HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL : Bishop O’Dowd Beats El Camino Out of the Blocks to Win

El Camino High has won three consecutive football titles.

The boys’ basketball team is amid an impressive run with two consecutive championship appearances and one title.

And Thursday morning, the two sports came together to prevent El Camino from suffering an embarrassing first-round loss in the Above the Rim Hoopwear Classic.

They still lost to Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, 72-63, it just wasn’t embarrassing.

It could have been really bad for top-ranked team in San Diego County. At halftime, the Wildcats trailed by 22.

But El Camino (5-2) showed it belonged, pulling to within six points with 3:59 left in the third period against the state’s 13th-ranked team (7-0).

Because they played on El Camino’s football team, Trey Crayton (five points) was playing in his first game, and Mike Booker (11 points) and Bryant Westbrook (13) were playing in their third.

“I’m happy with the way we played (in the second half),” El Camino Coach Ray Johnson said. “We’re going to have to play ourselves into basketball shape.”

After a lethargic effort in the first half, trailing 51-29, El Camino turned offensive--as in football--in the second.

“I questioned their manhood,” Johnson quipped. “They were highly upset.”

Actually, Johnson said it was Westbrook who said a few choice things to his teammates. And when they stepped onto the court for the second half, El Camino lined up in a three-point stance and scored 16 straight points. Westbrook scored five, Crayton four and Chris Dade six of his team-high 18.

They did it with a physical performance that had everything but shoulder pads.

“They figured out (the officials) would let us lay,”Johnson said.”Some of those guys might be in the NFL. If they let us butt heads, we’ll be all right.”

“We’re going to be good once we play together,” Westbrook said. “We’ve only had three or four practices together.”

Bishop O’Dowd Coach Mike Phelps blamed officials for the comeback, saying they “made up their mind to not call another foul on a San Diego team.” El Camino committed 13 fouls in the first half, six in the second, and the Dragons committed three in the first, 10 in the second.

Jon Ahern led Bishop O’Dowd with 30 points, 20 in the first half.