Fremont No Longer Can Catch Foes by Surprise

After winning its first City basketball championship in 12 years last season, the Fremont High boys’ basketball team has a new role.

No longer can the Pathfinders sneak up and surprise perennial powers.

“Throughout last season we felt that we did not get the respect we thought we deserved,” said Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan, whose Pathfinders defeated Los Angeles High, 65-48, for the City 3-A Division title last March.

After opening this season with a 10-1 record and winning its bracket of a tournament last Friday, Fremont has become the team to beat.

“This is definitely a new role for us,” Sullivan said. “It is a good feeling knowing that teams now respect us as a top team.”

This season, Fremont has defeated several top teams: Compton Dominguez, Westchester and San Francisco Riordan. The Pathfinders only loss came against Alameda St. Joseph in the Amador Valley tournament in Pleasanton.

In winning its section of the Los Angeles tournament, the Pathfinders defeated a strong Carson for the second time this season, to reach the overall tournament final against Manual Arts, which won its bracket two weeks ago.

Their showdown will take place at the Forum Jan. 3 before the Lakers’ game with the Denver Nuggets. The game originally was scheduled for tonight, which conflicted with a Florida Tournament for Manual Arts.

Last season, Manual Arts defeated the Pathfinders on a last-second shot, 65-64, in overtime in the State Division I Southern Regional semifinals.

“It should definitely be a good game,” Sullivan said. “Both teams are one of the top three or four teams in the city.”

Last season, Fremont was led by seniors Tyrone Phillips and Maurice McKinzy and a core of underclassmen. This season, the Pathfinders are young again, with only three seniors on the team.

Leading the way for Fremont, which will compete in the Artesia tournament this week, is 6-foot-2 junior Chris Ford.

“There is nothing Ford can’t do because he is just a great athlete,” Sullivan said. “He can go inside and dunk and then go outside and hit three-pointers.”

In the backcourt Sullivan starts seniors Lionel Pandy, who at 6-2 has emerged as one of city’s top players, and 6-1 Alrick Gillette, who plays the point position with 5-8 junior Robert Moore backing him up.

Inside, the Pathfinders have received strong play from two surprise underclassmen.

Michael Tate is a 6-5 junior center/forward who was voted most valuable player of the Los Angeles tournament. Sullivan says that Tate has filled Phillips’ spot nicely.

“Tate is not the shooter that Phillips was, but he is a stronger rebounder,” Sullivan said. “Over the summer he really developed into an outstanding player. He brings his lunch pail and hard-hat when he comes to play whether it is a game or practice.” At power forward, the Pathfinders’ start 6-3 sophomore Lamont Conway, who is counted upon for his defense.

“Conway does all of our dirty work in guarding our opponent’s best scorer, whether it is a point guard or a power forward,” Sullivan said.

Key reserves are Antione Dent and Curtis Presley, who along with Moore, provide great depth for the Pathfinders.

“We play an up-tempo type of game where we need to have 10 or 11 guys ready to play,” Sullivan said. “This also helps makes the team closer as a group because everyone knows that they will play.”

In girls’ basketball, Brea-Olinda, the defending state Division III champion, played the role of giant-killer in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last week, defeating Inglewood Morningside, the top-rated team in the Southern Section, and Washington, the top team in the city.

Brea, whose tallest player is 6-0, was led by point guard Aimee McDaniel.

Morningside’s 6-5 All-American center, Lisa Leslie, the winner of this year’s Dial Award as the top female student-athlete in the nation, was voted tournament MVP.

In its game with Brea, Morningside, the defending State Division I champions, played without 6-4 forward Janet Davis, who suffered an ankle injury in the Monarchs’ quarterfinal victory over Oakland of Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Washington, which is led by center Charisse Sampson and cousins Detra Lockhart and Remitha Houston, is now 0-2 in tournament finals this season, having lost to Morningside in the Monarchs’ tournament two weeks ago.

The Lady Generals, who won the City 4-A Division title last season, will compete in the third L.A. Invitational this week, along with defending champion Crenshaw.

The 32-team tournament will be played in Burbank at Woodbury University and Bellarmine Jefferson High. The final will be played Saturday at Woodbury.