Price Tries to Move On Without Afflalo

The Los Angeles Price boys’ basketball team has not started the season the way its players thought it would when Arron Afflalo enrolled at the school in September. Two months later, Afflalo, who has signed with UCLA, transferred back to Compton Centennial, where he has helped the Apaches (12-2) have another fast start.

Both teams are scheduled to play in the California Hoop Challenge on Saturday at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Price (6-3) will take on Reseda Cleveland, ranked No. 14 in the Southland by The Times, in the first of five games at 1:30 p.m., and No. 5 Centennial will play No. 7 L.A. Crenshaw in the third game at 4:30 p.m.

Darren Morrison, a 6-2 senior guard for Price, sat in the stands Saturday at Pauley Pavilion after a 55-51 loss to Riverside King in the Pangos Dream Classic. He said Afflalo would have been a perfect addition for the Knights, who have struggled to score as they prepare for their fifth consecutive Division V state title run.

“When he was here, it was a lot easier for us. It gave us three scorers,” said Morrison, who, along with Schuyler McKay, is averaging about 15 points per game. Afflalo is averaging 21.7.

Other games scheduled for Saturday at Dominguez Hills are No. 24 Torrance Bishop Montgomery against Fresno Central at 3 p.m., No. 4 Compton Dominguez against No. 13 Long Beach Poly at 6 p.m., and No. 2 L.A. Fairfax against Oceanside El Camino at 7:30.

Fairfax is No. 3 in the state in the latest Cal Hi Sports’ rankings and El Camino is No. 4.

Dan Arritt

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Girls’ Basketball

When Kendra Calvin left Perris High for Moreno Valley Canyon Springs after four games, it appeared Perris would feel the loss.

Calvin, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, was the tallest player by five inches on a team that had only one senior; however, all but two girls returned to the Panthers from last season’s section runner-up in Division II-AA.

“We’re actually playing better now, but you always miss that size in the middle,” Coach Marvin Williams said.

After a 52-37 victory over No. 18 Temecula Valley on Wednesday, Perris is 9-5.

The Panthers lost to Alhambra Keppel, 47-45, in the Brea tournament in the first week of the season. In the last game of the Ayala tournament on Dec. 31, Perris beat Keppel, 61-60, behind Tay Hester’s 29 points.

“She and Brandie McCann had to step it up,” Williams said. Hester is averaging 22 points, and McCann 18.

“We didn’t see anything wrong, other than the fact [Calvin] wants to play for a better team,” said Williams, whose team lost to Canyon Springs, 61-40.

Calvin might be eligible to play for No. 17 Canyon Springs, where she will be the tallest player, before the playoffs in February. She registered Tuesday, and Coach Gail Hale anticipates Calvin’s family will be moved into their residence in the Canyon Springs’ attendance area within a month. That would mean Calvin could be available for the Division I-A playoffs.

“It will strengthen us in the post,” Hale said. “We won’t have to keep throwing Brandi [Jones-Fitzgerald] down there.”

Jones-Fitzgerald, a 5-11 wing/forward, is averaging 16.6 points.

Martin Henderson

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Football

Bob Ladouceur, 49, the coach at Concord De La Salle whose team has won a national-record 151 consecutive games, suffered a mild heart attack last week and underwent three hours of surgery to relieve clogged arteries. He was released from the hospital Saturday.

Eric Sondheimer

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Girls’ Volleyball

Mallorie Croal, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter for Santa Ana Mater Dei, has orally committed to Notre Dame. A Times’ All-Star selection, Croal is also the back-to-back player of the year in Southern Section Division II.

Also named the Serra League player of the year, she helped the Monarchs (35-4) win the Division II-A title and reach the state Division II final by leading her team in kills and digs.

Bob Rohwer

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Baseball

Trevor Plouffe, a senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher from Encino Crespi, was named the most valuable player of the So Cal Cup, a tournament featuring all-star teams from Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, held last weekend at Brea Olinda High.

Orange County finished with a 2-1 record, to win the round-robin tournament. Riverside also finished at 2-1, followed by Los Angeles and San Diego, each at 1-2.

The all-tournament team, which featured three players from each team:

Danny Grubb, junior, catcher, Orange Lutheran; Dale Solomon, junior, catcher, Moreno Valley Valley View; Allan Dykstra, junior, first base, Rancho Bernardo; Aljay David, senior, second base, Lakewood; Adam Ching, senior, second base, Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills; Danny Espinosa, junior, shortstop, Santa Ana Mater Dei; Jonathan Kuripla, junior, third base, Escondido; Mitch Einerston, senior, outfield, Rancho Buena Vista; Michael Gilmartin, junior, right-handed pitcher/infield, Crespi; Josh Romanski, junior, left-handed pitcher/outfield, Norco; Nicholas Drake, senior, right-handed pitcher, Valley View; Robert Dickmann, senior, left-handed pitcher, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

-- Bob Rohwer