August 16, 2012 Page 5 Sports Adam Pioneer League Preview By Adam Serrao A team that certainly has question marks, Are you ready for some football? Sundays South High will once again rely on its stel- and Mondays aren’t the only two days of the lar offensive and defensive lines as well as week that are about to experience the revival an aggressive rushing attack to get to where of America’s most popular sport. Friday they want to be at the end of the season. A nights will get all of the attention that they solid team year in and year out, the Spartans deserve as well. On just next Friday, August will have another strong showing this year, 24, football teams around Torrance will take but are a year or two away from another the field for the very first time this season Pioneer league title. to kick off the new football year. In a tough The North High Saxons had the toughest and always competitive Pioneer League, there time in league play last year, finishing with is no telling which team will have the better only one win against the only team that finished season and finish out on top to take a first the season with a worse record than they did- place record into the playoffs. With a closer -the Lawndale Cardinals. Needless to say, the look at the league, however, we can begin to Saxons and head coach Todd Croce are on formulate some opinions. a mission to get their team back on track so We can begin the debate with last year’s that they can finish at the top of the league winner of the Pioneer League, the Torrance this year--something that they haven’t done Tartars. After a rough start to the season in since the ‘05-‘06 season. North will open the which Torrance lost three of its first four football year against Redondo Union, a team it games, head coach Rock Hollis was able beat by the final score of 21-14 in the opening to get his boys back on track and close the game of last season. Last year was a mess for season out by winning six of the last seven the Saxons. North under-produced because of games. This year, the Tartars open the season the offensive strategy coming into the season against Hawthorne, a team they lost to by a put together around star running back Ryan score of 20-10 in the third game last year. McDaniel. McDaniel injured himself early Though they lost last year, the Tartars are 5-1 on and was out basically the entirety of the in their last six games against the Cougars. season, putting the Saxons’ hopes of having If it can keep that above average record an outstanding season in serious jeopardy. Marquese Lee of the Heat shoots above Rise defenders during Saturday’s Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Division IV basketball game. alive and start the season off with a victory, This year, that nightmare is in the past, but The Heat defeated the Rise 32-19. Photo by Joe Snyder. the team will be well on its way to another so is the talent of McDaniel. The start of the Ex-Leuzinger Hoop Star as league champions in over seven years, so as they take on talented teams like Peninsula,season might be a little slow for the Saxons,Pioneer League title. No team has repeated Wins Gold for U.S. the Tartars certainly have their work cut out Bishop Montgomery and cross-town rivals the for them. Add to that the fact that the team West High Warriors, but the challenging start By Joe Snyder Gasol contributed 17 points. Another Thunder lost its number one player of a year ago, to the year should benefit North in the long Former Leuzinger High and Hawthorne star, Serge Ibaka, had 12 points for Spain. Tyrone Taylor, to graduation and it becomes run. Look for the Saxons to rebound from resident Russell Westbrook was denied with NO I.D. PULLS AWAY FROM easy to see how it will be a challenge, to say last year and run away with the division this his Oklahoma City Thunder of winning the LAKERS the least, for the Tartars to repeat as league year for the first time in six seasons. National Basketball League crown by the No Identification increased its lead in the champs once again this year. Predictions can be made and powerhouse LeBron James-led Miami Heat in June, Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Division The second best team in Torrance out of teams can be chosen, but it is a long, 10- but he, along with James and the rest of IV (ages 14-15) Youth Basketball League the Pioneer League last year was South High. game regular season--and as North High the United States’ men’s basketball team, by pulling away from the Lakers 50-37 in a Certainly, the Spartans will look to reclaim knows, fortunes can change in an instant. captured the gold medal as the Americans showdown last Saturday at Betty Ainsworth the title of the league’s best team, which they The only way to know who the real winner topped pesky Spain 107-100 last Sunday in Gymnasium. also held two years ago when they went all of the Pioneer League will be this year is the XXX Olympiad London. Westbrook’s The Lakers (5-3) started off well with a the way to the CIF championship game before to be there on November 2 when the teams ankle injury limited him to play just nine 13-10 first quarter lead and were tied at 21 losing in the final seconds against Lompoc. wrap up the regular season. Until that time, minutes as he mustered only three points. by halftime. Comparatively, last year was a disappoint- it should be a fun and interesting season to He injured his ankle in the medal round No I.D., however, started pulling away late ing one for the Spartans, as they wound up watch--a season in which anything can hap- semifinals on Friday as the American squad in the third period and increased its lead finishing in fourth place in the standings. pen and some of the brightest young football rolled over Argentina 119-86. to eight points (36-28). No I.D. led by as This year, however, the team will look to get stars in Torrance will be on center stage to After the U.S. won all but one of its previ- many as 15 points in the fourth quarter in back on track when they open up the season showcase their skills. Get ready for the ride, ous contests by blowout scores with margins winning handily. against Carpinteria, which the Spartans have because this year the Pioneer League is look- ranging from 27 points (98-71 in its first No I.D. (7-1) was led by Richard Har- not played against in the last eight seasons. ing to impress. • game against France) to 83 (an Olympic ris with a game-high 14 points, followed record setting 156-73 thrashing of Nigeria by Jyilier Johnson with 13 and Brandon in pool play), the Americans knew that they Lopez with 11. Ryan Quinde sparked the would be in for a challenge against Spain, Lakers with 13 points, whole Anthony led by Los Angeles Lakers’ star Pau Gasol Little had five. and his brother Marc, a member of the NBA DIVISION IV: HEAT 32, RISE 19 Memphis Grizzlies. The only other team to The Heat used a stingy defense to hold the play with the U.S. was Lithuania in pool play Rise to only four points per quarter in the as the Americans were able to hang on for last three quarters to pull away for a 32-19 a 99-94 victory. victory in Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Against the Spanish, the U.S. led by only Division IV basketball play on Saturday. one (59-58) at halftime and led by as many The Heat was spar,ed by Gerardo Acosta, as 13 points late in the fourth period that all who led all scorers with 13 points. Albert but clinched the game and the gold medal for Corona put in seven points and Marquese the Americans. The U.S. coasted from there. Cook tallied six. Devon McGee led the Rise Leading the Americans was Thunder with six points. standout Kevin Durant with a game-high DIVISION III: YOUNG BALLERS 25, 30 points and nine rebounds. Durant totaled HAWTHORNE AVENGERS 19 an Olympic record 156 points during these Terrence Smith proved dominating with sensation Kobe Bryant chipped in 17. Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Youth Douglassa game-high 15 points as the Young Ballerstopped the Hawthorne Avengers 25-19 inJames added 19 points and Laker 2012 Games. Pau Gasol sparked the Spanish with 24 points, Basketball action Saturday. Robert Prewitt followed by Juan Navarro with 21. Marc led the Avengers with seven points. • M O R T U A R Y “Our Family Serving Yours Since 1954” B U R I A L - C R E M A T I O N - W O R L D W I D E T R A N S F E R “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” P E T M E M O R I A L P R O D U C T S ~ Margaret Drabble 5 0 0 E A S T I M P E R I A L AV E N U E E L S E G U N D O , C A L I F O R N I A 9 0 2 4 5 Telephone (310) 640-9325 • Fax (310) 640-0778 • FD658
Lawndale 8.16.12
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