The Anaheim boys basketball team won the Grove League championship with an 8-0 record.
That’s the best league record in 40 years at Orange County’s third-oldest high school. (Anaheim was founded in 1898, Santa Ana and Fullerton are a few years older.)
The Colonists, 15-10 overall, have a game Wednesday against Desert Hot Springs (12-10), the Sun Valley League champion, at Anaheim High in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs.
They are playing a winning and entertaining brand of basketball.
“We’re a fast-paced team,” said Anaheim coach Alfonso Rodriguez, in his ninth year as head coach after serving 11 years as an assistant. “We get up and down the court quickly.”
His son, senior guard AJ Rodriguez, is among the team’s top scorers. Senior forward Anthony Spagnoletti adds plenty of scoring and rebounding. Other major contributors include senior guard Isaiah Guerra and junior guard Aydan Ibarra.
Guerra transferred to Anaheim from Calvary Chapel, but like the rest of the players on the roster has lived in the Anaheim High community.
Anaheim defeated Avalon last year in the first round of the Division 5A playoffs on Catalina Island before losing in the second round at Rancho Alamitos.
Coach Rodriguez is confident this season the Colonists can go a step or more further.
“We’re seeing the fruition of our hard work, of staying in the community and playing here,” he said. “Now we’re seeing the rewards.”
NOTES
If both teams advance that far, a Division 1 quarterfinal would be Canyon vs. Mater Dei. That would be interesting, and not only because they are both Orange County Top 10 teams. Canyon star forward Brandon Benjamin spent his junior season at Mater Dei before returning this season to Canyon where he was the Orange County player of the year as a sophomore. …
Santa Margarita (22-5), the No. 1 team in the Orange County Top 25, has a first-round bye in the Open Division before playing at home against Trinity League rival JSerra (21-7) in the second round of Pool A on Friday. Santa Margarita beat JSerra in their two league games, 70-49 at Santa Margarita and 65-60 at JSerra. …
Of the 10 teams in the CIF-SS Open Division, only eight will go to the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs. (All 10 teams are among the top 13 teams in the CalHiSports.com state rankings.) Teams that advance to the CIF-SS semifinals in the other divisions, Division 1 to 5A, are guaranteed entry to the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin March 4. The CIF State Championships are March 14 and 15 in Sacramento at Golden One Arena, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. …
Crean Lutheran is 15-11 going into its Division 1 home playoff game Wednesday against San Clemente (23-5). More importantly for Crean Lutheran is how the Saints are going into the playoffs – with momentum. They are 9-2 over their past 11 games with those losses to two very good teams, Damien and Mater Dei. …
Irvine takes its 19-game winning streak into Wednesday’s Division 2A first-round home game against Bishop Amat. Irvine (26-2), led by senior forward Cooper Stearns who is averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds a game, won the Pacific Coast League championship. Bishop Amat (23-5) is the champion of the Camino Real League. With the new computer-based method of seeding playoff divisions, Bishop Amat-Irvine is one of many first-round games matching league champions. …
The Villa Park Division 2A home game is at Santiago Canyon College on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Renovations to Villa Park’s gym have been delayed following a fatal accident there a few months ago, so the Spartans (19-9) have played home games and held practices at various locations. They play Holy Martyrs (17-8).
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