Foster Begins to Fill Out and Fill It Up for Campbell Hall

It’s no longer a question whether Jesse Foster of Campbell Hall is a good basketball player--he is.

Now the focus is on making him a complete player.

“Last year was all about motivation and trying to get him to understand his full potential and playing hard every play,” Coach Brian Haloossim said.

This season, the 6-foot-8 Foster is forcing people to notice his game more than his thin body.

Last week against Anaheim Canyon in Las Vegas, Foster did an impersonation of Bill Walton by making 14 consecutive shots en route to a 33-point performance.

Foster should dye his hair red, since he was on fire like Walton when the UCLA center made 21 of 22 shots in the 1973 NCAA championship game against Memphis State.

“I thought I missed a shot or two,” Foster said.

Haloossim said the Vikings’ statistician had Foster 14 for 14.

“He opened a lot of eyes in Vegas,” Haloossim said.

Foster is tougher, more aggressive and working harder on defense. His progress has been boosted in practice by playing against Cleveland Jackson, a Campbell Hall assistant who played at Georgia.

“He throws us around,” Foster said of Jackson. “He won’t back down. He pushes us out of bounds, he gives us elbows.”

At 170 pounds, Foster still could use a few more trips down the buffet line. But he has gained 15 pounds since last season, no small feat. He has tried practically every weight-gaining supplement on the market, from powder shakes to creatine.

As a senior, he’s a better rebounder and more effective post player but has retained the guard skills he displayed when he played at Birmingham as a sophomore and frequently launched three-pointers.

This season, he’s averaging 21 points, 7.5 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Campbell Hall (10-3) is a contender for the Southern Section Division V-AA championship. That is, if the Vikings can make the playoffs.

It’s tougher to win the Delphic League title than the Division V-AA title. Getting past Crossroads, Pacific Hills and Montclair Prep in league play will be a formidable challenge.

But the Vikings are going places. They’re doing surprisingly well despite the absence of freshman Derrick Williams--their version of Kobe Bryant--who hasn’t played because of academic ineligibility. If he returns in mid-January, watch out.

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It has been a busy off-season for Jeff Cirillo, former Providence High and USC third baseman.

On Oct. 29, his second son, Carson, was born. Then he was traded to the Colorado Rockies by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Cirillo, who has batted above .300 in three of his six major-league seasons, knows playing in hitter-friendly Coors Field could do wonders for his average.

“A lot of people are telling me my stats will go way up,” he said. “Getting to hit in Coors Field every day is going to be a thrill.”

The trade will move him closer to family. He lives in a suburb of Seattle but his parents still reside in the Valley. He’ll get to play more games in Los Angeles and San Diego, plus visit Seattle.

Here’s my prediction on the Cirillo trade: One day, maybe this season, he will be National League batting champion. . . .

Don’t underestimate the implications of Chaminade winning the Brea winter baseball tournament last week. The tournament was loaded with quality teams and players, giving the Eagles every right to think they can win the Mission League title.

Catcher Jonathan Higashi went 11 for 15, and infielder Ryan Soroka was eight for 16. Junior pitchers Jason Urquidez and T.J. Franco had 2-0 records.

Westlake received a boost in the tournament from sophomore pitcher Tyler Carr, younger brother of Tim Carr, a minor league pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. Carr had six strikeouts against Thousand Oaks.

Catcher Spencer Wyman of Camarillo went four for seven playing for a club team in the tournament. . . .

UCLA coaches were pleased with the fall performance of freshman pitcher Mike Kunes, two-time City player of the year from Chatsworth. “He had a good fall,” Coach Gary Adams said. “He got outs.”

Making UCLA’s team as walk-ons were Justin Wade, former Taft pitcher, and Edward Jung, former L.A. Baptist and Valley College catcher. . . .

Defensive lineman Travis Johnson of Notre Dame told PrepStar magazine his top college choices are Michigan and Florida State.

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Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com