LJ b BB 59, Sweetwater 45

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's basketball team showed aggression early, signified by Jacob Duffy's driving basket to kick off the game, and built an early lead before securing a 59-45 win over Sweetwater in the Montgomery High summer league Wed., July 5.

The Vikings, exhibiting a heavily guard-powered attack, surged to a 16-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The starting quintet of Duffy, Jacob Ohara, Behzad Hashemi, Nick Hulmquist--all guards--and Charlie Gal, led 7-4 after six minutes of play.

Then Coach Paul Baranowski sent in a second platoon to complement Gal, consisting of the surprising Diego Solis, Gabe Solis, Evan Brown, and Otto Lenz, who then forced a 10-point lead after one period.

That "second platoon" remained in the game for much of the second quarter. Ohara, a guard, reinserted, was active with two buckets and two other attempts. Hashemi deposited a three from outside the left elbow with 7:45 left to put La Jolla up 24-12, then another from the top of the key with 5:34 left for a growing 29-13 bulge.

The Devils closed to within eight at the end of the half, 33-25.

Brown remained active, staying around the basket, as he put back his own miss for a score early in the third quarter. Ohara contributed his electric drives for a pair of field goals in the period as La Jolla played Sweetwater to a standoff.

Finally, Brown showed he wasn't going to take "just holding them" any longer, going up high to take a rebound with authority to begin the fourth quarter. His teammates seemed to follow his lead, with Diego Solis scoring on a putback of a Gal miss for 53-41.

Gal, the 6'6" rising senior, countered with his own putback of a Brown miss on a move with Evan's back to the basket in the center of the lane. La Jolla showed good discipline on that possession, reversing the ball several times to work Baranowski's offense. The Vikings led, 55-43.

Evan Brown would not settle for mediocrity down the stretch, as he scored inside with 3:20 left, then again on a drive from the left baseline. That was all she wrote for La Jolla's scoring for the night, taking home a sweet, devilish win.

Diego Solis contributed two defensive rebounds in the final period. Gal had two defensive rebounds and one off the offensive glass in the initial period, combined with a nice deflection of a shot.

LJ b BB: Behzad is honored

By Ed Piper

Behzad Hashemi, put on the spot, couldn't remember what his first name means in Farsi. So he forced a local reporter to do some research on it. A Google search turned up the following meanings: "noble", "high-born", "honorable".

Told that he has looked more comfortable at his guard position in summer league play, the rising junior agreed, "It's a lot easier to control the game, having more experience."

Regarding La Jolla's outside shooting, the three-point specialist said, "Obviously, with Reed (Farley) graduated, we're playing a totally different style of basketball.

"We look inside. That's our main option. Then we may take a shot outside."

Are you more confident shooting from distance this summer? he was asked. "Not more confident," he asserted. "I've always been confident. It's now I have the green light (from Coach Paul Baranowski).

Asked to clarify, he said, "(The green light) as long as we've looked inside. As long as we've tried to look inside and reversed the ball a couple of times."

LJ BB: Gal campus visits

By Ed Piper

"I like schools in big cities," says La Jolla forward Charlie Gal, anticipating his senior year and reporting on visiting several college campuses in the East and participating in basketball camps on other campuses.

Camps included the Ivy League schools of Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Columbia, while Brown and Harvard consisted of visits and talks with each school's basketball coach.

As Gal, a burly 6'6", carries a 4.5 grade-point average, he will have opportunities that some other athletes may not as far as his college future.

"I liked New York (City) a lot," he said, prior to his high school team's game in the Montgomery High summer league July 5. He also reported meeting with the coach at Johns Hopkins University, and a visit to MIT.

As far as his recent two-handed dunk from a standing position under the basket, he said, "I couldn't do it last year. I've done it in showcases."

His father Steve had told him not to dunk as an injury preventative. "He was mad at me," the younger Gal said with a sly grin.

Other schools that Gal graced on recent visits include Tufts, Emerson, and Boston College.

LJ BB: JD 'in the NBA'

"Famous people" Jacob Duffy hanging

after the girls game at Grossmont.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Viking guard Jacob Duffy attended the La Jolla girls basketball team's summer league game at Grossmont High Tuesday afternoon, July 11.

Obviously, the animal magnetism of someone on the Viking baller team drew him to that outpost toward the east end of the county.

"Famous people here. What are you up to?" inquired a visitor after the game. Duffy and some members of the Viking girls team and their mothers were standing outside the entrance to the "New Gym".

"He's in the NBA," said one of the girls, indicating Duffy, a rising junior who will see significant minutes in the new edition of the La Jolla boys team next fall.

The observer looked skeptical. "Yeah, right."

"You say he can't do it?" countered the girl.

"Animal magnetism" candidate

Maxwell Lloyd, a member of

the Viking girls team.

 



"You said he was in the NBA. I don't think so," came the reply.

"I'm going to play in the WNBA," said Skyla Loux of the girls team that had just played inside.

"That's assumed, if I'm going to cover your games now," said the visitor, carrying his notepad.

Loux's mom wasn't there, as she was last week.

Maxwell Lloyd, a rising junior on the girls team, was there with her family member.

Another member of the girls team was there, but the sportswriter didn't recognize her right off the bat.

After the others dispersed toward the parking lot to return to San Diego, Duffy walked with the reporter.

"It's your last game of the summer tomorrow night at Montgomery, right?" said the media person.

"Yep."

"I hope to see you there. Good luck."

LJ g BB: Loux locked in on publicity

Forward Skyla Loux is wearing

out the La Jolla media lately.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"Ed, where have you been?"

"Ed, you need to come to more of our games."

Skyla Loux was locked in on a media person, and she demanded answers.

Actually, the outgoing, good-natured rising junior was in her usual friendly mode.

This was Tues., July 11, after La Jolla's basketball game against Otay Ranch in the Grossmont High summer league.

Flashback to the Viking track team's dual meet at Hoover High last spring: Loux, a sophomore then, preparing for the day's two throws--shot put and discus. Very social, very engaging, in her element talking with her throw event teammates and friends gathered inside the far west gate to the Hoover campus.

During a dual meet, there is a lot of dead time; i.e., tie to schmooze and hang out with fellow student athletes.

That is something the frontcourt player for Coach Darice Carnaje's Viking basketball team does well: hang with the "gente". While teammate and point guard Rebecca Saul is much quieter, more likely to give a stranger a look than a word, Skyla--her last named pronounced "locks"--will play the "Hail, fellow, well met" role of verbally greeting someone.



Viking players huddle briefly inside after the game

before Coach Darice Carnaje moves them outside.

"I looked on your blog and I didn't find any stories on us," Loux said, back on the hardwood after the Vikings' basketball game against the Lady Mustangs, which they lost by eight.

The media person she was directing these comments to replied, "Four paragraphs on your last game."

Loux apparently did not see them.

Skyla will continue to be counted on by Carnaje for grabbing some of the rebounds La Jolla has missed ever since Satori Roberson moved on to Grossmont College two years ago. Roberson, at that point of development, wasn't polished. But she did grab a number of defensive rebounds off the glass just due to her athletic ability.

Loux is helped up front by Sina Anae, who also is a good athlete but who hasn't played a lot of basketball. Otherwise, Carnaje starts Petra Eaton, Saul, and Kat Kurtchi, all of whom are more suited for the guard spot.

LJ b BB: Ohara torrid

On teammate Evan Brown's free throw, Jacob

Ohara is in the second position on the right.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Jacob Ohara was in a mood to answer questions.

Still sitting in a chair arranged as part of the La Jolla team bench after the game, scooping up his things to go, Ohara looked up and over to a questioner with an engaging look.

This, despite the Vikings' loss to Steele Canyon just concluded, 47-39.

You never know what reaction you're going to get.

"You scored on three straight drives to the basket near the end of the second quarter. How did you do it?"

"Getting down in transition. If someone gets the rebound, I take off."

"You seem bigger and stronger since the end of last season. Is there a change?"

"When it's not a set offense, I can go inside to score."

"You drive from both sides of the basket. Do you have a preferred side?"

"No. Either side. Except if I'm driving baseline--then the right side, because my strong hand is protected (from defenders)."

"How about the team?"

"The team shows we're pretty fast when we're getting down in transition. We're better that way than in setting up our offense."

"What do you think of (rising freshman) Diego (Solis') play? He's playing with confidence."

"He's looking good. He's shooting well."

Ohara, who just turned 17 on June 26, is a returning 6-foot guard and one of only two rising seniors on Coach Paul Baranowski's roster.

LJ g BB 27, Otay Ranch 35

A Mustang free throw in closing minutes is

covered by Viking defenders (in white

jerseys). (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla went down early, 17-3, in a Grossmont High summer league game to Otay Ranch Tues., July 11.

Then the Vikings fought back to within five, only to fall ultimately, 35-27.

"They broke the press three times. Then they forgot how to break the press," said La Jolla coach Darice Carnaje said of her players, pondering the turn of events after the game.

Why the sudden amnesia? "They're high school kids. That's what happens in high school basketball."

The Vikings fielded pretty much a full complement of team members, with returning starter Rebecca Saul present, in addition to those who were present last week, Katrina "Kat" Kurtchi, Petra Eaton, Skyla Loux, and Sina Anae.

"This is better than it was last season, better than last summer," said Carnaje, entering her third year as coach of the Vikings. But her players still need to get over the hump to face the press and consistently break it.

Up from last year's junior varsity are Katie Nguyen, Maxwell Lloyd, Genevieve Juarez, and Carly Hesterberg.

The Vikings play their last game of the summer Thurs., July 13, at Grossmont High at 3 p.m. against the Stampede in the New Gym.
Juarez, 17, is a 5'2" senior guard. Hesterberg, a rising senior, is a 5'5" post player. She is also 17.