CITY BOYS 4-A : Capers Is Difference as Manual Arts Beats Crenshaw

Two years ago, Manual Arts senior guard Marcell Capers was not good enough to make Crenshaw High’s varsity basketball team. But Friday night, he helped end the Cougars’ two-year City championship reign.

Behind Capers’ 26 points, the Toilers won their first City 4-A Division title since 1981 as they defeated Crenshaw, 84-72, before 8,177 at the Sports Arena.

Six-foot-6 senior center William Celestine scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Toilers. He scored 20 of his points in the second half.

“We expected them to play us hard, Capers said. “So we came out and went right at them knowing that they would not back down..”

The first half was a defensive battle as both teams effectively took away the other’s strengths.

Manual Arts’ concern was to stop Crenshaw’s guards from penetrating and the Cougars’ goal was to prevent the Toilers from making easy baskets inside.

Manual Arts was more successful with its game plan as the Toilers shut down the Cougars’ high-scoring duo of Alex Scruggs, who made three of 18 shots, and Kevin Ollie, who made eight of 22.

In the first quarter, Manual Arts was able to make an 8-0 run and take a 16-8 lead. Junior guard Dwain Bradberry scored eight points in the quarter for Manual Arts.

However, Capers, scored 13 first half points as the Toilers took a 35-31 halftime lead.

In the second half, Celestine dominated as the Toilers pulled away from the defending state champions.

Manual Arts (25-3) gets an automatic berth in the State Regional Tournament, which begins Tuesday. Crenshaw (22-5) can only hope for an at-large bid.