Cook Saves the Day for Chaminade

With its 10-point halftime lead having disappeared and the chance to win a second consecutive Southern Section title slipping away, Chaminade High turned to senior point guard Cayce Cook for a boost of energy and hustle Saturday.

“I saw an opportunity and took it,” Cook said. “Somebody had to step up.”

Cook took control of the ball and the game in the fourth quarter to help Chaminade (24-4) defeat Corona del Mar, 45-40, in the Division III-A championship game at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

“Down the stretch, I’d rather have this kid than anyone else,” Coach Jeff Young of Chaminade said while putting his arm around Cook. “He’s just a warrior.”

Chaminade led, 30-20, at halftime, then made only two of 10 shots in the third quarter and fell behind, 36-35, with 6:54 to play during an 11-0 surge by Corona del Mar.

Cook used his three years of varsity experience to pick up the Eagles. He became relentless on defense, deflecting passes, diving for loose balls and sending a message to his teammates to pick up their intensity. His steal and subsequent three-point play with 4:32 remaining gave Chaminade a 40-36 lead.

Not long afterward, he brought down a row of seats after leaping out of bounds to knock the ball off a Corona del Mar player.

The Sea Kings were scoreless for six minutes of the fourth quarter until Kevin Hansen made a basket with 54 seconds remaining. By then, Chaminade was ahead, 44-38, and ready to launch its victory celebration.

Cook finished with 13 points, as did 6-foot-9 center Scott Borchart. Hansen scored 18 points for Corona del Mar, which made three of 16 shots in the fourth quarter. The Sea Kings missed all 12 of their three-point shots in the game.

“We had a hard time putting the ball into the hole and their depth was a factor,” said Coach Paul Orris of Corona del Mar.

Chaminade scored only 15 points in the second half, but its tenacious man-to-man defense left the Sea Kings frustrated and tired.

“We kind of ran out of gas at the end,” Hansen said.

It was the fifth consecutive year and sixth time in seven seasons a Mission League team won the Division III-A title

From the first game, Chaminade was heavily favored to defend its title, but the road to Anaheim had plenty of bumps.

The Eagles lost early-season games to Chatsworth and Rialto Eisenhower. Borchart struggled to get back into shape after undergoing off-season knee surgery. Then the Eagles were upset by Crespi in their Mission opener, prompting some to question if they had enough outside shooting to beat quality teams.

Borchart got stronger, Ryan Arceo and Clarence Mitchell started scoring from outside, Chris Canoles emerged as a defensive stopper and Darren Tarlow became a rebounder. But through it all, Cook was the player everyone relied on when the going got tough.

“He picked us up and led us to the championship,” Borchart said.

In three seasons, Chaminade is 72-14 with Cook at point guard. He is averaging only nine points this season and had to deal with the realization that college scouts might not be offering him a scholarship.

“I’d rather win than make myself look good,” Cook said. “I give up that stuff so we can have moments like this.”

Young won’t forget what Cook has meant to the Eagles.

“Cayce just played awesome,” he said. “He’s really going to surprise some [college team] if he walks on or somebody takes a chance on him. He has the intangibles you want in a point guard. In the three years he’s been at our school, the record is phenomenal.”