Edison nearly knocks off Los Al
With a week remaining in the regular season, the picture is becoming clearer as to how league championship races in local boys’ basketball are shaping up.
The week started with the Sunset and Golden West Leagues having one team each — Los Alamitos and Ocean View, positioned nicely in their respective title drives. As of Thursday, three league games remained in both races.
Edison High had the opportunity Friday to move into a share of the Sunset League lead when it hosted front-runner Los Alamitos. In a game that was tight throughout, Edison build an eight-point lead late in the third quarter, held a five-point edge heading into the fourth quarter, and the teams exchanged holding the lead in the final six minutes of the game. With 21 seconds to play, it was a three-point shot that danced around the rim and finally dropped through for Los Alamitos senior guard Pepe Garcia that spelled the difference and lifted the Griffins to a 56-54 victory.
Junior guard Randall Walker scored a team-high 19 points for Edison. Junior guard Nate Matthews hit four three-point shots and scored 16 points and sophomore guard David Atencio, who had a big third quarter, finished with 13 points. The trio combined for 48 of Edison’s 54 points.
Garcia and senior guard Eyassu Worku teamed to score 43 of Los Alamitos’ 56 points. Garcia, whose game-winning shot was his only three-pointer of the game, had 12 points, and UC Irvine commit Worku poured in a game-high 31 points.
The Griffins, the No. 9-ranked team in CIF-SS Division 1AA and owner of a two-game lead on the rest of their Sunset League brethren entering the week, improved to 6-0 in league and 19-3 overall.
The loss put Edison two games off pace of Los Alamitos. The Chargers, who lost (61-51) at Los Alamitos in a league opener Jan. 8, fell to 4-2 in league and 18-5 overall.
“We played hard and we played well, and I can’t fault the effort of my guys,” Edison Coach Rich Boyce said. “They gave a tremendous effort. But, there were little things here and there that we could have done better and had we, it could have been a different outcome.”
In a Sunset game Jan. 27, Edison outscored visiting Newport Harbor by 13 points in the third quarter and went on to record a 68-55 win over the Sailors. Matthews (three three-pointers) scored a game-high 20 points, Walker (two three-pointers) scored 17 points, and Atencio had 12 points.
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•Fountain Valley was locked in a low-scoring Sunset League affair Friday at Newport Harbor and fell to the Sailors, 38-36. Junior guard Sean Huynh scored 10 points for the Barons who fell to 1-5 in league and 15-8 overall.
Fountain Valley also was on the road Jan. 27 for a league game at Huntington Beach, and was defeated by the Oilers, 79-55. Junior guard Matt Serven hit four three-point shots and finished with 17 points.
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•Huntington Beach won twice in Sunset League play last week, both times on its home court.
On Friday, the Oilers won their second Water vs. Oil battle this season against rival Marina this time, taking a 61-50 victory. In a balanced attack, senior guards Nick Karidakis and Sean Strom paced the Oilers’ scoring with 19 and 18 points, respectively, and junior guard Alekos Mitchel contributed 12 points.
“We are happy with this win because we had contributions from everyone,” said Coach Billy Thompson whose Oilers rose to 10-12 overall and evened their league record at 3-3. “This is a rivalry game for us and so it means a lot to these seniors to be able to get a win at home against Marina.
“I have been happy with the way our guys have approached our last few games and hopefully we can keep it rolling.”
Karidakis again led the way with 20 points, Strom scored 10 and senior guard Josh Benitez had 11 points for Huntington in its 79-55 win Jan. 27 over Fountain Valley.
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•Marina dropped its sixth Sunset League game Friday when the Vikings fell at Huntington Beach, 61-50. Freshman forward Jakob Alamudun led the Vikings with 19 points and nine rebounds and senior forward Buzz Stafford had 11 points and seven rebounds.
Marina was within four points of the Oilers late in the game but turnovers prevented the Vikings from making a comeback.
The loss put the Vikings at 0-6 in league and 11-11 overall.
“They made big shots when they had to, and we didn’t,” Marina Coach Nick Racklin said. “Huntington Beach is definitely better than their record shows. They are a tough match up for anyone.”
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•Ocean View solidified its grip on first place and ran its winning streak to eight games by posting a pair of lopsided victories last week in Golden West League play.
The Seahawks hosted Segerstrom Friday and won for the 15th time in 16 games by disposing of the Jaguars, 78-44. Sophomore guard Paul Head nailed six of seven attempts from three-point range and topped the scoring with 26 points. Senior guard Zamir Kelly had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, sophomore guard Bryson Betti 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, senior forward Christian Anderson 10 points and four rebounds, and senior forward Andrew Reynolds six points and 10 rebounds.
The Seahawks, ranked No. 11 in CIF-SS Division 3A, entered the week leading the GWL at 6-0 and were 19-4 overall.
“We broke open the game in the second and third quarters by controlling the boards and shooting the ball extremely well,” Ocean View co-head Coach Roger Holmes said. “Paul [Head] made four threes in the third quarter in leading us to a 27-point quarter that they could not recover from.”
In a league contest Jan. 27, Ocean View jumped early on rival Westminster and ran away from the visiting Lions, 91-61. Betti canned six three-pointers and scored 22 points with five assists and seven steals. Anderson had 20 points and six rebounds, Kelly 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and senior forward Jordan Petty eight points and four rebounds.
Ocean View raced to a 23-4 lead after one quarter and built its lead to 50-21 at halftime.
The Seahawks had 20 assists on 26 baskets.
“We played great team basketball and dominated the boards on both ends,” Holmes said.
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•Brethren Christian went to Irvine Tuesday to take on Academy League-leader Crean Lutheran and lost to the Saints, 88-30. Junior guard Jake McKay scored eight points for the Warriors who dipped to 1-7 in league and 5-17 overall. The Saints, the No. 4 team in CIF-SS Division 4A, hit 12 three-point shots and had 32 offensive rebounds in running their records to 8-0 in league and 18-4 overall.
BC put four players in double-figures Saturday but dropped a 74-63 league game to visiting Downey Calvary Chapel. Junior guard Joey Gutierrez led the offense with 20 points. Junior guards Nate Sagastume and Gabe Reiser and sophomore guard Isaiah Vargas each had 10 points.
“Our offense played pretty well,” BC Coach Jon Bahnsen said. “We couldn’t get defensive stops when we needed them.”
Local teams were back in league action Wednesday but scores weren’t available at press time.
Brethren Christian returns to the court Thursday for an 8 p.m. home league game against Cerritos Whitney at Ocean View High.
Games on tap for 7 p.m. Friday include Huntington hosting Edison and Fountain Valley hosting Marina in the Sunset League, and Ocean View hosting Orange in the Golden West League. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brethren Christian plays an Academy League game at St. Margaret’s.
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CIF Weekly Rankings: Edison (No. 2, Division 2AA); Ocean View (No. 11, Division 3A).
