Chaminade Grows in Stature

Scott Borchart of Chaminade High is barely 15. He’s too young to shave but old enough to play basketball like no other freshman in the region.

With the top-seeded Eagles facing one of their toughest tests of the season, the 6-foot-7 Borchart responded with a performance that would have left college coaches shaking their heads in awe.

He scored 21 points, making 9 of 10 free throws and all six of his shots, pulled down 13 rebounds and took his customary one charging foul as Chaminade (25-1) routed Centennial, 69-39, in a Southern Section Division III-A quarterfinal playoff game Tuesday night at Dominguez High.

This was no playoff patsy. Centennial (19-9) owned victories over San Fernando, Morningside and Crossroads this season. But Eagle Coach Jeff Young had the Apaches well scouted and used a 2-3 zone defense to neutralize their quickness.

Chaminade outscored Centennial, 33-10, in the second and third quarters. With 6:39 left in the game, the Apaches trailed, 51-20. They were dominated on the boards.

Their typical offensive series was take an outside shot, rebound Borchart. Take an outside shot, rebound Justin Stewart. Take an outside shot, rebound Scott Long. Stewart finished with 14 rebounds and Long added 10 rebounds and 11 points.

“We really outrebounded them pretty bad,” Young said.

“Our zone was working great,” Borchart said.

Centennial failed to score in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the third quarter after falling behind, 38-26, at halftime. The Apaches’ top player, guard Arturo Jones, was scoreless until making a free throw with 6:30 left.

Eight of Borchart’s points came directly after offensive rebounds. It was his 26th game of the season, but he had the kind of spring in his legs as if it were his first.

“I just knew I had to come out and rebound,” he said. “My legs felt great. I knew how much this game meant.”

In earning a Friday semifinal game against Santa Paula or Cabrillo, the Eagles played hard throughout and left it up to Borchart to inflict the main damage inside.

How someone so young can handle the pressure of playoff competition so well makes Young smile.

“I’ll tell you what--that kid is already mature and he has three more years of high school,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who he plays against--he’s unfazed.”

Borchart wasn’t worried about playing some 50 miles away from home. He had played at Dominguez before as a youth player.

“I’m just going to come out and play my game,” Borchart said. “I’m not intimidated. I’m just so used to playing against tough guys.”

The best part of the game for Young is the knowledge that his players have raised their level of play after each playoff game, a crucial factor if they expect to end up at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim a week from Saturday.

Afterward, Borchart had an ice pack on his left shoulder after hitting it on the backboard. One of his ribs was also hurting following a collision in the first quarter. He looked like a football player after a physical game.

“I’ll stick to basketball,” he said.