OCVarsity’s reporters have the previews for all of the CIF-SS boys basketball championship games for the Orange County teams on Saturday:
SATURDAY’S GAMES
CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
OPEN DIVISION
Mater Dei (30-0) vs. Chino Hills (24-4)
At Honda Center, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports West
Fan info: Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students with valid ID and children 3-13. Parking: $15.
Outlook: Top seed Mater Dei goes for its third CIF-Southern Section championship in five years and its 22nd in Coach Gary McKnight’s 32 seasons. McKnight has 990 career wins at Mater Dei. The Monarchs defeated Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Montebello in overtime in the first round of the playoffs, Mayfair of Lakewood in the second round and J.W. North of Riverside in the semifinals. Stanley Johnson has been as good as expected in the playoffs. The leading candidate for county player of the year honors, Johnson is averaging 25 points per game in the playoffs. He scored a career-high 42 in the win over Mayfair. Mater Dei sophomore MJ Cage scored 24 points with 14 rebounds against North. Junior guard Rex Pflueger had seven assists in the North game. McKnight said a key contributor has been senior guard Isaiah Juarez, who is averaging 11 points in the playoffs. “Isaiah has played very well through this playoff stretch,” McKnight said. Chino Hills won the Sierra League championship and has won 16 in a row. In the playoffs, the Huskies defeated Bishop Montgomery of Torrance, No. 2 seed Etiwanda and Redondo Union of Redondo Beach. Chino Hills 6-foot-5 sophomore Lonzo Ball, who has committed to UCLA, is considered one of the better point guards in Southern California.
– STEVE FRYER
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DIVISION 1AA
Mission Viejo (24-6) vs.
Long Beach Poly (24-7)
At Honda Center, 2 p.m.
Fan info: Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children and for students with valid student identification. Parking: $15.
Outlook: South Coast League runner-up Mission Viejo has somewhat quietly been one of the best teams in the Southland all season — half of its six defeats are to teams playing in finals today and the other half to teams that made a deep playoff run. These Diablos are different from the ones that lost Division 1A title games in 2011 and 2012. Coach Troy Roelen’s third-seeded squad is led by senior forward Chandler Hutchison, who is averaging 22.7 points in the postseason. Senior center Dallas Hartmann plays off the ball but can score in bunches. Freshman guard Kaden Rasheed and his sophomore brother, Noah, play beyond their years. Top-seeded Long Beach Poly, snubbed for the Open Division, likes to spread things around on offense, led by backcourt mates Kameron Murrell and Ke’jhan Feagin. Jackrabbits coach Sharrief Metoyer guided the Jackrabbits to the 1AA title in 2011, the championship round in 2012, and the semifinals last year.
– ADAM MAYA
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DIVISION 1A
M.L. King of Riverside (23-8) vs. Villa Park (21-10)
At Hondo Center, 4 p.m.
Fan info: Ticket prices are $15, $10; Parking: $15
Outlook: Seventh-seeded Villa Park returns to the finals after losing a controversial 2AA championship game last season to J.W. North of Riverside. North won, 59-58, but was accidently awarded an extra point during a first-period free throw sequence. The story for the Spartans this postseason has been upsets. They beat No.-2 seed Alemany of Mission Hills, 65-62, in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Temecula Valley of Temecula, 57-56, in the semifinals. The re-emergence of Luke Selway (15.2 ppg) from an ankle injury has been instrumental along with continued inside presence of 6-foot-10 Lamont Tyler (17 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and emerging 6-5 junior CJ Thomas. But the trio also has been supported by senior guard Kevin Olsen, who has averaged 16.3 points the past three games. For Villa Park to capture its first section title, it will have to contend with King’s fastbreak and Chris Lott, a nephew of NFL great Ronnie Lott. The senior is averaging 27.5 points in the playoffs.
– DAN ALBANO
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DIVISION 2AA
Canyon (27-4) vs. Westlake of Westlake Village (25-7)
At Honda Center, Saturday, 10 a.m.
Fan info: Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students with valid ID and children 3-13. Parking: $15.
Outlook: Top-seeded Canyon tries for its second CIF-SS boys basketball championship, having won its first in 2009. The Century League champions have won nine games in a row. Senior guard Anthony Ballestero is averaging 14 points and five assists per game. Junior guard Nick Anderson is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds, and junior forward Chandler Dignam averages 10 points. Marmonte League co-champion Westlake has won eight in a row. In the playoffs, the third-seeded Warriors defeated Rowland of Rowland Heights in the first round, Culver City in the second round, Pasadena in overtime in the quarterfinals, and No. 2 Foothill in the semifinals. Canyon won its two league games against Foothill, and in the semifinals beat Canyon of Canyon Country which defeated Westlake in December. Marcos Soto, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, leads balanced Westlake with 13 points per game.
– STEVE FRYER
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DIVISION 2A
Sonora (28-3) vs. Calabasas (26-5)
At Honda Center, noon
Fan info: Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students with valid ID and children 3-13. Parking: $15.
Outlook: This is a matchup of the top two seeds in the division. Sonora is in a section championship game for the first time since 1984. The top-seeded Raiders, champions of the Freeway League and winners of 17 games in a row, got to the final by beating Nogales of La Puente in the first round, Righetti of Santa Maria in the second round, Arlington of Riverside in the quarterfinals and Oak Hills of Hesperia in the semifinals. Sonora junior point guard Josh Rodriguez has scored 20 or more points in four of the past seven games. He scored 17 points and junior guard Ben Rico scored 18 against Oak Hills. Sonora junior center Steven Murphy had four blocked shots in the Oak Hills game. No. 2 seed Calabasas, co-champion with CIF-SS Division 2AA finalist Westlake in the Marmonte League, defeated Norco in the first round, Whittier in the second round, El Dorado in the quarterfinals and Tustin in the semifinals. The Coyotes have won 16 in a row.
– STEVE FRYER
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DIVISION 3AA
Santa Margarita (22-8) vs. Brea Olinda (23-9)
At Honda Center, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
Fan info: Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students with valid ID and children 3-13. Parking: $15.
Outlook: Top-seeded Santa Margarita returns to the finals after falling in last season’s 3AA championship to Damien of La Verne, 54-40. Santa Margarita has won eight of its past nine games since a 59-52 loss to Mater Dei in the Trinity League on Jan. 29. The Eagles have played strong defense during the stretch, holding opponents to 49.2 points in the victories. Santa Margarita’s Joe Furstinger (13.9), Devonte Klines (10.6) and Sjur Berg (10.5) each average in double-figures for scoring. Furstinger also averages a team-high 9.4 rebounds. Third-seeded Brea Olinda also has clamped down on opponents. The Wildcats have held all four of their playoff opponents to 55 points or less. Michael Turner (14.6) leads Brea Olinda in scoring while Chandler Ramos averages 12.4 points. The Wildcats are seeking their first section title while Santa Margarita is after its first since 2005 and sixth overall.
– DAN ALBANO
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DIVISION 5AA
Saddleback Valley Christian (25-5) vs. San Gabriel Academy (22-7)
At Godinez High, Saturday, 8:45 p.m.
Fan info: Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children and for students with valid student identification. Parking: $5.
Outlook: Saddleback Valley Christian made a statement with opening-week wins against Foothill and Mission Viejo and never looked back. After dominating the San Joaquin League, the top-seeded Warriors have won their three postseason games by an average of 31 points. Heralded sophomore forward Irshad Hunte is surrounded by a trio of talented guards, Eric Rwahwire, Miles Seward and Phil Edwards. The Warriors previously reached the Division 5AA second round in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2013 under third-year coach Tom Lewis. No. 2 seed San Gabriel Academy, which reached the 5A semifinals a year ago, is led by point guard Marcus LoVett Jr., one of the top-rated players in the Class of 2015.
– ADAM MAYA
