Boys’ basketball: Some great games set for next weekend
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
High school basketball can’t get much better than the championship games set for next Saturday, and they’re so good it’s difficult to predict who’s going to win.
Yes, Santa Ana Mater Dei might be considered the heavy favorite in the 6:30 p.m. Southern Section Division 1AA final at the Honda Center, but if the Monarchs take Etiwanda lightly, they’ll lose. The Eagles, under Coach Dave Kleckner, act as if they wouldn’t be scared playing man-to-man defense against the Lakers after knocking off Long Beach Poly and Corona Centennial in their last two games.
In fact, they match up quite well with Mater Dei. They have a week to prepare, and junior USC commit Byron Wesley has emerged as a player of the year candidate. It will be a lot closer than people think.
As for Westchester-Taft at 8 p.m. at the Galen Center, good luck figuring out who wins this one. The talent on the court will be the best in Southern California as a group. Both teams are peaking. Both coaches are tested, smart and will be well prepared.
The big question is can Taft’s young guards compete evenly with Westchester’s experienced guards? When the going gets tough, Westchester’s guards come through in the clutch and usually make good decisions. Both teams’ big men have improved. It has all the makings of a classic.
The other terrific game is the Division 3A final between Gardena Serra and Compton Centennial. I never thought Centennial could beat a healthy Harvard-Westlake, but the Apaches pulled it off because their guards are outstanding. Serra has been tough to beat all season, led by Keith Shamburger & Co. Let’s hope this game doesn’t get played at 9 a.m. because it deserves to be a spotlight game.
-- Eric Sondheimer