Prep Rally: Looking back at a great high school sports year

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The 2023-24 high school sports season is officially completed. Let’s review the season and look ahead to 2024-2025.

Regional champs

Orange Lutheran and Murrieta Mesa won the Southern California Division I regionals for baseball and softball, respectively. Here’s the report on Orange Lutheran’s triumph. Here’s the report on regional roundup.

Looking back

The fall of 2023 began with Mater Dei winning the Southern Section Division 1 football championship, followed by a rout of San Mateo Serra in the state Open Division championship game. Then the first-year head coach, Frank McManus, was dismissed, replaced by Raul Lara for the coming season. It’s never boring at Mater Dei.

A great basketball season ended with Harvard-Westlake and Etiwanda at the top in boys and girls basketball, respectively. Their top players, Trent Perry and Kennedy Smith, became McDonald’s All-Americans and will play for UCLA and USC, respectively.

Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt crosses the finish line to win the girls’ 1,600-meter title at the CIF state track and field championships.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In track, Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura won her third straight state championship in the 1,600 and set a state record. It was a season in which two athletes, sophomore JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and senior Deshawn Banks of Birmingham cleared 7 feet in the high jump. Banks won the state championship.

Bell celebrates after defeating Birmingham in the City Section Open Division championship.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Bell made history in City Section baseball, winning its first Open Division championship.

Corona begins action in Boras Classic with all-star group. From left to right: Trey Ebel, Seth Hernandez, Josh Springer, Anthony Murphy and Billy Carlson.

(Nick Koza)

Corona won the Division 1 baseball championship and might be one of the best teams in decades.

Pacifica won the Southern Section Division 1 softball championship.

The City Section Open Division softball final between Carson and Granada Hills lasted 14 innings before Carson won 1-0.

Looking ahead

The big three in football — Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Corona Centennial — are ready to engage in their annual competition to see who wins the championship. Since 2014, one of those three teams has won every Southern Section Division 1 title. Mission Viejo, Sierra Canyon and Orange Lutheran should be in the running to be the fourth team in the Division 1 semifinals.

Murrieta Valley quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

There will be a good class of quarterbacks, from Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park to Husan Longstreet of Corona Centennial to the final season for Bear Bachmeier of Murrieta Valley.

In boys basketball, Eastvale Roosevelt, the Open Division runner-up, starts out as the favorite, led by guard Brayden Burries. It’s hard to tell which teams will be next depending on the transfer portal that opens up immediately. Two-time defending champion Harvard-Westlake returns Nikolas Khamenia. St. John Bosco can make a run with Brandon McCoy, the top-ranked player from the class of 2026.

In girls basketball, Etiwanda is loaded and could be getting the No. 1 player from the class of 2028. Kaleena Smith will be a sophomore at Ontario Christian and who knows how many points she might score after averaging 34 points as a freshman. Jerzy Robinson is back at Sierra Canyon.

In baseball, Corona, Huntington Beach, Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran are returning lots of elite players. Seth Hernandez of Corona could be the No. 1 or No. 2 player taken in the 2025 amateur draft. Bell won a City Section Open Division title with seven freshmen and sophomores making major contributions. There was a terrific group of class of 2026 players who should be outstanding as juniors, led by pitchers Gary Morse of Orange Lutheran, Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco, Jayden Rojas of Bell, Carson Cerny of Moorpark and Caleb Krugman of Ayala, plus outfielders Anthony Murphy of Corona and James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake and catcher Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran.

In softball, a young Norco team could rise up to win Division 1. Granada Hills returns standout pitcher Addison Moorman.

Bishop Alemany freshman Demare Dezeurn displays his medal after winning the 100 meters in 10.47 seconds at the Mt. SAC Relays.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In track, sprinters Benjamin Harris (Long Beach Poly) and Demare Dezeurn (Bishop Alemany) were terrific as freshmen. So was 400 runner Roosevelt Reuben of Cathedral. Next spring, they will be flying. Engelhardt will try to break more records in her senior year at Ventura. And beware of distance runner Evan Noonan of Dana Hills. The Arcadia Invitational should be fun next April.

Golf

Sophomore Max Emberson of Oaks Christian won the CIF state golf championship at San Gabriel CC.

(James Escarcega)

Oaks Christian has a golf prodigy, and his name is Max Emberson, who completed the rare feat of winning the Southern Section individual title and the CIF state championship. Here’s the report.

“If I was back coaching in college, I would peg him immediately,” said Oaks Christian coach John Geiberger, who coached at Pepperdine for 17 years.

He said Emberson, who just completed his sophomore season, has played tremendous golf all season.

“If I could buy stock in the next 15 years, I would buy it,” he said.

He said Emberson “doesn’t really have any weaknesses.”

His drives are straight and go 290 yards. His iron game is good, as is his putting. And mentally, “He has great fundamentals, super steady, has a great mind.”

College coaches can begin contacting him later this month. His phone figures to be busy.

Notes . . .

Nikolas Khamenia, a 6-foot-8 senior at Harvard-Westlake, was named to the USA U18 national basketball team that will be playing June 3-9 in Buenos Aires. . . .

Sophomore guard Josiah Nance is transferring from Heritage Christian to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. . . .

Mater Dei’s annual summer boys basketball tournament will take place Saturday and Sunday. . . .

Norris Milton is leaving Hamilton to become the football coach at Lawndale. . . .

El Camino Real’s football field has been finally completed after several years of delays. . . .

Former Culver City receiver Charles Ross is transferring to USC. . . .

Jonathan Hughes is the new boys basketball coach at St. Margaret’s. He was the girls coach at Calvary Chapel. He replaces Chris Nordstrom, who remains a teacher at St. Margaret’s. . . .

Curtis Allen, a former Pepperdine assistant, is the new boys basketball coach at Westlake. He joins in the Marmonte League another former Pepperdine assistant, Mark Amaral. . . .

Former Palisades coach Donzell Hayes is the new basketball coach at Firebaugh. . . .

Kyle Rouse is the new girls basketball coach at Crean Lutheran. He was head coach Westcliff University, an NAIA team. . . .

Westlake pitcher Andrew Habermann has committed to Santa Clara . . . .

Josh Burresch is the new girls basketball coach at La Habra. . . .

Tim Pennell has been named baseball coach at Valencia. . . .

Standout junior guard Kaiden Bailey of Crean Lutheran is transferring to Calvary Chapel, where is father, James, is the new head coach. . . . .

Randy Thompson is returning to Bishop Alemany as baseball coach and athletic director. He was head coach for 18 years, then let go during budget cuts in 2019. He’s been an assistant at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. His son, Brody, who was a starting catcher at Notre Dame as a sophomore, will be joining him for the homecoming. . . .

Rod Engel is the new softball coach at Sunny Hills. . . .

Monrovia has hired Alon Margalit to be the boys basketball coach and Remy Hare to be the girls basketball coach. . ..

USA water polo announced its women’s team for the 2024 Olympic Games with lots of SoCal products. Here’s the list. . . .

Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura set another national record in the mile with a time of 4:28.46 in a pro race. . . .

Michael Burns has resigned as baseball coach at Trabuco Hills. . . .

AGBU coach Nareg Kopooshian has been named an assistant basketball coach for the Armenia national team. . . .

South Hills has let go softball coach Ralph Navarro. . . .

Charter Oak has dismissed baseball coach El Chavez. . . .

Northview has let go girls’ basketball coach Danny Silva. . . .

Newbury Park won the Moorpark College seven on seven passing tournament, defeating Oxnard Pacifica in the final.

From the archives: Jrue Holiday

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) celebrates with Al Horford during the NBA playoffs this season.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

Former Campbell Hall and UCLA guard Jrue Holiday is now beloved by the Boston Celtics, the latest team to embrace a player who plays defense, is unselfish, scores when is needed and is a great team player. The Celtics have advanced to the NBA finals.

Here’s a 2008 story during Holiday’s senior year at Campbell Hall.

Recommendations

From OCRegister.com, a story on Ryon Sayeri hoping to win the starting kicking job at USC.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on a 13-year-old girls soccer prodigy.

From Signalscv.com, a story on Canyon High’s two state track champions.

From the Washington Post, a movie review on the cheerleader drama “Backspot.”

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