LONG BEACH – The championship game of the Challenge of Champions bracket may have been a tad anti-climatic Sunday afternoon at McBride High.
But, overall, the two-day, Ron Massey Memorial Hall Fall Hoops Classic was nothing short of entertaining and instructive for those looking for insight as to what the 2022-23 boys’ basketball season could entail.
Corona Centennial Coach Josh Giles’ team nearly was knocked off in a championship semifinal Sunday afternoon, when St. John Bosco sophomore forward Kade Bonam’s 16-footer rolled off the rim just before the buzzer to give the Huskies a 56-55 victory over the Braves.
In the other semifinal, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman – which knocked off a quality St. Bernard opponent Saturday in the first round – led Mater Dei at intermission despite playing without its three best (and injured) players.
But the Monarchs continued to get strong play from three freshmen – forwards Che Brogan and Brannon Martinsen, and guard Luke Barnett – and got past the Gaels, 62-56.
The consolation championship game, between St. Joseph and St. Bernard, was dynamic from start to finish, as the Vikings – behind the play of senior guards Tyler Rolison (24 points) and Raymond King (11 points, including two huge 3s late) and sophomore Caleb Versher (23) held off the squad from Santa Maria, 77-73.
The weekend’s Most Outstanding Player (as selected by myself, Devin Ugland and Ronnie Flores), sophomore Tounde Yessoufou (pictured) – obviously fatigued in the second half – led St. Joseph with 30 points, giving him 101 over the weekend including 40 vs. Centennial on Saturday and 31 earlier Sunday in a consolation semifinal win over Bishop Montgomery.
And then there was the finale . . .
And Mater Dei prevailed over Centennial, 55-42, with the 6-5 Brogan leading the way for the Monarchs with 16 points.
But, for some perspective:
All of the Huskies’ starters (seniors Jared McCain, Aaron McBride, Devin Williams and Mike Price, and junior Eric Freeny) remained on the bench throughout the game, as Giles opted to give his reserves – including three freshmen guards – extended experience.
All things considered, though, it was productive two days – for both teams, players and those (yours truly included, of course – trying to get a handle on the 2022-23 season.
A few observations:
*Defending champion Centennial and ’22 runner-up Harvard-Westlake are, barring calamity, locks to be in the 2023 CIF Southern Section eight-team Open Division field.
And Massey Memorial teams Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, St. Bernard, Rancho Christian, Riverside Poly, Bishop Montgomery and Santa Margarita will be among the strong contenders to land in the other six spots.
*With Mikey Williams back in the fold as a senior, San Ysidro will be defending champion St. Augustine’s primary challenger for the 2023 San Diego Open Division championship.
*St. Pius/St. Matthias may go into the season as the favorite to win its CIF SS playoff division.
Coach Donte Archie has a young, deep and talented roster, led by Tyrone Riley – one of the better SoCal college prospects from the Class of 2024.
*SoCal’s Class of 2025 is already established itself as exceptional.
And its’ 2026 counterpart is likely to do so, too, by March.
Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Classic
Most Outstanding Player
Tounde Yessoufou 6-6 So. Santa Maria St. Joseph
All-Pangos Challenge of Champions Bracket Selections
Seniors
Eli Bradley (Las Vegas Bishop Gorman)
Zack Davidson (Santa Ana Mater Dei)
Christian Jones (Torrance Bishop Montgomery)
Aaron McBride (Corona Centennial)
Kevin Patton (Temecula Rancho Christian)
Tyler Rolison (Playa del Rey St. Bernard)
Juniors
Eric Freeny (Centennial)
Sophomores
Kade Bonam (Bellflower St. John Bosco)
Elzie Harrington (St. John Bosco)
Chris Nwuli (Bishop Gorman)
Caleb Versher (St. Bernard)
Freshmen
Che Brogan (Mater Dei)
Julius Price (St. Joseph)
All-Showcase Selections
(High school teams/Maximum one per team)
Seniors
Zyier Beverly (L.A. Washington)
Jontue Cooper (Lakewood Mayfair)
Nils Cooper (Santa Monica Crossroads)
Jacob Huggins (Studio City Harvard-Westlake)
Aaron Montez (Long Beach St. Anthony)
Mason Pacheco-Robinson (Lakewood)
Rockwell Reynolds (RSM Santa Margarita)
Mikey Williams (San Diego San Ysidro)
Juniors
Dylan Benner (Ventura St. Bonaventure)
Carter Bryant (Newport Sage Hill)
DeShawn Gory (Hemet Oak Hills)
Brody Kozlowski (Draper, UT, Corner Canyon)
Styles Phipps (Phoenix St. Mary’s)
Tyrone Riley (Downey St. Pius X/St. Matthias)
Ben Roseborough (Elk Grove Monterey Trail)
Alex Stewart (Newport Pacifica Christian)
Sophomores
Brayden Burries (Riverside Poly)
Osami Maciel (Santa Fe Springs St. Paul)
Freshmen
Kaiden Bailey (Irvine Crean Lutheran)
Jason Crowe Jr. (Lynwood)
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