Lewis making an impact for Simi Valley basketball

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Simi Valley has to be considered one of the bigger surprises on the Southern California basketball landscape this season. And Brad Lewis has been one of the bigger contributors for the Pioneers, who opened plenty of eyes last week by nearly knocking off Compton Dominguez in the title game of the Torrey Pines tournament.

Lewis transferred from crosstown-rival Royal a season ago and was a mainstay on the Simi Valley junior varsity team because of transfer rules, despite having the potential to make an impact at the next level. The junior guard is making the most of his opportunity this season, playing alongside Lorne Jackson and Mike Meza, shooting 52% from the field and averaging 19.4 points a game.

‘Having Brad in the lineup adds another dimension to our offense. It’s like we have a three-headed monster out there on the court,’’ Coach Christian Aurand said. ‘Brad is a scorer. He wants the ball. He has zero fear. He’s very talented, extremely versatile, the kind of kid that gets better with every game.’’

The Pioneers, as a whole, seem to get better with each game too. Can’t imagine opposing teams in the Marmonte League not noticing the improvement. It appears as if Simi Valley was deserving of its No. 21 preseason ranking in The Times, and Lewis is largely, though not solely, responsible for the Pioneers’ unexpectedly good start.

-- Sean Ceglinsky