Sierra Canyon the SoCal hoops team to beat in 2019

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – With the start of the 2018-19 season officially tipping off Monday, Sierra Canyon – with four returning starters and some tall and gifted newcomers – opens as the favorite to defend its 2018 State Open Division championship.

Cassius Stanley (PICTURED) is joined by fellow seniors Scotty Pippen Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr., along with junior Terren Frank, as returning starters with only Duane Washington (now at Ohio State) having departed from the squad that had post-season wins over Bishop Montgomery (twice), Rancho Christian and Etiwanda before toppling Sacramento Sheldon in the state finale.

Coach Andre Chevalier picked up a 7-foot-2 sophomore (from China) in Harold Yu and a 6-2 freshman (from Chicago) in Amari Bailey.

But his most significant newcomer is 7-footer Christian Koloko, much improved in the later part of his junior season at L.A. City school Birmingham and over the summer and fall after transferring to Sierra Canyon. He’s already committed to the University of Arizona.

The Trailblazers could encounter a whole lot of other serious CIF section and state championship contenders along the way, though, notably 2018 Southern Section Open Division participants in Bishop Montgomery, Rancho Christian, Mater Dei (which lost Spencer Freedman and Michael Wang from the team that put Sierra in the Southern Section Open finale), St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita.

Other possible 2019 championship roadblocks for Chevalier’s crew are defending San Diego Open champion, Mission Bay, led by Duke-bound guard Boogie Ellis, as well as L.A. City powers Westchester and Fairfax.

 

Top 25 plus 25 more

With CIF section and 2017-18 records:

1. Chatsworth Sierra Canyon (Southern Section/27-4)
2. Bellflower St. John Bosco (SS/25-8)
3. Temecula Rancho Christian (SS/29-5)
4. Torrance Bishop Montgomery (SS/28-2)
5. Fairfax (L.A. City/23-10)
6. Mission Bay (San Diego/27-6)
7. Westchester (LAC/30-6)
8. La Verne Damien (SS/24-7)
9. Riverside Notre Dame (SS/33-4)
10. Santa Ana Mater Dei (SS/23-7)
11. RSM Santa Margarita (SS/20-10)
12. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (SS/16-12)
13. Corona Centennial (SS/20-11)
14. Studio City Harvard-Westlake (SS/22-6)
15. Riverside Poly (SS/24-9)
16. Long Beach Poly (SS/23-9)
17. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (SS/23-11)
18. Chino Hills (SS/26-11)
19. Etiwanda (SS/30-4)
20. Lake Balboa Birmingham (LAC/15-15)
21. Playa del Rey St. Bernard (SS/14-12)
22. Washington (LAC/23-11)
23. San Diego St. Augustine (SD/18-8)
24. Orange Lutheran (SS/11-17)
25. Woodland Hills Taft (SS/27-10)

Others to watch include: Alemany (SS); Brentwood (SS); Anaheim Canyon (SS); Cathedral Catholic (SD); Colony (SS); Crespi (SS); Dorsey (LAC); Foothills Christian (SD); Fremont (LAC); Hesperia (SS); JSerra (SS); Leuzinger (SS); Los Altos (SS); Loyola (SS); Mayfair (SS); Pasadena (SS); Redondo (SS); Rolling Hills Prep (SS); San Diego (SD); Santa Clarita Christian (SS); Santa Monica (SS); St. Anthony (SS); Torrey Pines (SD); Vista (SD) and Windward (SS).