LA VERNE, CA – The Classic at Damien tips off Monday morning, with action in four of its seven 16-team divisions spread over six gymnasiums — on or near the Damien Campus.
Play in the Silver and Bronze divisions will be held in the Damien Athletic Center and the Damien Center.
Each of the first-round Iron Division games will be contested at Charter Oak High, with Green Division games played at Life Pacific University, San Dimas High and Bonita High.
Play in the “Top three” Divisions – featuring many of the elite high school programs in California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, and Utah – begins Tuesday morning at Damien High and Ramona Middle School (located just a few blocks away from Damien).
For complete daily schedule, games results and Classic information, go to www.Classicatdamien.org.
Getting things started at 9:30 Monday morning will be Dana Hills and Murietta Valley (Bronze/Damien Event Center) and Bell Gardens and St. Genevieve (Iron/Charter Oak).
Some of the more compelling first-day matchups are expected to include:
*St. Bonaventure vs. Campbell Hall (10 a.m./Silver/Damien Athletic Center: The 8-4 Seraphs are led by one of the better junior forwards in Southern California (Dylan Benner/14.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg).
The 6-5 Vikings – who’ve played one of the tougher schedules in the Southland – have a terrific backcourt threesome of juniors Aliaun Iscandari and Aaron Powell, and sophomore Isaiah Johnson, who average a collective 43 ppg.
*San Diego vs. Leuzinger (11/Bronze/Damien Event Center): Senior guards Noah Marte and Barron Noble combine for 34 ppg for the 7-2 Cavs.
And Leuzinger (8-4) was runner-up in its Tarkanian Classic bracket last week as seniors Amire Jones and Rashawn Carr were all-tourney selections.
*Crean Lutheran vs. Saugus (11:30/Silver/Damien Athletic Center): The Saints (7-4) lost (88-84) to Houston Christian in their Tarkanian Classic bracket final Thursday morning. Freshman Kaiden Bailey (25.1), his senior brother, Kenny (13.9), and another freshman, Braeden Davidson (9.5), have average a near-collective 50 ppg.
Saugus (8-5) has gotten a big boost from Santa Clarita Christian transfer Max Tengan, who played well here a year ago.
*St. Francis vs. Hillcrest (2:30 p.m./Silver/Damien Athletic Center): The Golden Knights (11-2) couldn’t play here a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coach Todd Wolfson squad is led by co-captain seniors Jackson Mosley and Luke McGrath, and their classmate, George Tupy.
Hillcrest (5-7), making its Classic debut, has one of the top centers in the country in 7-2 Dennis Evans (he signed with the University of Minnesota last month) and a rapidly improving sophomore guard in McKel Shedrick is a super jump shooter.
*La Mirada vs. Riverside Poly (6:30/Silver/Damien Event Center): The Matadores (10-5), CIF SS 2A runners-up last spring, have a pair of guards that would be standouts in any tournament or playoff bracket.
Sophomore Julien Gomez (pictured/26.6 ppg and 8.0 rpg) and senior Sean Cervantes (9.0 ppg and 8.1 apg) have dominated nearly every game La Mirada has played this season.
Riverside Poly (9-5) won both of its Platinum Division games last year but COVID issues kept the Bears from playing in the title game.
They, too, have several quality guards, including James Croy (one of the better Class of 2026 point guards in the Southland) and an underrated (for now) sophomore, Chris Holland.
Leave a Reply