Boys’ basketball: Harvard-Westlake making progress

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It seems as if every season, I go the first week to watch North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake play in a basketball team against a good team. And they usually lose. I’m not good luck for the Wolverines during the opening week.

Sure enough, they lost on Wednesday to Compton, 70-69. But the Wolverines usually recover nicely and go on to win or challenge for a Southern Section championship. This season, they’re going to win another because their big men are tougher, stronger and more physical than ever.

They came backThursday to rout Redondo, 58-35, with Erik Swoope scoring 16 points. Understand, Harvard-Westlake almost knocked off Compton without three of its top players who are injured. Austin Kelly should be back in a couple of weeks from a knee scope. Nicky Firestone has a shoulder injury from football that should keep him sidelined until late December. And Josh Hearlihy could be cleared soon after a back injury.

It all means the Wolverines will be very good this season. They just don’t play well when I show up in the first week.

-- Eric Sondheimer