Cal-Hi Sports Insider Blog

Quick-hitting, behind-the-scenes news and notes from the CalHiSports.com staff, including previews of upcoming content and events.

CIF UPDATE: Spring Sports

By CalHiSports.com Staff | Published March 17, 2020

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Today the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Office and the 10 Section Commissioners held their annual scheduled spring meeting. The agenda included a discussion concerning the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 CIF spring sports season.

While the time may come when we have to cancel post-season events, today is not that day. In anticipation of further guidance and directives issued by federal, state and local government agencies regarding COVID-19, the CIF has not determined the future of spring sports events at this time and intends to reconvene with the 10 Section Commissioners on April 3 to revisit this issue. Pending that time, Sections will continue to confer with their local leadership and the State CIF will continue to monitor any directives and recommendations issued from the above entities.

The CIF will continue to work with our schools and school districts with the health and well-being of student-athletes and school communities as our priority.

Additionally, the originally scheduled April 3, 2020, CIF Federated Council Meeting has been postponed and will be rescheduled no earlier than May 8, 2020 and will be held via teleconference.

Ron Nocetti
CIF Executive Director

Editor’s Note: The CIF spring state events include the CIF state track meet in Clovis, CIF state swimming (also in Clovis) plus CIF state golf (boys), Northern and Southern California boys volleyball and Northern and Southern California boys tennis. Most invitational type events in track and major tournaments in baseball & softball have been cancelled. The challenge for baseball and softball will be if the seasons can resume in roughly one month so that teams can play two to three weeks of league games before going to section playoffs. As of now, based on statements from Governor Gavin Newsom and others that doesn’t seem likely.

March Madness: SDSU Preview

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published March 3, 2020

Roosevelt High’s Matt Mitchell, currently starring at San Diego State, celebrates with teammates and friends after scoring 35 points in 2017 CIF SoCal D1 title game win over Corona Centennial. Photo: Mark Tennis.


With a pair of former California high school state champions serving in key starting roles, San Diego State has been one of the hottest stories this season in men’s college basketball. Can the Aztecs make a run in this year’s March Madness and get people fired up to include them in betting?

Regardless of what happens in the one-and-done format of the NCAA tournament, San Diego State has had a breakout season. The team’s present odds to win are not so great as Gonzaga or Kansas, but they continue to climb in the ranks according to SBS.

Head coach Brian Dutcher’s team completed its regular season on Saturday, Feb. 29, with an 83-76 road win at Nevada. The Aztecs had to come back from a 65-60 deficit in the second half, but broke the Wolf Pack’s 20-game Western Athletic Conference home court win streak and won on the road for the 13th straight time.

San Diego State’s only loss during a 28-1 season came at home (66-63) to a UNLV squad that the Aztecs defeated (71-67) in the first run-through of the WAC schedule. The team may have to beat UNLV again in the WAC tournament to secure one of four regional No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tourney. SDSU entered the WAC tourney ranked No. 5 in most national polls.

Strength of schedule is always a criticism of a team like the Aztecs coming from a mid-major conference and not being from one of the Power 5 conferences. The team’s biggest wins against opponents not from the WAC have been against Utah, Iowa and BYU.

Junior guard Malachi Flynn poured in a career-high 36 points to lead the win at Nevada and has been SDSU’s leading scorer (17.6 ppg) and ball distributor (148 assists). Flynn is from Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.) and came to San Diego as a transfer after starting his collegiate career at Washington State.

Two of the team’s other leading players are from California high schools who enjoyed winning CIF state titles on back-to-back nights at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in 2017.

The first was 6-foot-6 junior forward Matt Mitchell, who averaged 25.6 ppg at Roosevelt of Eastvale and led the Mustangs to the CIF Division I state championship. Mitchell is averaging 12.4 ppg for the Aztecs and is their second-leading rebounder.

The next night, Richard Schakel was one of the key contributors for Bishop Montgomery of Torrance when it won the CIF Open Division state crown. Schakel, a 6-foot-6 guard who has always been an outstanding perimeter shooter, is averaging 10.1 ppg.

SDSU’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer is 6-foot-10 senior Yanni Wetzell. He’s come to San Diego by way of New Zealand.

Rounding out the starting lineup has been Long Beach Poly grad K.J. Feagin. The 6-foot-1 senior guard completed the regular season with an 8.7 per game scoring mark.

As one would expect from a school that counts two-time NBA MVP Kawhi Leonard (M.L. King, Riverside) as an alum, there are a lot of others on the Aztecs’ roster from California high schools. The list includes freshman Keshad Johnson (San Leandro), sophomore Adam Seiko (Chatsworth Sierra Canyon), sophomore Caleb Giordano (Temecula Great Oak) and freshman Jared Barnett (Los Angeles Westchester).

Boys/Girls BB: More Section Finals

By Mark Tennis | Published February 29, 2020

Players from the Mater Dei (Santa Ana) girls basketball team celebrate after winning CIFSS Open Division title on Friday night in Long Beach. Photo: Scott Kurtz / KurtzPhoto.

This isn’t a recap of all of them, but several of Friday’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title games and the showdown between state No. 2 Mater Dei and No. 4 Windward (Los Angeles) for the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls championship were witnessed by Cal-Hi Sports editors. Boys state No. 4 Sheldon (Sacramento) was nearly knocked off by Capital Christian of Sacramento in what would have been a monumental upset. Mater Dei’s girls, meanwhile, won the 11th section title for head coach Kevin Kiernan.

RELATED: Sierra Canyon boys win CIFSS crown

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CIFSS Girls Open Division:
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 77, Windward (Los Angeles) 65

The final score didn’t reflect the back-and-forth nature of this contest since Windward led at halftime (36-33) and the two teams were tied 54-54 early in the fourth quarter. Mater Dei just took over down the stretch as its full-court press created turnovers.

The Monarchs (30-2 and No. 2 in the state) likely will be the No. 2 seed for the upcoming CIF Southern California Open Division regional playoffs (unless current state No. 1 La Jolla Country Day were to get upset in its section final on Saturday night). Windward (25-5 and No. 4 in the state) along with perhaps four other CIFSS Open Division teams also will be in that bracket, which will be finalized and announced on Sunday.

It took a group effort for Mater Dei to get past Windward on a night when team’s most accomplished player, junior Brooke Demetre (the 2019 State Sophomore of the Year), had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Soleil Montrose connected on 4-of-4 on 3-pointers and led with 20 points. Caia Elisaldez, just a freshman, had 14 points and nine assists while Alyssa Durazo-Frescas chipped in with 16 points.

JuJu Watkins, the freshman sensation for the Wildcats stepping into the same role former Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year Charisma Osborne had in the program for the previous four years, had 22 points in the first half and had 26 heading into the fourth quarter, but facing the full-court press she only had two points after that.

Mater Dei head coach Kevin Kiernan won his 11th CIFSS title, but the Monarchs hadn’t won one since 2013 and for this one the state’s winningest coach ever was able to share it with his daughter, senior starter Camryn Kiernan.

Marcus Bagley played much of the second half in foul trouble but still led all scorers with 21 points. Photo: Mark Tennis.


Sac-Joaquin Sec D1 Boys:
Sheldon (Sacramento) 49, Capital Christian (Sacramento) 46

Other than mentioning that it was “just a flat game all around,” Sheldon head coach Joey Rollings stressed the positives after the state No. 4 Huskies (and viewed to be the only team in Northern California with much of a chance at being close to the top team from Southern California in the final game of the season) escaped a strong upset bid from the Cougars in their section title game played at the Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

Plagued by poor shooting — even just 13 of 27 on free throws — Sheldon (27-5) also had to overcome a poor start (five points in the first quarter). Capital Christian had the game tied and had the ball in the last two minutes of the game, but never got the lead after two free throws by Marcus Bagley (game-high 21 points) with 1:29 left. Dontrell Hewlett also canned a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left for a 48-44 lead, but two missed free throws on the front end of one-and-one situations in the last 6.9 seconds gave the Cougars a chance at a possible game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. Sione Lose’s shot, however, fell far short.

Rollings’ squad captured its seventh section title and its second in a row and will now look to win a third straight CIF NorCal Open Division crown. It should be a top seed and first-round bye, but the coach stressed that none of that matters.

“Either way, we’re used to playing three games (in 10 days),” he said. “It’s going to be hard battles no matter what.”

Capital Christian (24-8) may be in the NorCal Open field as well after playing the Huskies so close. Head coach Matt Filer has a young group, though, (including sophomore Darrion Williams, who had 17 points on Friday), so being in the D1 bracket may make the most sense. The Cougars lost to Sheldon 88-68 earlier in the season and have other losses that make them not look like an Open team, but they also have a win in their second game over Salesian of Richmond.

Sac-Joaquin Sec D1 Girls:
St. Mary’s (Stockton) 56, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 45

Amaya Oliver had 18 points with five rebounds and three assists as the Rams (23-4) won their eighth straight D1 section title, their 13th straight overall and 18th in 19 years under head coach Tom Gonsalves. Oak Ridge has often played a determined brand of basketball under head coach Steve White, who recently won his 600th game. The Trojans (23-8), who were led by Teagan Brown with 18 points, never could get to the point to really pressure the Rams after the teams were tied at the end of the first quarter and then it was a 16-6 edge for St. Mary’s in the second.

Freshman Nia Anderson was a standout for St. Mary’s with 10 points as she’s the one who seems to be having to step up the most after another freshman, Brooklyn Perry, went down with a knee injury. Sophomore Tai Sherman added 12 points and three steals.

Gonsalves is hoping for a No. 2 seed for the NorCal Open Division and proudly pointed out that his program is the only one in California that has been in every Open Division bracket for Northern California since the format was adopted in 2013.

We agree with the No. 2 spot for the state No. 8 Rams, but advised the coach not to be shocked if the CIF were to put Clovis West of Fresno in that spot. Clovis West still has to play its section final on Saturday night. A lot of girls basketball coaches in Northern California aren’t used to the Clovis schools even being in the north (they’ve been in the south before) but that has been the trend in other sports the last few years.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports

Importance of Sleep For Success

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published February 19, 2020

As a student and an athlete, your health should be at an optimum level in order for you to perform well in school. There are many challenges that you will be facing as a student, and these will not be easy to overcome if you’re not at your best as far as your well-being is concerned. Aside from adopting a healthy lifestyle, you should also allow your body to have enough rest. Getting the maximum amount of sleep every night is essential in recharging your body and getting yourself ready for the next day.

Imagine if you lack sleep — you will feel lethargic and be unable to do your tasks. As a student, you need to be alert and active, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to have enough sleep. One effective way of getting great sleep is through a good mattress; luckily, there are tons of physical and online stores offering dozens of options.

In what ways is sleep essential for athletic and academic success? These are the following:

1. Sleep Helps Repair An Injury
It is essential that the body undergoes repair, especially after a vigorous activity. Athletes, in particular, are prone to injuries due to the physical demands of sports. Sleep is essential for injuries because cells repair and renew themselves during sleep. It is essential for athletes to get at least eight hours of sleep, which is the time needed for cells to renew themselves.

2. Sleep Helps With Mental Fitness
Fulfilling your obligations as a student or as a student-athlete requires your mental health to be at an optimum level. You need to be psychologically fit in order for you to do your tasks effortlessly. If you do not get enough sleep, you are likely to become more irritable and anxious. Also, you tend to have more trouble absorbing information when you are sleep deprived. Thus, it is essential that you get enough sleep to keep yourself focused on your studies.
Also, having a healthy mind puts you in a better mood, which helps you socialize with your peers all the better and improve your relationships with other people at school.

3. Sleep Builds Muscles
For adolescents, sleep helps with physical growth. Adolescents can build more muscle strength if they get enough sleep. A growth hormone is also released during sleep, which aids in the body’s recovery and development. Lack of sleep can be detrimental to your overall health. There will also be a higher chance of you experiencing decreased muscle growth and strength.

4. Sleep Helps You Memorize Better
You need to have enough sleep so your mind can effectively process the lessons and studies you’ve had throughout the day. Deep sleep is important in relaxing the mind and in processing all the information it absorbs. The better sleep you have, the more effective the brain is in processing information. You should have enough rest and sleep, especially during examinations, to help you recall information better and to keep you from having memory loss.

5. Sleep Helps You Practice Better
Coaches know the importance of sleep. Some of them do make it a habit to skip the morning practice so that athletes can sleep longer. Having more sleep results in better practice performance. Even professional players know about the importance of an extra hour of sleep in ensuring that they’re able to perform at their best during practice sessions. Some other benefits of adequate sleep are reaction time and a higher level of endurance.

6. Sleep Maintains Your Circadian Clock
Your circadian clock dictates the biological processes of your body. It is heavily influenced by the amount of sleep you get. You should be able to sleep at the proper time so your circadian clock will always be on time and functioning well. If you have an erratic sleep schedule, chances are you will also have an erratic waking schedule. If you do not wake up on time, you are most likely to be late for your classes. And, even if you do wake up on time, you will feel lethargic and low on energy because your body thinks that it is still time for sleep.

Final Thoughts
Sleep is essential to enable the body to function at its best. Especially for students, sleep is vital in keeping them active and focused, and in helping their minds effectively absorb all the lessons they’ve had throughout the day. For student-athletes, they need to be at their peak, both mentally and physically, so they can perform better during practice sessions. And, this can only be possible with enough sleep.

Girls BB: Most 3-Pointers (Game)

By Mark Tennis | Published February 11, 2020

Updated state record list based on previously published Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac and on published reports since then on CalHiSports.com and other media sources (including MaxPreps.com):

(As of Feb. 11, 2020)

16 – Taylor Spikes, Hanford (117) vs. Visalia Mt. Whitney (31), Feb. 2010 (51 pts)
16 – Kelli Kamida, Alhambra Mark Keppel (90) vs. Montebello (50), Jan. 2014 (48 pts) Jr.
16 – Jennell Hooftallen, San Diego Mira Mesa (108) vs. Chula Vista High Tech (30), Dec. 2017 (54 pts) Jr.
15 – Alessandra Aguirre, La Jolla Bishop’s (96) vs. La Jolla (23), Jan. 2016 (50 pts) Jr.
15 – Jolene Armendariz, Lake Elsinore Lakeside (96) vs. Perris (57), Feb. 2018 (53 pts) Jr.
14 – Danielle Viglione, Fair Oaks Del Campo (118) vs. Rio Linda (33), Jan. 1992 (58 pts) Jr.
13 – Sarah Hagman, La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (87) vs. Arcadia (42), Jan. 1994 (48 pts)
13 – Ana Resendiz, Chino Don Lugo (84) vs. City of Industry Workman (21), Dec. 2015 (41 pts)
13 – Destiny Littleton, La Jolla Bishop’s (97) vs. San Diego University City (28), Dec. 2016 (65 pts)
13 – Allison Ayala, Covina (62) vs. Ontario Colony (40), Dec. 2017 (45 pts)
13 – Isabelle Avalos, Buena Park (72) vs. Fullerton (20), Feb. 2020 (39 pts)
12 – Kathy Lizarraga, Calexico (61) vs. Fallbrook (48), Dec. 1987 (46 pts)
12 – Danielle Viglione, Fair Oaks Del Campo (81) vs. Orangevale Casa Roble (60), Feb. 1993 (55 pts)
12 – Alexsis Brown, Richmond (81) vs. Alameda Encinal (62), 2006 (47 pts)
12 – Ana Resendiz, Chino Don Lugo (70) vs. West Covina Gladstone (51), Dec. 2015 (38 pts)
12 – Stephanie Lee, Brea Brea Olinda (84) vs. Orange El Modena (18), Feb. 2018 (40 pts) Jr.
12 – Citalli Gurrola, Spring Valley Mt. Miguel (67) vs. Solana Beach Santa Fe Springs (20), Jan. 2019 (38 pts)
11 – Nicole Erickson, Brea Brea Olinda (88) vs. Anaheim Savanna (38), Jan. 1993 (46 pts) Jr.
11 – Sarah Hagman, La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (55) vs. Glendale Hoover (29), Jan. 1994 (34 pts)
11 – Christina McFadden, Boonville Anderson Valley (99) vs. Point Arena (29), Feb. 1995 (41 pts)
11 – Fabrizio Mendiola, Forest Lake El Toro (79) vs. Rancho SM Santa Margarita (69), Feb. 1998 (38 pts)
11 – Amanda Brown, Santee West Hills (80) vs. National City Sweetwater (13), Dec. 2001 (Jr.)
11 – June Brubaker, La Jolla Country Day (112) vs. San Diego Horizon (26), Jan. 2002 (40 pts)
11 – Juanisha Jury, San Bernardino Aquinas (81) vs. San Jacinto (35), Jan. 2002 (38 pts)
11 – Jessica Fiisikava, San Bernardino Cajon vs. Colton, Jan. 2003
11 – Keri Korver, Cerritos Valley Christian (79) vs. Palmdale Eastside (36), Jan. 2011
11 – Sydnee Fipps, Oakhurst Yosemite (106) vs. Madera Ranchos Liberty (30), Jan. 2011
11 – Chelsea Gipson, Palisades Pacific Palisades (97) vs. Los Angeles Westchester (54), Jan. 2017 (45 pts)
11 – Katrina Metcalf, Irvine Beckman (64) vs. Irvine Northview (39), Jan. 2018 (41 pts)
11 – Suzette Quinlan, Aliso Viejo Aliso Niguel (77) vs. Lake Forest El Toro (37), Feb. 2018 (33 pts)
11 – Hannah Jump, Los Altos Hills Pinewood (63) vs. St. Louis (Mo.) Incarnate Word, Dec. 2018 (36 pts)
11 – Ellie Turk, El Cajon Foothills Christian (84) vs. Escondido Del Lago Academy (18), Jan. 2019 (35 pts)

NCAA March Madness Preview

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published February 11, 2020


As we start a new year, basketball fans have begun to divert their attention to March Madness, the annual competition that decides the NCAA national champion. Every year, the contest lives up to its name as the nation becomes gripped by the tournament.

Many basketball and non-basketball fans take part in bracketing competitions, trying to guess the outcome of each game and the whole tournament as accurately as possible. While not all betting strategies can be directly taken from professional basketball, those looking to take part in a March Madness bracket can learn from the techniques for betting on the NBA.

2019 Winner

The Virginia Cavaliers won last year’s competition after they beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders in overtime. This was the first national championship win for the Cavaliers and was a hard-fought victory after pushing the final game into overtime for the first time in 11 years.
Cavaliers Again?

It is unlikely the Cavaliers will be able to pick up another title in 2020. The majority of Virginia’s key players, including Ty Jerome, De’Andre Hunter, and Kyle Guy all entered the NBA Draft after their victory.

Last year’s runner up from Lubbock, Texas, have also lost a lot of key talent, leaving both teams relying on freshman talent for this season.

Favorites

With a few weeks before March Madness gets underway, there’s still a lot that could change. However, some clear favorites are emerging.

A current favorite among bookmakers are the Duke Blue Devils. They currently sit at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference, with a 21-3 overall record, following a win against Florida State on Feb. 10 and also after they got past arch-rival North Carolina in overtime two days earlier. One of Duke’s top players is freshman Cassius Stanley, who helped Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth win the 2019 CIF Open Division state title.

Baylor University in Texas, which won the NCAA women’s national title just last season, also is a strong favorite. The Bears won their 21st straight game on Feb. 10 over Texas and were unbeaten in the Big 12 Conference. There’s also Gonzaga University out west, which has another outstanding team under head coach Mark Few.

Anyone looking to do well in their March Madness bracket will need to keep a close eye on the remaining games in the NCAA regular season. However, some clear favorites are emerging, some of whom are different from the teams that did well last season. While Baylor, Duke and Gonzaga are current favorites, the knockout nature of the tournament could easily result in their early departure from the competition.

Boys BB: Nike Extravaganza Recap

By Ronnie Flores | Published February 1, 2020


State No. 3 Rancho Christian of Temecula scores a big national win over Washington (D.C.) power Gonzaga, while Nike Extravaganza host Mater Dei of Santa Ana loses to Chicago power Whitney Young of Chicago. State No. 9 Harvard-Westlake lost to FAB 50 ranked Gorman of Las Vegas, as state powers went 1-2 vs. out-of-state foes, but the higher state-ranked club won in each of the games involving California teams.
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Ballislife Podcast on Kobe Bryant

By Ronnie Flores | Published January 28, 2020

Subscribe to the In The Paint Show on iTunes | Subscribe to the In The Paint Show on SoundCloud

In Episode No. 54 of our “In The Paint Show,”  co-hosts Devin Ugland and Ronnie Flores, Cal-Hi Sports Managing Editor, publish the podcast they never thought in a million years would be necessary: a recollection and insight into the life of a gone-too-soon basketball star. In this case, it’s still shocking former Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant is no longer gracing the earth, gone at age 41 after a aviation accident last Sunday that killed seven other passengers, including his 13-year old daughter GiGi, and the pilot.

In a special two and one half hour show, the fellas bring on six special guests, each with their own unique perspective and insight on either Bryant’s formative years, legendary pro career or his untimely death.

Roundball Classic and ABCD Camp founder Sonny Vaccaro holds no punches, going in-depth on his relationship with Bryant while at Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.) and how the move was orchestrated to turn pro and join the Lakers after his show-stopping performance at the 1995 ABCD Camp.

Rashad Phillips of Sports Talk 2319, a member of the Class of 1996 as is former NBA guard Corey Benjamin, both break down their unique relationship with Bryant. Phillips was a late add-on to the 1996 Roundball Classic All-Star Game and Bryant’s inspirational words on national television that day still resonate. Benjamin, the 1996 Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball at Fontana High School, talks about what separated The Black Mamba from himself and other elites in that class.

Rome Douglas, a former NFL offensive lineman and Grid-Hoop star at Claremont High School, has a 11-year old daughter who is an up-and-coming basketball player, and both were present at the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on that fateful day. Douglas talks about being at the facility when the awful news broke and how Kobe’s and GiGi’s loss will reverberate in the girls basketball community for many years to come.

Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com talks about evaluating Bryant for the first time as a rising junior while playing for the Sam Rines AAU travel ball club in Las Vegas. You won’t believe what Bean shot from the field on the day he made a lasting impression of the Hall of Fame sportswriter.

Beto Duran, a well-known sports broadcaster on many platforms in Southern California, discusses his interactions with Kobe while covering the Lakers and what the basketball icon meant to the Latino community in Southern California.

SHOW NOTES: Episode 54 Rundown

14:47: Sonny Vaccaro describes his reaction to Kobe’s death, goes in-depth on his history with Kobe.

56:50: Rashad Phillips on his memories of playing against Kobe at the 1996 Roundball Classic.

1:12:40: 1996 CalHiSports POY, former NBA player Corey Benjamin on hearing about Kobe in high school, interactions with him over the years.

1:22:48: Former NFL player Rome Douglas who was at Mamba Academy Sunday morning watching his 11 year-old daughter play. 

1:36:05: HOF hoops writer Frank Burlison recollects on his first time seeing Kobe play in high school and following his illustrious Lakers’ career.

2:00:51: Longtime SoCal journalist Beto Duran on his interactions with Kobe and what made him such a respected figure in the Latino community.

2:26:44: Ronnie and Devin close out the show with their most memorable Kobe moments.

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what “In The Paint” is all about, check out our intro below!

State Defensive POY: Justin Flowe

By Mark Tennis | Published January 16, 2020

Regarded as the best linebacker in the nation and one of the best in California for the past 20 years, Upland’s Justin Flowe adds top defensive honors for the state to his growing list of honors, including the Butkus Award that is given to the nation’s most outstanding linebacker.
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Sierra Canyon Back On Track

By Ronnie Flores | Published January 11, 2020


In the second matchup of the year between state heavyweights Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth and Rancho Christian of Temecula, this time at No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings, it’s the No. 2 team that is victorious once again, as No. 2 Trailblazers win the rematch game, 78-62. The dynamic Sierra Canyon forward duo of B.J. Boston and Ziaire Williams combine for 50 points, as the Trailblazers will regain the state’s top ranking next week and be in good position for the upcoming CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.
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