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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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LA VERNE, Ca. – It was the finale of the fourth Classic at Damien Tournament Monday night in the school’s Athletic Center, played in front of a crowd that was strictly SRO-mode by late afternoon, nearly two games before the Platinum Division title clash between defending champion Rancho Christian and Sierra Canyon, which was unbeaten and ranked No. 6 nationally.

And the Eagles and Trailblazers delivered on the pre-tip off hyperbole and expectation, giving the crowd 36 minutes of on-court action that was classic, indeed.

In a confrontation that produced a wealth of content for social media videographers who seemingly chronicled every on-court moment in real time, Coach Ray Barefield’s Rancho Christian team needed a four-minute overtime – and nails efforts by each of his starters and his only reserve that played, Jayce Catchings – to hand Sierra Canyon its first loss after 14 wins, 85-81.

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