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Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

A couple of “rematches” set for Monday’s Classic at Damien finales

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LA VERNE, CA – A high school basketball rematch – 365 days in the making – is set for Monday night at 8:30 in the Athletic Center on the Damien High campus.

A year-to-the-day that the Roosevelt High Mustangs knocked off the St. John Bosco Braves (68-65) in the Platinum Division championship game of The Classic at Damien, the same programs – with much of the same casts – will be at it again in the finale of the Platinum Division of the country’s top “traditional high schools-only” post-Christmas tournament.

Finales in the event’s other seven divisions – including the 7 o’clock Gold clash pitting the San Fernando Valley’s Crespi of Encino and Orange County’s Canyon Anaheim – will also be played on campus Monday.

For the event’s schedules and results, go to www.classicatdamien.org/brackets.

The result of Saturday night’s Platinum semifinals – St. John Bosco knocking off La Mirada, 66-45, in another showcase of the Braves’ stifling half-court defense; and Roosevelt’s University of New Mexico-bound Issac Williamson sizzling for an event and school record 10 3s in the Mustangs’ 86-60 win over Layton Christian Academy of Utah – made official what had been assumed once the division’s bracket makeup was unveiled on Dec. 1.

The Braves (14-0) and Mustangs (14-1) are 1-2 – in that order – in Southern California (via the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 30) and in the state (by way of Ronnie Flores’ Cal Hi Sports’ pecking order).

And, within the format of the CIF Southern Section and State Southern Regional Open playoffs, there could be two more “rematches” of Monday’s high-powered encounter in February and March.

Coach Matt Dunn’s SJB club was the first to lock in its slot in the Platinum finale, its half-court defense putting the clamps on one of the state’s best offenses for the second time in two weeks.

Coach Randy Oronoz’s Matadores (12-3), led by senior Julien Gomez and sophomore Gene Roebuck, averaged 79 ppg in wins over Dallas Parish Episcopal and Redondo Union Thursday and Friday.

But there were few open looks at the rim, or un-clogged driving lanes for Gomez, Roebuck or any of their teammates Saturday night as the Braves ground their way to a 24-4 start and 31-12 advantage at intermission.

The Matadores (likely to stand at no worse than No. 6 when the SoCal Top 30 is updated this week) missed 17 of 21 shots from the floor – by my unofficial tracking – with Roebuck, SoCal’s top sophomore, not getting his first bucket until 1:40 into the second quarter.

And he didn’t get his second – and last – field goal until 1:32 remained in the game.

He finished with seven points while Gomez – whose first field goal didn’t come until early in the third goal – scored six.

That followed the script of what transpired when St. John Bosco prevailed on Dec. 13 via the Braves’ 66-47 win during a semifinal of the Braves’ Winter Classic.

Six-foot-six Elzie Harrington – an all-Classic selection after scoring 15 points in the 2023 final with Roosevelt – scored 17 points with eight rebounds and four assists Saturday night.

The Braves have been without California’s No. 1 junior, Brandon McCoy, Jr. (also all-Classic here a year ago), with an injury to his left foot for the past nine games but have continued to function smoothly at both ends of the floor via quality contributions from a variety of players.

Chris Komin (14 points Saturday night, including a couple of 3s and an OMG dunk) continues to demonstrate why he is one of the better senior guards in the SoCal.

Six-eight Christian Collins didn’t score as much (seven points) as he has lately. But the St. Bernard transfer has long since confirmed his status as one of the region’s top juniors since coming to Bellflower.

Two other juniors, Max Ellis (14 points Saturday, the first 12 of those on 3s) and Gavin Dean-Moss (six points, and strong defense and floor leadership, coming off the bench) also continued to play well.

In the second semifinal, Layton Christian Academy opened in a half-court zone defense Coach Steve Singleton’s team.

That approach didn’t last long, as the Mustangs’ first seven field goals – from four players – came from behind the 3-point arc.

Three of those came from Williamson (pictured).

And his marksmanship from deep wasn’t fazed when the Eagles went to a man-to-man and did their best to shadow him and keep him from catching the into-the-shooting-pocket passes that long-time running mates Brayden Burries and Myles Walker were delivering to him.

One of his eventual 10 3s (out of 15 attempts) was heavily contested in the third quarter after the Eagles had trimmed their deficit to nine points.

And his last – with 1:20 remaining, giving him a career-high 34 points – was “created” off four dribbles to evade a double team, unlike the others which were off the catch or one dribble.

The left-handed Walker set the defensive and offensive pace for the Mustangs, with three steals, four assists and a 3 in the first quarter. He finished with seven steals, nine assists and nine points.’

Burries, the Most Outstanding Player here a year ago, went for 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

And, befitting their on- and off-court comradery dating to Barack Obama’s second term in the White House, no one celebrated Williamson’s stunning shooting display Saturday night more than did Burries and Walker.

*Crespi (12-4) and Canyon (11-2) rolled into Monday night’s (7 o’clock) Gold Division title game by way of Saturday wins against Campbell Hall (85-70) and Glendale (AZ) Ironwood (74-47) respectively.

This too is a “rematch” in that the teams met in the June 23 Mayo Clinic Bracket final during the Section 7 in Glendale (AZ) State Farm Stadium, with each led by one of the best players in California.

In that event, Crespi, despite trailing by eight points at intermission, pulled away down the stretch to prevail, 65-56, with forward Peyton White (who signed with Nevada/Reno last month) hitting three 3s and scoring 28 points.

Canyon got 26 points and 10 rebounds from Orange County’s best player, Brandon Benjamin (who signed with the University of San Diego), going for 26 points and 10 rebounds.

And there are plenty of quality teammates for each, as was showcased on  their path to Monday’s showdown.

White had 19 points and eight rebounds Saturday and sophomore teammates Isaiah and Carter Barnes – with pops, former UCLA and NBA player Matt Barnes, sitting across the court – added 20 and 10 points, respectively.

Benjamin scored 34 points – and could have had 40-plus, if he and his coach, Nate Harrison, were so inclined – while hitting 15 of 21 from the floor and all four of his free throws.

He grabbed 12 rebounds and had six assists – several of those leading to some of the seven 3s that Noah Kim (20) and Staf Yilmazturk (14) hit while combining for 34 points.

*Earlier Saturday, junior guard Isaiah Rogers scored 40 points (including five 3s, four of which he hit in the first quarter when he scored 16 points) in Centennial’s 66-58 win over Dallas Parish Episcopal in a consolation semifinal.

Another junior guard, Antoine Almuttar, scored 21 points for Parish Episcopal, which cut a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to four point with about 30 seconds remaining.

The Huskies (6-10) will play Santa Margarita for the consolation championship at 11:30 Monday morning in the Athletic Center.

The Eagles (11-2) came from seven points down late in the second quarter to knock off Los Alamitos, 88-81.

Juniors Brayden Kyman (23), Kaiden Bailey (19) and Drew Anderson (16) combined for 58 points for Santa Margarita while Long Beach State-bound senior Dallas Washington added 18.

Seniors Liam Gray and Trent Minter scored 19 points apiece for the Griffins (7-5).

*Redondo Union (12-2) and Phoenix Sandra O’Connor (10-2) will tip things off Monday morning in the Athletic Center when they play in the Platinum’s fifth-place game at 10 o’clock.

Each had strong responses to Friday night quarter-final losses, with Redondo knocking off Heritage Christan (13-2), 64-51, while O’Connor toppling Central California power Fresno Clovis West, 56-46.

Sophomore Chris Sanders scored 16 points for the Sea Hawks while senior Hudson Mayes added 15 and junior Chace Holley 13.

Heritage Christian seniors Dillan Shaw and Tae Simmons scored 20 points apiece despite terrific defensive efforts by junior S.J. Madison and Sanders, respectively.

UC Santa Barbara-bound forward Michael Simcoe scored 21 points and junior Colton Watson added 18 for O’Connor.

*In a consolation semifinal in the Gold Division in the Event Center, guards Uriah Tenette (Prescott of Arizona) and Aaron Glass (Rancho Cucamonga) continued their dazzling play of the first two days of the event.

Glass scored 37 but Tenette – despite being “limited” to 27 a day after cranking out 54 in a win over Chatsworth – was able to lead his team to the 83-75 win and spot in Monday morning’s 11  o’clock consolation title game with Redwood at Ramona Middle School.

Redwood is led by senior guard T.T. Carr – an all-Classic selection a year ago while playing for Branson. The University of California-bound Carr scored 39 points 61-47 win against Etiwanda Saturday.

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