Holiday tournaments tip off boys basketball season

01/11/2018

web.Holman_hoops — Eastlake High School’s Grant Holman defends Coronado’s Caden Gentry in a pool-round game at December’s 35th annual Aztec Holiday Classic at Montgomery High School. The Titans advanced to the tournament semifinals. Photo by Phillip Brents

Holiday tournaments set the tone in the early going for the high school basketball season. There was no shortage of hoops events in December — and success by local squads.

Otay Ranch captured the championship title of the Coronado Islander tournament in mid-month. Senior Chris Stanek earned tournament MVP honors.

Prior to that, the Mustangs finished 3-2 at the Hilltop tournament to tip off the month and ended the 2017 calendar year by participating in the Spartan Classic at Chula Vista High School, finishing 2-2.

Otay Ranch topped Steele Canyon, 98-83, to wrap up play in the Spartan Classic event. Stanek, a six-foot-three small forward, poured in 37 points in the game to earn selection to the all-tournament team.

Howard Suda has coached the Mustangs since their inception in 2003. The team is off to a 9-5 start in 2017-18, including 1-1 in Mesa League play, after finishing 19-12 last year with a quarterfinal-round appearance in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs.

Otay Ranch finished 7-5 in league play last season, and rates to be competitive once again this season after dealing San Ysidro a 94-67 defeat in its league opener on Jan. 3, then following that up with a last-second 83-81 loss at league unbeaten Montgomery last Friday.

“Definitely, we have to beat Mater Dei Catholic if we’re going to have a chance to win the Mesa League this season,” Suda said. “They’re going to be tough to beat. Our team’s strength is playing fast. If we can continue to play fast, that will be our strength.”

Tariq Deadmon dropped in 33 points in the win over Steele Canyon while Diego Sanchez added 11 points.

Mater Dei Catholic improved to 11-5 on the season after defeating host Bonita Vista, 89-65, last Friday. The Crusaders have the best record among Division I Metro Conference schools, and can jam the hoop.

Mater Dei Catholic entered the week averaging 72.5 points per game. Beon Ja Riley led the team with a 16.5 points per game average, followed by teammates Joshua Tawhiao (15.9 ppg) and Trey Anderson (14.9 ppg).

Riley (19), Tawhiao (18) and Anderson (12) combined for 49 points in the win over Bonita Vista.

The Crusaders opened the month by finished 5-0 at the West Hills tournament, defeating West Hills, Cathedral Catholic, Vista (twice), Mt. Carmel and Christian.

Mater Dei Catholic finished 3-2 at the Capitol City Classic tournament in Salem, Ore., Dec. 19-22, and finished 2-3 at the prestigious Torrey Pines Holiday Classic Dec. 26-30.

The Crusaders appear to be included among this season’s section heavyweights after dropping a 79-73 decision to Foothills Christian and a 66-65 setback to Lincoln at the Torrey Pines event, generally regarded as the top holiday boys tournament in the county.

Foothills Christian entered the week 12-5 while Lincoln was 9-3.

Torrey Pines topped Division I teams with a 14-2 record entering the week, followed by San Marcos at 12-2, Mission Bay at 14-3 and La Jolla Country Day at 13-4.

Torrey Pines tipped off the season by winning its first 10 games before finishing 3-2 at its holiday tournament with losses to St. Augustine and Salt Lake Brighton (Utah).

San Marcos opened the season by winning its first five games at the Game on Challenge Tournament before finishing runner-up to Torrey Pines at the North County Classic Dec. 11-16.

La Jolla Country Day finished 5-0 at the season-opening Coast News Classic.

Mission Bay defeated Helix, 66-52, to win the Sweetwater Host Lions Club Holiday Classic Dec. 18-22 in National City.

Bonita Vista (12-6) met Lincoln in the championship game of the Spartan Classic, dropping a 44-41 finals matchup to the Hornets.

The Barons opened the tournament with consecutive wins over San Diego, Julian and Steele Canyon before dropping a 57-49 decision to Grossmont but still advanced to the title contest.

The Barons are braced by five returners: seniors Anthony Mendoza, Jordan McDaniel, Franklin Forbes, Patrick Carson and Tahj Stewart. The team has been impacted by three freshmen in 2017-18: Rashaun Square, D.J. Sanders and D.M. Sanders.

Junior Adrian Wade is the team’s leading scorer.

This is coach Don Dumas’ fourth year with the team. He said team chemistry and scrappiness are his team’s strength this season.

“We like to do all the gritty things — diving for loose balls and rebounding — that you need to do to win a game,” he said.

The Barons won the San Diego Section Division III championship two years ago but dropped off last season with an 11-18 record after finishing 21-13 in 2015-16.

Add Lions
Mission Bay point guard Boogie Ellis earned honors as the Sweetwater Host Lions Club Holiday Classic tournament’s most valuable player. Sweetwater freshman C.J. McMillan also made the all-tournament team.

Mission Bay improved to 9-1 with the win while Helix saw its early season record dip to 7-3.

Sweetwater head coach Jesse Aguirre said the tournament will be renamed in honor of a SuHi alumnus and Lions Club member who recently passed away. The tournament will now be known as the Frank Pakarek Sweetwater Host Lions Club Classic.

Sweetwater Host Lions Club Holiday Classic
Friday, Dec. 22
Championship: Mission Bay 66, Helix 52
Hoover 55, Morse 32
Point Loma 54, Sweetwater 46
El Camino 76, San Dieguito Academy 57

Spartan Classic
Saturday, Dec. 30
Julian 61, Southwest 52
Chula Vista 68, Health Sciences 40
Lincoln 53, Palos Verdes 45
Grossmont 57, Bonita Vista 49
Olympian 66, Kearny 50
Otay Ranch 98, Steele Canyon 83