LAGUNA NIGUEL – The Harvard-Westlake High boys’ basketball program and its leader picked up the final BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal awards for the 2022-23 season.
The Wolverines’ 76-65, State Open Division victory over Santa Maria St. Joseph on March 11 in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center wrapped up a 33-2 campaign that placed it among the top five or so “true high school” team performances in the country this past season.
Coach David Rebibo’s club won eight of its nine games against the other seven teams that made up the field for the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division playoff field.
Included in those victories were State playoff road decisions against the No.’s 3 (St John Bosco, 69-64) and 2 (Centennial, 80-61) BurlisonOnBasketball final Top 25 teams that were needed to punch its ticket to Sacramento, as well as at eventual State D I champion Notre Dame in a Mission League clash.
Other highlights on the Wolverines’ resume include wins against two-time Washington State 4A (top division) champion Curtis – in a Platinum semifinal of the most competitive, post-Christmas tournament in the country, the Classic at Damien – as well as Texas (private school) champion Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy and CIF SS 3A title-winning San Gabriel Academy.
Rebibo (pictured) gets the BurlisonOnBasketball “Coach of the Season” honor over Matt Dunn (St. John Bosco) and Jeff Berokoff (Newport Pacifica Christian).
Rebibo – at only 39, likely as good an “under 40” basketball coach as there is anywhere on the high school level – has led his teams to a 193-54 mark in eight seasons, a run that includes two state titles, a Southern Section crown and four consecutive spots in the CIF SS Open playoffs.
Dunn’s Braves – with a rotation that included a freshman, two sophomores and two transfers – were the outright champions in the Trinity League to mark the first time Mater Dei hasn’t at least share its league title since 1988.
They also handed Harvard-Westlake one of its losses (rallying from six points down in the first quarter on the road in an CIF SS Open playoff) and lost at the buzzer, 58-56, to two-time defending champion Centennial in the Open final in Anaheim’s Honda Center.
Berkoff is the only coach the school has had since opening in 2015, and its first varsity team wasn’t fielded until the 2016-17 season.
The Tritons – playing without their best player, Northwestern-bound guard Parker Strauss for their final two games – lost at La Mirada in the CIF SS 2A semifinals.
But – with Strauss back on the floor – they won three of their four games on the road (at L.A. City Open Division club Birmingham, Oxnard and, finally, Orange Lutheran) to advance to program’s first state title game, where they lost to Fresno San Joaquin Memorial in the II finale.
2022-23 Season Awards
Coach: David Rebibo/Harvard-Westlake
Senior: Aaron McBride/Corona Centennial
Junior: Trent Perry/Harvard-Westlake
Sophomore: Elzie Harrington/St. John Bosco
Freshman: Jason Crowe Jr./Lynwood
Final SoCal Top 25 team rankings
- Studio City Harvard-Westlake (CIF Southern Section Open) 33-2
Finish: State Open Division Champion.
- Corona Centennial (CIF SS Open) 30-4
Finish: Southern Regional runner-up (CIF SS champion).
- Bellflower St. John Bosco (CIF SS Open) 26-7
Finish: Southern Regional semis (CIF SS Open runner-up).
- Valencia West Ranch (CIF SS Open) 29-3
Finish: Southern Regional first round.
- Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (CIF SS Open) 27-10
Finish: State D I champion.
- Chatsworth Sierra Canyon (CIF SS Open) 23-11
Finish: Southern Regional D I runner-up (CIF SS Open).
- Torrance Bishop Montgomery (CIF SS Open) 28-5
Finish: Southern Regional D I semis (CIF SS Open).
- Santa Ana Mater Dei (CIF SS D1) 29-7
Finish: Southern Regional D I semis (CIF SS champion).
- Playa del Rey St. Bernard (CIF SS Open) 22-9
Finish: Southern Regional D I second round.
- Temecula Rancho Christian (CIF SS D2A) 24-11
Finish: Southern Regional D I second round (CIF SS champion).
- Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (CIF SS D1) 28-4
Finish: Southern Regional D I second round (CIF SS semis).
- Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda (CIF SS D1) 26-6
Finish: Southern Regional D I second round (CIF SS runner-up).
- Newport Pacifica Christian (CIF SS D2A) 27-10
Finish: State D II runner-up (CIF SS semis).
- Orange Lutheran (CIF SS D2AA) 23-12
Finish: Southern Regional D II runner-up (CIF SS runner-up).
- Anaheim Canyon (CIF SS D1) 25-7
Finish: Southern Region DI first round (CIF SS semifinalist).
- Downey Pius X/St. Matthias (CIF SS D3AA) 30-5
Finish: State Southern DII quarters (CIF SS champion).
- La Verne Damien (CIF SS D1) 26-5
Finish: CIF SS D1 quarterfinals.
- Oxnard (CIF SS D2AA) 31-4
Finish: State Southern DII semis (CIF SS semis).
- SJC JSerra (CIF SS D1) 22-9
Finish: CIF SS D1 quarterfinals.
- RSM Santa Margarita (CIF SS D1) 21-9
Finish: CIF SS D1 first round.
- Northridge Heritage Christian (CIF SS D1) 20-12
Finish: CIF SS D1 quarterfinals.
- Sun Valley Village Christian (CIF SS D1) 23-6
Finish: CIF SS D1 first round.
- La Mirada (CIF SS D2A) 25-10
Finish: State Southern DII quarterfinals (CIF SS runner-up).
- Santa Monica Crossroads (CIF SS D1) 22-9
Finish: CIF SS D1 second round.
- Valencia (CIF SS D4AA) 27-10
Finish: State D IV champion (CIF SS champion).
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