Shootout Provides Showcase for Top Guns

Too often, area high school basketball teams have had to travel great distances to play in quality early-season tournaments. But because of the recent school budget cutbacks, travel has become a major problem.

In the last four seasons, the Los Angeles Invitational Shootout has become the local tournament many area coaches are looking for, and this year 48 teams will compete during a three-week period.

Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan, whose Pathfinders were Southern California’s top team last season and traveled out of the area for three tournaments last season, is in this year’s L.A. Invitational.

“I think that it’s a good idea to have something local, instead of having L.A. teams go all the way out,” Sullivan said.

This year’s tournament is broken into three one-week, 16-team divisions. Last week, L.A. Washington defeated Wilmington Banning for its division championship.

This week’s division play will begin Wednesday with the two defending City champions, Fremont and Westchester, and Pasadena Muir the top attractions.

Muir did not play in last season’s tournament, but will be a co-host this week.

“The attractive factor is that we have good teams in the tournament that didn’t have to make that long drive,” Coach Rocky Moore said. “Right now, there is not much out there for City teams who want to play in a top-notch tournament close by. Having this tournament also gives a chance for local area fans to watch quality players and quality teams.”

Another appeal of the tournament is that many local powers get a chance to play against familiar teams in a neutral setting.

Last week, Fremont suffered its first loss to a Southern Section team in two years when Simi Valley won the championship game of the Simi Valley Tournament.

“The bad thing is that when L.A. teams do go out of the area, they don’t always get a fair shake,” said Sullivan, whose Pathfinders are 6-2 this season. “But those same people still want the L.A. teams playing to give their tournament a name.”

In the final week of the boys’ tournament, Manual Arts will highlight the 16-team division. Then beginning Dec. 30, 46 teams will open the girls’ Los Angeles Invitational tournament with L.A. Washington and Inglewood Morningside being the top seeds.

USC-bound Brandon Martin of L.A. Washington was voted most valuable player of last week’s division in the Los Angeles Invitational.

The former Reseda Cleveland swingman, who transferred to Washington last spring, has caught many inner-city opponents by surprise early in the season, but he is widely known now.

“Now, I’m seeing all kinds of different defenses,” Martin said. “The box-and-one, all kinds of things.”

Small wonder. In his first five games at Washington, Martin is averaging 34.8 points as the starting off-guard. The 6-3 senior scored 42 points against Manual Arts and 45 against Westchester in a span of two days. Both were career highs.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Martin, who averaged 25 points last season. “A lot of fun.”

Now that the football season is over, the question remains: Who is better, Dorsey, the City 4-A Division champion, or Santa Ana Mater Dei, the Southern Section champion?

Dorsey (11-1-1) beat Wilmington Banning for the City championship, 33-30. Mater Dei (13-1) won the Southern Section title by upsetting previously undefeated Rialto Eisenhower, 35-14.

If those teams would play, Dorsey would seem to have a slight edge.

One of the best ways to defeat a strong passing team like Mater Dei is to keep its offense off of the field. But Eisenhower decided to go with its seldom-used passing game instead of using standout tailback Omar Love, and that plan backfired.

On defense, Eisenhower had not seen a quality passer such as Mater Dei’s Billy Blanton, who picked apart its zone defense. L.A. Loyola, the only team that defeated Mater Dei this season, won by putting pressure on Blanton, which the Eagles did not do enough of.

Dorsey likes to play field position football and, with Sharmon Shah and Brian Benbow, the Dons probably would have been able to run against Mater Dei.

What would give Dorsey a clear advantage, though, would be the Dons’ passing game, with quarterback Damon Williams and receiver Antonio Carrion. They combined for three completions totaling 97 yards and a touchdown during the first half against Banning.

It probably would be a close game. But unfortunately, the public will never see it.

However, the City and Southern Section champions might meet next season, according to Hal Harkness, City athletic director.

Prep Notes

South Gate High will play host to the Yusuda High basketball team of Tokyo during a weeklong sports cultural exchange Jan. 4-11. Joining South Gate and Yusuda in the tournament will be Westchester, Carson and Fairfax.

Prep Football Polls

SOUTHERN SECTION FINAL

No. School Division Record 1.Mater Dei Div. I 13-1-0 2.Eisenhower Div. I 13-1-0 3.Valencia Div. VI 14-0-0 4.Loyola Div. I 9-3-0 5.Los Alamitos Div. III 12-2-0 6.Irvine Div. II 12-2-0 7.Long Beach Wilson Div. I 10-3-0 8.Esperanza Div. III 13-1-0 9.Corona Div. V 12-2-0 10.Fontana Div. VIII 10-2-0

CITY FINAL

No. School Division Record 1.Dorsey 4-A 11-1-1 2.Banning 4-A 12-2-0 3.Crenshaw 3-A 10-4-0 4.Kennedy 4-A 11-2-0 5.Carson 4-A 6-5-1 6.Sylmar 4-A 10-2-0 7.San Fernando 4-A 10-2-0 8.Chatsworth 3-A 9-5-0 9.San Pedro 3-A 8-5-0 10.Roosevelt 3-A 8-3-1