________________________
________________________
January 20, 2022
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on Twitter
Editor’s note: Any scheduled games for the upcoming week are subject to being cancelled or postponed after time of press due to Covid reasons/protocols.
In a tale of two programs going in opposite directions this season from what they have been accustomed to in the past, it was the Cerritos High boys basketball team that put a damper in the fine season that John Glenn High has had thus far. An 11-0 run to end the first half was all the momentum the visiting Dons needed as they kept the Eagles at bay in the second half to post a 64-51 victory this past Wednesday.
Cerritos, the three-time defending 605 League champions which began the season with five straight losses and a 2-9 start, improved to 4-13 overall and 2-1 in league action. Glenn, on the other hand which has found ways to win under a new coach and went two games above .500 for the first time this season after a recent 65-43 win over Bosco Tech High, dropped to 9-8, 1-2.
Glenn, ranked eighth in the CIF-Southern Section Division 5A poll, led 19-16 after a basket from senior Richard Ramos with 3:32 left in the first half. But the Dons went on a 15-1 run to finish the half and never allowed the Eagles to get closer than eight points the rest of the way. It also didn’t help that the hosts were a dismal six of 21 from the free throw line and turned the ball over 23 times.
Held to one point in the first half, Cerritos junior Dominic Dela Cruz was on fire in the second half, connecting on six of 11 shots from the field, including four three-pointers. He would finish the game with a career-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Senior Alec Reyes added 16 points, four rebounds and two steals and junior Andrew Hartman pitched in with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Ramos posted a career-high 25 points and had five steals for Glenn while sophomore Seyharmony Som added 13 steals.
Prior to the game, it was all Cerritos as Glenn’s scoring issues continued in a 55-12 affair. While Cerritos improved to 9-6 overall and won for the second time in three league games, the Eagles remained winless in 14 games and haven’t scored more than 17 points in any game.
The Dons scored the first 17 points of the game and had five steals in the opening quarter. It wasn’t until the 6:15 mark of the second quarter when freshman Aaliyah Ramirez put Glenn on the board. That would be the lone basket in the half and it wouldn’t be until late in the third quarter when the Eagles would score again. By that time, the running clock was already in use and Cerritos had already scored 42 points.
Senior Leilani Morante led Cerritos with 14 points and had three rebounds and three steals as she played the first and third quarters only while senior Michelle Lee, who played in the second and fourth quarters, came off the bench to score seven points, grab three boards, have an assist and a steal. Only two Cerritos starters scored, but senior Olivia Zordilla, in her first start of the season, had five rebounds and an assist in the first quarter.
Ramirez led the Eagles with nine rebounds and six points while senior Ruby Chavez had four points and three steals as both Glenn teams are scheduled to host Artesia High today and Whitney High on Wednesday while both Cerritos teams are scheduled to visit Oxford Academy today and Artesia on Wednesday. In addition, the Cerritos boys will make up a Jan. 11 game at Whitney on Sunday while the girls are scheduled to face Esperanza High on Saturday and Kennedy High on Monday, both on the road while the Glenn boys will finally visit Norwalk High on Monday after its Dec. 16 game was postponed.
ARTESIA
The girls basketball team (10-6 overall, 1-0 in the 605 League) is scheduled to make up a Jan. 11 game against Oxford Academy on Saturday before hosting Cerritos on Wednesday while the boys soccer team, ranked third in Division 5 and winners of eight straight games, improved to 11-1-1 after blanking Pioneer High 6-0 this past Tuesday. The Pioneers are slated to host Glenn today and visit Cerritos on Tuesday while the girls have won three straight games, all in league action, are 3-11-1 and will visit Glenn today before entertaining Cerritos on Tuesday.
CERRITOS
The boys soccer team (0-6-3, 0-1-1) is scheduled to host Oxford Academy today while the girls, ranked fifth in Division 5, are 8-1-3, 2-0-0 and will visit Oxford Academy today.
GAHR
The boys basketball team dropped a 68-62 decision to Paramount High this past Wednesday to see its record go to 11-7 overall, 1-2 in the San Gabriel Valley League. The Gladiators are scheduled to host Downey High today, then go to Downey on Monday before visiting Dominguez High on Wednesday.
LA MIRADA HIGH
The boys soccer team (8-2-2 overall, 2-1-0) in the Suburban League travelled to Norwalk High (10-1-2, 4-0-0), the second ranked team in Division 2, on Jan. 20 and will host Bellflower High on Thursday while the girls soccer team improved to 9-2-6, 4-0-0 with a 7-0 win against Firebaugh High this past Tuesday.
NORWALK
The girls basketball team fell to Mayfair High 70-55 this past Tuesday for its seventh straight loss. The Lancers (11-9, 0-1) will visit La Mirada today and Bellflower on Tuesday.
VALLEY CHRISTIAN
The boys soccer team, ranked fifth in Division 5, has won four straight games, all in Olympic League action, to improve to 11-2-2 while the girls soccer team is 8-4-2 as the Defenders will face Maranatha High today and Heritage Christian High on Thursday. In addition, the girls who host Maranatha, will also entertain St. Joseph on Tuesday. The boys will be on the road against Maranatha before welcoming Heritage Christian.
