LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The Centennial High Huskies enter the 2022 portion of the “2021-22” boys basketball campaign the same way they started the season – atop the BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California ratings.
Coach Josh Giles’ team capped an impressive first 13 games with victories over quality opponents against No.’s 11 St. John Bosco, 15 Etiwanda and 4 Crean Lutheran to close The Classic at Damien.
The Huskies – scheduled to play host to Rancho Christian Monday night – are followed by the same eight teams that trailed them a week ago, albeit with some shifting of spots, based upon the results in The Classic.
Centennial’s Donovan Dent (pictured) was the Platinum Division’s Most Valuable Player although there was, technically, no Platinum championship game played when No. 5. Riverside Poly (which handed the host Spartans their first loss Wednesday night) was forced to withdraw Thursday morning from the scheduled title game with Centennial because COVID-19 protocol issues.
So Crean Lutheran, which had been scheduled to play Long Beach Poly in the Gold title game Thursday evening, was moved into a “showcase” game with the Huskies in the final contest of the event.
The Poly Jackrabbits – who got terrific play from freshman Jovani Ruff during the week – were also forced to pull out later Thursday evening because of COVID issues.
Multiple key league openers – including Etiwanda at Damien (Tuesday, Baseline); St. Bernard at Bishop Montgomery (Wednesday, Del Rey); Mater Dei at St. John Bosco (Wednesday, Trinity) and Notre Dame at Harvard-Westlake (Friday, Mission) – are set for next week.
Of course, those games – as are all games, for the time being – are tagged with the “pending COVID-related issues” . . .
The SoCal Top 15
- Corona Centennial
Big VIII/CIF Southern Section D-1
W-L: 12-1
Next up: Monday, vs. Rancho Christian, 6:30 p.m.
- Chatsworth Sierra Canyon
Gold Coast/SS D-1
W-L: 14-1
Next up: Wednesday, vs. Crossroads, 7:30 p.m.
- Studio City Harvard-Westlake
Mission/SS D-1
W-L: 13-1
Next up: Wednesday, at West Hills Chaminade, 7 p.m.
- Irvine Crean Lutheran
Empire/SS D-1
W-L: 10-1
Next up: Tuesday, vs. La Palma Kennedy, 6 p.m.
- Riverside Poly
Ivy/SS D-1
W-L: 16-1
Next up: Wednesday, at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, 6 p.m.
- La Verne Damien
Baseline/SS D-1
W-L: 17-1
Next up: Tuesday, vs. Etiwanda, 6:30 p.m.
- Torrance Bishop Montgomery
Del Rey/SS D-1
W-L: 11-1
Next up: Wednesday, vs. Playa Del Rey St. Bernard, 7 p.m.
- Santa Ana Mater Dei
Trinity/SS D-1
W-L: 13-2
Next up: Wednesday, at Bellflower St. John Bosco, 7 p.m.
- Playa del Rey St. Bernard
Del Rey/SS D-1
W-L: 11-3
Next up: Wednesday, at Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.
- San Pedro Rolling Hills Prep
Coastal/SS D-1
W-L: 13-1
Up next: To be determined.
- Bellflower St. John Bosco
Trinity/SS D-1
W-L: 12-5
Next up: Wednesday, vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei, 7 p.m.
- Ontario Colony
Palomares/SS D-1
W-L: 13-1
Next up: Tuesday, at Claremont, 7 p.m.
- Gardena Serra
Del Rey/SS D-1
W-L: 13-4
Next up: Jan. 10, vs. L.A. Cathedral, 7 p.m.
- Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Mission/SS D-2AA
W-L: 13-3
Next up: Wednesday, vs. Crespi, 7 p.m.
- Etiwanda
Baseline/SS D-1
W-L: 10-4
Next up: Tuesday, at Damien, 6:30 p.m.
Next Group: (alpha) Anaheim Canyon; SJC Capistrano Valley; Anaheim Fairmont Prep; Crossroads; Heritage Christian; Los Altos; RSM Santa Margarita; Rancho Cucamonga; Santa Clarita Christian; SJC JSerra; St. Anthony; St. Francis; St. Paul; Taft; and West Ranch.
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