Boys’ Basketball Preview: City trio wants to surpass last season’s success
Talk centered around league championships, postseason berths and continued success for the city of La Cañada Flintridge’s three boys’ basketball teams as the start of the season nears.
La Cañada High, St. Francis and Flintridge Prep have high aspirations to surpass last season’s results.
For La Cañada, it will be challenging to top a 2016-17 campaign in which the team finished 26-5, won a fourth straight Rio Hondo League title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs.
La Cañada also extended its league winning streak to 22 games.
The Spartans graduated Sean Estes, the All-Area Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year, and All-Area first-team pick Justin Kouyoumdjian.
The league co-most valuable players combined to average 38 points per game last season.
“We have some talent this year, but the defense isn’t there yet,” venerable La Cañada coach Tom Hofman said. “It’s critical, very critical that we improve on defense. We’re definitely not where we want to be, but we can improve.”
If there’s good news for Hofman, he does welcome back a few valuable returners, led by senior Patric Panoosi.
The league first-team forward averaged 13 points and a team-leading seven rebounds.
Hofman will also lean on junior forward Ryan Graves, a league second-team choice who averaged nine points and four rebounds per contest.
Other returners to watch for are league honorable mention and senior guard Brendan Co, senior forward Jivan Shirvanian and senior guard Kristan Cotangco. Freshman Ryan Grande also looks to take on a big role for the Spartans.
“We don’t have a lot of size, but I like that we work hard,” Hofman said. “We have a lot of young kids and we’ll see what this team does.”
St. Francis enjoyed a season of progress in year No. 2 under coach Todd Wolfson as the Golden Knights doubled their win total and finished with a 14-13 record, while the team was sixth in the ultra-competitive Mission League.
“We’re looking to make a bigger push this season,” Wolfson said. “I was thinking four years, it would take four years to turn things around at St. Francis. If we can do things the way I’m hoping, hopefully three years, which is this year.”
In the fluid world of high school basketball transfers, the Golden Knights finished even-par, having lost two athletes, while gaining two back.
Wolfson welcomes Village Christian junior transfer Javon Jones and Chaminade junior Dennis Flowers III into the mix.
Jones is a 6-foot-3 guard who has earned some Division I interest, according to Wolfson, while Flowers shined in fall ball action.
The duo joins a returning crew with strong returners in sophomore guard Andre Henry (9.8 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals per game), junior forward Matthew Molina and senior guard Lucas Shin (6.2 points a game).
The squad will try to collectively replace senior guard Joey Walsh, an All-Area first-team and All-Mission League second-team selection who averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and two assists a game.
“We’re not the type of team that’s going to turn it around with eight transfers,” Wolfson said. “We’re going to have to do it building up our freshmen and [junior varsity] guys. We’re getting there.”
Like La Cañada and St. Francis, Flintridge Prep has to overcome the loss of a big player.
The Rebels graduated All-CIF Division IV-AA, All-Prep League and All-Area first-team pick Jake Althouse, a senior forward who averaged 17.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Last season, Flintridge Prep finished 12-9 and 6-2 in the Prep League for second behind archrival Pasadena Poly, while advancing to the second round of the Division IV-AA playoffs.
“[Our] goal [is] to win the Prep League title and compete in CIF,” Flintridge Prep coach Garrett Ohara said. “We expect to get better throughout the year, especially with so many new to varsity.
“We created a difficult preseason schedule, so losses will come early, but we’ll need to focus on what we can gain by playing tough competition prior to league and CIF.”
Ohara has three key returners in senior forwards Jonathan Au and Majeed Ismail and senior guard Jonathan Le.
As for bumping off Poly and recapturing the league crown, Ohara has a plan.
“I’d like our team to win each home league game and win three or four on the road,” Ohara said. “This team has that capability.”
Twitter: @campadresports
