Hill Hustles Cleveland Past Taft, 56-48

Feeding off the hustle and all-out play of its standout forward, Jason Hill, Reseda Cleveland earned a spot in the boys’ basketball City Championship semifinals with a 56-48 victory Wednesday over West Valley League rival Woodland Hills Taft.

Hill, who has signed with Cal State Northridge, scored 26 points and had 15 rebounds at Cleveland as the Cavaliers (21-6) put together a 10-0 spurt midway through the fourth quarter to pull away.

“We couldn’t defend him,” Taft Coach Derrick Taylor said of the 6-foot-4 Hill.

Said Hill: “I felt we needed to prove something. We proved we’re ready to play ranked teams.”

Taft (22-6) was the defending city champion and shared the West Valley League title with Cleveland. But the Toreadors were badly outrebounded, with 6-4 Matt Harrison grabbing 11 rebounds and scoring 12 points for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland will play top-seeded Westchester on Friday. Westchester beat Washington, 62-47.

Calvin Haynes finished with 15 points to lead Taft.

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-- Eric Sondheimer

Amir Johnson, a 6-foot-9 center from Westchester, and Erika Arriaran, a 5-10 guard from Norco, have been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American high school basketball games on March 30 at the University of Notre Dame.

Johnson, who has committed to Louisville, will participate in the 28th annual boys’ game, which will be shown live by ESPN beginning at 5 p.m. PST, and Arriaran, who has committed to Texas, will play in the fourth annual girls’ game, which will be shown on a tape-delayed basis at 2 p.m. PST on March 31.

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Girls’ Water Polo

The semifinals of the Southern Section Division I and II playoffs will take place Friday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center at Heritage Park in Irvine.

The Division I semifinals, which feature No. 1-seeded Santa Margarita (23-6) vs. No. 4 Foothill (25-3) at 5:30 p.m., followed by No. 2 Newport Harbor (26-3) vs. No. 3 Montebello (22-7) at 7, will take place in the center’s diving or north pool.

The Division II semifinals, which feature No. 1 Corona del Mar (22-7) vs. Peninsula (18-5) at 5 p.m., followed by No. 2 Laguna Beach (19-6) vs. No. 3 Villa Park (21-8) at 6:30, will be held in the competition or south pool.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students with I.D. and $5 for children 13 and under.

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Football

John Mele, 57, has resigned as football coach at La Mirada after 17 years to spend more time with his family. He will remain as a physical education teacher. Mele had a 169-46-2 record and won 10 Suburban League titles. His team reached the playoffs in each of his 17 seasons, including appearances in six section finals. His only championship came in 1992.