Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The state football championship games are this weekend, but there’s also another big moment happening Tuesday. The state basketball record for career scoring may be broken.
State record set to fall
Jason Crowe Jr. (left) and his father coach, Jason Crowe Sr. of Lynwood after winning state Division V championship in 2023.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
This is the week the four-year basketball career of Jason Crowe Jr. from Inglewood gets the respect it deserves. He’s on the verge of becoming California’s all-time career scoring leader. He has a game scheduled Tuesday against Beverly Hills at the old Morningside gym, and if all goes as expected, he’ll pass Tounde Yessoufou of Santa Maria St. Joseph, who scored 3,659 points from 2022-2025, according to the CalHiSports.com record book. Crowe is 29 points away from the record.
Crowe has been on fire in the last week, scoring 51, 50 and 41 points.
With his father, Jason Sr., serving as head coach, Crowe started his career at Lynwood before moving over to Inglewood last season. He averaged 36.0 points as a freshman when Lynwood won a Division V state championship, 37.4 points as a sophomore, 35.3 points last season at Inglewood and is averaging 43 points for 7-1 Inglewood.
He has signed with Missouri, where he and his family plan to move to after this year. His ability to score comes from his relentless ability to attack, draw fouls, make free throws and make shots.
He deserves a standing ovation Tuesday night when the record is his.
It’s championship weekend in Orange County with Saddleback College, Buena Park High and Fullerton High hosting state championship games. Here’s the schedule.
There will be an intriguing tripleheader on Saturday at Saddleback College. One of the best small-school matchups in recent years kicks off the day at 11:30 a.m. in a battle of unbeatens — Rio Hondo Prep vs. Sonora. Then Oxnard Pacifica faces Fresno Central East in the 1-A final at 3:30 p.m. followed by Santa Margarita taking on De La Salle for the Open Division championship at 8 p.m.
Dash Fifita of Santa Margarita is a 5-9, 195-pound All-CIF linebacker.
(Craig Weston)
Santa Margarita has linebacker Dash Fifita, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior who has risen up despite lacking the usual size for playing football at that position. The younger brother of Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita explains how he can be successful.
It was not a good week for City Section teams in the regional playoffs, with Carson, South Gate, San Fernando and Santee all falling. Here’s a report from Carson’s 35-33 loss to Delano Kennedy.
Los Alamitos High quarterback Colin Creason tries to evade the flying tackle attempt of San Diego Cathedral linebacker Cade Smith during the CIF Division 1-AA regional playoff game Friday night.
(Craig Weston)
Southern Section Division 2 champion Los Alamitos came up short in a 1-AA loss to Cathedral Catholic, but what a season it was for the Griffins. Here’s a report.
Signing day
Andrew Williams of Fremont is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior who committed to USC.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Wednesday was early signing day for high school football players, and it was historic for Fremont defensive end Andrew Williams.
He was a member of USC’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class and the first inner city player to sign with USC since 2017. Here’s a report.
Boys’ basketball
Sierra Canyon and Santa Margarita, ranked No. 1 and No. 2, took a trip to the East Coast and each lost to the same team, Maryland’s Bishop McNamara. Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.
San Gabriel Academy, led by freshman Zach Arnold, a had a break-through win over previously unbeaten Redondo Union. Harvard-Westlake’s Joe Sterling, a Texas commit, scored 36 points helped by seven threes in a win over Francis Parker.
Village Christian knocked off Crespi behind freshman Will Conroy, then traveled to Hawaii to finish runner-up to Crean Lutheran. Point guard Hunter Caplan was tournament MVP for Crean Lutheran.
Etiwanda (9-0), Corona del Mar (7-0), Chaminade (9-0) and Brentwood (10-0) are all moving up after impressive starts this season. St. John Bosco (4-0) hosts its tournament this week. A big league game is Wednesday when Arcadia hosts Pasadena in a Pacific League opener. Also Sherman Oaks Notre Dame plays Village Christian on Tuesday.
Jayshawn Kibble has provided a lift for Washington Prep in the City Section. Here’s a report.
Girls basketball
Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian.
(Craig Weston)
What a start it’s been for defending Southern Section Open Division champion Ontario Christian, which is 9-0 and won the Troy tournament Saturday by routing JSerra. Here’s the report.
Junior guard Kaleena Smith scored 30 points to be tourney MVP and teamed with sophomore Tatianna Griffin to make the Knights pretty much unbeaten in the opening month of the season.
JSerra ruined a match-up of Ontario Christian vs. Sierra Canyon by upsetting the Trailblazers 67-63. Sierra Canyon is still waiting for standout Jerzy Robinson to return from an injury. Vivian Grenald had 19 points and Rosie Santos 18 in JSerra’s win.
Soccer
Peyton Trayer (left) and Cora Fry are Santa Margarita girls soccer players who will leave in January to train with their college programs.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
The opening weeks of the soccer season have been marked by players trying to finish up club seasons and join their high school teams.
Some won’t even play when January comes around because they’ve decided to get an early start in college.
It’s an intriguing story how coaches are trying to maneuver through uncertain times on who’s coming and who’s going.
Here’s a report.
Cathedral and Loyola renew their boys’ soccer rivalry with a nonleague game on Tuesday night at Loyola.
Palos Verdes looks strong in its early matches in boys soccer.
Southern Section history
A 45-minute documentary on the history of the CIF Southern Section will get its first public airing on Saturday after the Santa Margarita-De La Salle football game on Spectrum.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
The late Dr. John Dahlem, the volunteer historian for the CIF Southern Section, worked hard before his passing to put together information that would form a 45-minute documentary on the history of the Southern Section.
It will make its public television debut Saturday night on Spectrum at the conclusion of the Santa Margarita vs. De La Salle football game.
A preview was shown at a movie theater on Sunday in Santa Ana for friends and former workers in the Southern Section, and it looks thorough, interesting and well put together by executive producer Taylor Martinez.
Current statistics in 2025 about the Southern Section.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
One of the more humorous moments is Dahlem discussing the hand grenade throw, which used to be a Southern Section sport. Also a look at how girls were not real sport participants until 1974 when the Southern Section began sponsoring playoffs for girls.
Former commissioner Rob Wigod serves as the film narrator, and he might have a future in that endeavor.
Notes . . .
Erick Morales has resigned as football coach at La Puente. . . .
Standout Mater Dei girls basketball player Kaeli Wynn won’t play this season because of a knee injury that will require surgery. She has committed to South Carolina. . . .
Junior pitcher Charlie Fuller from Mater Dei has committed to Oklahoma State. . . .
Here’s the All-City girls volleyball teams. . . .
Whittier is looking for a new football coach after Jimmy Welker was let go following two seasons as head coach. . . .
In January, Palisades students are expected to return to their campus with sports teams being allowed to use facilities after the Palisades fire damaged the campus. Students will be housed in portable bungalows and have use of 70% of the campus. Here’s the report.
From the archives: Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson with the catch for Chaminade in 2017.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Former Chaminade receiver Michael Wilson, in his NFL third season with Arizona, has been coming on strong this season. He had consecutive games of at least 10 receptions and more than 100 yards receiving.
The former Stanford receiver caught 70 passes his junior season at Chaminade. He also was an outstanding point guard until giving up basketball. He was a third-round draft pick.
Here’s a story from 2017 describing how Wilson got his offer from Stanford.
Recommendations
From the Washington Post, a story on a high school football program that was best in Maryland, then the coach left, players transferred and now the team can’t win any games.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the life of former Morningside High and Lakers center Elden Campbell, who has died.
From the Wall Street Journal, a story on former Mission Viejo and Bishop Alemany receiver Phillip Bell, alleging possible CIF violations during his days in high school.
Tweets you might have missed
Until next time….
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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