Chatsworth Hoops Looking to Step It Up

A year after making the state basketball playoffs while winning 26 games, including the City Section Division III championship, Chatsworth High’s boys team is struggling.

The Chancellors have lost six of their past eight games to fall to 6-9.

The team is on a two-week break before resuming Jan. 2 against host Hamilton at the Spartan Classic tournament. West Valley League competition begins Jan. 11 at Cleveland.

“Right now, we’re in a hole, but if we step it up and come together, I think we can be really good,” guard Terrell Funches said. “We have the pieces together, and we have the coaching staff to be a good team. Our next focus is go out and do well in league.”

Funches, a 6-foot-2 senior, is averaging 25.1 points including 38 against Valencia on Nov. 29 and 35 against Ventura on Dec. 3.

“I’m working real hard to help my team win,” Funches said.

Montel Shirley and Salvador Torres also are performing well. Shirley, a 6-foot senior, is averaging 12.3 points. Torres, a 6-2 senior, is averaging 11.8 points.

As for the rest of the West Valley League, four of the five others have a winning record. Taft is 8-1, El Camino Real is 6-2, Birmingham is 6-3 and Cleveland is 8-5.

DIFFERENT COACH, SAME APPROACH

Sierra Canyon’s boys team is in a similar situation as Chatsworth. The Trailblazers went 26-7 last year, including winning the Southern Section Division V-A championship and advancing to the Southern California Regional final – one win shy of the state-championship berth. But without standouts Marsalis Johnson and Bryan Alberts, two top sophomores who transferred to Village Christian, the Trailblazers are 7-4 heading into the ESPN Torrey Pines tournament in San Diego beginning Tuesday against Escondido.

The losses have been to much larger programs – two to Westlake, one to Chatsworth and one to Valencia – so Sierra Canyon coach Ryan Silver is not particularly concerned. The Trailblazers remain a favorite to win another section championship, especially once standout Jahmel Taylor fully recovers from a leg injury. The 6-foot guard has been limping around, but he is still scoring 21.3 points with 4.2 assists.

“We’re off to a great start. It’s been a great year,” Silver said.

The year will get even better if Sierra Canyon performs well at Torrey Pines – a good possibility considering the Trailblazers won the tournament championship last year.

“The Torrey Pines tournament is next, and I’m looking forward to taking it all again,” Taylor said. “The team is coming together, and we have good chemistry.”I

Taylor broke his leg this past summer, and though he is not all the way back, he is still putting up good numbers.

“I’m very excited about getting Jahmel back to 100 percent. He continues to get better,” Silver said.

RELOADING NOT REBUILDING

Sierra Canyon’s football team has lots to celebrate this holiday season after finishing 15-0 including the Alpha League championship, the East Valley League title and the CIF State Division IV Bowl.

But how good will Sierra Canyon be next season?

“We’re trying to create a culture where we expect to be back at the state championships every year,” coach Jon Elllinghouse said.

First, Sierra Canyon must find a replacement for graduating quarterback Tyler Stewart, who has passed for 91 touchdowns over three years, including 32 this past season.

Nevertheless, there are still a lot of weapons, as several of Sierra Canyon’s top players are underclassmen, including running back, Xavier Menifield (1,511 yards, 34 touchdowns) and tight end/linebacker Brian Tucker (23 receptions, 130 tackles).