NOTEBOOK : Crenshaw’s Davis Wants to Play Up-Tempo at Houston

Crenshaw High School’s Tommie Davis, considered one of the nation’s top 15 point guards, has made an oral commitment to play college basketball at the University of Houston for the 1994-95 season.

The 5-foot-9 senior averaged 18 points, six assists and three steals for Fremont last season. He transferred to Crenshaw this fall.

Davis also considered Boston College, Cal State Long Beach and Providence before making his decision.

“I wanted to be away from home, but not too far away,” Davis said. “The way Houston plays, my game will stand out. They play an up-tempo, open game.”

Davis also was attracted to Houston’s business school, which ranks among the top 15 in the nation. Davis has met NCAA eligibility requirements for scholarship athletes. He scored 860 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and has a 3.6 grade-point average.

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Five weeks into the football season, Cathedral High School finds itself in an unfamiliar position: The Phantoms are 3-1 overall and have the best record in the five-team Santa Fe League. No league games have been played yet.

After a 5-6 season last year, 2-3 in league play, Cathedral has already made significant improvements.

“The biggest difference between this year’s team and last year’s is experience,” first-year Coach Jerry Razo said. “We have 20 seniors on this team. They are very disciplined and are ready to provide leadership.”

Cathedral’s resurgence can be attributed to a solid running game. Running backs Omar Garnett and Travis Jackson have combined to give Cathedral the most potent one-two ground attack in the area. “They are both slashing runners that rotate in and out every play,” Razo said.

Before Friday’s game, Garnett, a junior, had rushed for 213 yards in 28 carries and two touchdowns, and Jackson, a sophomore, had gained 339 yards in 34 carries with four touchdowns.

Garnett and Jackson benefit from an offensive line made up of five senior starters who have been together for four years. Left tackle Albert Alvarado, left guard Steve Huerta, center Jaime Moran, right tackle Oscar Rodriguez and right guard Roger Lopez are responsible for the Phantom’s offensive success.

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Black Men Reaching Back Inc. has been providing mentors for disadvantaged young men in Los Angeles for more than two years. To further its cause, the group will hold its first Compton Par 3 Golf Classic, at the Compton Golf Course, 6400 E. Compton Blvd., on Oct. 30.

The 18-hole tournament will award trophies to first- and second-place men, women and children 8 to 14. Shotgun starts are at 7 and 11 a.m., and participants must check in 30 minutes before the start. A barbecue lunch and awards ceremony will follow the tournament, at about 2 p.m. Admission is $25.

The organization has coordinated activities with about 200 boys. Each member spends at least two hours per week with a boy, and the men speak at grade schools and take the boys on field trips. The youths are members of Teen Post on 41st and Main streets.

Information: Jerome Bradford, (213) 296-1229.