Double Team Turns Tables on Sheahan, Taft

Taft High (9-3) played perhaps its best eight minutes of basketball all season in the first quarter of its game against Locke in the semifinal round of the Eagle Rock tournament Saturday.

Off-guard Casey Sheahan made four three-point baskets and had 16 points to lead the Toreadors to a 28-14 lead after one quarter.

“We figured that if we could get by their press in the first quarter that we’d be in real good shape,” Coach Jim Woodard said.

Yet the first quarter was hardly the shape of things to come. Taft scored just 22 points over the next three quarters and fell in overtime, 58-56.

Locke began double-teaming Sheahan, who finished with 24 points. Taft also soon found itself in foul trouble--at both ends.

In addition to picking up numerous fouls on the defensive end, Taft missed all five of its free throws in the game. Sheahan missed all four of his free throws.

“It was one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen,” Woodard said.

PAYING RESPECTS

An estimated group of 500 friends and relatives attended a memorial service in Reseda on Friday for Taft football Coach Larry Stewart, who died of an apparent heart attack Dec. 21.

Stewart, 43, was a history teacher and had coached in the Taft program for the past eight seasons. He graduated from Birmingham High in 1966. Eulogies were given by former Taft football Coach Tom Stevenson, Stewart’s close friend, and former Taft player John Thompson.

“I went through my share of Kleenex,” said Woodard, a member of the Taft history department. “It was very emotional.”

Woodard said that the chapel in which the service was held had seating for 150 people, but was filled to capacity 30 minutes before the service began. He said that many in attendance sat in the aisles and stood around the perimeter of the room. Many spilled into the parking lot.

“He was a popular guy,” Woodard said.

EIGHT DAYS A WEAK

Eight days passed between Crespi’s game with Harvard-Westlake on Dec. 17 and Santa Monica last Saturday. The Celts (5-5) entered the Santa Monica game on a four-game winning streak after three Crespi players scored 20 or more points in a 110-103 victory over Harvard.

Fresh legs and hot hands did not translate to an encore performance.

“We played like we were well-rested,” Coach Chris Nikchevich said. “In fact, we were so well-rested, we played like we were still asleep.”

Crespi was hammered, 66-43, and was held to a season-low seven points in the first quarter. The Celts, averaging 40 rebounds entering the game, were held to 19.

HART TOURNAMENT

Culver City’s 64-63 championship final victory over West Bakersfield on Monday brought to a close the 20th Hart tournament.

Hart finished third with a 72-40 victory over San Fernando. Saugus finished fifth with a 51-49 victory over Canyon.

Regional players selected to the all-tournament team were: Ali Peek of Hart, Javier Ramos of San Fernando, Josh Hinrichs of Saugus, Joe Ferguson of Canyon, Hai Tran of Glendale, Erick Stone of Palmdale and Dan Prince of Quartz Hill.

Shani Kennedy of Culver City was the tournament’s most valuable player.

Vince Kowalick and staff writer Steve Elling contributed to this notebook.