mater dei

Somehow, someway, Los Alamitos is your Southern Section Division 2 football champion. A team of overachievers filled with a roster of best friends combined chemistry, determination and toughness to overcome all odds.

Saturday night before an overflow crowd at San Clemente High, the Griffins recorded seven sacks and took advantage of one of the strangest touchdowns scored by a lineman to beat the Tritons 33-20. This same Los Alamitos team lost to San Clemente 28-9 in a league game on Oct. 24.

“I’m not smart enough to articulate how I feel and how proud I am of these guys,” said Los Alamitos coach Ray Fenton, who was hugging one player after another.

Los Alamitos (12-2) received a sensational performance from quarterback Colin Creason, who completed his final 13 passes and combined with the Griffins’ strong running back tandem of Kamden Tillis and Lenny Ibarra to generate enough offensive firepower to end San Clemente’s five-game winning streak and deliver the Griffins their first championship since 2002.

The game changed on consecutive plays late in the third quarter after San Clemente took a 20-17 lead on a 35-yard field goal by Ethan Miller. Creason completed a shovel pass to tight end Beckham Hofland inside the five-yard line, but he fumble the ball. It went off the leg of a San Clemente defender and was picked up by offensive guard Luke Wehner, a rugby player who knew exactly what to do to score his first high school touchdown — run toward the goal line. He went seven yards for a 24-20 lead.

“I was so scared,” Hofland said.

Said Wehner: “I was not expecting that at all.”

Then Los Alamitos forced a San Clemente fumble on the next offensive play that was recovered by Hunter Eligon. Tillis scored a 22-yard touchdown for a 30-20 lead. The momentum and the game had switched to Los Alamitos.

Individuals kept stepping forward to deliver big moments for the Griffins. Jackson Renger had two of his team’s seven sacks. Hofland had a 24-yard touchdown catch and two field goals. Tillis rushed for 141 yards. The versatile Ibarra had an interception, a 65-yard punt and rushed for 99 yards. And Los Alamitos’ offensive line kept creating opportunities for Creason and the running backs.

The first half ended in a 17-17 deadlock when Hofland made a touchdown catch for Los Alamitos with 39 seconds left. San Clemente had opened a 17-3 lead behind Jaxson Rex, who had a 25-yard catch, forced a fumble and made an interception. Colin Granite scored two touchdowns on short runs.

Los Alamitos’ no-huddle, up-tempo offense started to cause problems for San Clemente’s defense. Tillis had 100 yards rushing at halftime while Creason had 156 yards passing.

Los Alamitos won the Southern Section Division 2 championship with a 33-20 win over San Clemente.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Los Alamitos started the season 8-0, then lost to San Clemente and Mission Viejo in consecutive Alpha League games. The Griffins regrouped and never stopped believing in themselves. They are expected to face San Diego Section champion Cathedral Catholic in a state playoff game next weekend.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Huntington Park 27, Harbor Teacher 26

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 62, Lawndale 33

AGBU 60, HMSA 31

Alemany 61, San Marcos 45

Alta Loma 86, Apple Valley 52

Arcadia 66, St. Monica 52

Barstow 63, Arroyo Valley 45

Beckman 70, Cerritos 51

Bishop Diego 57, Agoura 28

Brentwood 98, Oxnard Pacifica 54

Buckley 78, South Hills 62

Burbank 65, South Torrance 53

Camarillo 70, Hart 63

Chaminade 71, Shalhevet 49

Downey 38, Saugus 32

Eastside 86, Santa Ynez 51

Elsinore 78, Chino Hills 76

Flintridge Prep 46, Estancia 44

Fountain Valley 67, Canyon Hills 32

Gardena Serra 46, Highland 38

Glendale 57, Paloma Valley 53

Knight 70, Valencia 48

La Canada 71, Calvary Baptist 44

La Palma Kennedy 58, Westminster La Quinta 54

Legacy Christian Academy 51, Calabasas 49

Liberty 51, San Jacinto 46

Milken 78, San Fernando Valley Academy 44

Montebello 55, Rosemead 37

Newbury Park 49, Burbank Burroughs 45

North Torrance 66, La Serna 48

Northwood 79, Placentia Valencia 69

Oaks Christian 70, Golden Valley 54

Oxnard 66, North Torrance 46

Patriot 56, Bloomington 38

Pilibos 50, Simi Valley 36

Ramona 63, Alhambra 62

San Marino 52, Canyon Country Canyon 47

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 39, Segerstrom 36

Santa Monica 48, Colony 46

St. Bonaventure 58, Ventura 32

Whitney 50, Rancho Alamitos 45

INTERSECTIONAL

Chadwick 73, Triumph Charter 55

Crean Lutheran 92, Cleveland 55

Dos Pueblos 62, Point Loma 48

Gabrielino 71, New West Charter 41

Grant 55, West Ranch 48

Harvard-Westlake 74, Bishop Gorman (NV) 39

Mater Dei 69, O’Fallon (IL) 64

Oceanside El Camino 53, Linfield Christian 45

Pasadena 61, Mt. Bethel Christian (GA) 58

Pasadena Poly 68, Franklin 35

Rancho Christian 65, San Diego 36

San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep 70, La Salle 55

Venice 62, El Segundo 38

West Covina 47, Gardena 42

GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anaheim Canyon 48, Whitney 44

Arcadia 42, Riverside King 39

Beckman 58, Rialto 44

Bishop Amat 68, Pioneer 34

Burbank 52, Lawndale 43

Chino Hills 51, Temescal Canyon 39

Crean Lutheran 40, Lakewood 29

El Dorado 50, Long Beach Poly 31

El Toro 68, Irvine 49

Etiwanda 44, Redondo Union 40

Golden Valley 50, Riverside North 21

Hacienda Heights Wilson 54, Sunny Hills 50

JSerra 66, Lynwood 64

Mater Dei 81, Moreno Valley 63

Mira Costa 42, Harvard-Westlake 36

Montclair 43, University Prep 37

Muir 43, San Gabriel 42

Newport Harbor 46, Estancia 29

North Torrance 67, Leuzinger 54

Oak Park 63, Windward 51

Ontario Christian 86, Lancaster 63

Paloma Valley 50, Elsinore 36

Rancho Alamitos 43, Ocean View 16

Rancho Cucamonga 60, Eastvale Roosevelt 21

Rolling Hills Prep 55, Gardena Serra 54

Rosary Academy 49, Corona del Mar 27

San Bernardino 69, Royal 26

San Juan Hills 69, Great Oak 34

Sierra Vista 48, Schurr 45

Sonora 54, Colony 32

South Hills 63, Brea Olinda 43

South Pasadena 56, Riverside Poly 33

St. Anthony 68, Esperanza 48

Trabuco Hills 51, Marina 32

Upland 50, El Rancho 48

Warren 54, Arroyo 16

West Ranch 55, Sacred Heart of Jesus 41

Whittier Christian 56, Montebello 12

INTERSECTIONAL

Birmingham 79, Ontario 42

Downey 64, Bakersfield Frontier 62

Garfield 46, Alta Loma 39

Las Vegas Centennial 80, Brentwood 76

Mary Star of the Sea 38, Bravo 18

North County San Marcos 81, Northwood 22

Portola Valley Priory 63, Canyon Country Canyon 41

Ramona Convent 42, Rise Kohyang 2

Rancho Christian 102, Liberty (NV) 62

Red Mountain (AZ) 48, Edison 41

Shadow Hills 46, Oceanside 27

Sierra Pacific 68, Bishop Montgomery 53

Village Christian 55, Palisades 39

Westchester 59, South Torrance 37

It’s championship week in the high school football playoffs.

Here’s a look at top matchups on Friday and Saturday:

Southern Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita (9-3) vs. Corona Centennial (11-1) at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

The last team standing will be the one able to execute on offense in a showcase of two aggressive, physically tough defenses. Santa Margarita has an advantage with versatile linebacker Dash Fifita and a defensive line second to none. Coach Carson Palmer twice played in the Rose Bowl as a player for USC. Centennial must find a way to run the ball or quarterback Dominick Catalano will have a long night. The pick: Santa Margarita.

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica (13-0) at Palos Verdes (10-3), 7 p.m.

Pacifica’s speed will cause Palos Verdes problems, especially if quarterback Taylor Lee can get the ball to his playmakers. Any team with quarterback Ryan Rakowski will not go down easily, but Rakowski suffered a broken thumb last week. Backup Giorgio Di Mascio has shown he can fill in when needed. The pick: Pacifica.

SATURDAY

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos (11-2) at San Clemente (9-4), 7 p.m.

No team has turned around its season quicker than San Clemente, which has gone from unranked to playing in the championship game with a five-game winning streak. And the teams they’ve beaten were good — Los Alamitos, Edison, Beaumont, Vista Murrieta and Leuzinger. Defense has been key. Patrick Norman leads the team with 109 tackles. The Tritons will have to make sure Los Alamitos running backs Lenny Ibarra and Kamden Tillis are held in check. The pick: San Clemente.

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) at Redondo Union (9-4), 7 p.m.

With a student population of just 150, Rio Hondo Prep faces its toughest challenge yet going for a 17th championship. Coach Mark Carson has schemes and strategies taught to players once they arrive in seventh grade. Running back Noah Penunuri (1,203 yards, 22 touchdowns) is recovering from an ankle injury. Redondo Union, with a student body of nearly 3,000, is in its first title game since 1944. Quarterback Cole Leinart is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The pick: Rio Hondo Prep.

City Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION III

Hawkins (10-2) vs. Santee (9-4) at Birmingham, 2 p.m.

It’s been a long road back for Hawkins after the program hit rock bottom in 2016 with forfeits, the firing of the coaching staff and an exodus of players during a season that ended up 0-13. Coach Ronald Coltress has stayed the course. Senior Jamarieah Wallace is closing in on 900 yards rushing. Santee’s Darnell Miller gets the chance to put on a show. He has rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. The pick: Santee.

DIVISION II

San Fernando (10-3) vs. Cleveland (5-8) at Birmingham, 6 p.m.

Everything changed when Cleveland quarterback Domenik Fuentes came back from an injury in Week 1 to lead the Cavaliers in the playoffs. San Fernando’s Julian Sarzo has passed for 1,500 yards. The pick: Cleveland.

SATURDAY

DIVISION I

Marquez (11-2) vs. South Gate (10-3), at L.A. Southwest College, 2 p.m.

It will be the passing of South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez vs. the all-around game of junior Elyjah Staples, perhaps the top college prospect in the City Section. He gets sacks, catches passes and makes plays. The pick: Marquez.

OPEN DIVISION

Crenshaw (10-1) vs. Carson (8-3) at L.A. Southwest College, 6 p.m.

These two defenses have given up a combined 14 points in the playoffs. As impressive as Crenshaw has been, Carson has reached another level behind quarterback Chris Fields III. Crenshaw’s speed on defense and resiliency should make for a defensive battle. The pick: Carson.

Despite being denied a three-peat in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, the Mater Dei High girls volleyball team still ended the season a champion — and ranked No. 1 in California.

The Monarchs (35-5) captured their second Open Division state title in three years and their third overall with a 25-13, 25-22, 25-18 sweep of Rocklin on Saturday night at Santiago Canyon College.

Getting 31 kills from USC signee Layli Ostavar and 43 assists from Cal State Bakersfield-bound setter Sam Capinpin, Mater Dei closed out the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 winners with a 13-6 run in the third set.

Dan O’Dell’s squad won 20 of its last 21 matches — its only blemish being a four-set defeat to Sierra Canyon in the CIF-SS final.

Earlier Saturday, Cypress made the most of its first state finals appearance by sweeping Clovis West, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, to win the Division II title under head coach Alex Griffiths.

Isabella Faro had 14 kills and fellow senior Hannah Schoffstall dished out 30 for the Centurions (25-10), who swept Santa Ana Foothill on November 6 in the CIF-SS Division 3 final.

It was redemption for Cypress, which had lost to Bishop Diego in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals and to Long Beach Poly in the first round of the Division II regionals last season.

On Friday, Harvard-Westlake earned its sixth title and first since 2021 with a 25-22, 25-14, 25-17 victory over Roseville Woodcreek in the Division I championship match.

Kylie Parker pounded 14 kills and dug 15 balls, Sophia Cotter had 11 kills and senior middle blockers Lauryn Lewis (committed to Penn) and Maya Stillwell (committed to Northwestern) controlled the net for the Wolverines (28-8), who finished third in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon and Marymount and lost to Mater Dei in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals, a remarkable turnaround for a team that had a losing record and missed the playoffs last year.

Coach Morgan Wijay returned to the program in January after a decade-long stint at Bishop Alemany, where she guided the Warriors to back-to-back CIF titles in 2021 and 2022. Wijay was on Adam Black’s staff back in 2007 when Harvard-Westlake won the Division III state title.

In the video game world, conquering the “cheat code” means a player has figured out the secret password to stay alive.

In the high school football world, Matt Logan, the coach at Corona Centennial, is the only public school coach in California to have figured out how to beat private schools in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

His teams won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, then couldn’t crack the playoff code of beating St. John Bosco or Mater Dei for the next eight seasons.

Then came Friday night, when before some 4,000 fans, Centennial defeated Mater Dei 28-27 in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to a championship game Friday against Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl. Going through the private-school gaunlet of the Trinity League is not easy but the Huskies fear no one.

How was the “cheat code” solved?

The truth is St. John Bosco and Mater Dei gathered so much talent on the offensive and defensive lines and so much depth that beating them in the postseason in recent years became unlikely.

This season, finally there were cracks in the armor.

“They’re not what they were,” assistant coach Anthony Catalano said. “They have weaknesses.”

Mater Dei had no elite running back like Jordon Davison; the offensive line couldn’t overcome its lack of experience and too many 15-yard penalties proved costly. St. John Bosco’s inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed. Both teams had as good as a receiving corp as there is in the nation, but this season showed you have to be able to run the ball successfully in the fourth quarter.

This is the first time Mater Dei became a three-loss team since 2015. This is the first time Mater Dei or St. John Bosco have not played in a final since 2012 when Long Beach Poly won the title.

There’s still one more private school for Centennial to conquer, Santa Margarita, in Friday’s championship game. The two teams met Aug. 28 with Santa Margarita winning in overtime 33-27 when Logan missed the game because of a health scare.

Santa Margarita’s defense must be pierced for Centennial to win. The Eagles’ defensive line, linebackers and secondary are loaded with talent. Carson Palmer’s coaching staff, filled with former NFL players like himself, have shown they can teach, lead and handle X’s and O’s. They’ve also figured out the code to make it through the toughest schedule in Southern California.

It will be a great championship weekend for the Southern Section and City Section.

What a story for the return of Crenshaw (10-1) to the City Open Division final on Saturday against 11-time champion Carson at L.A. Southwest College. Interim coach Terrence Whitehead and his players are motivated to win for coach Robert Garrett, who has been on administrative leave all season. And what a season it has been for Carson junior quarterback Chris Fields III.

In Southern Section Division 2, surging San Clemente will host Los Alamitos in a rematch of their Alpha League game won by the Tritons. Sophomore quarterback Preston Beck has made tremendous progress in the last five weeks for San Clemente. It’s a rare game of home-grown players representing their communities absent of transfer students.

In Division 3, it’s the battle of top junior quarterbacks featuring Taylor Lee of unbeaten Oxnard Pacifica and Palos Verdes with Ryan Rakowski, who delivered a stitle title last season.

In Division 5, Rio Hondo Prep is 13-0 and going for a third consecutive title against Redondo Union, which is making its first championship appearance sine 1944. In Division 13, Montebello has reached its first final since 1935 and will play for its first championship against Woodbridge.

The competitive equity playoff system is creating championship opportunities for teams with little championship history. That’s a positive for fans bored of seeing the same teams every season in the finals.

CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Santiago Canyon College, Orange

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION V

Hilmar d. Elsinore, 26-24, 25-16, 25-19

DIVISION I

Harvard-Westlake d. Roseville Woodcreek, 25-22, 25-14, 25-17

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION II

Clovis West (30-13) vs. Cypress (24-10), 11 a.m.

DIVISION III

Redwood City Sequoia (24-15-1) vs. Academy of Our Lady of Peace (21-11), 1:30 p.m.

DIVISION IV

Reedley Immanuel (26-16) vs. Capistrano Valley Christian (13-21-1), 4 p.m.

OPEN DIVISION

Rocklin (37-4) vs. Mater Dei (34-5), 6:30 p.m.

Coach Matt Logan stood on the sideline with nine seconds left and his Corona Centennial team leading Mater Dei 28-27. He had called a timeout trying to ice Mater Dei kicker Jerry Shifman, who would be attempting a 46-yard field goal to decide the Southern Section Division 1 semifinal playoff game Friday night in Corona.

“I was just hoping he would miss,” Logan said.

Centennial defensive lineman Miles Schirmer broke through to block the field-goal attempt and send Centennial to face Santa Margarita in next Friday’s championship game at the Rose Bowl.

“It was unreal emotion and I’m so happy for these kids,” Logan said. “They play their butts off.”

Said Schirmer: “I reached up and it hit my forearm. I just pulled all my strength on a bull rush and jumped as high as I could.”

After Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano took a knee to run out the clock, the sold-out crowd went wild with noise and excitement as Centennial players celebrated on the field.

“We got it done,” Logan said.

It was 10 years ago that Catalano’s brother, Anthony, now the team’s offensive coordinator, led Centennial to a Division 1 championship. Now little brother will have his moment in the spotlight after a courageous performance that saw him endure a powerful Mater Dei pass rush to throw for 290 yards and run for two touchdowns.

It was his 24-yard touchdown pass to Keawe Browne with 1:35 left that provided the winning score.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Catalano said.

Keawe Browne of Corona Centennial makes game-winning 24-yard touchdown catch to take down Mater Dei.

(Craig Weston)

Said Browne: “I saw the ball go up and I had to get it.”

There were so many big plays for Centennial (11-1), none more than a group sack before the field-goal attempt that pushed Mater Dei from the 17-yard-line to the 29.

Jonathan McKinley, who’s brother Javon also played on Centennial’s last championship team 10 years ago, was part of five players that surrounded and took down Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins.

“Oh my gosh, it feels amazing,” McKinley said.

Browne and receiver Ty Plinski kept making catch after catch. Plinski’s one-handed catch, something he has become known for, was another instant classic.

“He’s unreal,” Logan said of Plinski, who had four catches for 98 yards.

Mater Dei opened a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. Hopkins was six-for-six passing for 57 yards. But Centennial took a 14-10 halftime lead. Four-yard touchdown runs by Malaki Davis and Catalano gave the Huskies momentum.

In the third quarter, Mater Dei (8-3) regained the lead 16-14 on a 43-yard touchdown catch by Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Back came the Huskies and Catalano, who had a two-yard touchdown run for a 21-16 lead. Mater Dei settled for a 23-yard field goal by Shifman, then took a 27-21 lead when Shaun Scott recovered a fumble, returned it to the seven and Chris Henry Jr. caught a seven-yard touchdown pass.

Centennial made adjustments. It was expected to try to run the ball, but with Mater Dei’s secondary missing several players because of injuries, Logan turned to his passing attack. And when the Huskies needed to run the ball on their final drive, Zander Lewis came through with two important runs.

The time loop has been broken. Eight years of ending the high school football season in Southern California with either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco as the No. 1 team is over. No more Groundhog Day. Welcome to a fresh start.

It was the second time this season that Centennial had beaten Mater Dei. Centennial taking on Santa Margarita should be a crowd-pleasing final. Carson Palmer, the first-year coach of Santa Margarita, taking on Logan, who passed the 300-win mark this season. Santa Margarita’s defense has been extraordinary. Santa Margarita beat Centennial earlier this season 33-27 in overtime in a game Logan missed because of a heath scare.

“I’ll be there this time,” said Logan, who was eating healthy watermelons before the game but wearing his usual short pants during the game on a night to remember.

The Mater Dei High girls’ volleyball team had a lot to play for after coming within one victory of a third consecutive Southern Section title.

The Monarchs quickly turned the page and set their sights on the state championship. Now they find themselves one win away from attaining that after upsetting No. 1 Sierra Canyon, 20-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-16, in the Southern California Regional Open Division final Tuesday night in Chatsworth.

Outside hitter Westley Matavao led the way with 18 kills and afterward gave a shout-out to her cousin on the opposite side of the net, Missouri-bound setter and fellow junior Lucky Fasavalu.

“We’re family, I love her as a person, she comes to play every match and she knows how to run an offense,” said Matavao, an early commit to UCLA. “We wanted this so much after losing to them last time and we came out swinging tonight.”

A thunderous kill by Addison Coady ended the third set and Mater Dei opened a seven-point lead early in the fourth to ensure there would be no comeback by the home side.

“We played with so much confidence and our energy showed up,” Matavao added. “We have specific serving targets so we focused on that and were in great position on our blocking.”

Mater Dei will try to capture its third state Open Division title at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Santiago Canyon College in Orange, where the Monarchs (34-5) face Northern California champion Rocklin (37-4), which upset top-seeded Archbishop Mitty in five sets Tuesday.

Layli Ostovar had 14 and 21 digs, Emma Kingston had 10 kills and six blocks, Lizzy Robinson had 19 digs, Kalea Lee had 24 assists, Sam Capinpin had 17 assists and Jael Smith had six blocks.

The Monarchs not only avenged their loss in the section final, they snapped Sierra Canyon’s 19-match winning streak and handed the Trailblazers (41-4) their only defeat in California all season.

Mater Dei won its first nine head-to-head meetings with Sierra Canyon before losing in four sets in the Southern Section Division 1 final Nov. 8 at Cerritos College. It was the Trailblazers’ fourth section title and halted Mater Dei’s bid for a three-peat under head coach Dan O’Dell.

Mater Dei won its first state Open Division title in 2018 and its second in 2023.

When sophomore guard Phoenix Smith came off the bench on Monday night in Crespi’s season opener against Cleveland, two things were clear: His big hair and his 5-foot-7 frame, the smallest on the court.

He played junior varsity last season, and let’s just say Celts coach Derek Fisher is going to have fun working with him. Smith was three for three on three-pointers and finished with 16 points in Crespi’s 81-44 win over Cleveland.

He put together a nine-point surge between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second quarter. Leaving him open this season will not be a good strategy. Another JV player from last season, Cayman Martin, led Crespi in scoring with 17 points. Carter Barnes had 14 points and Isaiah Barnes 13 points.

Crespi has a big game coming up Saturday at Pauley Pavilion against Mater Dei.

St. Bernard 81, Claremont 56: Brandon Granger led St. Bernard with a 30-point performance.

South Pasadena 77, Franklin 43: Nick Rios scored 22 points and Rob Khollesi added 21 points for South Pasadena.

Carson 59, South East 37: The Colts are 2-0 under new coach Corey Kitani. Blake McCall had 16 points and nine rebounds.

Mira Costa 85, Torrance 70: Logan Dugdale finished with 18 points and Paxx Bell had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a first-round game at the Ocean View tournament.

Wiseburn Da Vinci 73, Oak Park 56: Aidan Ebrahimi had 15 points for Wiseburn Da Vinci.

Santa Margarita 89, Temecula Valley 38: Drew Anderson had 30 points and 11 rebounds and Kaiden Bailey added 26 points for the Eagles.

Canyon Country Canyon 65, Antelope Valley 28: Alex Lazo made nine threes and finished with 27 points for the Cowboys.

Servite 100, United Christian Academy 18: Tariq Johnson had 22 points for the Friars.

West Torrance 64, Venice 55: Ben Heinemann finished with 15 points for West Torrance.

Valencia 47, Heritage Christian 44: Ali Eldein led Valencia with 18 points.

Sierra Canyon faced a familiar foe Saturday night in the Southern California Regional Open Division girls’ volleyball semifinals in Chatsworth.

The Trailblazers needed five match points to finally put away Mission League rival Marymount, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23, and move within two wins of a state title.

It was the fifth meeting between the teams — the most in a season between two Southern Section schools from the same league since 2006 when Bay League rivals Redondo Union and Mira Costa also faced off five times. Sierra Canyon improved to 11-2 in its last 13 best-of-five set matches against Marymount — including the last seven in a row — though none of them have been easy.

Lucky Fasavalu serves an ace in Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory over Marymount in the Southern California Regional semifinals at Chatsworth on Nov. 15, 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“It gets harder every time we play them because they know our tendencies,” said Missouri-bound setter Lucky Fasavalu, who dished out 44 assists. “It makes us better, but it makes them better too.”

Hanna McGinest had 15 kills, the last of which ended the match. McKenna McIntosh had 13 kills and 15 digs, Kendall Omoruyi had 13 kills and four blocks and Eva Jeffries added eight kills and eight digs for Sierra Canyon.

Washington commit Sammy Destler led Marymount with 20 kills, seven of them in the second set. Elle Vandeweghe had 14 kills, Katelyn Oerlemans added 13 and Olivia Penske had 41 assists for the Sailors, who pushed the Trailblazers to five sets in the section semifinals.

Top-seeded Sierra Canyon (41-3), which has already set the program single-season record for wins in a season, improved to 4-1 this fall against the fifth-seeded Sailors (38-7) and has not lost a match in California (its three losses came in out-of-state tournaments).

Having defeated Mater Dei for the first time in its history to win the Southern Section Division 1 title, Sierra Canyon will try to make it two in a row against the visiting Monarchs on Tuesday night in the regional final. Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory on Nov. 8 at Cerritos College marked its first in 10 tries against Mater Dei, which beat Torrey Pines in four sets in Saturday’s other semifinal.

“They’re both incredible teams,” Fasavalu said, referring to Marymount and Mater Dei. “Marymount is scrappy, has weapons everywhere and has two great middles. Mater Dei’s pins are explosive and they have great game I.Q. Both are full of seniors so they really want to win — but so do we!”

Asked if she is happy to be playing Mater Dei, Fasavalu admitted she was since her cousin Westley Matavao plays for the No. 2-seeded Monarchs (33-5).

“We know how good they are but we can play great volleyball,” Fasavalu said. “I’ve got great options as a setter. McKenna and Kendall demand the ball a lot and it’s my job to read the other side of the net and see where mismatches are.”

If you think college sports has been changed by the transfer portal, prepare for what’s happening in girls’ high school basketball. They say what happens in college trickles down to high schools, and that’s the case this season.

There are so many high-level transfers that it’s almost looking like boys’ basketball. And it comes at a time of enhanced enforcement of transfer rules by the Southern Section, so who’s available and who’s not remains to be seen.

The top schools — Etiwanda, Ontario Christian and Sierra Canyon — have added key players to their squads. Mater Dei and Fairmont Prep are next in line. And there’s a new team in the mix, Oak Park, which lost its point guard but gained more than enough from the transfer portal after the hiring of former WNBA player April Schilling, who’s the wife of Pepperdine men’s coach Ed Schilling. Corona Centennial might have more transfers than any team, including 6-foot-6 sophomore Sydney Douglas from Ontario Christian.

Etiwanda coach Stan Delus is hoping frustration days are behind.

(Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times)

“This is probably going to be one of the toughest, deepest Division 1s since 2016 with some new teams emerging and different teams picking up transfers,” said Etiwanda coach Stan Delus, whose team has won three straight Open Division state championships.

Etiwanda added 6-3 Tess Oldenburg from Chino Hills and 6-1 Jaylee Moore from Northern California power Carruthers, plus freshman Cassidy Morgan to join returnees Arynn Finley, Aliyah Phillips and Chasity Rice.

Ontario Christian still has the No. 1 player in California in junior point guard Kaleena Smith, who’s taking recruiting visits to USC and UCLA. Also back are talented sophomore Tati Griffin and junior Dani Robinson plus the addition of transfers Layia King from Inglewood St. Mary’s and Skylar Archer from Shadow Hills and freshman Chloe Jenkins.

At a Mission League media day, coaches were asked what was motivating transfers. Few spoke up.

“I think Southern California keeps getting better and better,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. “This is as good as a team we’ve had and we’re not guaranteed of anything.”

Sierra Canyon returns Jerzy Robinson, who is being recruited by Connecticut, Louisiana State and South Carolina. “I’m better at everything,” she said.

Then there’s 6-5 center Emilia Krstevski, an Oregon commit who speaks Macedonian, has a Canadian passport and keeps improving. Payton Montgomery is another returnee from a 28-3 team, but the key player might be Oak Park transfer Delaney White, an All-Southern Section point guard. Transfer paperwork was submitted six weeks ago but still hasn’t been approved for her.

Jerzy Robinson of Sierra Canyon is considered the best girls’ basketball prospect from the class of 2026.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Ontario Christian coach Matt Tumambing was hired at Centennial, and suddenly new players began to arrive. Douglas, a 6-7 sophomore joined the Huskies along with former Ontario Christian guard Jelise Max. There’s so many transfers that Centennial officials have been spending weeks reviewing the paperwork.

Fairmont Prep has five freshmen on its roster to support All-Southern Section player Adyra Rajan. Redondo Union picked up freshman Rudy Hopkins from Finland. Oak Park has added sophomore Maya Urteaga from Moorpark. She averaged 26 points last season. Also joining the Eagles are UC Santa Barbara commit Karisma Lewis from Buena and 6-4 Diana Sorrondo from Arroyo Grande.

The winningest coach in California girls basketball history, Kevin Kiernan, has returned to coach at Troy, which is hosting a tournament next month that could result in a championship game between Sierra Canyon and Ontario Christian.

As far as other top players, All-Southern Section guard Amalia Holguin of Sage Hill is committed to Texas; Kaeli Wynn of Mater Dei is headed to South Carolina; Kamdyn Klamberg of Sage Hill is a rising junior; sophomore Hamiley Arenas of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is a high-scoring guard; Charis Rainey of Windward played for the U16 women’s national team.

In the City Section, Westchester, Palisades and Garfield figure to battle it out for the Open Division title, which was won last season by Hamilton. Sophomore Kayla Tanijiri of Birmingham is the returning West Valley League player of the year.

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

At Mt. San Antonio College

OPEN DIVISION

Newport Harbor 10, Corona Del Mar 3

DIVISION 1

Loyola 9, Mater Dei 2

DIVISION 2

Capistrano Valley 9, Damien 8

DIVISION 3

Bonita 10, Temecula Valley 9

DIVISION 4

Charter Oak 13, Liberty 12

DIVISION 5

Fontana 15, Baldwin Park 11

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

First Round

DIVISION 1

Corona del Mar 18, Sage Hill 0

Mater Dei 9, JSerra 9 (Mater Dei wins on games 76-75)

Mira Costa 10, Palos Verdes 8

Portola 15, Fountain Valley 3

Second Round

DIVISION 2

Woodbridge 13, Orange Lutheran 5

Redondo Union 14, San Juan Hills 4

Chadwick 12, Aliso Niguel 6

Calabasas 12, Tesoro 6

Crean Lutheran 10, Peninsula 8

San Marino 11, Marlborough 7

Westlake 11, Crossroads 7

Harvard-Westlake 15, Troy 3

DIVISION 3

Anaheim Canyon 13, Santa Monica 5

Whitney 10, Cate 8

Temple City 14, San Clemente 4

Los Alamitos 10, Eastvale Roosevelt 8

Brentwood 13, West Ranch 5

Campbell Hall 11, Capistrano Valley 7

Flintridge Prep 15, Arcadia 3

Palm Desert 9, Corona Santiago 9 (Palm Desert wins on games 78-70)

DIVISION 4

Sierra Canyon 12, Esperanza 6

Pasadena Poly 10, Placentia Valencia 8

Dana Hills 12, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Oaks Christian 14, San Dimas 4

Keppel 9, Murrieta Mesa 9 (Keppel wins on games 80-67)

Torrance 11, Simi Valley 4

Agoura 16, Geffen Academy 2

Marymount 14, St. Margaret’s 4

DIVISION 5

Valencia 10, Thacher 8

Milken 9, Riverside North 9 (Milken wins on games)

Burbank 11, Millikan 7

Golden Valley 11, Maranatha 7

Lakewood St. Joseph 11, Chino Hills 7

Santa Barbara 10, Beverly Hills 8

Cerritos 17, Santa Fe 1

Bishop Montgomery 10, Paloma Valley 8

DIVISION 6

Flintridge Sacred Heart 12, Woodcrest Christian 6

Garden Grove 10, Ontario Christian 8

Villa Park 12, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 6

Linfield Christian 13, Vista del Lago 5

Village Christian 11, San Jacinto 7

Hillcrest 9, Downey 9 (Hillcrest wins on games 79-78)

El Modena 10, Montclair 8

Saugus 14, Heritage 4

DIVISION 7

Temescal Canyon 10, Los Amigos 9

Malibu 10, El Rancho 8

Laguna Hills 12, South Hills 6

Ventura 11, Apple Valley 7

La Salle 10, Norwalk 8

Segerstrom 12, Ramona 6

Oakwood 10, Bolsa Grande 8

Arroyo 12, Northview 6

DIVISION 8

Bishop Diego 10, Alhambra 8

Rim of the World 12, Nogales 6

Tahquitz 11, Costa Mesa 7

Whittier 12, Duarte 6

Oxnard 9, St. Bonaventure 9 (Oxnard wins on games 73-68)

Bellflower 13, Arroyo Valley 5

Garden Grove Santiago 12, Canyon Springs 6

Academy of Academic Excellence 12, Hueneme 6

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 10; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 12; Finals (Divisions 1-4) Nov. 14 at University of Redlands; Finals (Divisions 5-8) Nov. 14 at The Claremont Club.

Get ready for Troy High to again be a girls’ basketball team to watch.

Kevin Kiernan, the winningest girls’ coach in state history with 900 career wins, according to CalHiSports, has come out of retirement for a second stint at Troy, where he coached for 11 years before heading over to Mater Dei for an 18-year run as girls’ coach and later athletic director. He’s also coached at Westminster La Quinta as well as boys’ basketball and was women’s coach at Cypress College.

Kiernan served as athletic director at Mater Dei last season. Two issues that he dealt with — an injured hip and throat surgery to help his voice — have been taken care of.

“Voice is great,” said Kiernan, whose daughter, Kaidyn, is a junior on the team.

That’s bad news for opponents, players and maybe some officials.

His experience alone should be beneficial to Troy, which is scheduled to be in eight tournaments and showcases. There’s only one returning player, Allyson Tan, but plenty of freshmen and sophomores, which is challenging but invigorating for Kiernan, known as a great teacher of the game.

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