KEARNY KOMETS WIN CIF
The second-seeded Kearny High Komets defeated the top-seeded El Camino High Wildcats by a final score of 66-43 to win the C.I.F. San Diego Section Division I title at the Jenny Craig Pavillion (JCP) on the campus of the University of San Diego in Linda Vista on Friday evening, March 4.
The victory by Kearny avenged an earlier 63-49 loss to the Wildcats during the Sweetwater High Red Devils Invitational back in December.
Kearny senior point guard Takoda Browne, who was also the star quarterback on the Komets football squad last fall, missed that first encounter against El Camino, but made his presence felt this time around with a steal and a thunderous, rim-rattling, two-handed slam dunk that sent the Kearny faithful at the JCP into a feverish frenzy.
That vaulted the Komets to a commanding 36-16 advantage as the two battling ballclubs headed to their respective locker rooms at halftime.
After the intermission, it was more of the same as the Wildcats would get no closer than 12 points as Kearny would pour it on down the stretch and pretty much pull away for the win.
Senior shooting guard Gianni Ortiz finished with a game-high 18 points to pace the Komets.
Ortiz was followed in the Kearny statistical column by Browne (13 points) and junior forward Robby Robinson (12 points and 17 rebounds.
The victory clinched the Komets second C.I.F. boys basketball championship in three years.
Kearny also won a C.I.F. title at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign, but that triumph came in Division III.
“We’ve been putting in a lot of hard work lately,” said Ortiz.
The hard work continued to pay off for the Komets in the state playoffs as Kearny defeated the Edison High Chargers of Huntington Beach 65-58 in the first round of the C.I.F. Division III Regionals before being eliminated in a tough 59-57 loss at the hands of the Calabasas High Coyotes in the second round.
MADISON WARHAWKS MAKE IT TO CIF FINALS
The third-seeded Madison High Warhawks suffered a tough 59-44 loss at the hands of the fifth-seeded Bonita Vista High Barons in the C.I.F. San Diego Section Division III Finals played at the Jenny Craig Pavillion on the campus of the University of San Diego in Linda Vista on Friday afternoon, March 4.
Madison shipwrecked the Coronado Islanders 70-58, flew over the Granite Hills Eagles 68-63, and defeated the El Central Union Spartans 55-50 in overtime to make their first appearance in a boys basketball championship game since the 1995-96 season against the Luke Walton-led University of San Diego High School Dons at the Valley View Casino Center (formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena).
The Warhawks actually held a 28-22 advantage between the two battling ballclubs heading into the locker room at halftime.
Unfortunately after the intermission, Madison was outscored 22-5 by Bonita Vista in the third quarter to pretty much seal the victory for the Barons.
Junior Terrell Carter, who was also the star quarterback for the Warhawks football squad last fall, finished with a team-high 16 points in the paint to pace Madison.
Carter was followed in the Warhawks statistical column by senior shooting guard Manuel Robles with 10 points, all of them coming in the first half of play.
