he’s successful, so are the Foothillers. Grossmont (13-8, 5-1 GHL) has won 5 straight and 10 of its last 12. Rutherford had plenty of help from senior AUSTIN SWISHER, who assaulted the base line and the free throw line for 19 points.

Muscle man BILAL RAHIM crashed the boards for 11 rebounds and chipped in 9 points for Grossmont.

Granite Hills (10-12, 1-5 GHL) took a 42-41 lead over the GHL leaders into the fourth quarter.

“The game got real physical,” said Grossmont coach FRANK FOGGIANO. “I thought the last 3 ½ to 4 minutes of the game my kids did a good job of keeping their composure and running our stuff.”

CODIE SIMMONS continued his hot-handed shooting for the Eagles with a team best 17 points, while JOEY GRUBB contributed 12.

“We were up by a point and then couldn’t hit a shot,” said Eagles coach RANDY ANDERSON. “The kids played hard, just couldn’t finish the game.”

Grossmont: Tommy Rutherford 21 (15 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Austin Swisher 19 (6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Bilal Rahim 9 (11 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Anthony Lawrence 5 (4 reb, 1 ast), J.T. Barnes 4 (5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Tom Lore 4 (2 ast, 1 stl).

Granite Hills: Codie Simmons 17 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Joey Grubb 12 (4 stl, 1 blk), Seth Collins 8 (3 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Koltin Higgins 6 (5 reb, 1 ast), D.J. Palomara 4 (2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Trevor Sperry 3 (7 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk), Ja’Ron Sanders 1 (5 reb, 2 ast), Brayan Turner 1 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Alonzo Beepath (1 reb, 1 stl), Junior Ferreira (1 reb).

CHRISTIAN 66, CRAWFORD 63 – After losing the first Central League round encounter to Crawford by 15 points, the host Patriots put on a last minute rush to earn a split in the season series Friday (Feb. 1) at the Ryan Athletic Center.

Trailing by 4 points with 1:20 remaining the Patriots got a 3-point bucket from DAVID TODD JEREMIAH. They continued on to the victory as PHILLIP GEORGE nailed 4 free throws.

George finished with a team best 20 points to go along with 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.

“George is giving us the senior leadership we’ve needed all year,” said Patriots coach KELVIN STARR.

TYLER BALLARD added 11 points and the Patriots also received 10 rebounds from ZACH KINNINGER.

“We’re a more competent team now, playing pretty well,” added Starr.

Christian: Phillip George 20 (5 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Taylor Ballard 11 (1 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk), Zach Kinninger 9 (10 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Tim Harrison 8 (3 reb, 1 blk), Stephen Johnston 6 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), David Todd Jeremiah 6 (2 reb), Joe Ross 4 (5 reb, 1 blk), Michael Carrillo 2 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Kyle Stowers (1 ast).

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 79, ESCONDIDO 74 (OT) – Trailing by 10 points with 5 minutes remaining in Friday’s (Feb. 1) non-league game in Escondido, Foothills Christian scrambled back and eventually sent the game into overtime on a 3-poitner by CALEB HOFFMAN via a pass from JEROME SHERMAN.

It was back and forth in the overtime before the Knights (11-12) took the lead for keeps on a floater by Sherman, 73-72. Earlier in the extra session Sherman hit a 3-pointer.

T.J. LEAF pitched in 3 points and J.R. RIVERA dropped in a bucket in OT. Hoffman, who finished with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field, put the game on ice by nailing two free throws with 15 seconds remaining.

It was a typical double-double night for Leaf who led Foothills Christian with 26 points and 16 rebounds.

Sherman also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. The best part of the game for Sherman, the Knights point guard, is he did not commit a turnover.

Foothills Christian: T.J. Leaf 26 (16 reb, 7 ast, 7 blk, 1 stl), Caleb Hoffman 22 (3 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl), Jerome Sherman 12 (6 reb, 10 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Luis Salgado-Villegas 6 (6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Nick Louden 6 (1 reb, 1 stl), Loro Tombe 5 (2 ast, 1 stl), J.R. Rivera 2 (4 reb, 1 stl), Austin Monstrong (2 reb).

MOUNT MIGUEL 85, EL CAPITAN 61 – Mount Miguel senior guard IZZY WAGNER scored 41 points as the Matadors tallied a season high 85 points in Friday’s (Feb. 1) Grossmont Valley League game in Lakeside.

It marked the 8th time this season that Wagner has scored 40 or more this season. His season-best was 54 against Hilltop.

Not to be overlooked was the long range shooting of MIKE TAYLOR, who nailed a career-best 5 three-pointers for a 15 point finish.

TONY WILLS pitched in 11 for the Matadors.

DRE KYLE led El Capitan with 17 points, and SCOTT ROSS added 16.

Mount Miguel : Izzy Wagner 41 (6 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Mike Taylor 15 (1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Tony Wills 11 (4 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Austin Smith 8 (2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Lucius Cooksey 8 (5 reb, 2 stl), Carl Dee Roberson 2 (6 reb, 1 ast), Donnell Payne (2 reb, 1 ast).

El Capitan: Dre Kyle 17, Scott Ross 16, Travis Hulsey 8, Justin Phoenix 6, Wyatt Alvarez 6, Joey LaChappa 4, Aaron Price 2, Kevin Garcia 2.

Helix forward Romario Wilson (5, far right) will grab the rebound against Valhalla. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS