Full Speed Ahead for Local Prep Hoops Teams

The prep basketball playoffs continue, and Sierra Canyon and Chatsworth keep rolling right along.

Sierra Canyon faces Pasadena Poly (24-2) tonight in the Southern Section Div. V-AA boys’ semifinals at South Pasadena High, and Chatsworth faces Garfield on March 5 in the City Section Section Division III boys’ finals at Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles.

Sierra Canyon, coming off an 86-53 win at Aquinas in San Bernardino, goes up against a Pasadena Poly team that’s tough because most of the starters are seniors.

“They have four of five seniors, and we start two freshman, a sophomore and two juniors starting,” Sierra Canyon coach Ryan Silver said. “For us, we need to pick up the defensive intensity and get up and guard them full-court.”

Jahmel Taylor hit five 3-pointers and scored 28 points for Sierra Canyon in the win at Aquinas, and freshman Marsalis Johnson added 18.

Taylor also had five rebounds and four steals, and he’s averaging 21.3 points.

“Jahmel is also one of our best defensive players,” Silver said. “He’s just a winner.”

Pasadena Poly’s two losses were to Flintridge and Maranatha, both of whom are still in the playoffs.

“They’re a very, very well-coached team,” Silver said.

IN THE CITY

Chatsworth (24-9) defeated visiting Hamilton of Los Angeles 68-53 on Thursday, as Derrick Hector scored 22 points with five assists.

The win was Chatsworth’s fifth in a row after losing three straight, and perhaps the Chancellors are peaking at the right time.

Garfield (21-6) has won 17 of 18 games.

Hector is averaging 14 points, and Terrell Funches is averaging 17.8, as Chatsworth has made quite a turnaround after finishing 15-13 last year and losing in the second round of the playoffs.

SIERRA CANYON STANDOUT SIGNS

Shane Harrison, a top football player at Sierra Canyon who also plays on the basketball team, has signed a football scholarship with Sacramento State – the first Sierra Canyon football player ever to earn a college scholarship.

“I’m excited for him,” Sierra Canyon football coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “I think he is going to go up there and compete well at that level and continue to do that in his college career.”

Harrison had 75 receptions for 1,229 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a 91-yarder, to help Sierra Canyon to the East Valley Division final. He also had 101 tackles on defense.

SPRING SPORTS READY TO BLOOM

Sierra Canyon’s baseball team is still trying to catch up with the success of the boys’ basketball team and football team, and the good news is there are a lot of young players eager to carve out their own legacy, particularly sophomore pitcher/infielder Brian Tucker, the team’s top returning player.

“I believe we can do it. I think our program is building,” Tucker said. “We still need to get some more players, and the Delphic League will be tough.”

Tucker batted close to .300 with 20 runs scored as a freshman last season, and he was 3-1 as a pitcher, as Sierra Canyon finished 11-10-1.

Some of the other top players are freshman Jackson Raney, senior Chafe Cohen and junior Justin Meyerson.

“We’re improving, but we graduated eight players from last year’s team, so it might be a little rough,” coach Bobby Bell said. “But we have some legit ball players, and everyone is working hard. We’re kind of trailing behind the other sports, but that could change once we build our own stadium and start to attract more kids. That would be great.”

In the meantime, Sierra Canyon plays home games at Pierce College and sometimes Chatsworth High on Tuesdays. The season opener is Friday at 6 p.m. against Oakwood at East Valley High.