2014-15: No Poll Today But Lots of Action

We’re going to hold off on publishing the weekly Union-Tribune basketball poll, because games Monday night would dramatically alter the Top 10, the deadline of which for voters is 10 a.m. on Monday.

The poll’s timeliness often is in question at this time of year, because clubs are involved in the annual series of one-night stands and specially promoted events on various dates before league play permanently locks in.

Torrey Pines hosted a Martin Luther King doubleheader  and the No. 3-ranked Falcons defeated La Costa Canyon, tied for No. 1 with Foothills Christian, 68-42.  Francis Parker, No. 10, topped St. Augustine, No. 7, 65-55, on the undercard.

Most impressive, at first glance, was Morse’s 96-88, double-overtime victory over Riverside John North in the MLK Classic at La Salle High in Pasadena.

Justin Davis had 42 points and 13 rebounds and 6-foot, 11-inch sophomore Brandon Davis added 27 points for the 16-5 Tigers, who dealt the North Huskies their first loss in a 16-1 season.

Two of North’s starters did not play, according to Cal-Hi Sports.

FOOTHILLS UP AND DOWN

Enigmatic Foothills Christian, ranked 17th in the state, continued to roll with 6-foot, 11-inch T.J. Leaf, in and out of the lineup since an ankle injury in the Under Armour event at Torrey Pines in December.

The Knights were stunned, 48-41, by unranked The Bishop’s but defeated La Jolla Country Day, 76-52, in Coastal League contests which Leaf sat out.

Foothills took a 45-36 lead over state No. 6 Redondo Beach Redondo Union but were outscored, 22-12, in the final  quarter and beaten, 58-57,  by the 14-4 Seahawks in a MLK event at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Leaf, who has missed seven games, scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds against Redondo.

NEAR THE PARK 

Balboa City is a prep school located on the former Hawthorne Elementary campus at Second Avenue and Hawthorne Street.

The team plays  other prep squads and high school opponents and is coached by school principal Zack Jones, the formerly successful mentor at Horizon.

Jones is assisted by Ollie Goulston, who built a powerful program and won more than  250 games at Hoover before being pushed out by a principal who soon moved to La Jolla High.

(The principal has since incurred the disfavor of a group of  Vikings football alums who say they are at odds with the administrator on where a plaque could be placed honoring the late Vikings coach and beloved figure Walt Harvey).

Balboa City has a 7-6 record and dropped its most recent game, 65-40, to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, in the Flyin’ To The Hoop Tournament in Kettering, Ohio.  St. Vincent-St. Mary is the alma mater of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Lebron James.