Taft of Woodland Hills and Campbell Hall of North Hollywood, the area's two best boys' basketball teams the past few years, finally played against each other Saturday at the Nike/Fairfax of Los Angeles tournament.
The teams hadn't faced off since they played a memorable game in January of 2007 at Pierce College that Campbell Hall won by two points.
The Toreadors exacted some revenge in a 47-39 fifth-place semifinal victory, although it didn't come in the semifinals and an atmosphere most spectators were hoping for. Both teams lost Friday night in quarterfinal games, downplaying the importance of Saturday's game.
Michael Williams scored 20 points, including 15 in the second half, to lead Taft. Williams hit key baskets during an 11-0 run, during which the Toreadors erased an eight-point Campbell Hall lead.
'I was trying to be a facilitator in the first half and it wasn't really working for us,' Williams said. 'I said to my coaches at halftime, 'I am going to go out there and shoot more.''
Terran Carter scored 11 points for Taft, which played without UNLV commit Justin Hawkins (knee) and expected Renaissance Academy of La Canada transfer De'Andre Daniels (who is at the UCLA Elite Camp).
Keegan Hornbuckle scored 13 points and James Johnson added 12 for Campbell Hall.
Taft will play Crespi of Encino at 2:40 p.m. in the fifth-place game.
Crespi defeated Loyola of Los Angeles 61-55 and will play Campbell Hall today at 1:20 p.m for seventh place.
-- Jacob H. Pollon
Locals dominate All-State softball honors
Led by state player of the year Jessica Spigner, seven local softball standouts were honored on Cal-Hi Sports' all-state first-team roster.
Spigner, a Tennessee signee who led Valencia to its second consecutive Southern Section Div. I title, was a multi-purpose selection. She was one of two Foothill League pitchers on the first-team roster, along with UCLA-bound Destiny Rodino of Hart of Newhall.
Despite playing catcher for Golden League champion Lancaster, Shawna Wright (Washington) was recognized as an all-state infielder. Simi Valley shortstop Sam Fischer (Loyola Marymount), who helped the Pioneers reach the Div. I final, and Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta shortstop/catcher Baillie Kirker (Arizona) were also honored as infielders.
Camarillo shortstop Delaney Willard and Thousand Oaks center fielder Tiffany Messerschmidt, who will be teammates at BYU, rounded out the area selections on the first team.
Three Foothill players were picked to the second team, including Valencia shortstop Madison Shipman, the state sophomore of the year. Catchers Amy Moore of Valencia and Hart's Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) were also second-team honorees, along with Simi Valley left fielder Brianna Stephan.
Oak Park's Julia Rice (Purdue), Simi Valley's Amanda Oliveto and El Camino Real of Woodland Hills' Dani Gilmore -- the state freshman of the year -- were all-state underclass selections, Chaminade of West Hills' Brittany Cervantes (Kentucky) was recognized on the medium schools list and Paraclete of Lancaster's Adriana Perez joined Viewpoint of Calabasas' Michelle Lesser on the all-state small schools roster.
McMorrow is top seed at USTA National Open
Thousand Oaks senior Kyle McMorrow already has one USTA National Open singles title to his credit this year, capturing the 18-under championship in Honolulu in February.
The Washington-bound standout began his quest Saturday for a second crown as the top seed in the 18-under draw at the National Open at Seal Beach Tennis Center. McMorrow, who took third Monday at the 106th annual Southern California Junior Sectional Championships, is seeded ahead of sectional champion and USC signee Steve Johnson, an Orange High graduate.
Thousand Oaks resident JT Sundling, who lost to Johnson 6-4, 6-4 in the 18-under final, is seeded No. 4 in the 64-player draw, which concludes Wednesday.
Area water polo stars named All-Americans
Agoura graduate Peter Kurzeka, who will attend USC this fall, was recently named a first-team high school water polo All-American by Speedo and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association.
Kurzeka, who led the Chargers to the Southern Section Div. IV championship in November, was one of eight California standouts to be recognized on the first team. He is also one of eight members in USC's incoming freshman class, considered to be one of the best in the country.
La Canada's Taylor Roszkos, the Div. III player of the year, and Spartans teammate Max Scott were named to the second-team roster after leading La Canada to its second division title in three years.
La Canada's Spencer Borisoff and Mike Scott were recognized on the fourth team, along with Royal of Simi Valley graduate Barry Snyder.
-- Erik Boal
