Comparisons Flying at Cincinnati Phenom

The buzz is building, the paparazzi have been alerted and the autograph-seekers are getting fired up.

O.J. is coming to town.

No, not that O.J., but O.J. Mayo, christened the next LeBron James when he was only a 15-year-old freshman in 2003.

Mayo, a 6-foot-4 junior point guard at Cincinnati’s North College Hill, will face North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake on Thursday and Compton Dominguez on Friday as part of the Rise or Fall Invitational at Cerritos College. Both games begin at 8:30 p.m.

“I’ve seen him on highlights, and he’s phenomenal,” Harvard-Westlake Coach Greg Hilliard said. “He definitely has NBA skills already. He’s like a young Kobe Bryant.”

Corey Kelly, a 6-2 senior at Harvard-Westlake, is expected to be assigned to guard Mayo.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Kelly said. “It’s a good chance to show my teammates the defensive player I am.”

Tickets are $7 for Thursday’s game and $10 for Friday’s, which includes two earlier games.

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After 13 years as defensive coordinator at Dorsey, Ralph Caldwell said he has resigned to pursue head coaching opportunities. He has helped produce dozens of All-City players and was part of three City championship teams.

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Simi Valley Royal didn’t qualify for the Southern Section football playoffs, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Highlanders had one of the most feared defensive linemen in Southern California.

Tonio Celotto, a 6-3 1/2 , 245-pound junior, had 14 sacks and was selected the defensive player of the year in Ventura County.

“There’s not a kid in Ventura County who can kick his butt,” Coach Gene Uebelhardt said.

Mario Celotto, Tonio’s father, played at USC and in the NFL, and his mother, Julia, was a high jump champion at Royal and pro beach volleyball player.

He should be a heavily recruited college prospect for 2007.

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North Hollywood will lose one of its nonleague football games next season as punishment for forfeiting its game against Sylmar when the school didn’t want to play two games in one week.

The City Section rules committee imposed the sanction. North Hollywood is expected to appeal.

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Trevor Charlston, the kicker at Beverly Hills and an all-league soccer player, underwent successful heart surgery Tuesday and was scheduled to return home this weekend for several months of recuperation after having a defective aortic heart valve replaced. He is expected to be healthy next season.

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Michael Herrick of Valencia and Garrett Green of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will be the quarterbacks for California in the CaliFlorida Bowl at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Cal State Fullerton. Bruce Rollinson of Santa Ana Mater Dei is coaching the team.

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Celebrities’ children have taken to the basketball court. The son of comedian Sinbad plays for Notre Dame. Laker radio broadcaster Mychal Thompson has a son who plays for Santa Margarita. Laker TV broadcaster Joel Meyers’ son plays for North Hollywood Campbell Hall.

The son of Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy plays for Harvard-Westlake, as does the daughter of actor Denzel Washington. The son of singer Jeffrey Osborne plays for Chatsworth.

Meyers and Thompson won’t get to see their sons play each other Feb. 4 when Campbell Hall takes on Santa Margarita at the Nike Extravaganza. They’ll be broadcasting a Laker game against New Orleans. No word yet on what the bet will be between the fathers.*

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