Ellis Sets Pace for Monte Vista

Of the 48 league championship banners on display in the Granite Hills High School gymnasium--the oldest dating to 1960 when the school opened--none of them are for boys’ basketball.

On Tuesday, hoping to change that, the Eagles instead took one more giant pratfall, probably ruining any chance of hanging their first banner and putting an end to 32 years of frustration.

Monte Vista, with visions of redecorating its own gym at season’s end, outscored Granite Hills in every quarter and won this latest and perhaps last Grossmont 3-A League showdown, 86-64, in front of 1,000 fans and those 48 banners.

With the victory, coming off a 66-53 loss to Helix on Friday, third-ranked Monte Vista remained alone in first at 5-1 (20-2 overall) with two games remaining. Granite Hills fell to 3-3 (12-8 overall).

“You couldn’t hide the significance of this game and what (a victory) would have meant here at Granite Hills,” Eagles Coach Lon Underwood said.

Unfortunately for Granite Hills, it couldn’t hide the ball from Marty Ellis, Aaron Elliott, Matt Ehlke or Paul Watson.

Ellis scored at least seven points in every quarter and finished with a career-high 31, many coming as a result of his 11 rebounds. Elliott added 20 points and 12 rebounds, Ehlke 12 points and 11 rebounds and Watson 10 points and seven steals.

Neither team scored in the first 1:20, but after only a few more minutes, Monte Vista had a comfortable lead and maintained it from there. Using a 12-0 run, the Monarchs went up 14-4, increased that to 19-7 near the end of the first quarter and 33-18 near the end of the second.

In the second half, Monte Vista scored 53 points to reach its second-highest output of the season.

Still, with Granite Hills providing a relentless counterattack, the Monarchs left feeling they had been in a street fight.

“It’s tough playing them,” Ehlke said. “They’re very physical. It was goofy. I felt weird the whole game. We tried, but it’s hard to calm down when they’re coming at you like that.”

Said Underwood: “Our kids didn’t quit, but you have to give credit to (Monte Vista Coach) Zack Peck and his kids. They’re a great club.”

Granite Hills was missing Tony Addeo, who did not play because of a sore knee. Troy Meier, scoreless in the first half, led the Eagles with 17 points before fouling out with 3:33 left.