ESCARCEGA ON PREPS: LA MIRADA PLAYS THE ROLE OF CINDERELLA, LOSES TO SAN JUAN HILLS IN CIF-SS DIV. 2A BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL
Stallions were too much for La Mirada to handle in second half.
San Juan Hills boys basketball team photo after winning the CIF-SS Div. 2A final over La Mirada 59-49. (Escarcega)
LA MIRADA – Cinderella arrived at La Mirada High School Friday night and was all dressed up and poised to show off her best threads to anyone whether it was live or on a social media platform of your choice. However, at the end of the night, the silver slipper didn’t fit, and she would leave disappointed.
That’s the best way you can sum up La Mirada’s 59-49 loss to visiting San Juan Hills in a CIF Southern Section Division 2A championship game. Historians will note that this was the Stallions’ first sectional basketball title in their first appearance in the finals.
It’s been quite an impressive run for the athletic program. Several years ago, the Stallions won a sectional football title, defeating Loyola on a night in which the weather made you feel like you were in London rather than Los Angeles.
Friday night’s game had a feel of a horse race you might see on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs called the Kentucky Derby. La Mirada was the trendy longshot with a feel-good story that would make TV producers proud. The Matadors enter the game on a 10-game winning streak and kept shocking basketball observers with each win.
They were doing it with a freshman, Julien Gomez, that was performing like he was a veteran senior rather than a wide-eyed rookie. Sean Cervantes, the vastly improved senior guard, was the jockey that was cool under fire in the final stages of a horse race. Aidan Nasser was the unsung center that did all the dirty work without much fanfare. Much like a groom who spends every day with the racehorse.
That’s pretty much the Matadors in a nutshell and they played the role of the trendy longshot that was gathering attention throughout the Derby week by “savvy” handicappers. However, the Matadors were playing against basketball’s version of Justify (the last Triple Crown winner).
The Stallions looked the part in pre-game warmups. With the size, speed, and length in full exposure, it was as if they were that flashy chestnut horse that gleamed brightly in the bright sun while being paraded in the paddock before a big horse race like the Kentucky Derby.
It wasn’t hard to figure out that the Stallions were going to be a formidable foe. They would be the heavy favorite on the court and (if there was pari-mutuel wagering) on the tote board. They knew they would be the favorite, and they knew that you knew they would be the favorites and they relished the thought that they knew that you knew they were the favorites.
As for the game, La Mirada gave the faithful a glimmer of hope that they would pull off the upset. They jumped out to an early eight-point lead in the first quarter, while San Juan Hills was struggling to make stops defensively and trying to figure out their surroundings on offense.
For all the talk about La Mirada’s gym and the lack of seating for Friday night’s game (all of which were valid) one of the main factors no one talked about is the difficulty of visiting teams to shoot in the gym. With the background more suited for junior colleges or other newly renovated gyms (i.e. Sonora High School), depth perception became a huge factor in the favor of the Matadors. If you don’t believe me, ask any visiting team about shooting at La Mirada’s new gym.
It took nearly a full half for San Juan Hills to adjust to the surroundings. Gavin Gloude gave the Stallions their first lead at 27-26 at halftime.
Then the second half started, and reality started to kick in. It was San Juan Hills that was making the big shots and La Mirada that couldn’t get any offensive momentum going. Mark Reichner’s acrobatic shot with 3:33 left in the third quarter gave the Stallions a 36-29 lead that felt like it was a 20-point lead.
And much like watching Justify in the stretch of the Belmont Stakes, the Stallions only got stronger as the game went longer. Marcus Parks was an unlikely contributor, hitting several big baskets that surprised many in attendance. John McFadden was the leading scorer with 22 points and seven rebounds. Reichner tallied 11 points.
When the game was over, it was La Mirada that staggered across the finish line, losing to a team that was the class of the division throughout the playoff run. This was the appropriate result. A team loaded with seniors winning on one of Southern California high school basketball’s biggest stages. For the winning coach, Jason Efstahiou, Friday’s win culminated a two-year journey that was anything but smooth.
Two years ago, he wasn’t certain he would be coaching after experiencing setbacks due to diabetes. Things were so bad that he couldn’t use his voice that much in 2021 because of his illness. However, he continually showed his players what courage was all about.
Before Friday night’s game, he thanked every member of the media for attending the game. Afterward, he accepted the gold CIF-SS championship plaque flanked by his coaching staff.
As for the fallen Matadores, you can rest assured that this will not be the last time you hear from them. Coach Randy Oronoz has four freshmen on his roster that were not there just fill in a seat on the bench. Jarrett Cole gave La Mirada fans a glimpse of what to expect for the next three years as he made some timely baskets.
Julien Gomez, who was named the Suburban League MVP, was held to 11 points. Friday night’s game will provide all the motivation that Gomez will need when he practices in the offseason in his home gym with no one in attendance. If Friday night’s game taught us anything, it’s that La Mirada has more than earned an invitation to play in tournaments such as at The Classic at Damien Tournament.
And you never know, maybe they’ll play the role of Cinderella again, only next time, they’ll pick the right slipper to bring to the dance.
La Mirada accepts the CIF-SS Div. 2A runners-up trophy. (Escarcega)