Frank Burlison

REDONDO BEACH – The capper of Friday’s play in the Take Flight Challenge at Redondo Union High featured a dazzling individual performance to help get the 2020 portion of the season off to a rousing start.

With the announcement of the McDonald’s All-American team a little less than three weeks away, Josh Christopher’s on-court effort in Mayfair’s 73-65 win over Bishop Montgomery was compelling evidence as to why he should be one of the 24 players on the squad.

The 6-foot-4 Christopher spent nearly every moment with the ball in his hands going downhill – and, in modern hoops vernacular, that’s a heck of a good thing – at any and all Knights’ defenders who dared tried to cut off his path to the lane and rim while going for 44 points.

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St. Bernard, St. Francis and Westchester are among the high schools joining Redondo Union (Take Flight Challenge) and Bishop Montgomery (Winter Real Run Classic) playing host to “showcase” boys basketball events Saturday.

The Vikings (No. 15 in the latest BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25), who take on Long Beach Poly in the Take Flight Challenge Friday, play host to the South Bay Challenge and face King/Drew at 4:30.

No. 10 Windward wraps up the event against Hillcrest of Riverside.

At. St. Francis, the Golden Eagles are the home school for the New Year’s Shootout and cap the even with a game against Grant at 5:30.

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REDONDO BEACH – Eight teams in the current BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California Top 25 are among those participating during the Friday and Saturday Take Flight Challenge at Redondo Union High.

The event also features what could prove to be some terrific “individual” matchups, notably when Long Beach Poly faces No. 15 St. Bernard (7 p.m.), each of which features one of the better juniors anywhere in Peyton Watson (pictured) and Reese Dixon-Waters, respectively.

There are head-up clashes up ranked squads on Saturday, with No. 6 Etiwanda (third place in the Classic at Damien’s Platinum Division) facing No.

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TORRANCE – Saturday night games pitting Rancho Christian and Santa Clarita Christian, as well as Long Beach Poly and Mayfair, provide the high-profile matchups during the two-day, Winter Real Run Classic at Bishop Montgomery High.

Twelve games are scheduled, beginning with the 4 p.m. clash between Saugus and Santa Fe on Friday and wrapping up with the 9 o’clock showdown Saturday night between Rancho Christian (No. 1 in the latest BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California Top 25) and Santa Clarita Christian (No. 7), which won the Platinum and Gold championships, respectively, Monday night in the Classic at Damien.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Rancho Christian ended the 2019 portion of the Southern California 2019-20 high school hoops season with an overtime victory over Sierra Canyon Monday night in the Platinum Division of the fourth Classic at Damien Tournament.

The 85-81 decision, in front of an SRO-only gathering in Damien’s Athletic Center, also moved the Trailblazers atop the BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California (CIF Southern Section and L.A. City Section programs) Top 25, just ahead of the Trailblazers – who were ranked No. 6 (Ballislife) nationally and were unbeaten going into the showdown.

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