Boys' Baseball Extends Winning Streak To Seven Games

With a series sweep of the Westchester Comets and a dominant victory over the Venice Gondoliers, the Boys' Baseball team has quickly ascended the ladder in the Western League taking sole possession of second place in the process.
After beating up on the lower level league opponents to ignite their winning streak, the Cats pounded the Comets in a two game set. On Apr. 17, led by senior Jose Medina's 6 RBI day, the Cats scored sixteen runs en route to a 16-6 victory. A seven-run explosion by the Cats in the third inning quickly put the game out of the Comets' reach. In the second game of the series, on Apr. 20, the Comets put up a fight answering every scoring rally put up by the Cats. After a three run top half of the fifth inning put the Cats on top 5-2, the Comets answered with two in the bottom half of the inning and another run in the sixth inning to send the game into extra-innings. Junior Chris Navarro, who had four strikeouts in four previous plate appearances, won the game for the Cats with a sacrifice fly to left-field in the top of the ninth inning in his fifth at-bat.
A dominant 8-2 victory over the Gondoliers on Monday moved the Cats into second place in teh Western League. The Cats dominated from the outset as their first five batters reached base. Senior Stephon Brown knocked in Navarro for the early 1-0 advantage but the Gondos were able to escape a bases loaded situation after a double play groundout by sophomore Nolan Flashman. After not taking advantage of their first inning oppotunity, the Cats blew the game open in the second inning with a five run rally. Navarro drove in two runs with the bases loaded and one out. After a groundout by Medina, Brown drove in two more runs with a ground rule double into the ivy on Uni's Lower Field right-field wall. A flare single into right field by senior Michael Chun drove in Brown to extend the lead to 6-0.
"We've gotten better and worked hard on all areas of our game, especially hitting," said Brown.
Poor fielding, however, allowed the Gondos to maintain hope of a victory. Senior shortstop Justin Moore, who is the Cats' most touted star, had two errors and a critical mistake in the fourth allowed the Gondos to score two runs in that inning. Medina was able to get out of every jam he was in and a two run sixth inning put the game out of reach. "Every play hasn't been perfect but we seem to make up for it," said Brown. "Errors are going to happen, we just need to move on with it."
The Cats continue their final stretch of single game match-ups against league opponents tomorrow at home against the Fairfax Lions. The Cats will hope to avenge their 12-2 loss in their last meeting against the Lions. "After we started league 1-5 we thought to ourselve, 'This is not us, this is not the team we really are, and that we would not make playoffs playing like we were," said Brown. "After that we've just taken off and started winning."

STANDOUT PLAYER (vs. Westchester W 16-6, 4/17/09)
Although senior center-fielder Stephon Brown hit a three run homerun, his first of the season, senior pitcher/second baseman Jose Medina was the standout after going 3-5 with 6 RBI's with 1 stolen base.

STANDOUT PLAYER (@ Westchester W 6-5, 4/20/09)
Senior Justin Moore went 1-3 but walked twice, stole two bases and hit a triple in the bottom of the ninth inning which put him in position to score the game winning run on the sac. fly by Navarro.

STANDOUT PLAYER (vs. Venice W 8-2, 4/27/09)
Medina pitched a great game going seven innings, allowing two runs (one unearned), on six hits with six strikeouts, but Brown had a strong day at the plate, going 2-4 with a double, 3 RBI's and a run scored.

Four Game Winning Streak Keeps Baseball Playoff Hopes Alive

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT COMMITTMENT: Freshman Richard Caldaza (Top) gets caught in a rundown against LACES on Apr. 2. Junior Alex Fernandez (Bottom) continued the Cats' success against the Unicorns pitcher en route to a 9-1 win.

After a disappointing and inconsistent start to the season and league play, the Boys' Baseball team is rising with a four game winning streak as their season enters the final stretch.
The Cats are showing they have the skills to fulfill some of the high expectations from earlier in the season. With four All-League candidates in seniors Justin Moore, Jose Medina, Michael Chun and Stephon Brown, the Cats expected to challenge the rival Palisades Dolphins for the Western League title.
They showed their ability to compete with highly ranked opponents in their Mar. 5 home meeting against the perennial City powerhouse Roosevelt Roughriders. The Cats took the Roughriders the distance losing 1-0. Medina pitched a gem going seven innings, striking out seven and allowing only one unearned run. Although there have been bright spots such as Medina's performance against the Roughriders and the play of All-City candidate Justin Moore ( .528 BA/3 HR/8 RBI/15 R) the Cats have not been able to sustain success until this current four game streak.
Three losing streaks of three games or more, including a five game losing streak during the non-league schedule, and a 1-4 record in games decided by one run highlight the Cats inconsistency. The Cats' losing streaks have been fueled by a slumping offense. Throughout the Cats' five game losing streak from Mar. 3 to Mar. 11, the Cats were outscored 35-6 during that span.
League play has not been any easier for the Cats suffering sweeps at the hands of the Dolphins and the Venice Gondoliers, but their current four game winning streak has kept the Cats in the playoff hunt. Despite a 7-12 overall record, the Cats are 5-5 in league play which puts them in fourth place and trail second place by a half game.
Only one home and home series remains on the schedule for the Cats which begins on Apr. 17 at home against Westchester before the season ends with one game sets against every league opponent. If the Cats can continue their recent run, in which they have outscored the LACES Unicorns and Hamilton Yankees 17-5 over the last three games, and snatch second place from the hands of the Gondoliers and Fairfax Lions (who are tied for second at 4-3) then all of their early season struggles will be forgiven.

League Play Proving To Be Difficult For Girls' Softball

Boys' Baseball Struggling With Consistency

Nwaba Selected To All-City Second Team

Sophomore forward David Nwaba was named to the All-City Second Team after an outstanding season.
The standout sophomore makes it two straight years that a Wildcat has been made an All-City selection (former Wildcat center Kaimyn Pruitt was an All-City selection last season).
Nwaba averaged 14.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting a astounding 65% from the field this season.
Nwaba also raised his level of play in the postseason, producing memorable game-changing moments on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He averaged 19.2 points, nabbing 12.2 boards, with 3.3 blocks per game.
There is plenty of reason to believe Nwaba will only continue to get better.
He was the only sophomore named to either of the All-City teams in his first full season at the Varsity level. He was the Cats most athletic player and major post presence despite only being 6-3. Despite matching up against bigger players such as 6-10 USC commit Renardo Sidney, Nwaba still managed to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots.
He should continue to grow in the final two years of high school and could develop into an even more dominating player if he gains a couple of inches and develops a consistent jump shot over the summer.

Boys' Basketball Falls At The Hands Of Eisenhower

A tremendous season for the Boys' Basketball ended with a 102-72 loss to the Eisenhower (Rialto) Eagles.
The Eagles, who have since gone on to claim the Southern California Division-II State Championship, used their high-powered offense to outlast the Cats for the victory. The Cats matched the Eagles intensity and offensive output early, ending the first quarter trailing closely, 26-21.
After the opening quarter, the Eagles conitnued to score in high numbers while the Cats, who scored in modest bunches, could not get enough defensive stops.
By halftime the Cats trailed 53-39 and the deficit would only continue to grow until the rout was complete.
In most games the 72 points scored by the Cats would have been enough to win or keep it close, but the Eagles are highly ranked and proved it by going on to win the entire tournament since the March 10 game.
Seniors Andre Harris and Alex Brooks and sophomore David Nwaba were the only Cats to score in double figures scoring 16, 15, and 14 points respectively. Nwaba also pulled down 10 boards.
It was a heartbreaking end for the Cats, mostly for the six departing seniors who have been able to witness the basketball program's return to relevance, with three straight deep playoff runs, an Invitational title in '07-'08 and the first ever appearance in a State playoff for any Wildcat team after a second place finish in the City Division-II playoffs.
More success looms in the future for the Cats, who will return three starters next season and will be a formidable squad yet again for Head Coach Steve Ackerman.

Boys' Basketball Falls In City Title Game, Defeats Oceanside In First Round Of State Playoffs

No repeat for the Boys' Basketball squad after a 79-66 defeat at the hands of the Reseda Regents in the Los Angeles City Division-II Championship game.
Both squads came out with intensity on the defensive side of the ball that made for a close and low scoring first half. The Regents put the pressure on the Cats with a full-court defense, while the Cats defensive intensity held stifled the Regents high-powered offense. The first half was a seesaw battle, with the Cats taking a 14-13 lead into the second quarter and maintaining a one-point lead before allowing the Regents to end the half on top, 29-28.
In the second half, the Cats could not continue their defensive success while made to many mental errors that allowed the Regents to take over the game. The Regents full-court press forced the Cats to commit 26 turnovers which allowed them to heat up offensively. The turnovers were the Cats undoing as they were outscored 50-38 in the second half to seal their 13-point defeat.
Sophomore David Nwaba had an impressive night scoring 17 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking 5 shots. Junior Anthony Harris Jr. continued his recent surge with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks while seniors Alex Brooks and Andre Harris scored 15 and 11 points respectively. Despite the impressive performances by those four, the Cats were hurt by the inability of their other players to contribute. The four other Cats to see the floor scored a combined 7 points on 2-for-12 shooting.
With a short turnaround between the City Championship and the Division-II State Playoffs, the Cats could not afford to dwell on their defeat. The Oceanside Pirates from Oceanside, CA (just outside of San Diego, CA) made the long voyage to the West Gym on the Uni Campus with hopes of pulling off an upset and moving on to the next round.
The Cats opened the game with unsuccessful attacks at the rim, but took control after a timeout by Head Coach Steve Ackerman with the Cats trailing 5-3. The Cats outscored the Pirates 24-6 for the remainder of the period thanks to great outside shooting from Brooks and sophomore Jamie Harper as well as a strong defensive effort that forced the Pirates to miss shot attempt after shot attempt.
Down 42-28 to start the second half, the Pirates made their move, scorching the Cats with a fury of three pointers. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Pirates only trailed 55-48. The Cats tried to put the Pirates away, but were unable to as the Pirates hot shooting continued. The Pirates finally tied the score, 66-66. Brooks would come back by draining a huge three that seemed to be the dagger in the Pirates heart, but unfortunately the Pirates would tie the score again on their next trip down. Andre Harris would work the Pirates defense in the Cats final possession, but did not run the clock down enough before scoring. The Pirates would come down the court with around 8 seconds left and score on a controversial play.
A lay-up attempt by Pirates guard J.J. Whitaker tied the score although the make was affected by a no-call from the referees. A Pirate player grabbed the rim while the ball was still in the cylinder which should have warranted a goaltending call. After a few confusing seconds, the referees allowed the basket to count saying that the grabbing of the rim did not affect the ball's travel through the net. The no-call sent the game into overtime.
The Cats did not allow the Oceanside rally and referee's controversial decision to affect them, dominating the overtime period 12-3 to seal their 83-74 victory. Brooks and Nwaba dominated the all game long with Brooks scoring 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting while Nwaba poured in 24 points with 16 rebounds.
The Cats move on in the State playoffs, but have to travel for the first time this postseason, to Rialto, CA, to take on the 28-3 Eisenhower Eagles from the Citrus Belt from the Southern Section.

Division-II Championship Game Should Be One For The Ages

Only the Reseda Regents stand in the way of the Boys' Basketball's quest for back-to-back Division-II Championships. The Cats were favored when they defeated the Eagle Rock Eagles 48-41 in the finals last season, but this season the championship comes down to the No. 1 seed against the No. 2 seed. Before the season began the Cats (23-9, 6-6) and Regents (22-7, 9-1) where picked as favorites to reach this point, and those predictions have been fulfilled.
In the regular season, the Regents won the Valley Mission League, while the Cats finished in a tie for third in the Western League. The Cats strength of schedule is impressive compared to the Regents, with four games against nationally ranked Westchester and Fairfax on the schedule.
The Regents have dominated in the playoffs, defeating Roosevelt 72-41, North Hollywood 82-60, and the Venice Gondoliers 69-56 in the semi-finals.
The Cats have had a tougher path in the post-season, defeating the Locke Saints 67-55, the Granada Hills Highlanders 69-55, and the Narbonne Gauchos 73-63.
Head-to-head, both teams stack up pretty even. The Regents have a better offense and create more turnovers. The Cats are better on the glass and are better at helping out in the paint with blocked shots despite having shorter players.
The Regents get off to fast starts, averaging 43 points in the first half, while the Cats get defensive in the second half and close the game with an average of 20 points in the fourth quarter, their highest scoring quarter.
The Cats are a slightly lower scoring team with decent balance. Seniors Alex Brooks and Andre Harris score right around 15 points per game, while sophomore David Nwaba pitches in with 14 per game. Head Coach Steve Ackerman can go as much as seven men deep, with junior Clayton Schindler-Nizon, who can heat up in a hurry from behind the three point line, and freshman Keywhon Powns coming off the bench with confidence they will be able to execute.
The Regents do not have the depth that the Cats enjoy, but they are able to play confidentally with six players averaging either more or around double-figures scoring. They are led by 6'7" senior forward Ryan Watkins. Watkins averages 23 points and 11 rebounds per game.

KEYS FOR A WILDCAT VICTORY:
- The most critical individual match-up is between Nwaba and Watkins. Nwaba, 6'3" will have the task of not only defending Watkins, but of keeping him off the glass as well. All indications are that Nwaba is up to the challenge. Watkins is not the biggest, nor most athletic, player Nwaba has had to defend this season. With previous match-ups against 6'10" Renardo Sidney, 6'6" Solomon Hill, and 6'7" Dwayne Polee Jr. under his belt, Nwaba is used to playing much taller opponents with success. Nwaba led the Western League, despite the aforementioned players being in the same league, in rebounding and was a blocked shot machine. Nwaba has the leaping ability and length to be able to disrupt Watkins.
- The Cats live and die by the three but, in this game, playing against the most potent offense they've seen since league play, they cannot afford to start hoisting up three balls as they had the tendency to do during the regular season. Brooks, Nizon, and sophomore point guard Jamie Harper are all deadly sharpshooters, but the Cats are efficient from inside the three point line shooting 56% compared to 37% from behind the arc. They have to try and establish their interior scoring and make each possession count. Brooks needs to be an agressive facilitator. He has shown the ability to make plays by taking defenders off the dribble and is automatic whenever he gets to the free-throw line. If the Cats can pound the ball down low with Nwaba, Harris and junior Anthony Harris Jr., who was impressive against the Gauchos, then they can take advantage of their shooters.
- DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS! And so does good decision making. The Cats have the ability to dominate with their defense. They must see what defense is effective, either man-to-man or zone, and stick with it. If they go man, Brooks is a lockdown on the ball defender with Nwaba reinforcing the paint with intimidating shot blocking. On offense, they cannot allow the Regents to create turnovers. The Regents get 12 steals per game and can transition that to easy offense. The Cats allowed the Gauchos fight back from a 19-point deficit with lazy uninspired play in the third quarter before putting the game away in the fourth.

Boys' Basketball Headed To City Division-II Finals

Back-to-back Division-II Champions has a nice ring for the Boys' Basketball squad and the entire Wildcat Nation. A 73-63 win over the Narbonne Gauchos has given the Wildcats a chance to claim another City Division-II title, which would be their second in a row and third in the since 2002. The Cats also clinched a berth in the State Division-II Playoffs.
Although it didn't look good early, the Cats made sure the Gauchos would not ruin a their playoff run. Narbonne jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first couple of minutes and had the Cats on the ropes. Head Coach Steve Ackerman jumped into action by calling a timeout to which the Cats responded with a 23-0 run into the second quarter and by outscoring the Gauchos 37-13 to end the first half.
The Cats used their length on defense to disrupt the Gauchos' smaller guards while forwards David Nwaba, Anthony Harris Jr. and Andre Harris used their power and advantage in athleticism to control the paint. "We're a much bigger team and we were able to [control the paint]," said Nwaba
In the second half, the Cats had to withstand a rally by the Gauchos that began with a 19-11 Gauchos third quarter. The Gauchos would cut the Cats' lead down to single digits but could not make a final push to retake the lead.
The intensity in the final quarter picked up as supporters on both sides rallied their troops. Senior Alex Brooks helped put the game away with clutch free-throws. Brooks, the Cats' leading scorer, struggled all game long with a feisty defenders shadowing his every move, but he managed to go 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to help the Cats hold the Gauchos off.
Nwaba finished the game with 14 pts, 8 rebs. and 5 blks. while Harris Jr. scored 13 pts with 8 rebs. Andre Harris led all scorers with 19 pts, with 6 rebs and 6 ast. Brooks added 11 pts.
A classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up will take place in the Division-II Finals as the Cats will take on the top-seeded Reseda Regents this Saturday, Mar. 7, at 4 p.m. at the Edward Roybal Learning Center. The Cats' will be underdogs for the first time this postseason in what should be a phenomenal game with two unfamiliar opponents from respected leagues going at it for the championship.

Boys' Basketball Advances To Division-II Semi-Finals

ELEVATION DOMINATION: Sophomore David Nwaba put the Cats' quarterfinal game against the Granada Hills Highlanders on ice with a spectacular breakaway lay-up and a pair of thunderous dunks.


As expected, the Boys' Basketball team is moving through the City Division-II playoffs, handling their opponents' best shot and pulling off thrilling wins.
On Tuesday Feb. 24, the Cats pulled away from the Granada Hills Highlanders in the second half, after an even first half, for a 69-55 win.
Things were not shaping up to pretty after the Highlanders jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the first quarter. The Cats' struggled to knock down their shots and were not intent on pounding the ball in the post. Sophomore David Nwaba kept the Cats in the game early with his rebounding and putback ability and the Highlanders lead would be cut down to 19-16 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, it was more of the same for the Cats' with poor shooting from behind the arc being their achillies heel. Despite their struggles, the score was tied 32-32 at halftime after senior Alex Brooks' buzzer beating three pointer.
The tide turned in the second half as the Cats' finally began making an effort to pound the ball down low and take it in the lane.
"We came out sluggish [in the first half]," said senior forward Andre Harris. "Through the first second half minutes, we came out tougher...we matched that intensity."
After an even third quarter in which the Cats' took a 49-47 lead, the fourth quarter was completely one-sided.
The Cats picked up their defensive intensity, staying in front of their men by switching to a zone, closing out on shooters and getting critical blocks from Nwaba, who had a monster fourth quarter.
Nwaba took control in the closing minutes of the game, first on defense where his shot blocking began to intimidate the Highlanders. His defensive effort translated to the offensive side of the ball where he was able to extend the Cats' lead and put the game away. Nwaba made a spectacular lay-up on a fast break and followed it up with a wide open dunk after securing a steal to extend the lead to 63-53 with two minutes left. Nwaba got ahead yet again on a fast break and capped it with another dunk that put the finishing touches on the Highlanders.
Nwaba finished with 22 points on 10/11 shooting and added 14 rebounds and 2 blocks while Harris added 13 points on 5/6 shooting.
Only the Narbonne Gauchos stand in the Cats' way of clinching a berth to the City Division-II Championship game and a second consecutive trip to the Los Angeles Sports Arena, as well as a berth in the State Division-II playoffs. The semi-final match will be on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. The Cats are heavy favorites but will be getting their best shot from the Gauchos and will have to maintain a level of intensity they have played with in the second half of their previous playoff games to keep the Gauchos from getting any confidence.
"We play tough opponents no matter who wins and who loses," said Harris. "I'm looking forward to it."