First published in the Dec. 1 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
The St. Francis High School varsity boys’ basketball team defeated Bishop Amat High of La Puente, 66-47, in the championship game of the San Gabriel Thanksgiving Feast tournament’s Orange Division on Saturday. SFHS swept tournament play and won its fifth straight game while improving to 7-1 overall.
Junior Greg Gazarian led the team with 21 points while adding two steals, two rebounds and one assist. Senior captain Jackson Mosley racked up 18 points, four boards, two steals and two assists, while senior captain Luke McGrath recorded 10 points, including three field goals behind the arc. Senior George Tupy finished with nine points, five rebounds and two assists, while senior Brandin Dantzler registered five points, seven boards, three steals and three assists. Sophomore Joe Hickey tallied two points, seven rebounds, one block and one assist, junior Chris Kalachian had two points, two rebounds and one steal, and senior Kj Fulgencio collected two steals and one assist.
The Golden Knights defeated La Serna High of Whittier, 53-37, in a tournament game on Friday, as Tupy led with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Mosley amassed 13 points, nine boards, four steals and four assists, while McGrath racked up 11 points, including three 3-pointers, with four rebounds, one steal and one assist. Hickey registered six points, four boards, three assists and one steal, Fulgencio sank a 3-pointer and added a rebound, and junior Ethan Childs drained a field goal behind the arc. Dantzler finished with one point, nine boards, four assists and one steal, while Kalachian had one assist.
St. Francis dominated Gahr High of Cerritos, 61-32, in a tournament game last Tuesday. Mosley led the team with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, and added two assists, one steal and one rebound, while Tupy racked up 17 points, four boards, two blocks and one steal. McGrath tallied nine points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal, junior Kennedy Mitchell-Egbo registered six points and 10 boards, and Gazarian had six points and two rebounds. Childs sank a 3-pointer with three boards, three assists and one steal, Fulgencio produced three steals, two points and one rebound, and Kalachian posted four boards and one assist. Sophomore Maddox Freeman had one steal, while junior Alessio Calderon finished with one rebound.
The Golden Knights opened the San Gabriel tournament by routing Pomona, 71-22, last Monday. Mitchell-Egbo amassed 18 points, including going 2-for-2 from behind the arc, with six rebounds, three blocks, three steals and one assist, Tupy poured in 13 points with two steals.
St. Francis opened the regular season by competing in the Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School Tournament in Montebello, finishing with a 3-1 record.
The Golden Knights ended tournament play by defeating Simi Valley, 74-65, on Nov. 19. Jackson Mosley led the team with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal, Tupy racked up 24 points, nine boards and four assists, and Hickey registered a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Fulgencio scored seven points, while McGrath tallied four points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Mitchell-Egbo added two points, three rebounds and one block, while Childs had three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal.
SFHS was edged by Village Christian High of Sun Valley, 64-63, in a tournament game on Nov. 18. Mosley led the team with 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal, while Tupy poured in 19 points with seven boards and two assists.
The Golden Knights previously opened the regular season and tournament action by dominating Whittier, 56-27. Tupy led the team with 15 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal, Hickey racked up 10 points, four boards, two blocks and one steal, and Mosley registered nine points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.
St. Francis will battle Half Moon Bay High in its Burlingame High tournament opener in Palo Alto on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
The Wolves were edged by Eastside High of Lancaster, 48-47, in their San Gabriel Thanksgiving Feat Tournament finale on Saturday.
Junior Henry Morrison led the team with 13 points while going 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. Senior Andrew Jordan tallied nine points, while junior Steven Ng registered eight points, including a pair of field goals behind the arc. Senior Caleb Bowne drained a pair of 3-pointers, senior Geoffrey Stetson scored six points, and junior Will Bigby finished with five points, including one 3-pointer.
Flintridge Prep defeated Quartz Hill, 64-44, to collect its third win of tournament play on Friday, as Jordan racked up a team-high 17 points with four 3-pointers. Senior Chris Fung registered 11 points, while Morrison and Bowne each contributed nine points. Bigby and senior Theo Kuo each added five points, while Ng sunk a 3-pointer.
The Wolves picked up their second straight victory by defeating Salesian High of Los Angeles, 57-44, in a tournament game last Wednesday. Jordan led with 18 points, including four field goals from behind the arc, while Bigby amassed 16 points with three 3-pointers. Ng sunk three field goals behind the arc, senior Marvin Furuta and Stetson each scored six points, and Bowne finished with two points.
Flintridge Prep opened the San Gabriel tournament with a victory over Hoover High of Glendale, 60-44, last Monday. Stetson led with 18 points, while Jordan racked up 15 points. Bowne and Fung each registered seven points, while Ng drained a pair of threes. Bigby finished with three points, while Furuta and freshman Owen Willingham each had two points.
The Wolves opened the regular season by competing in the Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School tournament in Montebello, finishing with a 2-2 record.
Flintridge Prep lost its tournament finale against Los Osos High of Rancho Cucamonga, 53-48. Stetson led the team with 12 points, while Jordan and Ng each scored eight points.
Fung posted seven points, senior Kuo tallied four points, and Bowne, Furuta and senior Jack Jones each drained a 3-pointer.
Flintridge Prep defeated Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta, 69-51. Bowne led the team with 27 points, including six 3-pointers, while Stetson racked up 20 points. Bigby registered seven points, while Jordan scored four points. Furuta, Ng and Jones each had three points, while Willingham added two points.
The Wolves lost a tournament game against Bishop Montgomery High of Torrance, 74-42. Stetson led with 11 points, while Bowne and Bigby scored eight and seven points, respectively. Ng and Morrison each tallied six points, while Kuo had four points.
Flintridge Prep previously opened the regular season and tournament action by defeating Cajon High of San Bernardino, 59-51. Furuta led the team with 13 points, while Bigby and Bowne each poured in 11 points. Morrison scored nine points, Jordan tallied five points, and Stetson and Kuo each registered four points. Jones had three points, while Fung added two points.
The Wolves (5-3 overall) will visit St. Bonaventure High in Ventura for a nonleague game on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., before opening Prep League action against visiting Palos Verdes Chadwick on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m.
POLY
Poly previously opened the regular season with a pair of home nonleague wins over Bassett High of La Puente, 52-31, and St. Monica Academy of Montrose, 79-49.
Last year’s 14-7 overall Panthers were led to two easy wins by senior Justin Odibo, the 2021 Prep League MVP, and junior Justin Wang.
Poly (2-0 overall) will finish competing in the Burroughs High tournament this week before hosting the 54th annual Poly Invitational, which starts on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
LA SALLE
The Lancers had their two-game win streak snapped after losing a nonleague game at Hart High in Newhall, 76-41, last Tuesday.
Freshman Emmitt Claiborne racked up 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while senior Dingkun Chen poured in 11 points with six boards and two assists. Junior Ryan Hajjar registered six points, three steals and one rebound, sophomore Gio Guardado finished with four points, one steal and one board, and junior Isaiah Carrillo drained a 3-pointer and posted a rebound. Junior Jonah Thaxton produced two points, five boards and two steals, while freshman Omar Gonzalez had two points and two rebounds. Sophomore Anthony Gibbs collected a pair of boards, while junior Athan Darlas had one block.
La Salle won its second nonleague game in as many days after defeating visiting Castaic, 63-53, on Nov. 17. Hajjar amassed 26 points, including four 3-pointers, with eight rebounds, three assists and one block. Chen racked up a double-double with 18 points, 10 boards and one steal, Gonzalez poured in 13 points with six assists and two rebounds, and Claiborne registered six points, nine boards, three assists and two steals. Thaxton had four rebounds, two steals and one assist, Guardado collected one board, and Gibbs and Carrillo each had one steal.
The Lancers picked up their first win of the campaign after edging visiting St. Genevieve High of Panorama City, 57-55, in a nonleague game. Hajjar amassed 25 points, including five 3-pointers, with two blocks, two steals, two assists and one rebound. Claiborne racked up 15 points, including three field goals behind the arc, with five boards and one block, while Gonzalez poured in 12 points with four steals and four assists. Gibbs recorded four points and three rebounds, while Thaxton finished with one point, three boards, one block and one assist. Chen collected three assists, one block and one rebound, Carrillo finished with a pair of boards, and junior John Khalaf and Guardado each had one block.
La Salle previously lost its nonleague season opener against visiting Gabrielino High of San Gabriel, 69-60, as Hajjar led the team with 20 points, six rebounds, one steal and one assist. Gonzalez racked up 14 points, five boards and two steals, Claiborne poured in 13 points with five rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Carrillo finished with six points, three boards and one block. Chen registered three points, six assists, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal, while Thaxton tallied two points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Guardado made a two-point field goal, while Gibbs posted two rebounds and one assist.
Following the conclusion of the San Dimas tournament this week, the Lancers (2-2 overall) will host Palm Desert in a nonleague game on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
MARANATHA
The Minutemen opened the regular season by competing in the Paul Sutton Tip-Off Classic, finishing tournament play with a 65-57 victory over Oak Park on Nov. 19.
Maranatha lost to West Ranch of Valencia, 55-41, on Nov. 18, and defeated Providence High of Burbank, 63-52, on Nov. 16. The Minutemen previously opened the tournament with a 77-69 victory over Oakwood High of North Hollywood. Individual statistics were not reported to the Pasadena Outlook.
Maranatha (3-1 overall) is competing in the Rose City Classic, which concludes on Saturday, Dec. 3.
