Centennial’s Thompson Thrives on the Big Stage

Teenagers considered good three-point shooters in a regular gym can suddenly become abysmal in a 15,000-seat arena because of nerves or the unfamiliar background.

Tyre Thompson of Compton Centennial has already passed the arena test as a 15-year-old sophomore.

He made five three-point shots and scored 35 points two weeks ago at the Arrowhead Pond. He made five three-point shots last weekend at the Sports Arena.

On Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento, he’ll be going for a three-point three-peat in the state Division III boys’ basketball championship game against Oakland Bishop O’Dowd.

“He has so much confidence,” Centennial Coach Rod Palmer said.

It’s a startling transformation for a 6-foot-2 guard who remembers having the arena jitters as a freshman.

“Last year, I was real scared of arenas,” Thompson said. “I wasn’t used to playing in them. This year, I want to show people what I can do.”

Thompson is giving opposing coaches much to think about since their normal strategy against Centennial (31-3) is to focus on stopping UCLA-bound guard Arron Afflalo.

The emergence of Thompson as a consistent scorer from long range has provided another scoring option for a team that already boasts Afflalo, senior center Chris Berry and sophomore forward Jervaughn Johnson.

“Whatever my team needs me to do, I’ll do,” Thompson said. “If that means scoring 35 points or zero.”

Thompson says he transforms himself into a fearless person on the court to deal with the pressures of playing in an arena.

“It’s just a mind-set,” he said. “You have to want it. It’s just go. Once I start playing, I get into that zone. If the ball comes and I’m open, I’m going to shoot it.”

Thompson needed a pep talk from Palmer after Centennial lost in the Southern Section Division III-A championship game, the fifth consecutive year the Apaches were beaten in the final.

“We were at practice and I was still down and I was walking around and frowning and my coach asked, ‘Why are you frowning?’ and I didn’t respond. He said you got to get over it,” Thompson said.

And that’s what he and his teammates have done to move within one victory of their first state title.

“I really want this for my coach,” he said. “He’s been through this for six straight years. We’ve overcome adversity, people always doubting us.”

Thompson played football growing up because that was the sport his father played at Compton High. But basketball was a sport he couldn’t pass up.

“There would be days me and my cousins would be outside and we’d play from 1 o’clock until it was dark,” he said. “Once I start playing, I can’t stop. I have a passion for it.”

Thompson gets so excited when he’s launching and making three-point shots that he’ll start pounding his chest.

“Me and Chris [Berry], we call each other ‘Beast,’ ” he said. “We pound our chest to know we’re strong and keep going.”

Centennial has enjoyed success at the guard position in recent years. USC-bound Gabriel Pruitt was an Apache standout as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Westchester. Afflalo is a McDonald’s All-American. Thompson seems ready to follow their path. He has been watching and learning from Afflalo.

“Sometimes he’ll come into the gym and wants to work on his jumper or handling the ball,” Thompson said. “He just wants to get better for next year. He’s a good example of how to make it. He really wants it, and you can see it.”

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Westchester’s Pruitt leaves Saturday to play in Wednesday’s EA Sports Roundball Classic at the United Center in Chicago.

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Bell (11-0-1) has more baseball victories than any team in Southern California.

The team’s top hitter is senior shortstop Jovanny Bramasco, who started as a freshman and sophomore but missed last season because of academic ineligibility. He has three home runs and is batting .515. First baseman Raul Landeros has 12 doubles, and pitcher Sam Torres (3-0) has thrown a no-hitter, one-hitter and two-hitter.

Whether Bell can become a legitimate challenger for the City title remains to be seen.

“I guess we’ll find out how good we are when we play Roosevelt,” Coach David Shemwell said.

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Woodland Hills El Camino Real has a potential City title contender in the pole vault in junior Brandon Estrada, who won the frosh-sophomore title last season. Estrada is the son of actor Erik Estrada.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.