Experience May Help Brethren Christian

Brethren Christian football Coach Ken Sharrar figures his team has an advantage entering the Southern Section Division X playoffs: basketball experience.

Last spring, Brethren Christian advanced to the State title game in basketball before losing to Emeryville Emery, 74-47.

Three starters from the basketball team--Reggie Davis, Andy Brown and Keith Washington--play key roles on the football team, which is seeded third and opens the playoffs Friday against Rosamond (4-6) at Artesia High School.

Sharrar hopes their experiences in the Southern Section and State basketball playoffs will rub off on the rest of the Warriors.

“I’ve really used them as a springboard to talk about a championship environment in practice and a championship environment in games,” Sharrar said.

Davis, the quarterback, Washington, a fullback-linebacker, and Brown, a tight end-linebacker, each also played for the Warriors’ football team that last year advanced to the semifinals of the Division X playoffs before losing, 24-14, to Big Bear.

Add to those experienced players, Darryl Jones, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman who leads the team in tackles, sacks and fumble recoveries, it’s no wonder Sharrar is confident.

After the Warriors (8-2) lost their first game of the season to Bellflower, which is seeded third in Division VIII, they won seven in a row. Then in their second-to-last Olympic League game, they lost, 30-13, to Calvary Chapel and eventually had to settle for a share of the league title with Ontario Christian.

Calvary Chapel (5-5), which will play Panorama City St. Genevieve (8-2) Friday at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, has been inconsistent this season, but the Eagles have shown they can compete with the top teams in the division.

They have played five of the division’s top six teams, losing to second-seeded Bishop Union, 16-13, and top-seeded Los Angeles Baptist, 27-3, fourth-seeded Ontario Christian, 28-10, and beating Cerritos Valley Christian, 17-10, and Brethren Christian.

“We think if our kids play like they are capable of we’ve got a real good chance,” Calvary Chapel Coach Kris Van Hook said.

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Southern California Christian (7-2) is the only Orange County team in Division XI and the Flames are something of an underdog, which is fine with Coach Bert Esposito.

SCC shared the Arrowhead League title with Temecula Linfield and Hamilton. Hamilton won the coin flips to determine the top team from the league. SCC was second and Linfield third.

SCC drew a road game against Templeton, a school in San Luis Obispo County. Templeton (7-3) is the defending champion. SCC won the Division X title two years ago.

“We were champs two years ago and they were champs last year and we’re finally meeting,” Esposito said. “I like that.”