Fremont, Crenshaw Play in City Final

Quiet confidence marked the Crenshaw and Fremont high school boys’ basketball teams as they prepared for today’s City Section Division 4-A final at the Sports Arena.

Before this week, Fremont had been anything but quiet. The Pathfinders have run, shot, strutted and talked en route to a 26-3 record, a No. 3 rating among Southland teams by The Times and the top-seeded spot in the playoffs.

Crenshaw hasn’t received much attention despite a 24-5 record, No. 7 rating and status as defending champion. The Cougars have played little brother to the highly regarded Pathfinders, who beat Crenshaw early in the season in the Riverside North tournament, 96-88.

Fremont draws strength from the statement that earlier victory makes, but Crenshaw likes the idea that a game two weeks into the season means little.

Today’s tip-off is at 3 p.m. and the game will be carried live on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s cable access channel. It will be preceded by the girls’ 4-A final between Palisades (19-7) and Washington (22-4).

Crenshaw Coach Willie West acknowledged that his team must stop Fremont’s talented backcourt of Donnie Wilcher and Eian Daniels.

Wilcher is the floor leader, and Daniels has peaked in the playoffs. He scored 18 points in a semifinal victory over Westchester.

Crenshaw, which defeated Fairfax in last year’s title game, relies on Alastair Faux for much of its offense. He has 61 points in the last two games.

“When you look at both teams, I think it is going to be close,” said Washington Coach Andy Ashby, whose team lost twice to Crenshaw and once to Fremont. “I would have to favor Crenshaw because they have been there before, and they know how to win.”

Meanwhile, the Southern Section will conduct 11 championship games today. Six boys’ games will be played at the Pond of Anaheim and five girls’ games at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

At the Pond, Long Beach Jordan (28-3) and Victor Valley (27-2) meet in the boys’ Division I-AA final at 6:15 p.m. Jordan, coming off an 83-65 victory over Fontana Tuesday, will be going for its third title in six years. Victor Valley, a surprise finalist, defeated Peninsula in the semifinals, 53-52.

Tournament Notes

The City Section 4-A championship games are being co-sponsored by the Clippers. Fans with tickets will also be admitted to tonight’s Clipper home game against Detroit.