Boys’ basketball: Crespi shows it will be Mission League contender

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At the Santa Ana Mater Dei tournament this past weekend, one of the surprise teams was Encino Crespi. Playing for the first time without graduated point guard London Perrantes (off to Virginia), the Celts defeated St. John Bosco, lost to Orange Lutheran by three points, defeated Etiwanda and lost to Mater Dei, 65-63.

Sophomore Max Heidegger averaged 28 points a game. Junior Mike Krkeyan took over at point guard and had just seven turnovers in four games, according to Coach Russell White. And the Celts have another top offensive player in D.J. Ursery, who had 15 points in one game before being sidelined with shin splints.

Once again, the Celts don’t have a whole lot of size but they can shoot and cause trouble, which means Loyola, Chaminade and Harvard-Westlake had better beware.

Also, El Camino Real from the City Section went 3-1 in the tournament with new Coach Joe Wyatt. The Conquistadores play Crespi and Loyola on Friday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Crespi tournament.

-- Eric Sondheimer