The Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High is nearly back to full strength as we sluggishly move away from the COVID era of 2020-2021.
But Coach John Olive's obstacles didn't have to do with the pandemic this year. As his Falcons basketball team helped start off the 2022 edition of the Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High Tues., Dec. 27, with a morning game against powerhouse St. John Bosco of Bellflower, tournament directors had to fill several gaps in the brackets across five playing sites that were the result of winter storms and the meltdown at Southwest Airlines.
The Falcons were nipped 68-67 on a last-second jumper by Amiri Meadows of St. John Bosco, the number-12-ranked team in California. Bosco had originally been scheduled for a tournament in Arkansas. Instead, they called up Olive's staff and got a late slot in the San Diego tourney. Olive said he felt obliged as the tournament host to face off against the L.A. recruiting power, thereby getting a quick exit from the championship bracket to the consolation bracket.
Other sites playing long days, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., concurrently with the National Division action on the Torrey Pines campus included Rancho Buena Vista in Vista, St. Augustine, Carlsbad High, and Santa Fe Christian High.
Torrey Pines, behind J.J. Bartelloni's sharp three-point shooting, led Bosco at the half, 38-31. It was heady stuff for the Falcons, but not totally out of character. In Olive's long career--including the 32nd edition of the Holiday Classic this week--he has parlayed a playing career at Villanova and coaching under Villanova legend Rollie Massimino into a big-time, successful run in the preps. No other high school in San Diego County has been able to draw the teams and stars that have populated the tourney over the years.
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