Southern Section basketball: Championship preview for each division

The Southern Section high school basketball championships will take place this weekend at five sites around Southern California. Here’s a look at the games. Ticket information can be found here.

Boys

Friday at Cal Baptist

Open: Harvard-Westlake vs. Eastvale Roosevelt, 8 p.m. No game will have a better collection of top guards on the same court. Harvard-Westlake has Trent Perry (USC commit), Robert Hinton (Harvard) and Christian Horry (UCLA). Roosevelt counters with highly recruited junior Brayden Burries, juniors Issac Williamson and Myles Walker and senior Darnez Slater (Colorado State). If there’s one player who could be a difference maker, watch for 6-foot-8 Nikolas Khamenia of Harvard-Westlake.

Friday at Azusa Pacific

2AA: Rolling Hills Prep vs. St. Anthony, 8 p.m. Former Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani is going for another championship at Rolling Hills Prep. His young team has been led by junior guard Mateo Trujillo. St. Anthony is surging after routing highly regarded Heritage Christian in the semifinals and playing a tough schedule, making it out of the competitive Del Rey League.

5AA: Castaic vs. El Segundo, 4 p.m. El Segundo has been a different team since three transfer students became eligible at midseason, going 13-3 since then. Castaic reached the final despite going 0-12 in the Foothill League.

Saturday at Ontario Toyota Arena

Division 1: Windward vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 8 p.m. This could be the best game of the weekend. These teams can shoot threes and score off fast breaks with the best. Both could have been Open Division teams. Windward relies on four talented juniors, led by point guard Gavin Hightower. Notre Dame has one of the best seniors in the state in Mercy Miller. You could be watching a future state champion.

3AA: La Habra vs. St. Bonaventure, 2 p.m. La Habra is making its first final appearance. Junior Jaedon Anderson made five threes in the semifinals. St. Bonaventure is led by 6-foot-8 senior Dyan Benner, averaging 18 points. Coach Wolfgang Wood was an unsung Santa Margarita assistant until he was hired by St. Bonaventure in 2020-21. He is the son of the great Southern California player and NBA official Leon Wood.

4A: Covina Northview vs. Temecula Valley, 4 p.m. Senior guard Sam Osi leads Northview. Temecula Valley, at 18-14, got hot in the playoffs to reach the final.

Saturday at Edison

2A: Marina vs. Long Beach Poly, 3 p.m. The Jackrabbits are led by standout junior guard Jovani Ruff. Marina is surging with a nine-game winning streak and knocked off San Gabriel Academy and Cypress in its last two playoff games.

4A: YULA vs. Cerritos, 8 p.m. YULA upset Price in the semifnals. Cerritos went 10-0 in the 605 League.

Saturday at Colony

3A: Bosco Tech vs. Bishop Alemany, 6 p.m. Alemany made the playoffs by winning its final regular-season game to go 15-15 and qualify for an at-large berth. The Warriors competed in the tough Mission League and have size and good guards, including Mike Lindsay, the nephew of former NBA great Reggie Miller. Bosco Tech has been building to this moment, led by veterans Jaden Erami, Ryan Osborne and Darius Benitez.

5A: Big Bear at Lynwood Firebaugh, 2 p.m. Big Bear players are fighting hard to stay off the slopes so they can win a championship. The team is 24-5 and led by 6-foot-2 junior Aiden Brewer, averaging 16.3 points. Firebaugh has won eight of its last nine games.

Girls

Friday at Cal Baptist

Open: Etiwanda vs. Sierra Canyon, 6 p.m. It’s the game of the year in girls’ basketball, with elite players, elite coaches and an expected rematch looming in the regional playoffs. Last season, Sierra Canyon won this game but lost to Etiwanda in the regionals. Sierra Canyon’s big three of Mackenly Randolph, Jerzy Robinson and Izela Arenas are used to big games. So are McDonald’s All-American Kennedy Smith and center Grace Knox of Etiwanda. If anyone gets into foul trouble, that might help decide the game.

Friday at Azusa Pacific

5A: Antelope Valley vs. St. Pius X-St. Matthias, 2 p.m. Junior guards Niya Price and Jenesis Deering are both averaging above 20 points per game for Antelope Valley. St. Pius X-St. Matthias is a young team with freshmen contributors.

2AA: St. Anthony vs. Moreno Valley, 6 p.m. St. Anthony is trying to win boys’ and girls’ titles this weekend. Ryann Bennett, a 5-foot-9 senior, is averaging 16 points for St. Anthony. Moreno Valley is 28-4 and owns a 12-game win streak.

Saturday at Ontario Toyoto Arena

Division 1: Brentwood vs. Corona Santiago, 6 p.m. It’s been a historic season for Brentwood, which finally toppled nemesis Windward in league play. Lev Feiman and Jocelyn Pascual have been having standout seasons for Brentwood. Corona Santiago has been a powerhouse program in the Inland Empire and eliminated Harvard-Westlake in the semifinals.

4AA: Rancho Cucamonga vs. Anaheim Canyon, 10 a.m. Rancho Cucamonga finished fourth in the tough Baseline League, which includes Etiwanda. The Comanches knocked off Newbury Park in the semifinals to advance to the final.

4A: Palos Verdes vs. Lancaster Eastside, noon. Palos Verdes won only three games last season. Freshmen Quinn Tamashiro and Katie Golden have been key contributors in the turnaround. Niela Marshall and April Medrano leads a 22-4 Eastside team.

Saturday at Edison

3A: JSerra vs. St. Margaret’s, noon. JSerra is having quite a rebound season after going 0-14 last year and losing games 73-8 and 72-5. At 22-9, the Lions are led by freshman Rosie Santos, who had 30 points in a semifinal win over Dana Hills. St. Margaret’s, which won Division 5AA last season, is back in the final. Sophomore Lila Wohlgemuth has been a major contributor.

3AA: Oak Park vs. Cerritos, 6:30 p.m. The hiring of coach William Burr from Viewpoint in 2022 has paid dividends for Oak Park. The Eagles went from winning one game to 5A champions. Now comes another championship bid. Sophomore Delaney White had 26 points in last year’s championship game. Cerritos is on an 11-game win streak.

Saturday at Colony

2A: Louisville vs. Lakewood, noon: Point guard Miye Kodama has been having the time of her life, helping the soccer team reach the championship game while playing simultaneously with the basketball team. Two rings in the same season would be more than impressive. Taylor Westbrook also has been a standout. Lakewood, the second-place finisher in the Moore League, presents a tough challenge. Junior Nyemah King is averaging 26.3 points.

5AA: Adelanto vs. Colton, 4 p.m. Senior Nina Lacy is the top player for Adelanto. Colton is 23-6 and coming off a 43-42 win over La Mirada in the semifinals.