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CORONA – There are a few potential “bumps” on the road to a potential – if not likely – showdown in Saturday night’s championship game.

But the Rancho Christian and Sacramento Sheldon teams demonstrated it’s going to be difficult – and then some – for anyone to knock them off before the final of the BattleZone Tournament at Centennial High.

Sheldon, the runner-up to Sierra Canyon in the past two State Open Division championship games, cruised past Eisenhower Monday evening, 97-66.

And, in the last of the four games played Monday, Rancho Christian was every bit as impressive while knocking off another Temecula-based program, Great Oak, 81-47.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Four of the top five teams in Southern California came out in reasonably fine fashion in last week’s opening of the regular season.

And a freshman from San Diego more than lived up to the megahype he brought along with him to San Ysidro High.

*Top-ranked (in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) Rancho Christian had to hold off No. 29 Pacifica Christian – the Newport version, that is – in front of a packed Vanguard University gym Friday night, 83-77.

Evan Mobley and the rest of the Eagles’ crew are back in action in the Battlezone at Centennial High in Corona, where they shouldn’t have too much difficulty in their Monday (vs.

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BURBANK – Deep groups of quality players from Arizona and Nevada, as well as all of California, populated the roster for the West Coast Elite 32 Middle School Camp Sunday at John Burroughs High.

The camp is a co-opted effort of WCE Founder and Director Ryan Silver, and Julius Von Hanzlik of the Cali Stars club program.

Some notable performances were turned in by several future high school point guards, including those by D.J. Thomas and Antonio Burns of Las Vegas, Gavin Hightower of Gardena and John Patrick Kerrigan of San Francisco.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Three Trinity League programs – headed by long-time regional and national power Mater Dei – are among the first eight in the pecking order for the BurlisonOnBasketball CIF Southern and L.A. City Sections preseason Top 30 boys high school teams.

But its not the Monarchs nor two-time defending State Open Division champion Sierra Canyon holding up the top spot with the high school season set to get underway Monday afternoon (Nov. 18).

Rancho Christian got that nod, and not strictly because of the presence of the best player in the national Class of 2020 – USC-bound, 7-foot bundle of hoops’ and athletic’ skill, Evan Mobley (pictured) – on Coach Ray Barefield’s roster.

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LA VERNE, Ca. – Some of Southern California’s better teams were on display Saturday at Damien High – nine days before the Nov. 18 start of the real boys’ high school basketball season.

Damien’s “Pre-Season Shootout” included eight games involving eight programs, with Mark Keppel (Alhambra), Oak Park, Oaks Christian (Thousand Oaks), Servite (Anaheim), Colony (Ontario), Calabasas, Chaminade (West Hills) and the host Spartans playing twice apiece.

Oak Park played in the day’s first two games, vs. Keppel and Oaks Christian, winning both behind the near-stunning offensive display of University of Pennsylvania-bound guard Clark Slajchert, who averaged 30.4 points per game as a junior.

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