SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: "Sundays with Escarcega," Sunday, January 28th, 2024

We give you an inside look at Ramona Convent's girls basketball team; breakdown performances at the CIF-SS Girls Wrestling Duals and La Salle's girls basketball win over South Pasadena and much more!

Ramona Convent team meets with coach TC Smith before their game Thursday against Paraclete. (Escarcega)

ALHAMBRA – What if I told you that there was a team in the city of Alhambra that could be the only team in the Pasadena area to win a CIF-SS Divisional title?

What if I told you that they have a guard that has a chance to be exceptional?

And the team is doing it at a school that could be easily driven past if you are not paying attention to your navigational device.

Welcome to a little-known school called Ramona Convent Secondary School. Located adjacent to the 10 freeway, the Tigers are putting together a season that in another part of the San Gabriel Valley, would get you covered in the newspapers with the coach that would be talked about in the same way as the Adam Nunamaker at Glendora or Randy Jackson at San Dimas.

Ready for their record... 23-1.

That’s right, the school that is the sister school to Bosco Tech (which is having another solid season) is trying to match their brother to the south on the hardwood. The only loss that the Tigers have suffered was to Providence on December 2nd, 38-32.

This has been a historic season for the Tigers, considering their basketball history – which is to say that they don’t have one. One look at the CIF-SS record book shows that this small catholic school has not made an appearance in a sectional final. It is a school that values academics primarily. Any success in sports is on top of the pie. Several years ago, the softball team made it to a CIF-SS final but was soundly defeated.

There are two things that this program has that give them an incredibly good chance to win a sectional title, a coach who prides herself on being steely, tough but fair, and a guard who has a chance to become one of the best in the area.

The coach's name is TC Smith, who is making the best of what can be called a second chance. She started her coaching career at Reseda High School and after turning that program into a winner, she left the program in what can safely be called a “mutual parting of ways.” Several years ago, she arrived at the school on Ramona Ave and is having the time of her life.

“The thing that makes this team very good is that they have great team chemistry,” Smith said before their game on Thursday against Paraclete. “Each player has 100% love for each other and that makes this team so much fun to coach.”

That doesn’t mean that they are non-negotiable expectations and one of those is on the defensive side of the ball.

“One of the things that a player has to understand is that if they are going to play for me, they have to play defense,” Smith said. “You have to set your standards on the first day you are coaching, and the players are doing it.”

Ramona Convent’s Aaliyah Perez-Sandi. (Escarcega)

If you think that this team is a “once in a generational” type of team, you’d be wrong. Smith loves the juniors that are on the team and feels that they are special. One of those players is a 5-foot 6-inch guard named Aaliyah Perez-Sandi. She is the best ballhandler on the team and you can tell that she has the best basketball IQ on the team.

Her impact on the team was quite notable on Thursday night. Her ability to get open and convert open jump shots makes her a playmaker. In Ramona Convent’s league-clinching 50-21 win over Paraclete, Perez-Sandi scored 29 points with 8 rebounds and 7 steals.

Those inside the program also like Delicia Murillo (who scored 11 points with 8 rebounds), Angelica Bermudez, Maribel Betancourt, and Citali Garcia. In other words, expect much of the same next year.

Thursday night was one of those nights that many coaches dread – it was Senior Night. It happens all over the valley. It is the final home regular season game, and it gives the program a chance to thank the seniors for all their contributions to the program. Emotions usually are high and get in the way of on-court execution.

That was the case as it took a long minute before Ramona Convent’s offense got going. Many of the jump shots that were attempted had the feeling that the fate of the world was hinging on each shot. After Paraclete tied the game at 13, it was all Ramona Convent as they outscored the Spirits, 37-8.

For the team that plays on a light-blue court, you get this overwhelming feeling that this team is very connected with one another and should be a major contender for a sectional championship.

They are doing this with a student population of 317 students and a school tuition ($18,000) that is comparable to their sister school Bosco Tech. This is truly a school that would fill in the blank as “David” in a deep postseason game against “Goliath.”

Yes, you can call them the best 23-1 team that you don’t know about – until now.

And if this team makes it to a sectional final, you can also call them “pioneers.”

All it takes is four wins in the postseason to make the final, a challenge that this team is more than willing to accept.

They can look at Bosco Tech as a navigational beckon, they’ve won a sectional title, and the most important thing, they are Tigers as well.

NORTHVIEW GIRLS WRESTLING IMPRESSES

It was all about the girls on Saturday as both Northview and La Salle hosted major events in girls wrestling and basketball, respectively.

We’ll get to La Salle in just a moment. But the day for us started at Northview HS as we attended our first CIF Southern Section Girls Wrestling Dual Meet championship. As is always the case, the energy inside the gym was far higher than any boys meet. I can’t put a pulse on it other than more mothers show more passion in this sport than other sports, I have no idea.

But there they were, yelling at their hearts' content, with their cell phones out capturing every moment on video or taking photos.

At the end of the day, there were no major surprises from a team point of view as the top two seeds, #1 Northview and #2 Corona, advanced to the finals that will take place on Tuesday (rather than on Wednesday) at Northview. The reason for this is the quirky scheduling in the Valle Vista League, which has its basketball games on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Wednesday is Northview’s final boys and girls home basketball game and it’s their “senior night.”

Thus, the move to Tuesday with a time that is announced on Monday (most likely 6 p.m.).

As is always the case, it’s the matchups inside the dual that make for fantastic theatre. That was the case when Northview took on Walnut in the semifinals. Both teams have wrestlers that are eyeing state championships and when you have coaches that decide to move wrestlers up or down on the lineup sheets, you can’t help but produce some terrific matches.

Northview’s Ysabella Hinojosa (on top) competes against Walnut’s Deandra Meza at CIF-SS Div. 1 girls wrestling semifinals. (Escarcega)

The biggest one came at 125 pounds when #5 Deandra Meza of Walnut took on #7 Ysabella Hinojosa of Northview in the first match of the day. Meza, who usually wrestles at 110 pounds, is as slick a wrestler as you will find in the area. Hinojosa uses her speed and strength to her advantage.

You would think that it would be the match of the day, and it was – if you were a Northview fan. Hinojosa looked like the more active wrestler and used her strength to her advantage. There was not much that Meza could do as she suffered a surprising major decision loss to Hinojosa. You can be sure that Hinojosa will use the win as a catalyst for a deep postseason run. As for Meza, she’ll be fine at 110 pounds.

Northview’s Faith Bartoszek in action against Long Beach on Saturday at CIF-SS Div. 1 Dual Meet championships. (Photo: RT Tolentino)

There were other outstanding performances throughout the day from both teams. We would be shocked if Faith Bartoszek didn’t make a state final. This was the first time that we got to see her compete in person and she looks really good. She blends in savviness with strength and should be simply fine at 140. This was also the first time that we got to see two-time state champion Anaya Falcon from Walnut and to say she’s advanced on the mat is quite an understatement. She is a badass in every sense of the word.

And I love the way that Jasmine Macias performed throughout the day. She grinded her way to a win in the semifinals and was very impressive in her win against Warren.

But the main storyline of the day is that girls wrestling has come a long way. Back in the day, every girl was attempting to do head and arm throws. Today, these girls are beginning to understand the subtleties that come with the sport of wrestling. They are understanding situational mastery and it’s making for more entertaining wrestling.

The sport is seeing growth at a level that should make sports such as softball and soccer take notice. The intensity of the event was very impressive, and the energy level was at an all-time high.

Whether this is because of the popularity of UFC, Jit Jitsu, or other grappling events, one thing is for sure, girls wrestling has arrived, and it will only get improved. Those in soccer better take notice.

La Salle’s Audrey Chen (left) and South Pasadena’s Dylan Tse. (Escarcega)

LA SALLE GIRLS BASKETBALL IMPRESSES IN WIN OVER SOUTH PASADENA

Saturday night marked the game that many fans in the area wanted to see, South Pasadena vs. La Salle. #3 vs #4. Audrey Chen of La Salle vs. Dylan Tse of South Pasadena. Casey Higgins of La Salle vs. Kayla Boozer of South Pasadena.

The elements were there for a memorable matchup – and that is exactly what took place. The star players delivered, the energy inside the gym was solid and the game lived up to the billing. Even players from other teams attended the game. Most of the players from Flintridge Prep, Ramona Convent, and other area fans were in attendance.

Early on it appeared as if La Salle had a hammer lock on the game. They led 34-23 at halftime with Kaden Cortes and Chen leading the way. On the other side, Tse had scored ten of the quietest points in the half. Much like Stephen Curry, her shots were not dropping from behind the three-point arc. The one player that came to play was South Pasadena’s Kayla Boozer. We’ve seen this player in action for the past two years and this was by far her most impressive performance of the year.

In the first half, she scored 14 points with five rebounds. She was mixing it up with La Salle’s low post standout Casey Higgins and was not intimated by her size or strength. This was like watching Larry Holmes vs. Evander Holyfield. Higgins had scored seven points in the first half, but the struggle for supremacy inside the key was fun to watch.

If you were a South Pasadena fan, things didn’t look any better after the third period when the Lancers maintained a double-digit lead when the Lancers led 46-33 with Tse scoring only four points in the period.

At this point, it was as if a switch was turned on with Tse and she became a different player. Shots that weren’t dropping in the first three periods were finally going her way. She scored eight of the team’s first 12 points in the fourth period and cut La Salle’s lead to 51-46.

But on a night when many of us were reminded why Audrey Chen is the best girls basketball player in the area, the senior scored the Lancers’ final seven points, which included a memorizing layup against Boozer that had everyone in the gym shaking their heads.

La Salle players and alumni in a group photo after defeating South Pasadena on Saturday night. (Escarcega)

When the final buzzer sounded, not only did La Salle come out on top, 56-49, but it appears as if La Salle found some much-needed confidence. The difference in this game was the La Salle bench as they outscored South Pasadena, 12-0. This is a problem that coach Cody Madsen is going to have to address once the playoffs begin.

It’s one thing to outscore teams within the Rio Hondo League, but it’s another when you don’t get any bench scoring deep into the sectional playoffs. Especially in a division like Division 2AA when some of the best teams have players that can score off the bench.

But the night belonged to the star players and the numbers showed their high level of play. La Salle’s Chen finished the night with 23 points (1,500 points for her career) and 10 rebounds. Kaden Cortes added 11 points and Casey Higgins scored nine points with 10 rebounds.

If anyone thought that Boozer was the best player on the court, they wouldn’t have an argument with me. She finished with 17 points with 9 rebounds and played as if there were Div. 1 college scouts in the stands. She showed that she is the best post player in the area.

One thing we found is that South Pasadena deserves to be in the conversation as one of the top teams in the area, but as Ric Flair loved to say, “To Be the man, you gotta beat the man!”

La Salle deserves to return to its rightful spot atop the area rankings.

SATURDAY BASKETBALL RECAP

As is always the case, Saturday was a busy day on the hardwood with teams getting some last-minute work before the start of the postseason. The game that had the attention of area fans in the Pasadena area was Pasadena Poly vs. Alhambra. Panthers coach Brad Hall was on win #699 entering the game and couldn’t get to the landmark number of 700 as the Panthers suffered a 67-64 loss to the Moors. The Panthers have three games remaining, two with Providence (14-10) and one more with league-leading Flintridge Prep.

It was a busy two days for the Bosco Tech boys' basketball team. On Friday night, the Tigers suffered a 52-46 loss to Rolling Hills Prep with Ryan Osborne producing a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds and Kenneth Martinez adding 10 points.

The next day, Bosco Tech traveled to La Salle for a huge Santa Fe League game with the Tigers coming out on top 68-59 with Osborne producing a double-double (27 points, 14 rebounds) and Jaden Erami (who sat out the Rolling Hills Prep game) tallying 13 points with 5 rebounds.

Those inside the program are incredibly pleased with the way Osborne and Martinez have played. They are allowed to be coached up and never have shown one ounce of ego. They are team players in a team-oriented team and are the main reason why the Tigers are in first place in the Santa Fe League.

It was a tough day for La Canada boys' basketball as they shot only 17-54 from the field (31%) in their 59-44 loss to El Camino Real. Jack Reynolds had a team-high of 10 points. San Gabriel Academy defeated Takoma Academy 60-45 in the “Hoops Classic” in Texas. First-year student Mohammed Toure had a double-double with 22 points and 21 rebounds.

San Dimas’s girl's basketball team posted a resume-enhancing 54-44 win over Bishop Amat with Janessa Rodriguez scoring a game-high 16 points and Olivia Romero adding 11 points.

CRUISING AROUND THE VALLEY: Barring an unforeseen miracle, the CIF-SS Council is expected to pass legislation this week that will allow the section to use current year data ratings to determine playoffs for all sports. Currently, the only sports that use this system are Football and Lacrosse. According to a CIF-SS insider, sports such as baseball and basketball will be able to choose rating systems such as MaxPreps and Massey (Masseyratings.com). Massey Ratings are used to determine divisions for softball from the last two years. They also produce California football power ratings, and the top-10 SGV area teams are compared to Calpreps as follows:

Massey Ratings:

1) La Serna, 2) Damien, 3) Bishop Amat, 4) St. Francis, 5) Ayala, 6) St. Paul, 7) Bonita, 8) La Habra, 9) Glendora, 10) Charter Oak.

Calpreps Ratings:

1) La Serna, 2) Damien, 3) Bishop Amat, 4) St. Francis, 5) Ayala, 6) St. Paul, 7) Bonita, 8) La Habra, 9) Muir, 10) Glendora.

It was only a matter of time before we would see some coaching turnover in January in football. It took a while, but that is what we have with Eric Martinez stepping down as coach at Diamond Ranch to take over at Valley View and Leron Johnson resigning as coach at La Puente. The Diamond Ranch job becomes the most coveted position in the area, just because of the number of athletes that are on the team. Martinez didn’t leave the cupboard empty... Congratulations to the St. Paul High School cheerleading squad for winning a state divisional title on Saturday at Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach. It has been quite a year for cheerleading in the Whittier area. Two weeks ago, El Rancho’s cheerleading squad won a CIF-SS Divisional Title... According to CIF-SS insiders, this will be the final year that the section will have its Masters Meet at Palm Springs HS... In addition to the CIF-SS Council meeting that will take place on Tuesday, the CIF-State Federation Council will be meeting on Thursday in which the topic of making boys volleyball a state championship will be under discussion... We are expecting the All-CIFSS football team to be announced this week... Look for a major area football matchup to be announced this week. Final arrangements are being made, but we can tell you that the game will take place in week 4... An all-star football game called “The 2024 Heritage Bowl” with players from San Diego taking on players from LA County, will take place on Feb. 3rd at 5 p.m. at Gabrielino HS.