Hello, and welcome to a different version of Prep Rally. My title is Eric Sondheimer. There’s one unique membership that you just solely get into relying in your genes. That’s the 7-foot membership. In Southern California, there’s solely been a handful of 7-foot basketball gamers via the final 50 years, making this season nearly a tsunami of 7-footers with three taking part in and a fourth ready.
7-footers within the highlight
There have been a choose group of highschool gamers make the 7-foot membership throughout highschool. You must begin with Paul Mokeski of Encino Crespi in 1975, adopted by Stuart Grey of Granada Hills Kennedy, a McDonald’s All-American in 1981. There was Brad Wright from Los Angeles Daniel Murphy, Jason Collins from Studio Metropolis Harvard-Westlake, Tyson Chandler from Compton Dominguez, Thomas Welsh from Los Angeles Loyola, Bol Bol from Santa Ana Mater Dei and Harold Yu from Chatsworth Sierra Canyon.
The 7-foot membership is exclusive, which makes this season so intriguing. There are three energetic 7-footers taking part in basketball within the Southland — Jazz Gardner of Hacienda Heights Los Altos, 7-1 Dennis Evans of Riverside Hillcrest and 7-2 Sidy Diallo of Santa Fe Springs St. Paul. A fourth 7-footer, sophomore Majok Chuol of Sierra Canyon, is ready to grow to be eligible. He’s from Uganda by way of South Sudan.
Gardner and Evans connected on Saturday on the State Preview Traditional.
Right here’s a take a look at a number of the distinctive challenges 7-footers current and should take care of.
Kalib LaCount making affect
When Kalib LaCount enrolled at King/Drew Excessive, his father, Frank, had began working on the faculty to care for campus buildings and grounds. He wasn’t an enormous fan of his dad having the ability to see what he was doing day by day at college.
“I didn’t need it,” LaCount stated. “They’re actually going to be watching me. Something I do they’re going to inform him.”
Quickly LaCount found an enormous perk to having his father at college. He had keys to the gymnasium.
“Oh, sure. I’m in there all time,” he stated.
That additional gymnasium time has helped make the 5-foot-9 LaCount stand out as one of the best basketball participant within the Metropolis Part up to now this season. He scored 46 factors on Saturday night time towards Lawndale.
Right here’s a profile of LaCount’s contributions.
Basketball rewind
Bishop Montgomery coach Doug Mitchell picked up win No. 750 in his teaching profession final week.
Colony coach Jerry De Fabiis gained his five hundredth sport.
San Juan Hills picked up an enormous win in its Sea View League opener, knocking off Tesoro 58-56.
Edison is on a roll, having gained 14 consecutive video games with a 20-3 general recortd. Soccer standout Tyler Hampton is making massive contributions.
Right here’s a rundown from the State Preview Traditional that featured massive victories by Etiwanda, Corona Centennial and St. Anthony, amongst others.
Corona Centennial stays No. 1 on this week’s prime 25 boys’ rankings by The Instances. Right here’s the entire rundown.
There have been some big-time performances from women’ gamers this previous week. Junior Shanna Brown of Aliso Niguel scored 38 factors towards Cerritos. Senior Gabriela Jaquez of Camarillo scored 39 factors towards Simi Valley. Sophomore Future Agubata of No. 1 Etiwanda had 26 factors and 16 rebounds towards Orangewood Academy.
To win it’s 18th consecutive sport, unbeaten Etiwanda needed to overcome a 19-point halftime deficit to defeat San Diego Cathedral Catholic 59-56.
Juju Watkins of Sierra Canyon had a 37-point efficiency.
Right here’s the hyperlink to the Southern California prime 20 in women’ basketball.
Metropolis Part delays playoffs
The Metropolis Part has determined to delay its seeding conferences for soccer and basketball playoffs by one week till Feb. 12-13, giving faculties an additional week to reschedule video games postponed throughout a Los Angeles Unified Faculty District pause in sports activities competitions final week. Playoffs will happen over two weeks as a substitute of three weeks.
The Metropolis Part is undecided on whether or not to make use of house or impartial websites for playoff championships due to persevering with COVID-19 attendance restrictions. L.A. Southwest Faculty had been used for basketball semifinals and finals lately, however the faculty doubled its rental charges, leaving a championship website unsure.
Soccer
Oak Park handed Moorpark its first defeat 3-2 to take over first place within the Coastal Canyon League. The Eagles are 8-1-2 and 4-0 in league. Moorpark is 12-1.
No. 1 Mira Costa has been so good the final two seasons successful shut video games. It occurred once more when the Mustangs overcame a 1-0 deficit to defeat Redondo Union 2-1 in time beyond regulation regardless of being a person down.
Birmingham lastly has David Diaz again from an ankle damage as he prepares for a showdown with El Camino Actual to resolve the West Valley League championship and No. 1 seed for the Metropolis playoffs.
Servite continues to dominate within the Trinity League with an unbeaten file.
In women’ soccer, No. 1 Corona Santiago needed to accept a 0-0 tie vs. King and is 13-1-3 and 4-0-1.
Harvard-Westlake apparently likes ties. The Wolverines have 4 ties this season. The Thompson sisters nonetheless haven't performed and it stays unlikely they'll make any look for the Wolverines. Harvard-Westlake is 3-0 within the Mission League. Freshman Victoria Pugh has been lifting up the offense.
Westlake is 11-0 and 6-0 within the Marmonte League.
Notes . . .
Quarterback Travis Endicott has transferred from Newbury Park to Thousand Oaks. . . .
Quarterback Darius Cowens has transferred from Backyard Grove Pacifica to Warren, together with receiver Jordan Ross. . . .
Junior offensive lineman Sean Na’a is transferring from Westlake to St. John Bosco, based on Greg Biggins. There may very well be extra linemen on the way in which because the Braves attempt to topple Mater Dei in 2022. . . .
St. John Bosco receiver Colin Chase has dedicated to the College of St. Thomas. . . .
Soccer participant Brandon Schalliol has grow to be the seventh participant from Servite to commit to a school. He’s headed to Concordia. . . .
Nathan Kerr from Taft baseball has dedicated to Lewis & Clark. . . .
Carson Lake, a junior baseball participant at Huntington Seaside, has dedicated to UNLV. . . .
Steve Butler, who performed soccer at UCLA within the Nineteen Sixties and coached at Crespi, Valley Faculty and West L.A. Faculty, died this previous week. . . .
Invoice Seward, a former soccer coach at St. Bernard who went into broadcasting, died final week. . . .
The Southern Part playoffs will depend on house websites slightly than championship venues for basketball and soccer.
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From the archives: Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson is taken into account the favourite participant Gary McKnight has coached at Santa Ana Mater Dei. He led the Monarchs to a 135-5 file and 4 state titles.
He went on to Arizona and was the eighth decide general within the 2015 NBA by Detroit.
His professional profession appeared to fizzle out till the Lakers gave him an opportunity this season with a sequence of 10-day contracts. He’s nonetheless solely 25 years previous.
Right here’s a 2014 story explaining Johnson’s work ethic.
Right here’s one other 2014 story from Johnson successful his remaining state title in his remaining highschool sport.
Right here’s a story from final week describing the affect Johnson is having with the Lakers.
Suggestions
From the New York Instances, a narrative on how Mexico Metropolis has grow to be paradise for skate boarders.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune, a narrative on a highschool feminine wrestler who fell in love with the game.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune, a narrative on among the best feminine basketball gamers within the state.
From the562.org, a narrative on Wake Forest-bound women’ soccer participant Sierra Sythe of Lengthy Seaside Millikan.
Tweets you might need missed
Till subsequent time...
Have a query, remark or one thing you’d prefer to see in a future Prep Rally e-newsletter? E-mail me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and comply with me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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