Fear factor helps out Artesia

The other day, I babbled on and on about this, how the Artesia boys' basketball team can still whip you based on reputation and nothing else. And look what happened last night....

Artesia -- winners of two consecutive Southern Section crowns -- entered the game with two wins in 11 games, then beat Norwalk, 63-57, in a Suburban League showdown. "Even though Artesia had a losing record coming in... I think we thought it was going to be like in years past, when they won easily," Norwalk Coach Jim Webster told the Press-Telegram. "The first 12 minutes of the game, we looked scared and I think it's because we've always been afraid of playing here."

That's called the Artesia fear factor -- and I bet some other squads will be encountering it during league play as well.

-- Anthony Stitt

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Taft is blowing up Dominguez

Taft and Dominguez played each other so long ago it feels like last year.

Well, technically it was. The teams met in the third game of the season, on Dec. 7. It was 11-1 Dominguez's only loss, and the Dons have won nine straight games and two national tournaments since then.

But here is Taft rolling up Dominguez like last week's newspaper. The Toreadors scored the game's first 16 points and have opened a 45-21 halftime lead.

To The Rack, indeed.

-- Mike Terry

Poly girls' basketball heats up in wintry world

The night is frosty. The earth is snow-caked. But Poly is sizzling in the winter wonderworld of Minneapolis. The No. 1-ranked Jackrabbits iced St. Paul Central, 66-51, in a nonleague game Saturday at the NBA crib of the Timberwolves, the Target Center. Jasmine Dixon had 14 points and 14 rebounds and April Cook also scored 14 for Poly (9-1).

"It's about 20 degrees right now," Poly Coach Carl Buggs said. "We were expecting it to be worse, about five or eight degrees. But it hasn't been that cold."

Tomorrow, Buggs and his team will jet home, concluding a preseason schedule that crammed in treks to Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Minnesota. "Yeah, we've done our USA tour," Buggs said. "It's been a great experience but it's also taking a toll on the body."

Well, the body better recover fast as Poly kicks off league against Millikan (10-2) on Monday.

-- Anthony Stitt

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Brea Olinda seals the deal on a special night

It's a good night for Brea Olinda girls' basketball as the Ladycats defeated Hanford, 77-60.

Brea led by as many as 25 points, 33-8, but Hanford (12-4) scratched back to within 10 points with 14 seconds left in the third quarter, and was down 58-48 in the opening seconds of the fourth. Then Kelsey Harris scored seven of her 18 points to help push the lead back to 21.

Jonae Ervin had 19 points and nine assists, Justine Hartman finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Kendall Rodriguez had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Ladycats.

Familiarity breeds, well, you know

I saw Fremont lose more than a basketball game, 65-52, to Compton on Saturday at the To The Rack Showcase at Pepperdine.

I watched the Pathfinders unravel. In squandering a 32-26 halftime lead, two Fremont players -- Tony Price and Tony Freeland -- got technicals.

Freeland was also ejected for taking a swing at a Compton player in the third quarter. He will have to sit out the Pathfinders' Coliseum League game against Jefferson on Wednesday.

"I didn't want to play Compton because we've played them too much," Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan said.
"Three times in the summer. Once again last week (at the MaxPreps tournament). It was ridiculous."

-- Mike Terry

Harvard-Westlake entering Mission League play confident

Harvard-Westlake's boys' soccer team has been playing with a lot of poise this season and there's two key reasons behind the Wolverines' 9-3-2 start:

• Senior Chris Okano has offered the Wolverines more than just a boost in the scoring department. Okano's ability to seamlessly switch from midfielder to forward has made him the team's most valuable single asset. He has a team-leading 12 goals and has helped alleviate the scoring issues the Wolverines had last year. "He's just a smart player and he's got a great shot from the outside," Harvard-Westlake Coach Freddy Arroyo said.

• The Wolverines' senior-laden defensive unit has played a tremendous role in pushing the team to five shutout victories, including Saturday's 4-0 triumph over Campbell Hall in the finals of the Viking Soccer Classic (they also won this tourney last year). Senior fullbacks Halim Daniel, Andy Firestone, Charlie Hartwick and Matt Edwards are very talented defenders who have given the team "a tremendous amount of confidence," according to Arroyo.

This is why Harvard-Westlake believes it has a legitimate shot at challenging Mission League bigwigs Loyola and St. Francis for the league title. The Wolverines know everything will have to be working just right in the soccer machine to take on these two Southern Section titans, but don't be surprised if the Wolverines become more than just an upset-maker.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Ladycats in control, maybe for a long time

I don't think Brea Olinda is going to ruin this night in which it honors its greatest Ladycats.

Brea scored the first 10 points and opened a 25-2 lead in the first six minutes.

It's 45-27 at halftime.

Freshman Justine Hartman scored 11 points and had nine rebounds in the first half, sophomore Kelsey Harris scored nine in the first quarter.

Brea's pretty good, and the only senior on the team, Lauren Bell, is hurt. Brea will be pretty good next year, too.

-- Martin Henderson

Brea Olinda retires Pohlen's jersey

Brea Olinda put together a terrific pregame program tonight to retire Jeanette Pohlen's jersey. Eight of the nine Ladycats who have their numbers retired were on hand, the exception being Nicole Erickson, Later, I'll fill you in on what they are doing today.

By the time Pohlen, introduced last, had made her trip around the gym in a golf cart, she had tears in her eyes.

Mark Trakh, who began the Ladycat dynasty, told a good story about Erickson playing for Duke -- against Tennessee in the NCAA quarterfinals. Pat Summitt was reading the riot act to an official, Trakh explained, when Erickson went over to that same official and said, "You're not going to let her push you around like that, are you? You're supposed to be in charge."

I keep hearing...

That Fremont is the fourth or fifth best team in City. Fourth if the Pathfinders can run the table in the Coliseum League.

But as Fremont battles Compton in Saturday's one-day tournament at Pepperdine, one thing gives me pause.

Fremont only has a nine-player roster.

I wonder how heavy the legs and lungs will be come playoff time?

-- Mike Terry

Young guns pushing Grace Brethren back to respectibility

After last year's winless campaign, it's great to see Grace Brethren's girls' basketball team is off to a 7-0 start with a tournament title under its belt. I realize the Lancers haven't faced the toughest of competition, but at least they're making some headway under first-year Coach Walter Wolf.

And they're doing it with two freshmen leading the way. Kassy Dunn is averaging a team-best 17 ppg and Taylor Kaloi is averaging more than eight points and five rebounds. Both are at the front of a Lancer youth movement that could make this team a Frontier League title contender in the years to come.

Unfortunately, I don't think the Lancers are polished enough to say they'll challenge the likes of Carpinteria and La Reina this season. Tuesday's game against Malibu will present a challenge, especially when you consider they'll enter the contest not having played a game in 26 days. Still, I like their chances in this one and it could mark the first real step toward regaining the swagger that made the Lancers a Delphic League co-champion back in 2006.

-- Austin Knoblauch