Archives

  MISSION VIEJO – A head coach in his second season heading the program, and a player in his third year in the United States, helped a school in its 45^th year of existence earn its first ever spot in a CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball championship game Saturday night.

   San Juan Capistrano’s Capistrano Valley Christian High Christian Eagles got a 10-point first-quarter effort from 6-foot-7 Festus Ndumanya for an early advantage that they were able to maintain throughout on their way to a 48-34 Division 3A semifinal victory over the Palos Verdes Sea Kings at Mission Viejo High.

[Click to continue reading]

  ETIWANDA – A year ago the Bishop Montgomery High boys’ basketball team suffered gut-twisting losses to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section and State Southern Regional Open semifinals.

   Next Saturday night (Feb. 23), the Knights will get another pop at the program that blocked it from 2018 championship games – in a 2019 championship game.

   Coach Doug Mitchell’s team earned that trip to Riverside’s Cal Baptist University for the Southern Section Open title game against the Trailblazers by holding off host Etiwanda, 72-65, in a final-round, Pool A game.

[Click to continue reading]

  LAGUNA NIGUEL – Fifteen teams that were part of the third Classic at Damien Tournament in December play in CIF sectional championship semifinal games Saturday night.

 *In the L.A. City Open semifinals at Venice High, top seed Fairfax faces another Damien team, Washington Prep, while Damien participant Birmingham takes on No. 2 seed Westchester.

   *In the Southern Section’s Division 1 semifinals, Classic at Damien Platinum Bracket teams Chino Hills (at Windward) and Santa Margarita (at Harvard-Westlake).

   *CAD Gold Division champion Valencia travels to another Damien Gold Bracket participant, Rancho Cucamonga in a 2AA contest.

[Click to continue reading]

  LA VERNE – A Trinity League-ending loss at JSerra High eliminated the Santa Margarita High boys’ basketball team from any real hope of a fourth consecutive appearance in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff bracket.

   But, a little more than two weeks later, the Eagles find themselves just one victory away from a slot in the Feb. 23 Southern Section Division I championship game at Cal Baptist University in Riverside.

   Coach Jeff Reinert’s team advanced to a Saturday night division semifinal at Harvard-Westlake with its 83-64 victory over host Damien Thursday night.

[Click to continue reading]

  CORONA – The last of the CIF Southern Section Open Division’s Pool-Play competition is set for Friday night.

   And – and so far, at least – it would be difficult to argue with the success of the format in its first season.

   Not only do six of the eight teams remain in the battle for both spots in the Feb. 23 championship game but each of the first eight games have been every bit of “competitive”:

   *The average margin of victory was ever-so-slightly less than 8 points (7.8);

   *The most lopsided margin came in host and top-seed Rancho Christian’s 61-49 win against No.

[Click to continue reading]