Boys’ basketball: Size doesn’t necessarily matter with Crespi

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With no one taller than 6-3 in its starting lineup, Encino Crespi (22-8) keeps marching through the Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs and has reached the semifinals. The Celts will face host Gardena Serra on Friday night at Serra.

‘Size is not as important when you have an elite point guard and you have guys who buy in with what we ask them to do,’ Coach Russell White said.

With Virginia-bound point guard London Perrantes, the Celts keep winning close games. Their 70-67 quarterfinal win over Price was another example of how valuable it is to have good guards late in a game. During the Mission League, Crespi had a four-point win over St. Francis, a three-point win over Alemany, a two-point win over Loyola, a three-point win over Harvard-Westlake.

‘We win a lot of close games and that speaks to our guys and their mentality,’ White said.

On Tuesday, freshman guard Max Heidegger, who will take over for Perrantes next season, scored 32 points, including 23 in the first half when Perrantes picked up three fouls.

‘He definitely made a statement who’s going to be our leader the next three years,’ White said.

Crespi will face a severe challenge against a Serra team that has lots of size. Then, it could get even harder if the Celts win and have to face unbeaten Bishop Montgomery in the final. But Crespi has been surprising opponents all season.

-- Eric Sondheimer