Empire League : El Dorado Wins Game, Share of Title and Coin Flip

The Kennedy High School basketball team clinched the Empire League championship two days ago--the first in the school’s 21-year history. But the Fighting Irish (12-2 in league, 19-5 overall) didn’t get much chance to savor the feeling alone.

Pretty soon they had company as El Dorado (12-2, 21-3) came to Kennedy Friday and won an 85-82 overtime game to earn the right to a co-championship.

Since the teams split their two meetings this season, the school principals tossed a coin following the game to determine who would be the league’s No. 1 seed to the Southern Section 3-A playoffs. Again, El Dorado won.

The Golden Hawks had one of the game’s widest leads at the end of the third quarter, 56-49. But Kennedy’s Walt Lauderdale scored 8 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help lift the Fighting Irish into a 74-72 lead with 12 seconds left in regulation.

That’s the identical score by which Kennedy beat El Dorado in their last meeting.

But the game went into overtime after El Dorado point guard Rob Ramos hit his only shot of the night with two seconds left, creating the 74-74 tie.

The Golden Hawks scored the first six points in overtime, four of which came from Jim Sammon, the game’s leading scorer with 27. El Dorado led 80-74 with 1:21 remaining in the extra period.

With a minute left, El Dorado slackened its pace. The Golden Hawks got two free throws from Sammon and one from Bart Hakeman, but in the meantime, Kennedy revived to make four unanswered shots from the field.

Darrin Queen hit a jumper, Derby Davidson made two layups, and Jeff Green scored underneath to bring Kennedy within a point, 83-82, with five seconds left.

Hakeman, the Golden Hawks’ top scorer all season with a 19.6 average, won the game on his fast break with three seconds left. After scoring just four points in the first half, a fine second half helped Hakeman finish with 17 points.

Green led Kennedy with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocked shots, while teammate Mike Faddoul contributed 11 assists. For El Dorado, Sammon was the top rebounder with 11, while Ramos added nine assists.

EL DORADO (85)--Mansfield 11, Sammon 27, Hakeman 17, Ramos 2, Cooke 6, Bailey 4, Dahman 2, Hanna 7, Walker 2, Kraph 7.

KENNEDY (82)--Bissell 11, Davidson 4, Faddoul 5, Galante 6, Lauderdale 22, Queen 10, Green 24.

El Dorado 18 19 19 18 11 -- 85

Kennedy 21 15 13 25 8 -- 82

In other Empire League action:

Los Alamitos 70, Loara 65--The host Griffins (8-6, 11-12) outscored the Saxons, 23-13, in the final quarter to rally for the victory.

Center Paul Crandall led Los Alamitos with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Guard J.T. Snow had 19 points and 8 assists. Damian Porreca led Loara (5-9, 9-13) with 16.

LOARA (65)--Shinoda 8, Parker 13, Stoim 2, Milo 2, West 6, Clester 4, Miller 14, Porreca 16.

LOS ALAMITOS (70)--Crandall 20, Irvin 12, Woods 10, Snow 19, Goodman 4, Smith 2, Bell 2, Grennon 1.

Loara 16 18 18 13 -- 65

Los Alamitos 20 9 18 23 -- 70

Katella 72, Pacifica 45--Bob Erbst led all scorers with 30 points and 11 rebounds to pace the host Knights (11-3, 19-4). Erbst made 11 of 15 shots from the field. Steven Bennett added 10 points and 8 assists for Katella, which finished third in the league race.

Dave Brodt led the Mariners with 12 points.

PACIFICA (45)--Hall 2, Shelton 9, Yano 3, Drowski 9, Brodt 12, Brown 3, Needle 2, Shumway 5.

KATELLA (72)--Erbst 30, Bennett 10, Yourstone 8, Linker 5, Donnelly 4, Baldwin 6, Harker 4, DeCevez 2, Enochs 2, Rangel 1.

Pacifica 12 12 13 8 -- 45

Katella 14 20 12 26 -- 72

Esperanza 66, Cypress 64--The Centurions finished their injury-plagued season tied for last with Pacifica.