Boys' basketball: All eyes are on Coach Derrick Taylor

The warm-up is over. It's time to see what second-year Coach Derrick Taylor of Bellflower St. John Bosco has come up with after a month of games and practices.

The Braves are 8-1 but they're facing a gauntlet of tough games ahead, starting with a Trinity League opener on Wednesday night against Orange Lutheran.

Next week, they get No. 1-ranked Santa Ana Mater Dei at home on a Wednesday night, then No. 2 Torrance Bishop Montgomery at home on a Saturday night.

Tyler Dorsey, a transfer from Ribet, has had a month to get to know the Hamilton brothers, Isaac and Daniel. Darien Williams, a transfer from Orange Lutheran, gets to face his former teammates.

Still ahead are games against Long Beach Poly and Loyola, not to mention other tough foes in the Trinity League.

During his days coaching at Taft, Taylor was known for getting his team to play well in big City Section games.

This week will be the start of a very challenging but exciting time for the Braves.

-- Eric Sondheimer