It Could Be the Tigers’ Tale

Going from 0-10 to 10-0 is no easy task, but that’s a reasonable expectation for the San Fernando High boys’ basketball team.

Three seasons ago, Mick Cady took over the program, cleaned house and suffered through a winless Northwest Valley Conference season.

“I swear, if you had come into the gym that first year, you would have been hard pressed to find a player,” Cady said.

Times have changed. Walk into the San Fernando gym and there are too many good players. It’s a nice problem for Cady, who returns all the starters from a 13-13 team, plus a transfer student who could start for any team in the region.

“We’re very talented,” Cady said. “The only problem I see is, since these guys haven’t won a lot, they don’t know the type of situation where we walk into a gym and the other team is geared up for us. Can we get up to play every single game?”

Cady’s most important duty will be to make sure that highly touted junior transfer Devin Montgomery, a 6-foot-3 guard, fits in with his teammates.

Montgomery scored at will last season for tiny Ribet Academy. He’s quick to the basket, can jump and shoot from long range.

“He has to learn to play with other people,” Cady said. “That’s going to be his biggest challenge.”

Montgomery’s arrival at San Fernando wasn’t unexpected. Montgomery and eight other San Fernando players have been members of the successful Cavs club team based at San Fernando. His former club coach, Darryl McDonald, could be joining the Tigers as an assistant this week.

Montgomery lives in the Marshall High district in Silver Lake. He left Ribet last February, then requested an opportunity transfer from Marshall to San Fernando. The transfer was immediately granted “to accommodate a parent,” according to Marshall principal Tom Abraham.

Abraham said school officials were not aware of Montgomery’s basketball background or his ties to San Fernando players.

“We had no idea who this kid was,” Abraham said.

It won’t take long for the rest of the Valley to quickly learn about Montgomery, who showed during summer action that he can make the transition to a higher level of high school basketball.

San Fernando’s other top players are 6-7 Tyrone Purnell (15.6 points per game last season); 6-2 Luis De La Rosa (17.5); 5-9 Sean Atkins, the football team’s quarterback; 6-5 Mike Page; 6-3 Reggie Kinlaw and 5-7 Bryson Atkins.

During the summer, San Fernando gained attention by beating Santa Margarita, one of the top teams in Orange County. The Tigers still face a strong challenge from Birmingham for the North Valley League title, but Cady clearly has everything in place for the Tigers to make a serious bid for the City Section 3-A Division championship.

Cady coached seven years at Notre Dame High, where he won a Southern Section championship in 1993. Many of his friends were surprised when he decided to try teaching and coaching at a public school.

“I’m learning more about myself than I ever would have,” Cady said. “I learned about not assuming that your method of teaching is working. After winning at Notre Dame, I walked away thinking, ‘I could do this.’ Starting new, it was, ‘I don’t know if I can.’ ”

This season should reveal plenty about the Tigers’ improving basketball program.

Other Valley-region City teams to watch:

Cleveland: Second-year Coach Andre Chevalier is trying to restore the tradition and excellence of the Bobby Braswell era. If he keeps getting transfers the quality of Kent Dennis, it won’t be long before Cleveland returns as a 4-A power.

The 6-3 Dennis, a transfer from Bell-Jeff, should be an offensive force. The Cavaliers have lots of quickness with guard Kenny Mason and the Smith brothers, 6-4 Brian and 6-5 Simmagin. They are a solid favorite to win the West Valley League.

Birmingham: As good as 6-3 Emmanuel Evans looks carrying the football, he’s just as effective pulling down rebounds and scoring on short-range jumpers in basketball.

Coach Al Bennett calls senior Fahim Hassankhail “the best point guard in the Valley.” The Braves once again will be underestimated, but this is a team capable of surprising San Fernando in the North Valley.

Taft: Few teams have three players with the experience and talent of the Toreadors’ senior trio consisting of 6-6 Amir Bar-Nitzer, 6-3 Brandyn Fisher and 6-4 Harold Shevlin. But can they play as a team? That’s Coach Mark Drucker’s big challenge.

Sylmar: The Spartans won the Mid-Valley League title last season and return two top juniors in 6-5 Jeremiah Turner and 5-10 point guard Brandon Jacobs. They also have a new maple gym floor.

Poly: This is the season 6-3 senior Ellis Richardson starts to dominate. He averaged 18.3 points last season and continues to mature. Four of five Parrot starters return from a team that finished 18-8 last season.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

Top returning City Section boys’ basketball players in the region, with a comment from staff writer Eric Sondheimer.

Player, School: Gilbert Arenas, Grant

Ht.: 6-2 1/2

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Averaged 22.5 points as a sophomore

*

Player, School: Amir Bar-Nitzer, Taft

Ht.: 6-5

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Can be a dominant rebounder

*

Player, School: Kent Dennis, Cleveland

Ht.: 6-3

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Bell-Jeff transfer can do it all

*

Player, School: Emmanuel Evans, Birmingham

Ht.: 6-3

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Strong, versatile and can jump

*

Player, School: Devin Montgomery, San Fernando

Ht.: 6-3

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Possesses lots of scoring ability

*

Player, School: Leon Pimky, Granada Hills

Ht.: 6-3

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Aggressive, tough inside player

*

Player, School: Tyrone Purnell, San Fernando

Ht.: 6-7

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Can rebound, block shots

*

Player, School: Ellis Richardson, Poly

Ht.: 6-3

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Best player in Mid-Valley League

*

Player, School: Jeremiah Turner, Sylmar

Ht.: 6-5

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Averaged 11.2 rebounds as a sophomore

*

Player, School: Keron Wilkerson, No. Hollywood

Ht.: 6-4 1/2

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Averaged 20.3 points last season