Another Big Game for Rivals

Mission League girls’ basketball rivals Alemany High and Harvard-Westlake have followed almost parallel paths.

They have shared the last two league championships, split their last four league meetings and each won a Southern Section championship last season.

Harvard-Westlake is 66-17 since Brian Taylor took over as coach in 1996-97. Alemany is 61-17 under Coach Melissa Hearlihy during that same span.

Alemany, however, defeated the Wolverines, 50-45, in the Division III Southern Regional final last March to advance to its first state final.

“It’s becoming a good rivalry,” said Taylor, whose Wolverines (16-3) are ranked No. 4 in the region by The Times. “These are two very good teams.”

That rivalry resumes tonight at 7 when No. 10 Alemany (10-4) plays at Harvard-Westlake.

Junior guard Kate Beckler, at 22 points per game, is the only Indian player averaging more than 10 points. Senior forward Omelogo Udeze (19.8), junior guard Brooke Porter (12.3) and senior guard L’Tanya Robnett (10.0) lead Harvard-Westlake in scoring.

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Last week was a big one for first-year girls’ basketball coaches.

John D’Agostin of Burbank and Greg Adams of Saugus each won Foothill League openers Friday after taking over traditionally weak programs.

Burbank, 3-17 in league play the last two seasons, upset league favorite Canyon, 56-45, while Saugus, 1-19 over the same span, routed Burroughs, 61-40.

Under Ron Haywood, Highland had struggled to a 6-9 start, but opened Golden League play with a 51-49 victory over Littlerock to establish itself as the top challenger to four-time defending league champion Palmdale.

Lancaster Coach Jennifer Solee, an assistant at Palmdale from 1994-97, faced her former team Friday, but she wasn’t as fortunate as the other rookie coaches. Lancaster lost, 51-23.

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Despite losing to Burbank, Canyon figures to be the top threat to Hart’s 39-game league winning streak when the teams meet tonight at Hart.

Hart’s streak is the second-longest in the region. Buena entered the week with 59 consecutive Channel League victories. Crescenta Valley has won 33 consecutive Pacific League games.

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Funeral services were held Saturday for Valencia boys’ basketball team manager Sean Williams, who died in a Val Verde house fire.

The boys’ team is honoring Williams with black wrist bands.

Girls’ players last week wore Williams’ initials on the heels of their left shoes and a musical note on the heels of their right shoes. Williams was active in his church choir.

“Rather than dedicate a game or a season to him, we wanted to celebrate his life,” girls’ Coach Greg Hayes said. “Music was a big part of Sean’s life.”

BOYS’ NOTES

There was plenty of hooting and hollering in the Simi Valley locker room after the Pioneers’ 77-47 victory last week over Newbury Park, a team that swept them in Marmonte League play last year.

But Coach Dean Bradshaw and forward Branduinn Fullove said they didn’t feel like they’d broken any jinx against Newbury Park, which won five of six league games against Simi Valley in the previous three seasons.

“We look at it as one of 12 games,” Bradshaw said. “This is just one of 12 league games. We’re not caught up in what happened last year.”

Fullove echoed those sentiments.

“There’s nothing we can do about last year,” he said.

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Dave White will not officiate any more Alemany boys’ basketball games this season, said Ed Baker, who is in charge of assigning referees for games in the region.

White, who was allegedly punched by an Alemany player while officiating a game last summer, worked a Mission League game Friday in which host Harvard-Westlake beat Alemany, 89-80.

Several parents of Alemany players questioned White’s impartiality after he ejected Alemany forward Reggie Kinlaw for elbowing a Harvard-Westlake player less than two minutes into the game.

But Baker defended White, who called a technical foul on Harvard-Westlake for dunking during pregame warmups.

“He’s a very fair official and [the ejection is] probably just a matter of circumstance,” Baker said. “It’s a mutual agreement” that White won’t work any more Alemany games.

Alemany Athletic Director Dudley Rooney agreed the decision.

“I think it’s best for everybody if [White] does not do any more of our games,” Rooney said.

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Brian Ostro of Crescenta Valley is challenging the school’s 25-year-old season record for free-throw percentage.

Ostro, a senior guard, has made 67 of 79 free throws (85%) in 17 games. Mike Bastone made 53 of 61 (87%) in 1974.

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Crespi’s 11-3 start is the best since 1982, when the Celts went 20-3 and were led by point guard Chris Nikchevich.

Staff writers Vince Kowalick and John Ortega and correspondents Dave Desmond and Mike Bresnahan contributed to this notebook.