By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on Twitter
The new year, and new decade, marks the beginning of play in the 605 League, Olympic League, San Gabriel Valley League and Suburban League, as well as others in the CIF-Southern Section. And before you know it, the divisional playoffs will begin in a little over a month from now. Here’s a look of where the eight area schools’ basketball and soccer teams stand right now and their upcoming schedule.
ARTESIA
The boys basketball team ended 2019 at 8-8 as it will face Bishop Amat High and Cathedral City High today and Saturday respectively in the Rancho Mirage Showcase. The Pioneers are riding a three-game winning streak and have been above .500 twice this season. They will also visit Cerritos High on Tuesday in the 605 League opener.
The girls basketball team has won all 12 games thus far as it hosts Rise Kohyang High on Saturday before its league opener. The Lady Pioneers, who have not scored more than 63 points in any game nor allowed more than 42 points in any game, are also the top-ranked team in Division 5AA.
The boys soccer team sports a 5-4-1 mark as it visits Cypress High today while the girls are winless in 10 games and have scored three goals. Both teams will face Cerritos on Tuesday with the boys at home.
CERRITOS
The boys basketball team went 2-2 in the Mt. Carmel Tournament, falling to Olympian High 61-57 this past Monday. Still, the Dons will take an 11-5 mark into their league opener against Artesia High. Cerritos has won five of its last seven and is ranked ninth in Division 3AA.
The girls basketball team, which has been above .500 twice, fell to 7-8 following a 69-53 loss to Vista Murrieta this past Monday in the final game of the Best of the West Tournament. The Lady Dons will travel to Bishop Amat today before facing Artesia.
The boys soccer team went 0-2-1 in the recent Marina Holiday Tournament and is 2-8-1 while the girls team, absent from action since Dec. 21, is 2-4-3 as both teams face Artesia on Tuesday with the boys on the road.
GAHR
A 55-34 win over Temescal Canyon High in the final game of the Rancho Mirage Tournament enabled the boys basketball team, winners of three straight games, to improve to 11-6. The Gladiators, ranked 13thin Division 3AA, will face Rolling Hills Prep on Saturday in the Westchester Classic before hosting Downey High on Wednesday in the San Gabriel Valley League opener.
The girls basketball team dropped its sixth in a row, a 58-28 loss to Oak Hills High this past Monday in the last game of the Best of the West Tournament. The Lady Gladiators (3-13) will visit Santa Fe High, then Downey.
The boys soccer team (2-8-0) and girls soccer team (8-3-1) will host Norwalk High today before opening league action against Downey on Tuesday with the boys hosting the Vikings. Gahr will then face Dominguez High on Thursday with the girls at home.
JOHN GLENN
While the boys basketball team struggled in the Showcase on Shoemaker Tournament, losing all five games to see its record fall to 3-13, the girls enter league play with a 10-7 mark. Both teams will visit Pioneer High on Tuesday.
The boys soccer team has not played since losing to La Mirada High, 3-0, on Dec. 19 and 1-4-2 as it will host Pioneer on Tuesday while the girls will be on the road.
LA MIRADA
The boys basketball team defeated Los Altos High 65-59 this past Monday to win the Covina Tournament and improve to 10-7. The Matadores, who visited St. Anthony High on Jan. 2, will also travel to Canyon High on Saturday.
The girls basketball team salvaged the final game of the Whittier Tournament by defeating the host school 46-38 this past Monday, but is still 5-12. The Lady Matadores will face South Hills High at Northview High today before going to La Serna High on Saturday.
A five-game winning streak was snapped when the boys soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision to California High last Saturday in the Marina Holiday Tournament. Still, La Mirada, ranked second in Division 4, is 9-2-2 as it visits Bellflower High on Tuesday and hosts Mayfair High on Thursday.
The girls soccer team went 2-1-1 in the North Orange County Championships after blanking Redlands East Valley High 2-0 last Saturday to improve to 7-4-3. The Lady Matadors, ranked eighth in Division 2, visits Troy High today before facing Bellflower on Tuesday at Glenn and travelling to Mayfair on Thursday.
NORWALK
A six-game winning streak, highlighted by an Anaheim Tournament championship is what the boys basketball team has after knocking off Garden Grove High 55-38 this past Monday. The Lancers improved to 10-7 and will visit Kennedy High today.
The girls basketball team dropped a 43-40 overtime decision to Arroyo High last Saturday in its final game of the Buena Park Tournament and evened its mark to 8-8. The Lady Lancers visit Northview on Saturday and Price High on Tuesday.
After both soccer teams face Gahr, they will begin Suburban League action on Thursday against Firebaugh High with the boys on the road. The boys are 8-2-1 and ranked 10thin Division 3 and will also visit La Serna High on Saturday while the girls are sporting a 5-4-1 record.
VALLEY CHRISTIAN
The boys basketball team is enjoying its best season in a while, winning 16 of its first 17 games and will visit Whittier on Saturday before hosting Maranatha High on Tuesday in the Olympic League opener, following the girls (6-10). The Defenders are tied with Shadow Hills High for the top spot in Division 3A.
Both soccer teams, who have not played since the middle of December, are off to solid starts with the boys standing at 6-2-2 while the girls are 5-2-2. They will face Maranatha on Tuesday with the girls, ranked fifth in Division 5, at home.
WHITNEY
The boys basketball team defeated Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High 79-60 in the final game of the Showcase on Shoemaker to improve to 6-9. The Wildcats will visit Bolsa Grande High today before facing arch-rival Oxford Academy on Tuesday at home.
The girls have not played since Dec. 21 are 4-10 as they are home to Calvary Chapel Downey High today in preparation of their league opener against the Patriots.
Before facing Oxford Academy on Tuesday with the girls (7-2-0) at home, both soccer teams will face Mark Keppel High today with the boys (4-3-0) at home.
