Frank Burlison

LONG BEACH – The championship game of the Challenge of Champions bracket may have been a tad anti-climatic Sunday afternoon at McBride High.

But, overall, the two-day, Ron Massey Memorial Hall Fall Hoops Classic was nothing short of entertaining and instructive for those looking for insight as to what the 2022-23 boys’ basketball season could entail.

Corona Centennial Coach Josh Giles’ team nearly was knocked off in a championship semifinal Sunday afternoon, when St. John Bosco sophomore forward Kade Bonam’s 16-footer rolled off the rim just before the buzzer to give the Huskies a 56-55 victory over the Braves.

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LONG BEACH – A significant percentage of the better high school teams and players for the upcoming season in Southern California – and beyond – were on hand during Saturday’s opening-day of the annual Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Classic at McBride High.

Four games in the eight-team “Challenge of Champions Bracket”, as well as 18 “showcase” contests made for quite the busy 13 and a half – give or take – hours of action spread over two courts.

Setting the stages for Sunday’s CCB championship semifinals were defending State Open Division champion Corona Centennial (71-64 over Santa Maria St.

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SAN DIEGO – The de facto CEO of San Diego basketball – Aaron Burgin (@fulltimehoops1) –  demonstrated why I’ve given him that tag Saturday at St. Augustine High.

The eighth Crème of the County (actually seventh since COVID-19 forced cancellation of the 2020 camp) proved another high-quality preview for San Diego high school hoops.

And I’m talking about an up-close look (over 11 games, beginning at about 8:45 a.m. and wrapping up nearly 12 hours later) at what should be the bulk of the best players and teams in the San Diego Section of the California Interscholastic Federation during the 2022-23 season.

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LONG BEACH, Ca. – It was pretty much “status quo” for the Midwest team in the third Pangos All-American Festival 4 (presented by Puma) Sunday afternoon at McBride High.

After polishing off the East by 23 points in a Saturday evening semifinal, the Midwest – led by event co-Most Outstanding Players Jeremy Fears and Flory Bidunga –cruised past the South, 120-99, in the championship game.

The South (which beat the West in the other semifinal Saturday, 126-116) trailed by 13 points at intermission in the finale.

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LONG BEACH, Ca. – The South team drilled 16 shots from behind the arc, and the Midwest team got a sizzling all-around effort from guard Jeremy Fears Saturday to set the stage for the championship round Sunday of the third Pangos All-American Festival 4 at McBride High.

The South and Midwest squads hook up in the title game that is set for 1 p.m.

It follows the West-East clash for third-place that is scheduled to tip at 11 a.m.

In the first of the semifinals Saturday evening, the South – trailing the West by a point at intermission – pulled away in the final 12 minutes for a 126-114 victory.

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