westlake

Defending Southern Section Division 1 champion St. John Bosco, the top team in The Times’ high school baseball rankings, began its season Friday with an 8-0 win over La Serna.

Julian Garcia, who missed last season while recovering from an arm injury, was impressive in his debut. He struck out five with no walks and no hits in four innings. Closer Jack Champlin continued to blank the Lancers, getting the final two outs, one on a strikeout.

Noah Everly had three hits and James Clark added two hits and two RBIs.

Orange Lutheran 10, Crespi 0: Gary Morse struck out eight in five innings and Brady Murrietta had two hits and two RBIs for the Lancers.

Gahr 1, El Dorado 0: A ninth-inning run ended the pitching duel. Jake Ourique gave up one hit in six innings for Gahr.

Harvard-Westlake 3, Cypress 0: Evan Alexander, Jake Chung and Nate Blum combined for the shutout. Jake Kim had two RBIs.

JSerra 17, Prosper (Texas) 9: Brise Boop had a home run, a double and four RBIs, and Blake Bowen homered and finished with thee hits for JSerra in Texas.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Servite 0: Beckett Berg gave up three hits in six innings. Jacob Madrid and Malakye Matsumoto each had two hits for 4-0 Notre Dame.

Granada Hills 6, Sylmar 1: Max Szczech had a home run, double and single for the Highlanders.

Moorpark 7, Rio Mesa 3: Carson Cerny had a home run, a triple and five RBIs for Moorpark. He also struck out three in three innings. Cody Brossard threw four shutout innings of relief.

Hart 4, Bishop Alemany 2: Hayden Rhodes and Jaiden Chan had RBI hits for Hart, which received six shutout innings from pitcher Cayden Kollasch.

Birmingham 4, San Marcos 2: A two-run fifth lifted the Patriots. Aidan Martinez got his second save.

South Hills 4, Bonita 0: Carson Baker threw a four-hitter with five strikeouts for South Hills. Richie Soto hit a home run.

Los Alamitos 8, Yucaipa 1: Cruz D’Errico had a two-run double and Will McCullough had two hits and two RBIs for Los Alamitos.

El Camino Real 8, Sun Valley Poly 5: An eight-run third inning propelled the Royals. Hudson December gave up no runs in five innings for El Camino Real. RJ De La Rosa had two hits and two RBIs. Blake Dubin had a double, a single and three RBIs.

Sierra Canyon 3, West Ranch 1: Kingston Monette and Mac Kennedy combined on a five-hitter for Sierra Canyon.

Bell 10, South El Monte 1: Adolfo Esquivel finished with two hits and two RBIs and also threw four hitless innings.

La Cañada 9, Arcadia 2: Will Park and Joe Bell each had two hits and two RBIs for La Cañada. Scott Burns struck out seven.

Santa Margarita 4, Loyola 3: The Eagles picked up a run in the top of the seventh to beat their second Mission League team this week. Warren Gravely IV contributed two doubles.

Westlake 6, Highland 1: Blake Miller and Dylan Lee had two hits each for Westlake.

Fountain Valley 4, Tesoro 1: Josh Grack had three hits, including a home run, to lead Fountain Valley. He also threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Carson 5, West Torrance 0: Skylar Vinson threw five scoreless innings and also had two hits for the Colts.

Newport Harbor 6, Foothill 1: Gavin Guy struck out seven and had two hits for 5-0 Newport Harbor. Henry Mann went three for three.

Boys’ basketball

Gardena Serra 57, Pilibos 51: Chinemerem Anyikwa scored 25 points to help Serra win the Southern Section Division 5 championship at Azusa Pacific. Demetri Galadjyan scored 23 points for Pilibos.

Girls’ basketball

St. Margaret’s 57, Murrieta Valley 41: Jayden Witten had 19 points, one of four players in double figures, to help St. Margaret’s win the Division 3 championship.

Savanna 46, Warren 25: Jazara Madrid led Savanna to the Division 6 title with 16 points.

Crescenta Valley 51, Saugus 43: Kelin Shajanian scored 14 points and Anik Nortikyan contributed 11 rebounds to lead the Falcons to the Southern Section Division 2 championship.

Now 17, Westlake has been included in an England training camp in preparation for a warm-up match against France next month and April’s U18 Six Nations Festival in Vichy, France.

“England Rugby was always a massive thing for me growing up,” says Westlake, looking back.

“I just loved England and I’m very patriotic.

“I remember getting into the tunnel and asking Chris Robshaw if he was ready.

“Then we cracked on, went out and I think I thought I was going to play!

“You see me walking out and almost staring everyone down.

“Before it, my mum had said to me, ‘Make sure you sing it loud and sing it proud’.

“So I just thought, ‘All right, I’ll do that’.”

Westlake was playing for Devonport Services under-7s at the time, but already had his eyes on the big stage, with plans to become England fly-half or centre.

That part probably won’t come to pass.

Westlake, who plays in Exeter’s academy, is now a hard-running back row, channelling the energy and drive of Ben Earl and Henry Pollock, even if he does cite childhood hero Owen Farrell as the embodiment of the mentality he aspires to.

Westlake has already had to show resilience to keep pursuing his dream.

“Rugby has always been the focus, even if the ride hasn’t necessarily been as smooth as it could have been,” he says.

Westlake has Crohn’s disease, a chronic gut inflammation.

“I’m on medication which I take every eight weeks, which sort of ticks me over and gets me through,” he explains.

“There was a two, three, four-year period where it was pretty tough, but we’re getting through it now.

“It affects energy levels so for two or three days before my medication is due, I’ll struggle and then a day after I’ll struggle as well.”

Harry’s anthem moment was not his even his first experience meeting the England squad.

After using an image of Harry on father Kevin’s shoulders at a match the previous year in publicity material, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) had brought both into the team hotel to meet the players and coach Stuart Lancaster.

Two years after Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Aidan Martinez returned to the mound for Birmingham High on Monday in the closer’s role and responded with three strikeouts and three walks and no hits in 1 1/3 innings in the Patriots’ 7-4 win over Ventura in the Easton tournament.

It’s another positive development for a Birmingham team that already has two productive starters in sophomores Carlos Acuna and Nate Solis. Freshman Ivan Rivera started on the mound for Birmingahm against Ventura.

“He’s getting better every day,” coach Matt Mowry said of Martinez. “He looked good. He was just a little rusty. He has a good arm and is going to help us out.”

There was a brief delay before the game when Ventura High went on lockdown when a police chase of a possible stolen vehicle ended outside of the school, with suspects getting out and running into the school before being captured.

Villa Park 12, Downey 3: Aiden Young had an RBI double and Gunner Santillo had three hits for Villa Park.

Bishop Alemany 1, Culver City 0: DC Ravago threw a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts for 3-0 Alemany, which hosts Oaks Christian in the Easton tournament semifinals Wednesday.

Calabasas 5, Rio Mesa 4: Connor Kingston got out of a bases loaded situation in the seventh to pick up the save for Calabasas, which faces host St. Francis on Wednesday in the Easton tournament semifinals. Evan Barak had two hits and two RBIs.

Cleveland 6, Camarillo 4: Josh Pearlstein had two hits and two RBIs for Cleveland.

Agoura 4, Mira Costa 3: Tyler Starling contributed two hits for the Chargers.

Valencia 2, Oxnard Pacifica 1: Dexton Otton threw four scoreless innings for the Vikings.

Dos Pueblos 9, Granada Hills 3: Liam Shea gave up one hit and no runs in five innings for Dos Pueblos, which had a six-run second inning.

Simi Valley 6, Highland 4: Andrew Nicklaus had two doubles and three RBIs for Simi Valley.

North Hollywood 7, Taft 6: Despite scoring five runs in the seventh, Taft couldn’t come back from a 7-1 deficit.

Westlake 9, Chatsworth 1: Holden Backus finished with three hits and three RBIs for Westlake.

Arcadia 6, San Dimas 2: Peter Cuoco struck out eight in five innings and Damian Catano had two RBIs for the Apaches.

Thousand Oaks 11, Saugus 5: Dylan Sax had two hits and three RBIs for the Lancers.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

GIRLS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

#1 El Camino Real 45, #9 Garfield 28

#4 Eagle Rock 50, #5 Arleta 34

#3 San Pedro 47, #6 Grant 38

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy 53, #7 Verdugo Hills 41

DIVISION II

#1 Harbor Teacher 58, #8 Larchmont Charter 19

#5 West Adams 30, #4 Triumph Charter 27

#3 Santee 43, #11 South East 38

#2 North Hollywood 51, #7 New West Charter 49

DIVISION III

#8 Diego Rivera at #1 Washington Prep

#4 LA Marshall 47, #5 Sun Valley Poly 20

#3 San Fernando 44, #11 Animo Robinson 30

#2 Gardena 40, #7 Crenshaw 24

Note: Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION IV

#1 Maywood CES 36, #16 Huntington Park 33

#9 Smidt Tech 31, #8 Magnolia Science Academy 25

#12 Wilmington Banning 52, #5 Foshay 20

#13 Lincoln 42, #4 LA Wilson 37

#19 Franklin at #3 WISH Academy

#11 Bravo 39, #6 Marquez 35

#10 Panorama 61, #7 Contreras 31

#18 South Gate 48, #2 Sun Valley Magnet 38

DIVISION V

#1 LA Roosevelt 33, #17 Horace Mann UCLA 19

#9 Los Angeles at #8 Camino Nuevo

#12 Discovery at #5 Torres

#20 Sotomayor 39, #4 Chavez 25

#3 Vaughn 40, #14 Animo Bunche 19

#11 Monroe 57, #6 Lake Balboa College Prep 26

#10 Port of LA 54, #7 Aspire Ollin 33

#18 East College Prep at #2 Legacy

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 19; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS

SECOND ROUND

OPEN DIVISION

Pool A

#9 Rancho Christian 73, #8 JSerra 71

Pool B

#10 Fairmont Prep 63, #7 Lakewood St. Joseph 51

Pool C

#11 Oak Park 67, #6 Corona Centennial 44

Pool D

#4 Mater Dei 52, #12 Redondo Union 45

Note: Third round pool play games Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 21; Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 28 at Toyota Arena.

DIVISION 1

#1 Ventura 50, Bishop Montgomery 40

Windward 64, #8 Flintridge Prep 49

#5 Valencia 81, Mira Costa 56

Troy 61, #4 Brentwood 48

#3 Moreno Valley 69, St. Bonaventure 39

#6 Orange Lutheran 55, Marlborough 48

#7 Villa Park 58, Santa Margarita 45

#2 La Salle 48, St. Anthony 42

DIVISION 2

Portola 44, #1 Glendora 34

#9 Saugus 57, Heritage 50

312 Summit 47, #5 Yucaipa 34

Camarillo 54, #4 Rancho Cucamonga 42

#3 Crescenta Valley 56, #14 Chino Hills 34

#11 San Clemente 72, Rolling Hills Prep 59

Dos Pueblos 52, #7 San Juan Hills 45

#2 Rosary Academy 63, Riverside King 50

DIVISION 3

Murrieta Valley 64, #1 Lynwood 61

#8 St. Monica 78, Arcadia 57

#12 Trabuco Hills 58, #5 Segerstrom 45

#4 Oxnard 37, #13 Aliso Niguel 34

#14 Mark Keppel 54, El Modena 31

#6 Leuzinger 72, #11 Shadow Hills 66

#7 St. Margaret’s 65, #10 Riverside Poly 34

Canyon Country Canyon 54, #2 Wiseburn-Da Vinci 39

DIVISION 4

#1 Long Beach Jordan 36, Lancaster 32

#9 La Canada 41, #8 Yorba Linda 27

#5 Eastside 42, Gabrielino 23

Anaheim Canyon 39, Knight 26

#3 El Dorado 64, #14 Ontario 29

#6 Long Beach Wilson 56, Westlake 49

#7 Pasadena Poly 66, Shalhevet 44

#2 Marina 54, #15 Holy Martyrs 47

DIVISION 5

#16 Sunny Hills 48, #1 Tesoro 19

#9 Bishop Diego 55, Fullerton 44

Torrance 53, #5 Fountain Valley 26

#13 Godinez 50, Heritage Christian 41

Whitney 40, #3 Santa Ana Foothill 33

Oakwood at YULA

#7 Burbank Burroughs 51, #10 Culver City 23

Carter 45, #2 Western Christian 42

DIVISION 6

#16 San Jacinto 65, #1 Carpinteria 43

Immaculate Heart 44, #9 Costa Mesa 39

Savanna 41, #5 Redlands 28

#4 Palm Desert 45, #13 Santa Monica 29

Hillcrest 52, #14 Notre Dame Academy 20

Rowland 57, #11 Liberty 41

#10 Sante Fe 48, #7 Hart 23

Warren 41, Silver Valley 39

DIVISION 7

#16 Foothill Tech 55, #1 Fillmore 35

Laguna Hills 45, Capistrano Valley Christian 40

#12 Rosemead 54, Desert Christian Academy 42

Patriot 74, Villanova Prep 40

#3 Canoga Park AGBU 45, #14 Nogales 44

Ridgecrest Burroughs 45, #6 Barstow 21

La Palma Kennedy 47, Long Beach Poly 46

Cajon 42, Garden Grove 25

DIVISION 8

Yucca Valley 61, #1 Cobalt 44

University Prep 45, #8 Norwalk 39

Orange 44, #12 Coachella Valley 40

#13 Riverside Notre Dame 51, #4 Santa Ana Valley 45

#14 Schurr 49, Mesa Grande Academy 23

#6 CAMS 49, #11 South El Monte 42

#10 Chadwick 47, #7 Victor Valley 44

#15 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 57, #2 Riverside North 35

DIVISION 9

#16 Vista del Lago 44, #1 NOVA Academy Early College 18

#8 Santa Clarita Christian 53, #9 Victor Valley Christian 34

#5 Channel Islands 37, #12 Jurupa Hills 31

Desert Hot Springs 48, #4 Temple City 37

La Sierra 46, Faith Baptist 38

#6 Redlands Adventist 55, #11 Newport Christian 32

#10 Sierra Vista 48, #7 San Gabriel 32

Western 48, Santa Maria Valley Christian 38

(Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28)