Notre Dame Is Emerging Team in Mission Race

After three consecutive seasons of failing to make the Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs, Notre Dame High (10-3) enters Mission League play Wednesday with the best nonleague record of the seven Mission teams.

It’s an indication the league race will be wide open.

“It’s same old dogfight, pit bull Mission League,” said Coach Rob DiMuro of Notre Dame.

Harvard-Westlake won three consecutive league titles during the reign of the Collins twins, then Chaminade took control when 6-foot-9 Scott Borchart arrived two years ago.

Chaminade (8-4) won four consecutive games to win the championship of its tournament last week, and the Eagles still rank as the league favorite. But no one would be surprised if the champion ended up with two or three losses.

Harvard-Westlake (9-4) has played the toughest nonleague schedule. Crespi (8-5) faces the most difficult opening-week challenge, playing at Harvard-Westlake on Wednesday and at Chaminade on Friday.

Notre Dame is 7-1 when Cody Pearson is in the lineup. Pearson, a junior guard who is averaging 23.9 points, missed five games because of a sprained ankle. The Knights also have been strengthened by the addition of 6-4, 275-pound football standout Travis Johnson, who didn’t play last season.