Haylock's CIF-SS scouting report (3/4/13)

A day after the CIF State brackets were released, people are still trying to figure out what purpose the new Open Division serves other than diluting Division I?

And why Bishop Montgomery wasn’t included among the seven Southern California teams chosen for the Open? It’s tough to grasp considering they beat two of the teams that were selected. The Knights, instead, are an ever so dangerous six seed in Division IV.

As that plays out, there’s no denying the results from CIF Southern Section championship week.

After playing third fiddle behind Long Beach Poly and Mater Dei, Dave Kleckner’s Etiwanda Eagles stand alone atop Division 1AA as sectional champs and are No. 1 in our final poll.

No. 1 Etiwanda (27-2) – The champs are here. Unfazed by the moment, the Eagles took it to Mater Dei in the Division 1AA final for just over three and a half quarters before holding on for a 54-51 win, capturing their first CIF crown since 2005. Before handling the Monarchs, they snapped a four-game postseason losing streak to Long Beach Poly. Tough, physical defense has been their calling card. In the final they held Mater Dei to nine points in two separate quarters. Their effort against Loyola at the Nike Extravaganza was the stuff of legends.

No. 2 Mater Dei (30-2) – The Division 1AA runner-ups finally lost to a California team and it came in their biggest game of the season –the Division 1AA final. The two-headed monster of Elijah Brown and Stanley Johnson was enough to lead the Monarchs to their 25th straight league championship but like so many other teams in Mater Dei’s past, the CIF Southern Section final provided too tall a hurdle.

No. 3 Long Beach Poly (27-3) – Like Mater Dei, the Jackrabbits made it deep into the postseason before also suffering their first loss to a California team this season in the playoffs. That team, of course, was Etiwanda. For future Pac-12 players, Roschon Prince (USC) and Jordan Bell (Oregon), despite the large expectations, they once again come up short after the Jackrabbits were favorites to win a CIF Southern Section championship in the last two seasons.

No. 4 Bishop Montgomery (29-1) – The high school basketball world is still scratching their head, trying to figure out how the Knights lost. Not that anyone is searching for answers. It was clear, La Verne Lutheran spread them out and their athletic guards provided too much of a mismatch. Still, it was pretty unexpected. After spending seven weeks as the No. 1 team in our poll, the Knights are now coping with the fact that despite winning their first 29 games of the season, they have no hardware to show for it in the form of a CIF Southern Section championship.

No. 5 St. John Bosco (24-6) – This was supposed to be the year the Braves uprooted Mater Dei and stood alone atop the Trinity League. That didn’t happen for the team that arguably has the most talented starting five of any team in the state. They did, however, take care of business in the postseason winning a Division 3A championship. Isaac Hamilton carries the torch for Southern California high school basketball as a McDonald’s All-American.

No. 6 Loyola (22-7) – All things considered, it was a good season for the Cubs. They were able to win a Mission League championship despite being without Parker Jackson-Cartwright for 11 games. Division 1AA is a crap shoot and the Cubs weren’t done any favors being placed in the bottom half of the bracket along with eventual champion Etiwanda and Long Beach Poly. There’s a lot to grow on for next season. Jackson-Cartwright will be back for his senior season and the big man, seven-footer Thomas Welsh showed great strides under head coach Jamal Adams. Before that, the Division I bracket in the state looks like a clear path to Sacramento for the Cubs.

No. 7 Pacific Hills (24-4) – Once is good. Twice is nice. The repeat bid for the Bruins was successful as they were able to defeat Alpha League rival Brentwood in the rubber match with a CIF crown on the line. The win marked the eighth championship in school history. They improved to 8-1 all-time in sectional finals behind 21 points from Jahmel Taylor.

No. 8 Redondo (23-8) – What can you say about head coach Reggie Morris Jr? He did it again. In his first year as head coach, he led the Sea Hawks to a Division 2A title. Morris took over a team that finished 10-17 and 2-8 in Bay League last season and led them to a Bay League title by running the table. He’s now won three CIF titles at three different schools. Just last season, he guided St. Bernard to a 5AA championship and in 2010 he guided Leuzinger to the first CIF title in school history.

No. 9 Santa Monica (25-6) – Pretty much all talk regarding Santa Monica surrounded around Cal commit Jordan Mathews. Point guard Trevis Jackson let everyone know there’s more to the team than just Mathews. Jackson proved to be a critical part to the Vikings success on their way to the Division 1A title. One person Jackson’s impact wasn’t lost on was El Toro head coach Todd Dixon. He thought all along Jackson made the Vikings go. He was able to see it first hand in the 1A final Saturday.

No. 10 Brentwood (27-4) – The Eagles fell short in the rubber match against Alpha League rival, Pacific Hills in the Division 4A final. They didn’t go out without a fight. Nor did they go out without providing a spark on the Westside. Under second year head coach Ryan “Moose” Bailey, Brentwood basketball generated quite a buzz on that side of town. Senior Leland King was good enough for a double-double every night. His pledge to Brown is an absolute steal for the Ivy Leaguers.