Sports
Don't Get Mad, Get Even: East Valley Knocks Out Sherman Oaks CES in Hoops Playoffs
Losing by 36 points last time is a distant memory, as East Valley eliminates rival nemesis in the City D3 quarters
Eleven days after a demoralizing 36-point loss at Sherman Oaks CES that cost East Valley High the Valley League boys’ basketball title, East Valley (16-5) won the rematch Tuesday when it counted most – a 59-55 win at Sherman Oaks CES (13-6) in the City Section Small Schools quarterfinals.
“I’m not sure anyone could imagine this after the whooping we got last time, but our kids played their hearts out,” East Valley coach Matt Skeadas said.
Eddy Escobar scored 23 points, 19 in the second half.
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“It was crazy. We were ready this time and a lot more motivated,” Escobar said. “We decided we weren’t going to go down like last time, so we weren’t scared. We had it in our hearts and minds that we were going to beat them.”
The defeat was Sherman Oaks CES’ first home loss in three years, as East Valley avenged a 71-35 loss in the same gym Feb. 11.
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“After that loss, who would have thought in a million years we could do this? It was just incredible,” Skeadas said. “We’ve played 20 games, and that one loss to Sherman Oaks was the only time the whole year that we weren’t in it the whole way.”
East Valley also defeated Sherman Oaks early in the season, so the Falcons are 2-1 against the Knights, but the 36-point loss made it look like the first win was a fluke, as East Valley had no answer for Sherman Oaks CES’ suffocating half-court press.
That was then, this is now.
“We knew we were better than that, and we made some adjustments handling their pressure,” Skeadas said. “The kids are definitely excited, and they should be.”
East Valley is an underdog again Thursday against View Park, one of the California’s most respected small-school programs.
“View Park is the No. 1 team, and they’re very good,” Skeadas said. “But there are four teams left with a chance to win the City title, and we’re one of them.”
Added point guard Andrew Faigenblat: “We don’t know about View Park yet. We’re just practicing hard. Whatever happens.”
WORTH THE WAIT
It took four days, but Valley Torah finally prevailed over Riverside Christian in the second round of the Southern Section Div. VI-AA quarterfinals.
The Riverside Christian matchup was first scheduled for last Friday at Montclair Prep, then postponed until Saturday at L.A. Valley College because of the Jewish Sabbath. Then, with Valley Torah ahead by 18 points in the first quarter, the lights went out at L.A. Valley College because of a power outage, so the game was postponed until Monday.
“That was nuts. That was really nuts,” Valley Torah coach Robert Icart said.
It was a holiday, but the game had to be completed because the next round was Tuesday, as Valley Torah won 81-37.
The quarterfinal for Valley Torah (19-4) also was postponed for one day, as the Wolfpack play at Avalon on Catalina Island today.
Coincidentally, Avalon’s second-round game was pushed to Monday, too, because of weather conditions.
Valley Torah is already in Catalina, having arrived Tuesday to settle in at a hotel.
“I thought it was a good idea in case someone would have got seasick or something,” Icart said.
Aaron Liberman, Valley Torah’s standout center, said the players are having a nice time.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s the first time we’ve really done anything like this as a team,” Liberman said.
HARVARD-WESTLAKE CHASES MORE SUCCESS
After being upset in the semifinals last year, Harvard-Westlake is all business in Div. III-A, as the top-seeded Wolverines eliminated Cerrtios in the second round Tuesday to set up a Friday semifinal against visiting Damien (26-3) of La Verne at Calabasas High.
Harvard-Westlake has won eight section titles – the most among Valley schools – plus two state titles.
Damien’s Chris Reyes averages 18 points and 10 rebounds, but the 6-foot-7 junior has not faced many opponents like the Wolverines, who feature 6-8 Zena Edosamwon, 6-7 Damiene Cain and 6-7 Josh Hearlihy.
Damien’s other top player is junior Clayton White, who averages 8.6 assists – tops among all Southern Section schools that report stats to Maxpreps.
