It ain’t over yet for basketball

By OC Tribune Staff on June 15, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

LESLIE ARAGON is the coach of the Orangewood Academy girls’ basketball team (OC Tribune photo).

UPDATE: The Orangewood Academy of Garden Grove’s girls’ basketball team advanced to the CIF Southern California Regional Division 1-AA semi-finals with a 72-54 win over Carlsbad on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The Spartans (13-8) will host Lynwood on Thursday. The Knights (16-6) made it to the semi-finals with a 61-54 upset of top-seeded Mission Hills. If Orangewood wins, it will face the winner of the Etiwanda-West/Torrance game on Saturday. Whichever team prevails will go to the state championship.

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It’s almost summer. Most area high schools have had their graduation exercises, or are in the process of handing out diplomas. Therefore, you’d think high school sports are concluded.

Not quite. Several Orange County prep basketball teams are involved in the state basketball playoffs and one of those is from Garden Grove.

The girls’ team from Orangewood Academy will be playing a Southern California Regional Division 1-AA quarterfinal game today (Tuesday) at 7 p.m., hosting Carlsbad High. The Spartans are 12-8 overall, but that record is a bit deceiving because the last three losses came in the CIF-SS Open Division championship round robin.

Carlsbad’s Lancers are 16-5 and were knocked out in quarterfinal game of the CIF San Diego Section Open Division, losing 61-56 to Mission Hills.

Orangewood is led by Hannah Stiles, who averaged 19.5 points a game and also led the team in rebounds per game, assists per game and steals per game. A tough defensive presence in the middle is Aixchel Hernandez, who averaged 2.6 blocks a game.

Orange County boys’ teams in action tonight include Mater Dei in the boys’ Open Division at Etiwanda, Capistrano Valley at Fairfax (Division 1-A); Santa Margarita at Bullard/Fresno (Division 2-AA); Costa Mesa at Palisades (Division 5-A); Atascadero at Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana.

On the girls’ side – aside from Orangewood – the schedule includes Caruthers at Esperanza; Fairmont Prep/Anaheim at Spring Valley Mount Miguel (Division 1-A); Pacifica Christian/Newport Beach at Our Lady of Peace/San Diego (Division 4-A) and Fallbrook at Capistrano Valley; Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana at Strathmore (5-AA).

Mater Dei has an Open Division bye in girls’ play. Semifinal games will be on Thursday.

The state of area prep sports

This is the final “Prep Sport Spotlight” for the season, so it’s time to look at how well regarded the top area teams have been for the weird and compressed 2020-2021 athletic season.

None of our area teams ended up being ranked nationally by MaxPreps.Com, but some made an impression at the state level. Pacifica’s softball team (20-5) finished 30th in California. The Mariner girls’ soccer team (16-4-1) won a ranking of 19th in the state.

Orangewood’s girls’ basketball team is number 21 in California, according to Max Prep.

Fall will fall earlier than you think

High school football will return to a regular fall schedule this autumn. Here is how (and when) some area teams will open their seasons. Please note that several schools have not posted schedules and that changes may be expected between now and when the season starts.