CIF San Diego Section – Open Division Semifinals
In a year where parity reigned supreme atop the San Diego standings, it’s no surprise that the Top 4 seeds did not advance to the Open Division semifinals. Yet, the quartet of teams represented don’t feel like a surprise. Battle…
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Continue ReadingIn a year where parity reigned supreme atop the San Diego standings, it’s no surprise that the Top 4 seeds did not advance to the Open Division semifinals.
Yet, the quartet of teams represented don’t feel like a surprise. Battle tested and/or atop the toughest leagues in San Diego, Foothills Christian, Torrey Pines, Vista and Mission Bay play Wednesday for the right to battle for the Open Division championship Saturday night.
Prep Hoops So-Cal has your breakdown of the semifinals matchups:
Gharram is one of the most competitive point guards in So-CalSemifinal 1: (1) Foothills Christian (22-5) vs (5) Vista (21-8), 7 p.m. Feb. 20, Cuyamaca College
How they got here: Foothills Christian was dominant in a 68-40 win over (8) San Marcos in the opening round game. Vista scored a 56-53 road upset over (4) Santa Fe Christian.
Starters for Foothills Christian: Jaren Nafarrete, PG; Yassine Gharram, PG; Derrick Carter-Hollinger, SF; Derrien Carter-Hollinger, WF; Jalai O’Keith, WF
Starters for Vista: Makiah Morris, G; Jordan Hilstock, SG; Matt Rivera, WF; Nikko Taylor, WF; Carter Starnes, PF
The Skinny:
This game features the two hottest teams in the Open Division, with the host Knights winners of 11 straight and outright champs of the rugged Coastal League, and Vista winners of seven straight and the outright champs in the Avocado East.
The Knights get it done both on the interior, with Montana-bound senior Derrick Carter Hollinger gashing defenses off the bounce, and on the perimeter, where guards Yassine Gharram (Jr.) and Jaren Nafarrete (Sr.) score it prolifically and create for their teammates. The trio is one of the toughest to defend in the state.
Vista counters with one of the best one-two punches in the section in senior guards Jordan Hilstock (Avo East POY) and Makiah Morris, who has blossomed in his senior campaign. Vista is at its best when it gets positive contributions from its role players, starting with sophomore wing Nikko Taylor and junior wing Matt Rivera, who were all-league performers.
The ex-factors:
Foothills is undefeated when O’Keith, a 6-5 junior forward, scores in double figures. In his last outing, he uncorked a 19-point, 10-rebound performance against San Marcos. He provides the Knights with a secondary rebounder and paint scorer who can step out and hit corner threes consistently.
Vista’s hot streak coincides with the emergence of Taylor as the third scoring option. The “point forward” type handles the ball and initiates the offense for the Panthers, and is starting to find his groove from behind the arc.
Who wins:
This game features two teams that can score the ball, but also get after it on defense, as both hold opponents to under 57 points per game. For Vista, the key will be if the Panthers can score enough to keep pace with Foothills offense while neutralizing at least two of the the Knights big three.
For Foothills, the formula is simple: get strong games from the big three, timely baskets from Carter-Hollinger and O’Keith, and stay out of foul trouble. I think they do that and get the win.
Prediction: Foothills Christian 72, Vista 65
Semifinal 2: (3) Torrey Pines (23-6) vs (7) Mission Bay, 7 p.m. Feb. 20, Torrey Pines
How they got here: Torrey Pines survived a scare from (6) Poway in a 68-64 win, and Mission Bay registered the biggest upset of the night – at least from seeding purposes – a 69-68 win over (2) Saint Augustine.
Starters for Torrey Pines: Bryce Pope, G; Michael Pope, G; Ryan Brown, G; Brandon Angel, F; Noah Viera, C
Starters for Mission Bay: Boogie Ellis, G; Jay Norton, G; Andre Scott, G; Savaughn Davis, G; Ronnie Latting, C
The Skinny:
The two teams faced each other in The Holiday Classic, with Mission Bay winning 64-63 on a last-second field goal by Ellis.
Torrey Pines has been the model of consistency in San Diego, earning its sixth Open Division berth in six tries, one of only three teams to do it, but looking for its first title. John Olive’s teams are formulaic and role-based, but the results are undeniable. In this installment, the Pope twins – Bryce and Michael – are the highest scoring back-court duo in the Open Division. But this team has functional size by way of 6-6 senior Travis Snider, 6-7 Angel, 6-7 senior forward Victor Novy and 6-8 Viera. When they get contributions from Viera and crew on the interior, this team is tough to beat.
For Mission Bay, the issue hasn’t been talent, it’s been chemistry and health. Boogie Ellis missed several games down the stretch with ankle injuries, but prior to the injuries the team was racking up uneven performances. But they appeared to be back to prime form in the upset win over St. Augustine, and have beaten Torrey Pines twice in the past year in the Olive Garden, one of the most hostile environments for road teams in all of California.
The ex-factor:
Mission Bay goes as Savaughn Davis goes. When the 6-2 junior guard is engaged on both ends, he gives them five guys who can all score double figures.
For Torrey Pines, Brandon Angel has emerged as fourth double-digit scorer in his junior campaign, and is capable of big-time highlights. At 6-7 on the wing, he poses some matchup problems for the Bucs.
Who wins:
The two teams gave us a memorable Open Division semifinals game last year, with Mission Bay emerging with a 64-62 win. I expect this game to be more of the same, coming down to the wire, and again, Mission Bay wins it behind big shots by the Duke-bound Ellis.
Prediction: Mission Bay 67, Torrey Pines 66