IRVINE – The Crean Lutheran High Saints’ boys basketball team showed no signs of a “post-Classic at Damien funk” during the first six days of the 2026.
In fact, It’s been quite the opposite for Coach Austin Loeb’s club, which closed Platinum Division play at Damien with losses to Redondo Union and Crespi in a semifinal and the game for third place
The host Saints got at least six points from every starter and their first substitute Tuesday night, bursting to a 22-1 lead before cruising past Canyon of Anaheim, 80-54, in Crestview League action.
Six-foot-11, 240-pound Chadrack Mpoyi – while continuing to play like the most physically dominant senior center in California, as he did in four games at Damien – scored 25 points (hitting 12 of 16 from the field, a big chunk of those dunks), grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots to help the Saints go to 15-5 overall and 2-zip in league.
Junior guard Hunter Caplan – while nailing six of his team’s 11 3s – added 20 points and four assists, while senior backcourt partner Nick Giarrusso scored only six points but added six assists and five rebounds.
The win over the Comanches (11-7 and 0-1) followed Friday (72-60 vs. Cypress in a Crestview opener) and Saturday (60-51 against Crossroads in the Real Run Winter Classic at Morningside) victories after their losses to Redondo Union (79-55) and Crespi (57-54) last week.
The Saints – No.’s 8 and 9, respectively, in the latest CIF Southern Section computer ratings and BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 – didn’t mope after their losses at Damien.
“Not at all,” said Caplan (pictured), after hitting six of his nine shots from behind the arc and both of his free throws.
“We got right back into the gym and started working on getting better, like we always do.”
With junior guard Caden Jones ( three 3s, four assists and four rebounds) back in uniform and the starting lineup after the standout football quarterback nursed a sore knee for a couple of weeks, the Saints were as close to “healthy” as they’ve been in a while.
But they won’t be get a clean bill of health until UC Riverside-bound forward Jacob Majok has nursed his sore ankle back to “can play without pain and swelling” mode.
His play was limited at Damien because of the discomfort and swelling.
“We’d rather have him able to go full, speed (without those issues),” Loeb said before the game, “even if it means he’s not playing until the second half of league.”
Crestivew League play continues Friday night, with Crean Lutheran at La Habra and Foothill at home to Canyon while Cypress draws the bye.
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