By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
A plethora of high school basketball tournaments and a girls soccer tournament are on the docket in the final days of 2024 and several area teams will be part of those events. Here is what is on tap and what has recently been completed.
BOYS BASKETBALL
GREAT DESERT SHOOTOUT
Artesia High went to North Valley Christian Academy in Phoenix last Thursday through Saturday and lost the last two of the three-game tournament. The Pioneers (6-4) defeated the host school 64-47 before falling to (Phoenix) Desert Vista High 67-42 and Tucson-based Mountain View High 71-60. Senior Jovell Tate scored 43 points in the three games while senior C.J. Okeke had 25 points.
Next game: Jan. 3 vs. Wiseburn-Da Vinci High
605 League opener: Jan. 7 @ Oxford Academy
38TH HOLIDAY HOOPS AT MT. CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL
Cerritos High makes it yearly visit to Rancho Penasquitos in north San Diego County where the Dons (4-8) will begin bracket play against Eastlake High before facing either nearby Rancho Bernardo High or Faith Lutheran High out of Las Vegas in the second round.
Next game after tournament: Jan. 3 @ Sonora High
605 League opener: Jan. 7 @ Whitney High
THE CLASSIC AT DAMIEN
This is dubbed as the premier national high school basketball tournament and both Gahr High and La Mirada High are two of 128 teams taking part in the event. Gahr is in the Silver Division and will face Valencia High at San Dimas High. On Friday, the Gladiators (7-5) will face either Pasadena High or St. Mary’s College.
Next game after tournament: Jan. 6 vs. Animo Venice
Gateway League opener: Jan. 10 vs. Mayfair High
La Mirada has played nothing but tournament games, first winning the Rumble on the Hill Tournament, then going 2-1 in the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions in Peoria, IL before recently taking third place in the St. John Bosco Braves Winter Classic. The Matadores (10-2) will face Parish Episcopal High out of Dallas, before meeting either Redondo Union High or Destiny Christian Academy out of Sacramento in the second round.
Next game after tournament: Jan. 2 vs. Brophy College Prep at the Nike Tournament of Champions
Gateway League opener: Jan. 8 @ Lynwood High
OXFORD ACADEMY DOUGLAS USELTON MEMORIAL D5 CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
Norwalk High will take its 9-4 record into this tournament where it will be in the same pool with Valley Christian High. The Lancers will face V.C. (5-8), Oxford Academy on Friday and Chowchilla High on Saturday while the Defenders will play Chowchilla on Friday and the host school on Saturday.
Mid-Cities League opener for Norwalk: Jan. 3 @ Firebaugh High
Olympic League opener for V.C.: Jan. 3 vs. Maranatha High
GIRLS BASKETBALL
WHITTIER TOURNAMENT
Artesia has played only four games this season, all losses, but will kick off pool play action against Rosemead High before facing Corona Santiago High on Friday and Whittier High on Saturday.
605 League opener: Jan. 7 @ Oxford Academy
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOLIDAY PREP CLASSIC
A late change has put Cerritos in bracket play instead of pool play action. Now, the Dons (4-7) will play a first round game against Etiwanda High at West Hills High and will face wither Lincoln High or Mater Dei High on Friday with the first round losers playing at Point Loma High and the first round winners moving to Canyon Hills on Friday.
Next game after tournament Jan. 4 @ North Torrance High
605 League opener: Jan. 7 @ Oxford Academy
SURF CITY HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Gahr and La Mirada are situated in a 10-team pool with the Gladiators (7-4) facing Mission Viejo High, Calvary Chapel Santa Ana High and Tesoro High while the Matadores (4-7) square off against Patriot High, Inglewood High and Mission Viejo. Tournament sites are Marina High, Huntington Beach High and Ocean View High.
Gateway League opener for Gahr: Jan. 3 @ Paramount High
Mid-Cities League opener for La Mirada: Jan. 3 vs. Bellflower High
ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC
V.C. (5-7) began pool play action against Long Beach Cabrillo High and will play Fullerton High on Friday and Laguna Hills High on Saturday.
Olympic League opener: Jan. 3 against Maranatha
1st ANNUAL HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Whitney, which is coming off a championship in the 3rd annual San Pedro Lady Pirate Shootout heads to the Pacific Northwest to participate in the 1st annual Holiday Classic. The Wildcats (10-4) faced host school Kamiak High, based out of Mukilteo, WA, a northern suburb of Seattle in the first game, then will play Everett High on Friday and Auburn Riverside High on Saturday.
605 League opener: Jan. 7 vs. Cerritos
BOYS SOCCER
No tournaments here, but Artesia (6-1) hosts Gahr (6-1-1) on Friday and Canyon High on Monday while Gahr will also visit Estancia High on Monday. Cerritos (3-1-2) visits California High on Thursday.
GIRLS SOCCER
BEST IN THE WEST TOURNAMENT
Artesia defeated Century High 2-1 before losing to Simi Valley High 1-0 last Saturday to fall to 7-2-0 as the Pioneers will host Long Beach Jordan High on Saturday.
Cerritos dropped a pair of 5-1 decisions to St. Genevieve High and Castaic High last Saturday to fall to 2-7-0.
Gahr edged Santa Ana High 2-1 and tied El Camino Real High 1-1 last Saturday and is now 2-6-1 while La Mirada improved to 4-2-2 with wins over Charter Oak High (5-0) and Dana Hills High (1-0) last Saturday.
Finally, Norwalk blanked Rancho Alamitos High 1-0 and got past Calvary Chapel Downey High 2-1 to move to 6-4-1.
ONTARIO CHRISTIAN CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
V.C. heads out to the Inland Empire for its yearly visit to this tournament where it opened bracket play against Rim of the World High. The Defenders (2-3-1) will play Central Valley Christian High or Linfield Christian High in the second round.