High school teams prepare for Bay League title runs

Zekiah LoVett will lead Redondo in its quest for a sixth-straight Bay League championship. Photo

After completing demanding tournament and non-league competitions, local high school teams begin their quests for Bay League titles for the 2017-18 winter season.

Boys Basketball

Redondo entered 2018 with an 8-6 record after facing elite teams in a variety of tournaments and is looking to win its sixth consecutive Bay League crown. At the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. in mid-December, the Sea Hawks lost to Durango (Nev.) 68-56, defeated Carver (Ala.) 66-64 in overtime, was edged by Timpview (Utah) 59-56 then beat Eas (Utah) 73-51.

After Christmas, Redondo competed in The Classic hosted by Damien High School defeating San Marcos 78-73, losing to Rancho Christian 79-59 the beating Seattle Prep 54-50 and Leuzinger 87-56.

Redondo will play St, Bernard in a 7 p.m. game Friday at the Take Flight Challenge at Cerritos College then take on Rolling Hills Prep at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Westchester Classic.

The Sea Hawks begin their run for a Bay League title Tuesday hosting Morningside at 7:30 p.m.

Mira Costa (6-8) is coming off a second-place finish in the Mayor’s Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. The Mustangs opened with a 61-51 victory against Rancho Buena Vista, defeated host Sage Creek 69-50, held off St. Genevieve 54-48 then fell to champion Sonora 62-53.

Mira Costa begins Bay League competition Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. road game at Peninsula.

Girls Basketball

Redondo’s girls basketball team (5-3) won the Ruby Division at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, routing Coronado (Nev.) 55-11, edging St. Joseph 50-48, defeating Red Mountain (Ariz.) 59-43 then beating Prestonwood Christian (Tex.) 53-39 in the championship game.

The Sea Hawks throttled Legacy 66-25 and Mission Oak 61-27 at the Legacy Winter Basketball Festival Tuesday and Wednesday and will play Independence of Bakersfield at the Matt Denning Hoops Classic at Mater Dei High School at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Redondo opens Bay League action Tuesday hosting Morningside in a 6 p.m. contest.

Mira Costa (6-7) played in the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic where the Mustangs lost to La Costa Canyon 61-54 before defeating Yosemite 45-43 and Douglas (Nev.) 55-49. Mira Costa then fell to North Torrance 53-47.

The Mustangs begin Bay League competition Tuesday with a 6 p.m. home game against Peninsula.

Mira Costa junior midfielder Emma Binks was an all-tournament selection at the South Holiday Classic. Photo

Girls Soccer

Mira Costa girls soccer team placed third at South Holiday Tournament with an impressive performance, losing only to runner-up Marymount who lost to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 2-1 in the championship game. Mira Costa won Pool A without allowing a goal, defeating Cantwell Sacred Heart 9-0 and Notre Dame Academy 7-0. In the championship bracket, the Mustangs defeated Granada Hills 1-0, fell to Marymount 2-1 before beating West 1-0 in the third-place game. Mira Costa players named to the All-Tournament Team were junior midfielder Emma Binks and senior defender Jamie Averch. Mira Costa will begin Bay League action with a 9-1 record, playing at Peninsula Tuesday in a 3 p.m. contest.

In the 9th-place game at the South Holiday Classic, Redondo tied Santa Monica 0-0 but lost on penalty kicks 3-1. In Pool E, Redondo defeated Torrance 3-0 but lost to Ventura 4-3 on penalty kicks, dropping the Sea Hawks into the Consolation Bracket where they beat El Segundo 4-0 and Palos Verdes 3-2 before losing to Santa Monica.

The Sea Hawk’s junior varsity team placed second losing to Palos Verdes 3-0 in the championships game. Mira Costa finished third with a 2-1 win against South Torrance.

Tied North 2-2 in a non-league game on Thursday, Dec. 28.

Redondo’s varsity squad (3-2-2) shutout South 4-0 Wednesday and will host West on Monday before beginning its run for a Bay League crown Tuesday with a road game at Morningside.

Boys Soccer

In the South Holiday Tournament, Mira Costa (5-2-2) beat Lynwood 2-0, lost to eventual champion Santa Barbara 1-0 then tied Hawthorne 3-3 but lost on penalty kicks 5-4.

Mira Costa will host Lawndale in a non-league game Friday at 6 p.m. before beginning Bay League action Tuesday at Peninsula in a 3 p.m. contest.

Redondo (3-7) lost to San Pedro 3-2, Lawndale 2-1 and Narbonne 1-0 in the South Holiday Classic.

The Sea Hawks will play a non-league game at Torrance Friday at 3 p.m. before entering Bay League competition Tuesday with a 3 p.m. home game against Morningside on Tuesday.

Redondo’s Klara Goldstein takes aim during a 15-7 win against El Segundo. Photo

Girls Water Polo

Redondo (8-2) dropped only its second game of the season Tuesday surrendering five fourth-quarter goals in a 12-11 loss to visiting Temple City. Coach Shelby Haroldson’s Sea Hawk squad will play at La Serna Friday, host West Monday then begin Bay League action Wednesday with a road game at Peninsula. All games are slated to begin at 3 p.m.

Mira Costa (2-6) is coming off a demanding non-league schedule and will begin its run for a Bay League championship Thursday with a game at rival Palos Verdes. The Mustangs continue league action Monday with a 3 p.m. home game against Peninsula.

Wrestling

Mira Costa’s boys wrestling team had two 8th-place finishers at the highly-competitive Tournament of Champions held at Cerritos College last Friday and Saturday.

Seniors Will Curtis (145 pounds) and Joseph Smith (182) each finished eighth to lead the Mustangs.

“It was one of the toughest tournaments I’ve seen in any year,” Mira Costa head coach Jimmy Chaney stated. “This year it was stacked with more state-ranked teams and kids than I’ve ever seen.”

Also advancing to the second day of competition were Mira Costa’s Daniel Beniflah, George Mitelburg, Hanul Kim and Tyler Gordon.

Torrance High School’s Tony DaCosta turned in a stellar performance, winning the heavyweight division for the second straight year. The senior is ranked No. 5 in the state.

Mira Costa will compete in the Juan Enriquez Memorial tournament at john Glenn High School on Friday and Saturday.

Mira Costa’s girls team placed fifth in the 40-team Tournament of Champions at Cerritos and was led by Sasha Medvidovic, who won the 150-pound division and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Upper Weight wrestler.

The Mustangs also had strong performances by sophomore Cali Sheldon (2nd, 106 lbs.), junior Viviana Ramirez (3rd, 189), freshman Haley Barton (7th, 101) and sophomore Orquedes Ordonez (7th, 160).

The Lady Mustangs will compete in the Millikan Invitational Tournament on Friday.

Comments:

comments so far. Comments posted to EasyReaderNews.com may be reprinted in the Easy Reader print edition, which is published each Thursday.