Willie West Loses Final Game at Fairfax
Crenshaw fans witnessed the end of an era Tuesday night as Willie West coached his final game for the Cougars.
As the final seconds ticked away players and fans let the tears flow as they said goodbye to the man who has patrolled the sidelines since 1970 and is seen by many as the face of their school.
Fairfax won the second round playoff game 88-65, but their victory took a backseat as the moment belonged to West who addressed the end of his career with a quiet dignity.
'I've enjoyed the competition and I've enjoyed this rollercoaster for 39 years,' he said.
Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani embraced West after the game and shared some brief words of gratitude and appreciation for a man that he calls 'an icon of City basketball.'
'I thanked him for all the years of development, character, and making his guys play as a unit,' said Kitani. 'All those great teams he had, he got them to play hard, play with dignity and pride, play together, play to win. He always had his teams ready to go.'
In the pressure-packed atmosphere of the Fairfax gym, both teams were ready to go from the opening tip. The game started off red- hot as the score was 13-10 in less than three minutes of action. Fairfax pulled ahead and took a 26-21 lead at the end but both teams played solid basketball, making few mistakes and running their offenses to near perfection.
But the Lions proved why they were the #1 seed in City Section as they hit three consecutive three-point baskets to open the second quarter. When Crenshaw cut the lead to eight with five minutes left, Fairfax forward Chace Stanback emphatically slammed home a missed shot that retook their momentum. The Lions then clamped down on defense, limiting Crenshaw to one field goal in the final five minutes and went into halftime with a 49-32 lead.
The lead would grow to 21 in the third quarter before Crenshaw made their move. The Cougars took the lead down to 13 and had a chance to trim the lead even further, but Stanback made a huge block on Crenshaw's next shot attempt and the Cougars turned the ball over on their next two possessions.
It turned out to be their last serious threat as Fairfax extended their lead back to 20 by capitalizing on the turnovers and missed free throws that have been the Achilles' heel for Crenshaw all season. Stanback, who will play for UCLA next season, led the way for Fairfax with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks
The farewells did not just stop with West. Longtime assistant coach Maurice Duckett, who has been with Crenshaw for 25 years, also coached his final game and expressed the sadness of leaving the bench for the last time.
'I knew we could have played better, but it goes like that sometimes,' said a visibly moved Duckett who said that he will continue to support the program and looks forward to spending more time with his family.
Senior forward Darnell Gant led Crenshaw with 18 points and even though his career will continue at Washington next year, he had a hard time saying goodbye to the coach who told him as a freshman that they would be leaving Crenshaw together.
'I wanted to get him a championship, but it looks like I can't do that now. He's moving on with his life and I gotta move on with mine too,' said Gant.
West will move on to Arizona where he and his wife have a home waiting for them. He will be remembered for 803 wins, 16 City Titles and eight state titles but his true success has come from teaching his players the values of hard work, discipline and to carry one's self with pride and dignity.
He left the court with his head held high and admitted that it will be strange that he won't be on the sidelines next year
'I'm going to miss it no doubt about it,' he said. 'It's going to be different... but the only way for me to get out of it is to leave the city.'
And with those words, Willie West said goodbye to Crenshaw, leaving behind a nearly four-decade legacy that will never be forgotten by those who were a part of it.
[Sidebar]
Wille West retires from Chrenshaw High School
[Author Affiliation]
BY EVAN BARNES
Sentinel Sports Writer
