Early Surge Enables Mid-Valley to Take Future Stars Championship

Mid-Valley built a 22-point lead after the first quarter and held on to defeat Southeast Los Angeles, 68-60, in the championship of the American Roundball Corp. Future Stars Showdown Saturday night at Cal State Northridge.

According to tournament rules, teams with 10 or more players must start five different players at the beginning of each of the first two quarters. Southeast Los Angeles Coach Wayne Merino chose to hold out Ed O’Bannon, an All-American from Artesia High, until the second quarter.

Spared of having the 6-foot-8 O’Bannon prowling the lane, Mid-Valley ran roughshod over Southeast L.A. early in the game. William Celestine of Manual Arts soared for 10 of his 18 points and hit a layup at the buzzer to give Mid-Valley a 24-2 lead.

“Obviously, we had a great start, but I knew they wouldn’t quit,” Mid-Valley Coach Brian Breslin said. “I told our kids we thought they played their stronger team in the second quarter and to make them play from behind.”

O’Bannon entered the game with intensity in his eyes, took two quick charges and brought Southeast L.A. slowly back into the game. O’Bannon scored 20 points and showed some of the best moves in the paint since Picasso’s Blue Period.

However, Jim Harrick and Lute Olson probably weren’t on hand to tell him about the outstanding fine arts programs at UCLA and Arizona. O’Bannon, who some consider the top high school player in the nation, made the all-tournament team but struggled with his outside shooting.

“I thought Joe Bertrand did a heck of a job on O’Bannon,” Breslin said. “We know you can’t stop O’Bannon, but we contained him, and I was pleased with that.”

Southeast Los Angeles cut the halftime deficit to 30-20 and closed the gap to 50-45 midway through the fourth quarter. Celestine then hit two dunks in a row, one on an alley-oop from Manual Arts teammate Marcel Capers and the other a one-handed tomahawk, to rebuild Mid-Valley’s lead.

The slick-handed Capers scored 11 points and won the tournament most valuable player award. Barnabas James of Verbum Dei supported him with 12 points. Dana Jones of North Hollywood scored four points.

Northern California beat Indianapolis, 98-77, in the consolation final. In semifinals Saturday, Southeast Los Angeles defeated Indianapolis, 91-54, behind O’Bannon’s 20 points and Mid-Valley beat Northern California, 66-62.

Brandon Bryce of Taft sat out the tournament with a broken left ankle and Rio Mesa’s Eric Thomas watched from the sidelines with an injured hand.