SoCal HS Preview: Open Division Frontrunners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fall League high school events in Southern California are in full swing and it has given us an early look at some of the top teams in the region. With the official high school season about a month and a half away, it's time to start taking a closer look at which teams will battle it out for one of the eight coveted spots in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff field. Here's a look at our early frontrunners in alphabetical order</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">The Near Locks</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Corona Centennial</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centennial has become a perennial Open Division contender under coach Josh Giles and his staff and this season is no different. The Huskies are younger than usual but still have the veteran presences of Arizona-commit [player_tooltip player_id='1502766' first='Carter' last='Bryant'] - a 6-foot-8 transfer from Sage Hill - and 6-foot-4 UCLA-bound guard/wing [player_tooltip player_id='1502773' first='Eric' last='Freeny']. Alongside those two seniors is a talented group of sophomores led by 6-foot-2 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1956524' first='Isaiah' last='Rogers'] and 6-foot guard [player_tooltip player_id='1956523' first='Justice' last='Griffith']. From what we've seen this fall, Centennial may run into some growing pains due to a lack of depth. Sophomore forward Markee White, Jr. will play a big role - likely as a starter - but guys like Tariq Iscandari and CJ Richardson will have to grow up quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Eastvale Roosevelt</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roosevelt has one of the most talented "Big Three" in all of Southern California in 2025's [player_tooltip player_id='1630617' first='Brayden' last='Burries'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1630629' first='Isaac' last='Williamson'] alongside Colorado State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1502796' first='Darnez' last='Slater']. Those three will carry much of the offensive load for the Mustangs but coach Steve Singleton has plenty more role-type players who will contribute. The addition, and subsequent improvement, of 6-foot-10 center [player_tooltip player_id='1502830' first='Tochi' last='Anigbogu'] will provide Roosevelt with a rim protecting and rebounding presence while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1956522' first='Jackson' last='Haggins'] and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1502872' first='Jazz' last='Shoker'] provide much-needed perimeter shooting without being ball dominant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Harvard-Westlake</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolverines are looking to repeat as Open Division State Champions and have a good chance of doing just that with the experience and talent they return. [player_tooltip player_id='1502769' first='Trent' last='Perry'], [player_tooltip player_id='1188984' first='Robert' last='Hinton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1630618' first='Nik' last='Khamenia'] are three of SoCal's best players in their respective classes and were starters on last year's Harvard-Westlake team that went 33-2, including a Mission League championship. [player_tooltip player_id='1502826' first='Christian' last='Horry'] is also a reliable senior contributor as a "three-and-D" type player but the Wolverines must replace the inside presence of Jacob Huggins who graduated last season and is now at Princeton. Look for any combination of [player_tooltip player_id='1956502' first='Dominique' last='Bentho'], [player_tooltip player_id='1956485' first='Bryce' last='Williams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1956486' first='Barron' last='Linnekens'] to see major time at the five. The two X-factors off the bench for Havard-Westlake will be wing [player_tooltip player_id='1630659' first='Isaiah' last='Carroll'] and point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2136707' first='Amir' last='Jones'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Mater Dei</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season presented a rare occurrence in the Open Division era where Mater Dei wasn't among the eight team field. The Monarchs finished second in the Trinity League behind St. John Bosco and lost seven games which by most program's account would be a great season but Mater Dei is used to being in that top echelon of teams. The Monarchs went on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship and fell to eventual state champion Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the state tournament. Mater Dei brings back almost all of its major contributors from last season and added Orange County Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='1630650' first='Brandon' last='Benjamin'] who transferred in from Anaheim Canyon. Benjamin is added to a group that includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1502807' first='Brady' last='Karich'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1502821' first='Scotty' last='Belnap'], fellow juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1630644' first='Blake' last='Davidson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1630665' first='Owen' last='Verna'], and talented sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1956471' first='Brannon' last='Martinsen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1956507' first='Luke' last='Barnett']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">St. John Bosco</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, Bosco might be the most talented roster in Southern California. The Braves feature four sure-fire Division 1 recruits in juniors Elize Harrington and [player_tooltip player_id='1630622' first='Kade' last='Bonam'], sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2131779' first='Brandon' last='McCoy'] and Illinois-Chicago commit [player_tooltip player_id='1502781' first='Jack' last='Turner']. McCoy is the top-ranked non-prep school 2026 in the state and is considered a top five prospect in the entire country among the major ranking services. Those four are joined by a handful of solid glue-type players the likes of 6-foot-7 junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2102481' first='Jaison' last='Joyce'] and 5-foot-10 senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2102480' first='Amiri' last='Meadows'] to form a group that is not only highly talented but also deep, long and experienced.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->