Quarterback Says Decision to Attend UNLV Is a Sure Bet

Banning High quarterback Vaimagalo Faavi-Tua’au signed a letter of intent last week to play football at Nevada Las Vegas.

Faavi-Tua’au, who completed 52 of 109 passes for 758 yards, said UCLA and San Diego State expressed interest but wanted him to become a defensive back. He wants to play quarterback.

“(At Banning) I wasn’t in the right kind of offense to show my skills,” he said.

Faavi-Tua’au was also impressed with UNLV’s business school and the possibility of working in the community when he graduates from college.

“They have a very good business program,” he said. “I’m sure I will make a lot of connections there.”

Carson linebacker James Pepe, The Times’ South Bay lineman of the year, signed with Oregon.

“I just loved it there,” Pepe said. “The people were very nice. The coaches were nice. The football program was struggling a little this year, but they have a good program.”

Two Hawthorne players changed college choices recently. Tevita Moala, The Times’ South Bay back of the year, decided Wednesday to sign with Brigham Young instead of Kansas. Offensive lineman Mostafa Sobhi signed with Washington after indicating in the fall that he preferred California.

For Moala, a fullback and linebacker at Hawthorne, a heart-to-heart talk with his father, Talite, helped him decide to attend BYU.

“We just had a good talk,” Moala said. “My dad just reassured me. He told me he wanted me to go to BYU, but he did not want to force me or have me feel uncomfortable.”

Moala, who will play safety at BYU, will leave the school after one year to go on a two-year Mormon mission before returning to finish his education.

Sobhi made a commitment to Washington after he visited Seattle and fell in love with the area.

“It’s just a great area,” Sobhi said. “The people are nicer, the area is a lot cleaner. You can walk around Washington at 3 a.m. and not have to worry if someone is following behind you.”

Sobhi said Washington Coach Don James reassured him that the school was not going to be investigated over alleged violations.

“All the Washington players were positive,” Sobhi said. “It seemed like the players at other schools were too interested in partying, but Washington was well-balanced.”

Other area players who signed this week included San Pedro defensive back Bryant Thomas (Arizona State), Morningside defensive lineman Demetrius Hamilton (Utah State), Carson offensive lineman Mataniu Salima (Army), and Redondo running back-kicker Scott Moore (Utah State).

Things are starting to come together for the Peninsula girls’ basketball team after it was plagued by injuries.

Coach Wendell Yoshida’s squad started 4-6, but the defending State Division I and mythical national champions have won 10 of their last 11 games, including an upset of visiting Long Beach Millikan, 55-47, Friday night. The Lady Panthers improved to 14-7.

Point guard Jill Kennedy recently returned to the Peninsula lineup after being sidelined because of a stress fracture in her leg. Forward Joanna Whitley is also playing again after having arthroscopic knee surgery Dec. 26.

Junior forward Mimi McKinney, who has been bothered by a foot injury all season, led the Lady Panthers against Millikan with 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

“Our kids felt it was an upset,” Yoshida said of the nonleague victory. “They were real pleased and happy. I don’t know if we had been healthy all year if I would have called it an upset.”

Peninsula leads the Bay League with a 6-0 record with two games remaining. The Lady Panthers defeated Hawthorne, 75-9, Wednesday in their last league game.

Although his team is not ranked in the Division I top 10 poll, Yoshida feels Peninsula is capable of making an impact in the playoffs.

“I’d hate to be the ranked or seeded team that draws unranked Peninsula,” Yoshida said. “With our players back, we are a little different than when some people saw us.”

Peninsula will tune up for the postseason next weekend when it plays host to an unofficial East-West Shootout involving the No. 1-ranked girls’ team in the country, Christ the King of Queens, N.Y.

On Friday, Peninsula concludes league play against Leuzinger at 4:30 p.m., North Torrance meets Harrison, N.J., at 6, and Christ the King plays Sacramento Del Campo at 7:30.

Saturday, Harrison will play Bishop Montgomery at 6 p.m., with Peninsula meeting Christ the King at 7:30. Peninsula defeated Christ the King last season in the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York.

“It will be nice for people in the South Bay to get a chance to see the No. 1 team in the country,” Yoshida said. “If we stay within 20 points, I will consider it a victory.”

The Bishop Montgomery boys’ basketball team avenged an earlier loss and clinched at least a tie for the Mission League championship Friday night by defeating host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 61-59, in overtime.

Bishop Montgomery (18-2, 11-1 in league play) leads Notre Dame and Loyola (both 10-3 in league play) by two games with two games remaining.

Notre Dame defeated Bishop Montgomery, 72-57, on Jan. 13, with Indiana-bound forward Monte Marcaccini leading Notre Dame with 22 points with 10 rebounds.

Notre Dame led Friday’s game by 13 points in the second quarter and had a 47-39 lead after three quarters, but a 22-12 fourth quarter by Bishop Montgomery sent the game to overtime.

Forward Jason Allred made a three-point shot with 14 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Bishop Montgomery.

Three area boys’ teams clinched league basketball titles this week.

Inglewood won the Bay League title with a 67-42 victory over Hawthorne on Friday, Morningside clinched the Ocean League title with a 79-70 win over Beverly Hills on Tuesday, and Serra won the Camino Real League title with a 92-59 victory over St. Monica on Friday.

All three teams are unbeaten in their respective leagues.