Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The big games in high school basketball this month are really big, starting with Friday’s Mission League showdown between Harvard-Westlake and host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Big-time matchup
Junior Tyran Stokes of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
(Nick Koza)
Finally two USA national team gold medal winners lock up in high school basketball when Harvard-Westlake, led by Nikolas Khamenia, takes on host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, led by Tyran Stokes, on Friday night at Notre Dame. The first challenge will be getting a ticket. A limited number of tickets for the general public should be made available Tuesday via GoFan.
The Duke-bound Khamenia won gold medals for the U18 national team and 3-on-3 national team. Stokes won a gold medal for the U16 national team.
Harvard-Westlake is 20-1 and the two-time defending state champions. Notre Dame is 17-3 and the two-time defending Southern Section Division 1 champions.
Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo said this one of the most athletic Notre Dame teams he has seen. The big question is whether Notre Dame guard Lino Mark will play. He has missed all of January with an injury.
Both teams are seeking the No. 1 seed for the Mission League tournament but will also have to get past Sierra Canyon (15-3) in league games ahead. Here’s an overview on the league.
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Boys basketball
Devin Moody of Manual Arts had games of 64 and 48 points this past week.
(Manual Arts)
Senior guard Devin Moody of Manual Arts made history, breaking the school record for most points in a game with 64 points in win over Rivera, then scoring 48 points in his next game. The old record was 63 points by Freeman Williams. Moody is averaging more than 30 points a game.
It was a big week for Redondo Union and senior guard Brayden Miner. The Sea Hawks helped established themselves as an Open Division playoff team with wins over Mira Costa and Los Alamitos. Miner, the son of former USC and NBA dunk champion Harold Miner, had 18 and 24 points.
Pepperdine-bound Anto Balian of Pilibos put on a show on Saturday night in beating Chatsworth and Alijah Arenas. He had 34 points. pic.twitter.com/TXvXUkjnch
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 20, 2025
Pilibos, which has a win over Crespi, routed City Section Open Division favorite Chatsworth behind Pepperdine commit Anto Balian, who scored 34 points.
Gold Coast League teams Brentwood, Windward, Crossroads, Viewpoint and Campbell Hall finally resume league play this week.
Venice picked up a win over Washington Prep that could help the Gondoliers become a City Section Open Division playoff team. Westchester plays Palisades on Wednesday at St. Monica in an important Western League game.
Camarillo improved to 21-1. AGBU is 17-2. Irvine is 19-2. All are having terrific seasons but could be placed in tough playoff divisions because of the Southern Section relying on new computer rankings.
Here’s The Times’ top 25 rankings.
Girls basketball
Ayla Teegardin and the Dolphins beat league rival Fairfax 75-42 on Wednesday. She lost her home in the Palisades fire.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times
)
A light blue poster with the words “We’re Here for You” between a drawing of two Dolphins hung on the wall of the Fairfax High gym Wednesday afternoon. Another sign read: “Let’s go Pali!”
Fairfax teams are nicknamed the Lions, but on this day home fans were rooting almost as hard for the visitors.
Despite playing on the opponents’ floor, something it will have to get used to for the time being, the Palisades High girls’ basketball team returned to the court for its first action since a fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades community eight days earlier. Here’s the report.
Brentwood also returned to action, playing two games in one day on Saturday. Here’s the report.
Here’s the latest Southern Section rankings.
Brandon Benjamin stars
Brandon Benjamin of Anaheim Canyon is averaging nearly 31 points a game.
(Steve Galluzzo )
Watching Anaheim Canyon’s 6-foot-5 senior Brandon Benjamin score, rebound, pass and continuously make a difference on a basketball court against everyone and anyone brings back memories of Jaime Jaquez Jr., who looks like his twin.
“I like the comparison,” coach Nathan Harrison said.
Jaquez used to deploy many different skills during his days at Camarillo High. Some wondered if they would translate at a higher level. Well, they did, first at UCLA and now with the Miami Heat.
The same will be said one day of Benjamin, who’s averaging 30.7 points and is committed to San Diego. He became Canyon’s all-time scoring leader Saturday after scoring 40 points against Inglewood.
Here’s a profile of Benjamin.
Boys soccer
El Camino Real goalie Anthony Salmeron (1) and teammate Jonathan Rabinovitch (10) shake hands with Birmingham players after 3-0 win.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
On a windless, cloudless Wednesday night in Woodland Hills, after a week of disruptions from nearby fires and poor air quality limited practices and canceled games, the two best soccer teams in the City Section, El Camino Real and Birmingham, finally got to renew their storied rivalry.
It was all El Camino Real in a 3-0 victory that gives the Royals (9-1) bragging rights as the best in the City Section. Birmingham dropped to 13-2.
Here’s the report.
Nathan Garcia of Carson has 19 goals in 12 games. He had three goals in win over Rancho Dominguez.
JSerra moved to No. 1 in the Southern Section rankings after its 4-0 win over previously unbeaten Mater Dei. Mira Costa is a close second with a 17-1 record.
Bishop Amat handed Cathedral a defeat in Del Rey League soccer and is 3-0 in league.
Girls soccer
Oaks Christian continues to make progress as one of the best girls teams with a 14-0-1 record. In a 1-0 win over Westlake, Charlotte Ward delivered the game-winning goal.
El Camino Real received two goals from Esme Lopez in a 2-0 win over Chatsworth.
San Pedro senior Mariyah Bumgarner has committed to Grambling State. She’s a former Marine League MVP.
Hart High seniors Gianna Costello (left) and Mia Rodriguez are committed to UC Irvine.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Soccer is the ultimate team sport and Hart High’s Gianna Costello and Mia Rodriguez are the ultimate team players.
The two UC Irvine commits and best friends from Newhall have the Hawks poised for a deep run in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Their paths to the NCAA level have been similar — and they have gone through much of the journey together.
Here’s a report on the Hart duo.
In the latest soccer rankings, Santa Margarita is No. 1 but the Eagles were tied by Mater Dei last week.
CIF to waive transfer rule
With so many families devastated by fires in Southern California, the CIF is waiving transfer rules for those affected by being displaced or losing their homes.
There will be a form available to schools to fill out to expedite transfer eligibility.
Here’s the link to information about the CIF decision.
The CIF has also temporarily suspended the rule banning competitions on Sundays to allow teams affected by the fires to play on Sundays if needed to finish their seasons.
The City Section has extended the regular season by a week for basketball and soccer and won’t start playoffs until Feb. 19.
City Section changes
Two months after four Marine League coaches united to have their schools forfeit football games to Narbonne in protest of alleged rule violations, the City Section is proposing penalties to schools for forfeiting league games.
The first reading of the proposal will be held this month by the City Section Executive Committee and Board of Managers. It includes possible exclusion from the postseason for schools forfeiting as a first offense. The City Section recognizes reasons for forfeiting, such as lack of players or overscheduling. But what the coaches did left the City Section with no options on how to respond.
There’s also other proposals, such as a new football mercy rule that would initiate a running clock after halftime with a 42-point margin and a proposal to add a Division IV football playoff division. Here’s the report.
Baseball
Corona’s outstanding infielders: Second baseman Trey Ebel (left), shortstop Billy Carlson, third baseman Brady Ebel.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Some 58 teams participated in the MLK tournament put together by JSerra baseball coach Brett Kay.
Pro baseball scouts sure liked it, because some 40 of them showed up Saturday morning to watch Corona vs. Oaks Christian. Corona has several potential first-round draft choices. Here’s a look at the Panthers’ impressive infield.
One pitcher who has been impressive this winter has been 6-foot-4 Luke Berenson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. He threw three scoreless innings against Servite on Saturday. He’s committed to Boston College.
The Boras Classic begins March 25 and includes the likely top two baseball teams in Southern California, Corona and Huntington Beach. Here’s the link to the bracket.
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Notes . . .
The All-Southern Section football teams were released, with Jordon Davison and Nasir Wyatt of Mater Dei receiving the top awards in Division 1. One glaring issue: There were nine quarterbacks honored in Division 2. That’s not exactly an all-star team. Here’s the complete All-CIF teams. . . .
CalPreps is now hsratings.com and will be used by the Southern Section for football rankings in the fall. . . .
Jose Calzadilla is the new football coach at Burbank Burroughs. . . .
Mitch Olson is the new football coach at Fountain Valley. He was previously head coach at La Palma Kennedy and Loara. . . .
Brett Brown has resigned as football coach at Huntington Beach after nine seasons. The Oilers are where Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds plays quarterback. . . .
David Prieto is out as football coach at Buena Park. . . .
Connor McBride is the new football coach at Woodbridge. . . .
Former Campbell Hall head coach Dennis Keyes is the new defensive coordinator at Chaminade. . . .
Andrew Cedergren is the new football coach at Sonora. . . .
Carson Palmer has made big hires at Santa Margarita. His former USC teammate, Lenny Vandermade, has left St. Ignatius to become the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Santa Margarita. Also interim coach Steve Fifita will remain and be the defensive coordinator. . . .
For the third straight season, Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura has been named the Gatorade state player of the year in cross country. . .
Hart running back Zach Rogozik has committed to Cal Lutheran. . . .
Defensive back Marcellous Ryan of Gardena Serra has committed to North Carolina. . . .
Johan Acu is the new softball coach at Esperanza. . . .
Los Angeles Unified School District approved Downtown Business Magnet to charge $5 for parking at the Competitive Cheer championships as fundraiser. Now that LAUSD is allowing schools to charge for parking for events, a bad precedent. Citizen tax dollars paid for the schools.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 18, 2025
Another week and more football transfers, the biggest of which was JSerra quarterback Ryan Hopkins moving to Mater Dei. Here’s the link for the transfer tracker. . . .
Offensive lineman Malik White, a junior who played for Rancho Cucamonga last season, has committed to San Diego State. . . .
Orange Lutheran 6-foot-8 junior pitcher Gary Morse has committed to Tennessee.
From the archives: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat returned to Camarillo High on Tuesday for his jersey retirement ceremony.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Fireworks went off in the Camarillo gym as Jaime Jaquez Jr. returned to have his No. 24 jersey number retired Tuesday.
It was a family affair, with his sister, brother and parents there.
Here’s a story from 2018 on his vision ahead.
Recommendations
From Purpleinsider, a story on former San Clemente and USC quarterback Sam Darnold.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how former Mater Dei and UCLA defensive back Quentin Lake became captain of the Rams.
From the Daily Bulletin, a story on standout guard Aaron Glass from Rancho Cucamonga.
Tweets you might have missed
LiAngelo Ball has signed an $8 million record deal with Def Jam after dropping his song ‘Tweaker.’
The deal, which could reach $13 million, gives Ball full ownership of music and his own record label, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/7KvrI2A3AN
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 13, 2025
The No. 1 high school baseball team in America, Corona Panthers. They are playing at 8:30 am Saturday at home vs. Oaks Christian. Seth Hernandez will be pitching an inning. The scouts will be out en masse. pic.twitter.com/QMT2Fg9sg4
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 13, 2025
Awesome community practice at Brentwood. Three schools severely impacted by the fires back in the gym working out. Palisades, Viewpoint and Brentwood! Everyone in good spirits enjoying being back. Thank you to our wonderful admin who allowed this to take place! pic.twitter.com/6NwBHUJmJK
— Charles Solomon (@CoachSolomon2) January 14, 2025
It’s so remarkable when you interview people in high school, then again when they reach the highest level in sports and discover they haven’t changed much. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is one such person. He’s telling people from 805 whenever they see him, come say hello.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 15, 2025
Big things happening with CSUN baseball. The field will be named after former coach Bob Hiegert. Newly installed lights will be turned on. New video board. pic.twitter.com/99H8VfZ4Xb
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 17, 2025
Several local representatives will participate in the high school girls flag football showcase played prior to the Pro Bowl in Orlando. Orange Lutheran’s Kristen Sherman is head coach for one team. https://t.co/IYYxXnDT5o
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 17, 2025
I need to hang around for the next generation of Clausen quarterbacks. Second graders Casey Jr. and Jett. Sons of Casey and Jimmy. Flag football. pic.twitter.com/CZDT0VcjJm
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 18, 2025
Emotional morning and incredible turnout at Cabrillo to honor boys’ soccer player Brian Guzman who passed away during a game on Friday.
Families and teams from all over the city came to pay their respects support each other. pic.twitter.com/YxtwZSAuI1
— The562.org (@562sports) January 18, 2025
December 13th 2020:
Pistons waive LiAngelo Ball
January 18th 2025:
LiAngelo Ball gets ready to perform Tweaker at a Lions playoff game pic.twitter.com/KGNL1FQn1G
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 18, 2025
Lonzo on playing LaMelo & the Hornets:
“Be a lot better if we won. Hard fought game; always a treat playing against (LaMelo). Definitely bigger than most games for me; he is my little brother and you see the growth. It is amazing.”
📰 | @SamSmithHoops game recap:
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 18, 2025
Harvard-Westlake is committed to starting girls flag football in 2026 when its new athletic facilities at River Park open. That will also be the year Zoey Thompson, the younger sister of soccer stars Alyssa and Gisele, arrives as a freshman. If she plays, watch out.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 19, 2025
Until next time…
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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