While the St. Augustine boys and La Jolla Country Day girls competed against the best this week, Montgomery came home with a championship, of sorts.

The Aztecs (8-3), won the Baller TV consolation bracket in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, defeating  Las Vegas schools Sierra Vista, 71-46; Valley, 60-58, and Clark, 54-36, after a first-round loss to eventual champion Layton, Utah, 70-60.

St. Augustine, in the Platinum Bracket, was 2-2 in the Tark and the Torreys 3-1 in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.

The Saints (9-2) opened with a 56-51 victory  over Orlando Oak Ridge (7-3), then the No. 2 team in Florida. They defeated Cleveland St. Ignatius, 62-54.  They dropped a 79-70 decision to 6-2 Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, Nevada’s No. 1 squad.

The Gorman Gaels lost, 67-62, in the Tarkanian final to 12-0 Valencia West Ranch, which had defeated Carlton Kell of Marietta, Georgia, 65-55, and Santa Ana Mater Dei, 60-55.

St. Augustine’s final game was an 84-76 loss to 11-1 Kell, an Atlanta suburban team ranked second in the state.

FIRST DEFEAT

La Jolla Country Day (13-1), ranked No. 5 in the U.S. by Max Preps, was defeated by Long Island Lutheran of Brookville, N.Y., 63-50, in the Tournament Of Champions final.

Breya Cunningham scored 23 points for the Torreys, who fell behind, 18-6, after one quarter, rallied to a 29-27 halftime deficit, and fell behind again, 45-33, after three quarters.

The LuHi Crusaders, No. 1 team on the state’s eight-million population peninsula, featured 6-foot, 5-inch center Kate Koval from Ukraine.  Koval had 10 points and nine rebounds.

SET SHOTS

Mikey Williams scored 35 points and San Ysidro (5-3) defeated  Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (7-3) in a non-tournament game, 89-82…the visiting Knights’ other losses were 66-64 to Valencia West Ranch and 94-77 to Duncanville, Texas…Otay Ranch was in the Visit Mesa Tournament at Westwood High in Mesa, Arizona, winning, 68-59, over Aurora of Overland, Colorado; losing to Sunnyslope, 62-33, and winning, 65-38, over Westwood….Coach Terry Bamford’s La Jolla Country Day Torreys return in January, beginning the New Year on Saturday, Jan. 7, at Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, the team that edged the host Torreys, 63-62, in the state regional playoff semifinals in 2021-22…St. Augustine will be back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 27, in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic with a game on the Saints’ home court against the 9-2 Centennial Coyotes of Peoria, Arizona….

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 3 poll:
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes. Last entries in columns indicate previous rank.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 3 poll:
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes. Last entries in columns indicate previous rank.
Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings. NR—Not ranked.

Others receiving votes

San Diego (6-3, 14 points),  Bonita Vista (6-1, 4), La Jolla Country Day (7-2), Lincoln (6-1, 2), El Capitan (10-0, 2).

VOTING PANEL

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
• Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
• Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
• John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
• Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
• Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
• Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
• Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
• Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
• Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
• Max Preps.

Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings. NR—Not ranked.

Others receiving votes

San Diego (6-3, 14 points),  Bonita Vista (6-1, 4), La Jolla Country Day (7-2), Lincoln (6-1, 2), El Capitan (10-0, 2).

VOTING PANEL

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
• Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
• Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
• John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
• Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
• Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
• Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
• Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
• Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
• Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
• Max Preps.

St. Augustine, 7-0 and the unanimous first-place choice in the Union-Tribune weekly poll, will take that and its Cal-Hi Sports No. 10 state ranking and Max Preps’ No. 7, to Las Vegas Monday.

The Saints of coach Mike Haupt, slotted in the Platinum Division of the Tarkanian Classic at Orleans Arena, will open against Orlando Oak Ridge, 7-0 and Florida’s No. 2 team, according to Max Preps.

San Diego teams will be awash in intersectional games through the end of the year.

MIKEY LOOMS

San Ysidro, 95-70 and 90-66 loser to Corona Centennial and Perry of Gilbert, Arizona, respectively, and 74-70 to El Camino, still ranks third in San Diego and 21^st by Cal-Hi Sports.

The San Diego and Cal-Hi judgments could be described as the Mikey Williams affect, although Williams’ Cougars strangely are the 182^nd team in California, according to Max Preps.

Williams, back for his senior season after two years at a North Carolina academy, is averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 assists and is the No. 2-rated player in the Country, according to 24/7 Sports. J.J. Swift leads San Ysidro scoring with a 25-point average.

The Cougars are part of a event in the desert this week at Imperial High, opening against Indio Shadow Hills (4-5), a 42-40 loser to Valhalla in its most recent outing.  It was at a tournament at Imperial on Dec. 14, 2019, that the 6-foot, 4-inch Williams, then a freshman, scored a County record 77 points in a 116-42 win over Kearny.  Williams  had 51 points the night before against Brawley.

Carlsbad (9-2) lost to St. Augustine, 74-60, last week and then recorded the first century score this season, 100-67 over neighboring Sage Creek.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 2 poll:
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes. “Last” is previous rank. NR—Not ranked.

Others receiving votes

San Diego (5-2, 20 points), Cathedral (4-4,10),  Del Norte (5-3, 10), Bonita Vista (5-1, 4), Chula Vista (6-0, 3), La Jolla Country Day (5-2 Lincoln (5-1, 2), El Capitan (8-0, 1), Rancho Buena Vista (6-1, 1).

VOTING PANEL

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
• Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
• Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
• John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
• Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
• Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
• Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
• Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
• Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
• Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
• Max Preps.

Heralded Mikey Williams  has returned for his senior basketball season at San Ysidro after two years at an academy in North Carolina.  Updated Max Preps stats show Williams with an 18.3 average in the Cougars’ five games, in which San Ysidro is 3-2, including a 95-70 loss to Corona Centennial. Williams scored 24 points.  J.J. Taylor leads the team with a 25.2 average, according to Max Preps.

The first poll actually follows the preseason Top 10 created by John Maffei of the Union-Tribune several days ago and is reflected in the “Last” column.  The season began for most teams around the first of November.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 1 poll:
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes. NR—Not ranked.
Last entries in column indicate previous rank.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Cathedral (3-3, 23 points), Otay Ranch (5-1, 15), San , Lincoln (4-1, 2), San Diego (3-1, 5), Bonita Vista (4-1, 3), El Capitan (10-3, 2), San Diego High Tech (6-0, 1).

VOTING PANEL

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
• Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
• Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
• John Kentera, (97.3 FM The Fan).
• Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
• Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
• Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
• Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
• Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.

Scripps Ranch joined Gardena Serra, Bellflower St. John Bosco, and West Hills Chaminade as teams that have won state championships in football and basketball in the same school year since the state CIF reinstated the football championship in 2006.

The Falcons, behind gridiron stars Jax Leatherwood, Dean Paley, and Lamont Wilkerson, who scored 19 points, defeated Napa Justin-Sienna, 46-37.

Leatherwood,  who threw the winning touchdown pass to Paley in the Falcons’ 31-28 state D-IIA championship over Santa Clara Wilcox, scored seven points, had six rebounds, and blocked eight shots.

There were no state titles to be had in the 1953-54 school year, but Chula Vista won Southern California small school championships in football, basketball and  baseball.

Ross Branson won the state girls D-IV title by defeating Imperial, 46-23.

GIRLS

BOYS

RATINGS GAME

The San Diego Union-Tribune final 2021-22 poll.
First-place points in parenthesis.  Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Records do not include Southern California playoffs.

(The final Cal-Hi Sports rankings, which were published after the state playoffs:  St. Augustine No. 20, San Ysidro, 35, Torrey Pines, 39, and La Costa Canyon, 40).

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Francis Parker (18-10, 13 points), Mission Bay (21-9, 12), Montgomery (24-7, 3), San Dieguito (20-7, 2), Santa Fe Christian (20-10, 1).