SD Prep Sports:

2006-07 Winter Sports
Metro Conference

Boys Basketball

Fourth-seeded Lancers fail to advance

By Scott Hopkins
Special to SDPrepSports.com
For the Hilltop Lancers boys basketball team, it has been, as the Beatles sang, “A Long and Winding Road.”

But the door this road has led to is one of disappointment. Lancer seniors have won three consecutive South Bay League titles only to find themselves locked out of CIF tournament play in the second round by teams that, on paper, seem less qualified.

From 2005 to the present, the Lancers, under coach Chuck Vallero, have posted 65 wins against only 12 defeats in regular season play (an .844 winning percentage). But, come playoff time, the squad has dropped its second-round game each season for a 3-3 mark. Hilltop has been eliminated from post-season play by Helix, Westview and now, in the Division II quarterfinals, by University City.

The Centurions, finishing only 5-5 in San Diego’s Western League behind Scripps Ranch and Mission Bay, administered a 59-45 thumping last Saturday night on the Lancers’ floor.

The locals were able to play their opponents evenly throughout the first half, which ended with the Lancers down by a 26-24 score. Spectators witnessed the Lancers block two shots in spectacular fashion. This and some deadly shooting ignited the home crowd and optimism ran high leading into the break.

The third quarter proved the Lancers’ undoing, however, as their shots couldn’t find the basket and University City (21-7) raced to a 16-point lead on the strength of a 21-7 run in the period.

During the final frame, the Lancers fought back to within seven points at 49-42, but that was the closest they were to come before the final buzzer signaled the end of not only a game, but for some, a high school career.

For several Hilltop athletes, the realization that their dream was gone showed itself in the form of red eyes, tears and faces buried in towels.

Some of the Lancers’ biggest scoring threats had off nights. Gabe Alcala, who averaged 19.3 points per game in leading the team to the South Bay League title, had eight in his final game. The 6-7 senior also led the team in rebounds with 227 and blocked 29 shots.

Junior Cody Reeves (10.4 points per game) had seven points in the finale. He totaled 57 steals and 73 assists for the season.
Interestingly, the Lancers only led the league in scoring and wins, with Southwest (6-4) and Mar Vista (5-5) leading in categories of three-point shooting, blocks, rebounds and steals.

For four of the Lancer seniors, their basketball skills have carried them on a very long road or, in this case, flight.
In April 2006, five current Lancer players made a historic goodwill trip to China with three now-graduated players. The trip included visits to Chinese schools, cultural sites and events and a lot of sightseeing.

And, there was also time scheduled for basketball. The three-city, two-week tour saw the Lancers play against a very physical Chinese college team and in two other games.

The brainchild of Vallero, the trip attracted much coverage in China. As a result, a Chinese teacher has spent the current school year at Hilltop teaching his native language and living with the Vallero family.

Current players who made the trip include Gabe Alcala and younger brother Mike, a junior, and seniors Brian Pike, Kendrick Alejandre and Edgar Solis.

Clearly, the Lancer program has much to be proud of and has provided memories to last a lifetime. But it’s also going to be hard remembering the “couldas” and “shouldas” that put a premature end to each of the last three seasons.

Notepad
Hilltop’s gymnasium proved a disappointing host venue for the CIF quarterfinal contest. Despite beautiful and colorful wall graphics, neither of the large, expensive scoreboards that hung on opposite ends of the gym were working. Instead, the score and time were kept on a tiny tabletop device that could not be seen by the visiting crowd.

In addition, an entire section of bleachers on the home side remained pushed against the wall, creating a large gap between Hilltop fans. A small piece of paper was taped to the unusable stands with a handwritten note directing that nobody attempt to pull them out for use.

Perhaps it was an omen of things to come for the home team.

CIF notepad
Both Mesa League champion Otay Ranch (19-8) and South Bay League champion Hilltop (20-7) both ended their respective seasons in last Saturday’s quarterfinals. Otay Ranch fell, 71-50, to top-seeded Helix in the Division I playoffs while Hilltop dropped a 59-45 decision to visiting University City in Division II action.

Otay Ranch, which captured this year’s Mesa League title with a 9-1 league record and dispatched Mission Hills in the opening round of this year’s Division I playoffs, took an early lead 14-6 on the Grossmont South League champion Highlanders.
However, the Scotties’ pressure eventually paid off, especially in shutting down the Mustangs’ main scoring threat, senior Domenic Cosentino, who entered the game averaging 19 points per game but was held to just eight points. Younger brother Anthony Cosentino led Otay Ranch with 17 points — three points over his season average.

The Highlanders took control of the game with a 40-22 scoring burst in the middle two quarters after storming back to take a 15-14 lead after the first quarter. Lawrence Hurdle paced Helix, which eliminated Chula Vista in the opening round on Feb. 21, with 20 points while Brandon Fountain added 13 points.

•Domenic Cosentino, a three-time First Team All-League selection and Mesa League Player of the Year, finished his three-year career with 1,153 total points. Anthony Cosentino, a junior and likewise First Team All-League selection, averaged 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game.

•RaNee Woods, a Second Team All-League pick, averaged six points, nine rebounds and four blocks per game. Robert Perry, another Second Team All-League pick, averaged eight points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

•Junior Richard Vitalich and seniors Josh Santos and Blair Bardell all made honorable mention in the Mesa League.

Otay Ranch Mustangs claim hoops title

Posted Feb. 22, 2007
The Otay Ranch High School boys basketball team captured the 2006-07 Mesa League championship title and earned a berth in this year’s San Diego Section playoffs.

Otay Ranch, keyed by the sibling tandem of Domenic and Anthony Cosentino, finished 9-1 in league play, 18-7 overall, to earn a home playoff game against Mission Hills on Wednesday, defeating the Grizzlies (22-7) by a 76-52 score.

The Mustangs ended regular season play with a dominating 75-42 victory against visiting Bonita Vista on Feb. 15 as Dominic Cosentino scored 24 points and Anthony Cosentino scored 15 points.

The Cosentino brothers keyed their team in Wednesday’s playoff game by combining for 48 points, with Domenic Cosentino registering a game-high 34 points and Anthony Cosentino contributing 14 points. RaNee Woods pulled down 11 rebounds and had six blocks while Anthony Cosentino had 10 rebounds and four blocks.

The victory advanced Otay Ranch to Saturday’s quarterfinal-round contest at No. 1 Helix (26-1). Tip-off is 7 p.m. The Scotties qualified after eliminating visiting Chula Vista, 74-31, on Wednesday.

Otay Ranch was among seven South County teams to earn post-season tournament invitations. Eastlake (8-2, 17-6) and Chula Vista (7-3, 15-10) joined the Mustangs in the Division I field while Hilltop (10-0, 19-6) received the No. 3 seed in the Division II field that also included South Bay League rivals Southwest (6-4, 13-14) and Mar Vista (5-5, 12-9). Marian Catholic (11-15) qualified for the Division IV playoffs.

Hilltop hosted Steele Canyon in Wednesday’s opener, winning 53-39, while Southwest traveled to University City (19-7) and Mar Vista drew a road assignment against second-seeded Serra (19-7). Southwest ended its season with a 57-45 loss while Mar Vista suffered an 88-55 setback.

Gabriel Alcala paced Hilltop in Wednesday’s playoff victory with 19 points, followed by teammate Kendrick Alejandre with 14 points, Chris Prather with nine points and Cody Reeves with eight points. Alcala also keyed the Lancers with 15 rebounds.
Hilltop advances to Saturday’s quarterfinals against visiting University City. Tip-off is 7 p.m.

Eastlake saw its season end with a 63-42 loss at Torrey Pines (22-7). Derek Jackson led the Titans, who trailed 17-5 after the opening quarter, with 13 points while Brent Boone and Kenny Bradford each scored 10 points.

Chula Vista received 12 points from Taylor Julio in its loss to Helix, which jumped out to an early 22-5 lead and expanded that lead to 39-13 at halftime.

Joining the Highlanders as top seeds this season are Scripps Ranch (20-6) in Division II, Crawford (19-6) in Division III, Francis Parker (24-2) in Division IV and Foothills Christian (21-5) in Division V.

Titans top Mustangs as rivaly heats up
Posted Feb. 8, 2007
Last Friday’s Mesa League boys basketball game between the host Eastlake Titans and visiting Otay Ranch Mustangs was as much about show as it was about showmanship. The antics of the Eastlake fanatics, otherwise known as the Titan Nation, were just as entertaining to watch as was the game played on the adjoining hardwood between newfound eastside rivals.

Eastlake, the defending Mesa League champion, defeated the aspiring Mesa League champion Mustangs, 62-54, in front of a large and festive crowd. The win kept alive the Titans’ hopes of a co-championship, though that feat will require some help from other league rivals.

Otay Ranch may not be unbeatable but the Mustangs proved last Friday that it will take some kind of effort to defeat them in the future.
Eastlake coach Alex Estrada called last Friday’s victory a significant one for a number of reasons.

“Our guys came to play tonight,” Estrada said. “We defended and we made the shots difficult for (Otay Ranch’s) Domenic (Cosentino). He killed us the first time.”

In the teams’ initial meeting Jan. 12 at Otay Ranch, 75-55 Mustang victory, the Cosentino siblings combined for 55 points — matching the entire team output by the Titans — with Domenic scoring 33 points and Anthony scoring 22 points.

In the rematch, Domenic Cosentino scored 14 points while Antony Cosentino had a team-leading 17 points.

Robert Perry, a Second Team All-South Bay League pick last season, was the third Mustang to score in double figures in the game with 11 points.

Domenic Cosentino entered the game averaging 18.4 points. A sign held aloft in the Mustangs’ fan section proclaimed his fame as the “Domo-nator.”

Estrada said the amount of defensive coverage he placed on him last Friday was out of total respect for his abilities.

Eastlake, which entered this week trailing Otay Ranch (5-1, 14-7) by one game in the league standings, led 24-22 at halftime. The teams were tied 38-all entering the final quarter.

However, with Kenny Bradford hitting clutch free throws in the waning minutes and 6-foot-4 junior Henry Simon creating a physical presence under the basket, the Titans (4-2, 15-6) proved unbeatable on this night.

With 1:15 left, the Titan Nation began to chant, “This game’s over!” With 53 seconds left and the host team leading 58-47, the “good-bye” song began to issue from said lips.

But the Mustangs, who were outscored 24-16 in the final quarter, weren’t ready to give up quite yet as the Domo-nator sank a trey with 25.5 seconds left on the clock to close the score to 59-52. It was his third three-point field goal of the contest.

Eastlake’s answer to Domenic Cosentino was Simon, who led all scorers in the game with 18 points.

“He’s a beast,” Estrada said of his player. “That’s what we had been lacking all season. We knew he was going to be a factor.”

Bracing the hosts in the scoring column were Stephen Caldwell (13 points), Bradford (11 points) and Josh Martinez and Derek Jackson each with seven points.
If the Titans are to continue their string of league titles, now numbering six consecutive, they will need help from Chula Vista, in particular. The Spartans relegated Eastlake to second place in the league standings with an inspired 54-50 victory at Eastlake on Jan. 26.

Chula Vista (4-2, 13-10) downed San Ysidro, 49-34, last Friday. The Spartans were scheduled to visit the Mustangs on Wednesday.
“Chula Vista came out and played inspired basketball and they beat us,” Estrada said.

The league champion receives automatic entry into the upcoming San Diego Section playoffs. Should Otay Ranch finish league play unbeaten, the Mustangs would be that team, with other rivals such as Eastlake, Chula Vista and Bonita Vista seeking at-large admission.

Not all may make it, according to Estrada.

“Division I is so balanced. There’s going to be some good teams left out,” the Eastlake coach said. “This (last Friday’s win) will look very good for us if we don’t get the automatic bid. It would be nice to get a home (playoff) game but I don’t know if that’s possible now.”

In other games last Friday:

Mesa League
Bonita Vista 56, Sweetwater 32
D.J. Shields pumped in 32 points and Nick Baltz added 11 points for the Barons (4-2, 10-11). Bonita Vista led 25-20 at halftime and won the second half with a 23-12 scoring edge. The Red Devils dropped to 0-6, 5-18.

South Bay League
Hilltop 82, Mar Vista 72
Gabriel Alcala had 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Lancers (15-6 overall) to their sixth consecutive South Bay League victory. Kendrick Alejandre had 20 points for Hilltop, which also received 11 points from Edgar Solis and eight points each from Chris Prather and Brian Pike. Four players scored in double digits for the Mariners (3-3, 10-7): Erik Martinez (17), J.J. Snarponis (16), Mike Davis (13) and Maurice Williams (10).

Southwest 64, Castle Park 48
Ricardo Nunez had 25 points and Fabian Varela had 15 points to key the visiting Raiders (4-2, 11-11). Darrell Cruz led the Trojans (0-6, 2-15) with 15 points.

Montgomery 61, Marian Catholic 47
Four Aztecs reached double figures in the scoring column: Mark Armitage (18), Eric Gabrielson, Chris Pizarro and Onil Vallecillo (10). R.J. Rowan led the visiting Crusaders with 15 points.

Spartans top Titans to mix up Mesa League title chase
Posted Jan. 31, 2007
Taylor Julio pumped in a game-high 20 points to lead visiting Chula Vista to a 54-50 triumph at defending Mesa League champion Eastlake last Friday. The win tightened up the league standings at the halfway point, leaving the victorious Spartans in a second-place tie with Eastlake and Bonita Vista behind loop leader Otay Ranch.

Chula Vista entered the week 3-2 in league play, 12-8 overall, while Eastlake was 3-2 in league play, 14-6 overall.
Otay Ranch (14-6 overall) led the six-team circuit with a 5-0 league record after topping Bonita Vista, 66-41, on Wednesday.

Eastlake hosts Otay Ranch on Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in a battle that could determine whether the Mustangs can claim sole possession of this year’s league title.

The Spartans defeated the Titans in whirlwind fashion, recovering from a 17-8 first-quarter deficit and 26-21 halftime deficit by outscoring the hosts 33-24 in the second half of play.

Eastlake still led 39-31 entering the final quarter before the visitors went on a scoring rampage to out-point the hosts 23-11 en route to claiming the come-from-behind victory.

Chula Vista received points from seven players in the victory.

Derek Jackson and Josh Martinez each paced Eastlake with 13 points while Kenny Bradford and Zander Epps each had nine points.

San Ysidro defeated Sweetwater, 51-44, in the only other league game last Friday. Jose Silva keyed the Cougars (1-4, 7-14) with 16 points while Terrell Lorick paced the Red Devils (0-5, 5-17) with 13 points.

Otay Ranch, which fell 70-64 to St. Bernard (Playa del Rey) in non-league play last Saturday, closed out first-round league play as three players hit in double digits against Bonita Vista (3-2, 9-11) on Wednesday. Brothers Domenic and Anthony Cosentino both scored 12 points while Blair Bardell had 10 points.

Ina 75-36 win against Sweetwater on Jan. 24, Otay Ranch received points from 10 players, keyed by 23 points from Domenic Cosentino and 15 points and 14 rebounds from Anthony Cosentino.

Eastlake defeated Bonita Vista, 69-40, in first-round play on Jan. 19 as Bradford scored 19 points, Jackson had 12 points and Martinez, with three treys, had 11 points.

Lancers end first half of league play in first place
Posted Jan. 31, 2007
Only two players scored in double figures for the Hilltop High School boys basketball team in its South Bay League showdown at Southwest last Friday, but figure this: the defending league champion Lancers found a way to pull out a 48-45 overtime victory to keep their three-year league unbeaten streak intact.

The OT win extended that streak to 25 games.

It came ever so close to being ended by the Raiders, who looked to give Hilltop a challenge in their move to the Metro Conference’s smaller enrollment circuit this season.

Southwest led 42-41 with time about to expire when Gabriel Alcala sank a free throw to send the game into overtime.
Given renewed life, Hilltop made the most of the extra period by outscoring the hosts 6-3 to claim the streak-extending victory.

Perhaps predictably, Lancers players were exuberant after the win that kept their team undefeated in league play at 5-0 and raised its record to 13-5 overall as the first round of league play came to a close.

If three-peat is a word, Hilltop players look to pursue its meaning in earnest this year.

Southwest, which fell to 3-2 in league play and 10-11 overall, looks to be relegated to playing a spoiler role from here on.
The Lancers, who received 10 points from Cody Reeves, led 17-10 after the opening quarter and 27-18 at halftime in a low-scoring battle laced heavily with defense. The Raiders bounced back into the game on the strength of a third-period run that saw them outscore the visitors 14-6 and enter the fourth quarter trailing just 33-32.

Seven players scored in the contest for Hilltop, with Michael Alcala (nine points), Chris Prather (five points), Brian Pike (five points), Kendrick Alejandre (four points) and Edgar Solis (four points) completing the double-digit scoring of Gabriel Alcala and Reeves.

Southwest’s Ruben Nunez led all scorers in the game with 22 points, followed on the scoreboard by teammate Fabian Varela with 13 points. Luis Torres added seven points for the Raiders, which also received five points from Norman Cox.

In other South Bay League games last Friday:

Montgomery 60, Castle Park 56
The Aztecs hiked their league record to 1-4 (2-17 overall) as Eric Gabrielson scored 19 points and Chris Pizarro added 10 points. Montgomery pulled away from an 11-11 first-quarter standoff by outscoring the host Trojans (0-5, 2-14) 18-11 in the second quarter. Jason Garber keyed Castle Park — and all scorers in the game — with 22 points.

Mar Vista 47, Marian Catholic 32
Mike Davis scored 13 points and J.J Snarponis added 10 points to lead the Mariners (3-2, 10-6) past the Crusaders (3-2, 10-11). Mar Vista, which bounded out to an early 11-6 lead, received points from eight players in the contest. Michael Fajardo and R.J. Rowan keyed Marian Catholic with seven points each.

Upcoming games
Friday, Feb. 2: San Ysidro at Chula Vista, Sweetwater at Bonita Vista, Otay Ranch at Eastlake, Mar Vista at Hilltop, Marian Catholic at Montgomery. All games 7 p.m. start.

Otay Ranch appears team to beat in Mesa League, Part II

Posted Jan. 25, 2007
Got basketball? Next question: got championship basketball?

If anyone was to make an educated guess as to which boys hoops team will be the proverbial “team to beat” in the Mesa League this season, they likely had to look no further than the Otay Ranch Mustangs — at least three games into the 2006-07 league campaign.

To say that the Mustangs have made an impression in their Mesa League debut is an understatement of the first order.
Not only did Otay Ranch come out victorious in each of its first three league games, but the Mustangs galloped past the competition, winning by scores of 20, 33 and 36 points.

Coach Howard Suda had to be wearing the most satisfied grin in the South Bay — after his players, of course.
Good job. But it isn’t finished, however.

The Mustangs made history on Jan. 12 when they defeated five-time defending league champion Eastlake, 75-55, after trailing 28-25 at halftime. The game not only served as the first Mesa League game for Otay Ranch, which was making the jump to the higher enrollment league after finishing runner-up in last season’s South Bay League standings, but also served notice that the Mustangs had arrived on the scene, period.

Ditto that for the sibling tandem of Domenic and Anthony Cosentino as the brothers combined to match the output of the entire Titan team: 55 points.

Eastlake, which dropped to 11-3 with the loss, was outgunned 50-27 in the second half as Domenic Cosentino finished the game with 33 points and younger brother Anthony tallied 22 points.

Otay Ranch received points from six other players in the victory pitting neighborhood rivals, though none reached double figures in the scoring column. Richard Vitalich had five points while Ra Nee Woods and Robert Perry each scored four points, Octavio Perralta had three points and Ace Lim and Joshua Santos each had two points.

The teams rematch Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Titans’ gym.

Otay Ranch proved that all-important victory against Eastlake was no fluke when the Mustangs ventured into the den of another longtime Mesa League power on Jan. 17 and came away with an equally impressive 88-55 victory against the Chula Vista Spartans. Team Cosentino scored 42 points in this outing, including 22 points by Domenic and 20 points by Anthony. The Mustangs led 44-24 at halftime an outscored the hosts 44-31 in the second half of play.

Two other Otay Ranch players reached double digits in scoring: Perry (16) and Blair Bardell (12). Domenic Cosentino had three treys in the game to match Chula Vista’s John Chavers.

The Mustangs collected their sixth consecutive victory on Jan. 19 with an 82-46 win at San Ysidro to improve to 12-5 on the season. Four players scored in double figures: Domenic Cosentino (26), Perry (13), Anthony Cosentino (12) and Vitalich (10). Otay Ranch led 31-10 at the end of the first quarter and outscored the Cougars 44-16 in the opening half in cruising to the victory.

The Mustangs also delivered a message to North County teams via a 43-41 non-league victory at Rancho Bernardo on Jan. 13.

Which, drum roll … brings us to the proverbial “second season” — also known as the San Diego Section playoffs.

Otay Ranch will be vying for a playoff berth among Division I schools that locally include Eastlake, Chula Vista, Sweetwater, San Ysidro and Bonita Vista. League champions receive automatic entry into the playoffs, thus highlighting second-round league play as the key to solidifying one’s post-season aspirations.

Eastlake advanced to last year’s Division I championship game. Both Otay Ranch and Eastlake entered mid-January ranked among the top nine Division I teams, topped by Helix.

South Bay League
Hilltop (11-5) and Southwest (10-9) each bounded out to a 3-0 league start as early season contenders. Hilltop bested Marian Catholic (54-45) and Montgomery (79-55) last week while Southwest topped Montgomery (51-35) and Mar Vista (61-35).

Boys Basketball
2006-07 Schedule
(All games 7 p.m. unless noted)
January
27: Otay Ranch vs. St. Bernard, 12:30 p.m.
31: Otay Ranch at Bonita Vista.
February
2: Otay Ranch at Eastlake.
7: Chula Vista at Otay Ranch.
9: San Ysidro at Otay Ranch.
13: Otay Ranch at Sweetwater.
15: Bonita Vista at Otay Ranch.

Otay Ranch appears team to beat in Mesa League, Part I
Posted Jan. 18, 2007
If the result of the Eastlake Titans boys basketball team’s encounter against Otay Ranch in last Friday’s esa League opener is any indicator, it appears the Titans will have their work cut out for them if they are to defend their string of six consecutive league titles.

Eastlake ventured into the Mustangs’ gym and came away 75-55 losers against an Otay Ranch team that was making its Mesa League debut. The Mustangs finished second in last year’s South Bay League standings with an 8-2 record and appear the early-season favorite in their jump to the Mesa League this season.

Four Titans scored in double figures in the game — Kenny Bradford (17 points), Brent Boone (12 points), Josh Martinez (12 points) and Derek Jackson (10 points) — but the visitors were overshadowed by the sibling tandem of Domenic and Anthony Cosentino that combined to score 55 points.

Team Cosentino played Eastlake’s entire team to a 55-55 standoff.

Early on, the Titans looked in shape to continue an impressive run that included eight wins in their last nine games.

Eastlake led 28-25 at halftime but was outgunned 50-27 in the second half as Domenic Cosentino finished the game with 33 points and younger brother Anthony tallied 22 points.

Otay Ranch received points from six other players in the victory pitting neighborhood rivals, though none reached double figures in the scoring column. Richard Vitalich had five points while Ra Nee Woods and Robert Perry each scored four points, Octavio Perralta had three points and Ace Lim and Joshua Santos each had two points.

The teams rematch Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Titans’ gym.

Up to Eastlake’s league opener, it had been a season of promise for a Titan squad that returned just one starter off last season’s San Diego Section Division I runner-up team.

The Titans ended the 2006 calendar year with a 10-2 record and began the 2007 calendar year with a 68-46 victory at Hilltop on Jan. 5 in a game pitting the teams with the top two records in the Metro Conference.

Eastlake dropped to 11-3 with the loss to Otay Ranch (10-5).

Prior to Eastlake’s meeting with Otay Ranch, the Mustangs had finished in fourth place in the Governor’s Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Prep Classic following its 57-55 loss to Thousand Oaks in the third-place game on Dec. 29. Dominic Cosentino led the Mustangs with 13 points while Anthony Cosentino had 12 points.

Both teams will compete for Division I playoff berths this season, thus placing a special emphasis on the squads’ second-round meeting.

Mesa League openers
•Taylor Julio had 21 points to lead Chula Vista (1-0, 10-6) to an 83-45 victory at San Ysidro last Friday. The Spartans led 20-12 after the opening quarter and won each ensuing quarter, leading 37-27 at halftime. Farid Gonzalez had 11 points for the victors, who also received nine points each from Raushike Michaels and Elbert Freeman and eight points each from Larry Jackson and Chris Galvan. Jose Silva (17) and Matt Lovelace (11) both scored in double figures for the Cougars (0-1, 6-11).

•Bonita Vista (1-0, 7-9) defeated host Sweetwater, 50-32, behind 16 points from D.J. Shields and 10 points from Nick Baltz. Angelito Kamatoy paced the Red Devils (0-1, 5-13) with eight points.

South Bay League openers
•Fabian Varela pumped in a game-high 26 points to lead host Southwest (1-0, 8-10) to a 65-52 win against Castle Park last Friday. Norman Cox added 16 points and Ricardo Nunez had 13 points for the Raiders, who built a 31-17 halftime edge. Jason Garber (12) and Darrell Cruz (10) both hit double figures in the scoring column for the Trojans (0-1, 2-10).

•Gabriel Alcala had 26 points and Cody Reeves had 16 points as Hilltop (1-0, 9-5) topped host Mar Vista, 58-53, in comeback fashion. Mar Vista led 17-11 after the opening quarter but the Lancers put on a 19-10 scoring burst in the second quarter to lead 30-27 at halftime. Hilltop won the second-half battle on the scoreboard 28-26. J.J. Snarponis keyed the Mariners (0-1, 6-5) with 23 points.

•Alex Cota scored 28 points to lead Marian Catholic (1-0, 8-8) to a 66-44 win against visiting Montgomery. The Crusaders took control of the game with a 35-18 second-half scoring surge. The Aztecs (0-1, 1-13) had two players each score 12 points: Eric Gabrielson and Chris Pizarro.

Eastlake bests Hilltop, 68-46, owns best record in Metro
Posted Jan. 11, 2007
Four Eastlake players scored in double figures as the Titans defeated host Hilltop, 68-46, last Friday (Jan. 5) in a non-league game pitting the teams with the top two records in the Metro Conference.

Kenny Bradford keyed Eastlake, which improved to 11-2, with 16 points while teammates Josh Martinez and Derek Jackson each scored 15 points. Brent Boone pumped in 11 points for the Titans, who took control of what had been a close game with an 18-6 surge in the final quarter.

The Titans, who led by a point, 18-17, at the end of the first quarter, held a 28-21 lead at halftime.

Gabriel Alcala led Hilltop (7-5) with 19 points. However, Cody Reeves was the only other Lancer to score in double figures, finishing the game with 11 points.

Eastlake received five points from Andrew Meisen, four points from Terrance Brown and two points from Dennis Clay.
Bradford and Martinez had hot shooting hands from the outside, with Bradford scoring 12 of his points on three-point field goals and Martinez nailing three treys for nine points.

Reeves was credited with two three-point field goals in the game played in front of a near-capacity crowd.

Christian Welch finished the contest with seven points for the Lancers, who trailed 50-40 entering the final quarter of play. Chris Prather had four points while Kevin Pike scored three points and Michael Alcala contributed two points for Hilltop.
In other non-league boys basketball games last Friday, Chula Vista defeated visiting Marian Catholic, 69-62, in double overtime, while Rancho Buena Vista topped visiting Southwest by a 63-42 score.

Miguel Monteon keyed the Spartans (9-7) with 22 points while John Chavers added 17 points, Larry Jackson scored nine points and Taylor Julio had eight points.

Nathan Baugh paced the Crusaders with 15 points while Deandre Henry had 14 points.

Chula Vista won despite trailing 20-12 after the first quarter and 33-19 at halftime. The Spartans rebounded by outscoring Marian Catholic 30-16 in the second half to force a 49-49 standoff at the end of regulation play. The teams each scored nine points for a 58-58 tie after the first overtime.

Chula Vista finally captured the victory with an 11-4 run in the second overtime.

Fabian Varela led Southwest (6-9) with 19 points but an 11-6 start hindered the Raiders against the Longhorns (11-4). RBV ended the game with an 18-8 surge in the final quarter.

In another non-league game last Friday, Bonita Vista defeated visiting Montgomery, 50-29, behind 15 points from D.J. Shields and eight points each from Mark Kiefer and Eric Czer.

Other scores (Jan. 5): Christian 71, San Ysidro 28; Central Union 59, Sweetwater 58; Christian Life Academy 47, Midway Baptist 35

Titans finish third at Spartan Classic

Posted Jan. 4, 2007
Kenny Bradford pumped in 24 points and Derek Jackson added 13 points to help lift Eastlake to a 62-59 overtime victory against Vista in the third-place game of the 18th annual Chula Vista Spartan Classic boys basketball tournament on Dec. 30.

The game between the two teams went back and forth throughout, with the defending Mesa League champion Titans (10-2) owning an 18-17 edge after the opening quarter and a 27-24 halftime lead. The Panthers (4-9) regrouped to trim Eastake’s advantage to one point, 40-39, entering the fourth quarter and forced overtime by outscoring the Titans 12-11 in that frame.
Eastlake captured the contest with an 11-8 scoring edge in the overtime period.

The Titans received points from six players in the game. Brent Boone had eight points while Stephen Caldwell and Josh Martinez each contributed seven points and Andrew Meisen added three points.

Bradford led all scorers in the game.

Cory Palmer and Quincy Palmer lead Vista with 17 points apiece. Palmer scored nine of his team co-leading points on three three-point field goals.

Eastlake finished 3-1 in the 16-team tournament. The Titans opened tourney play with a 52-41 victory against Fallbrook and then topped Grossmont, 66-55, to advance to the semifinals against Crawford and national prep scoring leader Tyrone Shelley.

Crawford turned back Eastlake, 75-63, behind 31 points and 12 rebounds from the 6-foot-7 Shelley, sending the Titans to the third-place game against Vista, which received a bye courtesy of tourney-host Chula Vista.

The Spartans had originally qualified for the third-place game after their 63-44 semifinal loss to Helix but elected instead to play Steele Canyon in a consolation game.

Helix, ranked sixth in the preseason among section teams, shocked No. 2-ranked Crawford, 77-64, in the championship game.

Steele Canyon scored a dramatic 59-57 win against Chula Vista in the preceding contest.

In other consolation games on Dec. 30, Fallbrook edged Southwest, 53-52, while Grossmont topped Bonita Vista, 55-46, Point Loma bounded past Castle Park, 77-36, and Ramona bounced Lloydminster by an 80-36 score.

Eastlake received 19 points from Jackson and 12 points from Boone in its win against Fallbrook while Bradford blistered the court with 28 points, firing in 12 points on four treys, and Boone added 13 points as the Titans advanced to the semifinals with the victory against Grossmont.

Chula Vista won its opening two tourney matchups, sending Marian Catholic to the consolation bracket with a 48-38 victory and upending Vista by a 58-43 score. John Chavers (14 points) and Ramiro Gonzalez (12 points) led the Spartans in the win against Marian Catholic while Chavers led all scorers with 27 points in the victory against Vista.

The Spartans, who held a 43-41 lead heading into the final quarter against Steele Canyon, fell behind the Cougars (4-8) in the waning minutes of the contest. Riley Balikian hit three crucial free throws and Jake Ransom provided the game-winning basket for Steele Canyon. However, the Spartans played for the last shot of the game, with the ball flipping in and then out of the hoop as the buzzer sounded.

Bonita Vista won its first game, defeating Metro rival Southwest, 66-42, behind 24 points from Mark Kiefer and 12 points from D.J. Shields.

The Barons then ran into the eventual tourney-champion Helix in the quarterfinals, dropping a 62-40 decision as Shields led the locals with 20 points.

Kiefer had 26 points and Shields tacked on 13 points in the final round consolation loss to Grossmont (7-4). Bonita Vista entered the 2007 calendar year with a 5-8 overall record.

After its opening round loss to Bonita Vista, Southwest (5-8) won two games to qualify for the consolation championship. The Raiders topped Point Loma, 64-57, as four players — Ricardo Nunez (21 points), Fabian Varela (15 points), Norman Cox (11 points) and Luis Torres (11 points) — scored in double digits and then edged Marian Catholic by a 58-41 score as Nunez poured in 20 points and Varela (15 points) and Cox (10 points) both hit double figures.

Fallbrook’s Corey Clark scored the game-winning free throw in the dying seconds to beat Southwest in the teams’ final tourney game. The Raiders had control of the scoreboard most of the game, leading through the opening three quarters — 15-3 (first quarter), 28-27 (halftime), 43-41 (third quarter). However, the Warriors (9-4) put on a spurt at the end, outscoring Southwest 12-9 in the pivotal final quarter. Marcus Bresnahan keyed Fallbrook with 17 points.

Varela keyed the Raiders with a game-high 19 points while Torres added 18 points.

In other consolation bracket games, Marian Catholic defeated Ramona, 80-73, while Mar Vista beat Lloydminster, 58-39. Marian Catholic and Mar Vista closed out tourney play on Dec. 30 with a head-to-head matchup won 56-52 by Marian Catholic.

Three Marian Catholic players — Jordan Hickman (22 points), Alex Cota (17 points) and Chris Williams (14 points) — all scored in double digits in the win against Ramona while Mar Vista received 10 points each from J.J. Snarponis and Erik Martinez in the victory against Lloydminster.

In the finale pitting South Bay League rivals, Marian Catholic bounded out to an early 11-6 lead and led 28-13 at halftime before Mar Vista won the second-half battle on the scoreboard 43-24. Snarponis keyed the Mariners (2-2 in the tournament, 4-4 overall) with 15 points while Martinez contributed 13 points and Mike Davis had 10 points. Cota and R.J. Rowan had 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the loss for the Crusaders (6-6).

Fantastic Friday
The best in the Mesa League versus the best in the South Bay League? That has yet to be settled but the two Metro Conference teams with the best records thus far will clash Friday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Hilltop High School.
Eastlake, which is coming off a third-place finish in the Chula Vista Spartan Classic, boasts an overall 10-2 record. Hilltop, which ended the 2006 calendar year with a 56-41 non-league victory against West Hills to finish third in the Aztec Holiday Tournament at Montgomery High School, is 7-4.

Gabriel Alcala paced the Lancers with 19 points in the tourney win against the Wolf Pack while Chris Prather had 13 points and Cody Reeves added 10 points. Alcala earned selection to the all-tournament team.

Eastlake tips off Mesa League play Jan. 12 at Otay Ranch in what could be a matchup of the league’s top two teams.
Otay Ranch finished in fourth place in the Governor’s Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Prep Classic following its 57-55 loss to Thousand Oaks in the third-place game on Dec. 29. Dominic Cosentino led the Mustangs (6-5) with 13 points while A. Cosentino had 12 points.

Otay Ranch was scheduled to host Cathedral Catholic on Jan. 4.

Aztec Holiday Basketball Tournament
Boys Division
Championship: Mission Hills 76, El Centro Southwest 53
Third place: Hilltop 56, West Hills 41

All-tournament team: Mark Dixon (Oceanside), Adam Duran (Brawley), Eric Gabrielson (Montgomery), Gabriel Alcala (Hilltop), Peter Gilson (West Hills), Josh Holmes (El Centro Southwest), Jensen Moore (Mission Hills), Jorge Vasquez (Mission Hills). Most Valuable Player: Taylor Darby (Mission Hills).

Jackson standing tall for young Titans

Posted Dec. 14, 2006
At the onset of the season, Eastlake High boys basketball coach Alex Estrada said his team would be anchored around senior Derek Jackson — the lone starter off last year’s San Diego Section Division I runner-up squad. So far, Estrada’s prediction has not proven wrong as the six-foot-five forward has keyed the Titans in scoring during the early stages of the 2006-07 season.

Jackson scored a game-high 22 points to lead Eastlake to a 46-45 victory against Westview in the opener of the Ramona-Eastlake tournament on Nov. 29. He followed with a team-high 15 points in a 64-61 win against Cathedral Catholic on Dec. 1.

Jackson had a game co-leading 17 points in a 66-62 loss to Carlsbad on Dec. 7. The Titans tipped off the game with a 19-13 first quarter lead and owned a 45-43 advantage heading into the final quarter before the Lancers stole the win by outscoring the hosts 23-17. Four Titans finished in double digit scoring. Brent Boone had 14 points while Josh Martinez had 12 points and Kenny Bradford had 10 points.

“We’ve got a young team. It’s all about growing,” said the multi-talented Jackson, who has been offered a music scholarship to Point Loma Nazarene University. “There are a lot of expectations, especially after last year.”

Eastlake finished 23-7 in 2005-06 with a finals loss to the Chase Budinger-led La Costa Canyon Mavericks.

The Titans closed out the Ramona-Eastlake tournament play with a 76-33 victory against Metro Conference rival Montgomery on Dec. 9. Eastlake, which built a 21-5 lead after the first quarter, received points from 13 players in the contest. Jackson contributed four points in spot duty.

That’s a sign of growing.

Notepad
Rancho Bernardo, keyed by tournament Most Valuable Player Carl Hauke, captured the tournament title with a 74-68 victory against Escondido.

Eastlake is off until Dec. 20 when it tips off play in the Hawaii Palama Settlement tournament. The Titans will also compete in the Chula Vista Spartan Classic Dec. 27-30.

Mesa League play starts Jan. 12.

Chula Vista Spartans feel best is yet to come

By Ryan Rudnansky
Sports intern
Posted Dec. 12, 2006
The Chula Vista High School boys basketball team lost by the same amount of points against Torrey Pines High last Friday (Dec. 8) as it did two days before.

Coming off a 69-55 loss Dec. 6, the Spartans were defeated once again by the Falcons, 67-53, at the Hilltop tournament.
However, the margin of loss is where the similarities between both games ended.

Chula Vista was leading 23-20 at halftime in last Friday’s game and, until the end of the third quarter, was neck and neck with Torrey Pines.

“These kids played hard,” Spartan head coach Girad Galvan said. “That’s all I gotta say. Last game we didn’t play hard and they buried us. I thought we scared them a little bit.”

But, eventually, things unraveled.

“We came out (of halftime) with a lot of emotion,” Galvan said. “We turned the ball over and we had some people taking some unforced shots. That kind of hurt us. We got going in the fourth quarter, but that third quarter killed us.”

With about three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Falcons started breaking away, and Galvan was forced to take a timeout with the Spartans trailing 34-29.

By the end of the quarter, Chula Vista was down 43-33. By the end of the game, the Spartans found themselves at a 14-point disadvantage.

After giving up only 20 points in the first half, Chula Vista surrendered 47 to Torrey Pines in the second half.
“We just got tired,” Galvan said. “We played with a lot of energy in what we were doing and our defense basically broke down.”

Another reason for the collapse was Falcon senior guard Jeff Serven.

Torrey Pines’ star, junior guard James Rahon, had 29 points. That was expected. But Serven had 21 points and two three-pointers.

Galvan, who focused mainly on Rahon, did not see that coming.

“I thought (Serven) hit some key shots that we weren’t expecting,” Galvan said. “He stepped up and made the shots. We knew he was a shooter, we knew what he could do, but we had to pick our poison between the two of them.”

However, despite the loss, Galvan was happy with his team’s performance and progress.

“We played these guys (Wednesday) and they knocked us out of the water,” Galvan said. “We didn’t have a chance against them. But we pulled ourselves off the deck after getting dominated. We seem to be coming around and hopefully we’ll be there when it counts.”

Defending South Bay League champs have hill to climb

By Ryan Rudnansky
Sports intern
Posted Dec. 12, 2006
As of Dec. 7, the Hilltop High boys basketball team was 2-2.But the Lancers’ play that night against Rancho Buena Vista at the Hilltop tournament was anything but average.

“It was our worst game of the year,” said Hilltop High head coach Chuck Vallero, whose team fell 58-36. “We didn’t rebound. We just couldn’t get in the flow of the game. And that was basically it.”

The Longhorns out-rebounded Hilltop38-21.

But that wasn’t the end of the Lancers’ woes.

They consistently dribbled the ball into Rancho Buena Vista’s hands, committing 12 turnovers in the game.

At the end, it was the Longhorns beating the Lancers in the Hilltop tourney for the second straight year.

“We try to tell them if it isn’t there offensively that they need to pick it up defensively,” Vallero said. “We were most concerned about their shooter, (guard Greg) Grimm. We were trying to go after him and contain him and we were trying to make the other four guys beat us. And they did. What can we say?”

Grim news early in the season for Hilltop. Fortunately for the Lancers, the season is still young.

“We just need to regroup,” Vallero said. “We’ve won this tournament the last two years and I think the guys were maybe looking ahead a little bit. We have a lot of games left. This is a little setback, but we’ll be OK.”

To be OK, Vallero is counting on center Gabriel Alcala and guard Cody Reeves to lead the team throughout the season.
And point guard Edgar Solis is going to have to fill some big shoes after their top player, Gabe Wessel, departed for Cuyameca College.

“It’s just hard to replace a point (guard),” Vallero said. “But the guy we have in there, Edgar Solis, he’s doing a good job.”
The other starters include forwards Nick Prather and Mike Alcala.

But after the loss to RBV, Hilltop has a steep slope to climb.

When asked what he felt the Lancers did well against the Longhorns, Vallero replied, “I can’t think of anything.”

Notepad
Helix topped RBV, 61-60, to capture this year’s tournament title.

Hilltop closed out tourney play 3-2 following its 49-40 victory against Monte Vista as Gabriel Alcala racked up a game-high 12 points

Titans seek new talent in new title quest
Posted Nov. 30, 2006
If the Eastlake High School boys basketball team hopes to return to Jenny Craig Pavilion with a berth in the San Diego Section championship game and strive to capture its seventh consecutive league title, the Titans have to do it with a new group of players, according to head coach Alex Estrada.

After graduating four senior starters from last year’s Division I runner-up team, Eastlake is faced tipping off the 2006-07 season with just one lone starting returner: 6-5 senior forward Derek Jackson.

A 2005-06 Second Team All-Mesa League selection, Jackson is poised to take over as the Titans leader — and expected to carry the load, according to Estrada.

“Jackson has the ability to be the best all-around Titan to ever suit up for Eastlake,” said Estrada, whose team won a 46-45 thriller from Westview Wednesday to open play in the Eastlake Tip-Off Classic as Jackson netted 22 points.

Other Titans Estrada will be counting on to step up will be 6-0 junior shooting guard Kenneth Bradford, 6-5 senior shooting guard Josh Martinez, 5-8 junior point guard Jordan Koopman, junior forward Marco Carr and senior forward Brent Boone.
All five are returners from last year’s squad.

Eastlake will head to Hawaii for its annual Christmas trip. The Titans have make traveling a tradition over the holidays, having previously taken trips to Florida in 2000 and 2004, Washington D.C. in 2003, Alaska in 2005 and Hawaii 2002 and 2006. The Titans will take in the sights, beaches and visit historic Pearl Harbor, Estrada said.

The Eastlake Tip-Off Classic continues with games Friday, Dec. 1, as Cathedral Catholic visits the Titans’ gym, followed by a game Monday, Dec. 4, at Valley Center and a home game Thursday, Dec. 7, against Carlsbad.

Playoffs begin Friday, Dec. 8, and culminate Saturday, Dec. 9, with the junior varsity championship game at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity championship game at 7 p.m.