By Mike Cohen
Pressure defense and sharp passes by the Culver City High School boys basketball team resulted in a 55-40 win over South Gate, July 2, in the Redondo High School summer league.
Culver held the Rams to five points in the second and fourth quarters.
Wes Dixon had five steals and five rebounds, Robel Samson had eight rebounds, and Aaron Edison had five assists and three steals to lead the team in hustle plays.
Centaurs played South Torrance, July 9, and challenge El Segundo, July 16, and Palos Verdes, July 23, in the Redondo league.
The Centaur varsity football team defeated the alumni, July 2, in the annual passing tournament at Culver High, 28-26, with rallying throws by quarterbacks David Handler and Steve Funches. Kevin Beacham picked off an alumni pass to assure the upset win for the young varsity team.
Brandon Hasson and Stanley Norman carried the Centaurs to the consolation bracket finals of the Benita Air Assault Passing Tournament last week. Culver City topped Walnut, Arroyo, Anita, Damian and Citrus Valley in the annual summer tourney.
Beacham and Norman are proving to be the two best cornerbacks Los Angeles, according to Culver High head coach Jahmal Wright.
HONORED: Incoming sophomore guard Kailey Tooke finishes off a Centaur fast break. Tooke’s play has fit well into Coach Julian Anderson’s scheme of relentless pressure on opponents during the summer league. She was selected to the All-Ocean League first team. Anderson was named Ocean League Coach of the Year. Outgoing senior Taylor Tanita won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
Photo by George Laase
BRUIN: Jonathan Moniz, who is among the top ten sprinters in the state, will attend UCLA this fall on a full scholarship, according to Culver City High School distance coach Tom Fritzius. He anchored the Centaur 4×400 relay team, which broke the school record this spring and reached the State Championships at Buchanan High School Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Fritzius reports Tayler Rodriguez also is going to UCLA, Jasmine Dimeo to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Evan McNally to Long Beach State, and Robert Heyl to Santa Monica College.
Photo by George Laase
FIRST TEAM: Incoming Culver City High School senior Wesley Dixon, seen spiking a winner down the line against Santa Monica, was named to the Ocean League First Team. Setter James Chandruang also earned First Team honors. Middle blocker Ryan Armstrong and libero Cody Gartner were selected to the Second Team.
The Centaur girls varsity won the gold medal in the LA Watts games with co-Most Valuable Players Monica Patton and Cassidy Paperny.
Photo by George Laase