jason day: crenshaw v. compton

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SoCalHoops High School News

Jason Day: Nike Dream Classic
In Pictures: Compton v. Crenshaw--(Jan. 21, 1999)

While we were sitting comfortably (or uncomfortably as the case may have been after sitting continuously for close to 14 hours by the time of this game) our friend and correspondent Jason Day was seated just down the press row from us, and his photographer buddy Larry Gray, the one with all of the great camera equipment (certainly better than our dinky little digital Sony Mavica, which is handy but not nearly as sharp as Larry's stuff) was seated just under one of the baskets, clicking and snapping away as Compton and Crenshaw duked it out. Here's Jason's report and Larry's pictures. You had to be there, but really, this is the next best thing. And Jason's right, this will be a game that gets talked about for a long, long time.

THE MLK (NIKE DREAM CLASSIC) IN PICTURES -
CRENSHAW VS. COMPTON

by Jason Day
photos by Larry Gray

The great thing about events like the Nike Dream Classic (MLK) is the opportunity to see teams that don't usually meet each other go at it. Sure you have the Reebok in Vegas, the upcoming Nike Extravaganza, and others that often match up powerhouses from different areas of the country (Dominguez vs. Oak Hill slated for the Nike Extrav...for instance). What's special about the MLK is that the matchups are generally between local area powerhouses. Teams that you just wouldn't see play anywhere else.

2 of the stars...Crenshaw's E.J. Harris
drives on Compton's Tito Maddox

The Crenshaw / Compton game was "all dat" and a BIG "bag o' chips". Tito Maddox, Leroy Dawson, Ellis Myles, Jeremiah Thompson bumpin heads with E.J. Harris, Jonathan Stokes, Tommy Johnson, Ryan Sims...and as my buddy Jethro Bodine would say "hot dang", or as my other buddy O.G. Crazy Insane would say, "this s**t is on...".

Jonathan Stokes got started early,
here he soars to the rack in the 1st
period.

The organizers obviously learned from past year's experiences. In the first 4 years, the last game of the evening was always between two talented but,
shall we say, not so compelling teams. So after the next to the last game, the place emptied out so fast Pauley was left looking like a ghost town. This year, the Dominguez / Mater Dei game drew a huge crowd, that stayed around for the most part to see what could have easily been billed as the main event. Smart move.

This was a big game for Crenshaw for several reasons. The city championship is considered to be up for grabs, and the other three contenders, Fairfax, Manual Arts, and Westchester keep knocking each other off (Manual over Westchester, then losing to Fairfax), or losing games to teams in events like this one, (Fairfax' stumble against Simi Valley earlier in the day). The Cougars strength has always been defense, with an offense that mostly keyed on a strong outside shooter. This year I don't think they've got the athletes to consistently turn a game on the full court press. But they certainly do have more balanced
scoring options than they have in some time. Their frontline stands 6'9, 6'8, and 6'8, and they've got E.J., Stokes, Tommy Johnson, and DeWayne Parker to get em the ball or go get their own points. Crenshaw could gain an important psychological advantage by coming out strong and dumping a quality team like Compton.

Compton's Leroy Dawson looks for a path

and we wonder why our High School boys can't concentrate..

Maddox passes out of the double team by
Stokes (5) and Johnson (23)

Compton boasts one of the most talked about PG's in these parts in Tito Maddox. No point I've seen this year combines the size, strength, and quickness of this outstanding point. Leroy Dawson, a gunner who can light you up for 40 if he's on, AND handle the ball, transferred into greener pastures from L.A. High. Ellis Myles, and Jeremiah Thompson can be two smallish, but dominating forward types. Add Terry Hosendove, Lanere Anderson, and Donny Legans and you've got one dangerous team.

Sims (32) had to defend the hoop from
Dawson's strong drives alot in this one

Dawson double clutches as Sims
defends.

Compton jumped on the Cougars early, but the play of Stokes and Parker kept Crenshaw in striking distance until they could put together some runs (and some stops) to close within 3 at the half (34-31).

By the end of the third, Crenshaw was on a roll and nursing a 9 pt. lead. But then Compton woke up. They put together some runs of their own, led by Maddox, Dawson, and Myles. By the time the clock read 2:00 to go in the contest, it was a see-saw battle.

Jonathan Stokes was Crenshaw's hero on at least 5 big occasions in this one. Besides hitting huge shots thoughout the game to either kill Compton's momentum, or pad the Shaw's lead, he played tenacious defense. Blocks, steals, deflections. You name it, he did it. Jonathan is a member of the USA family (he's the nephew of one of our directors and works out with us regularly) and we were so gratified to see him have such an outstanding perfomance in such a big game. When he transferred from Artesia before last season, we hoped he'd have the opportunity to showcase his considerable talent. This may well have been a breakthrough game for him. He finished with 24 pts. by the way.

SR SG, Jonathan Stokes in a familiar
pose...attacking the basket he had 24
and was the game MVP

6'4 JR, Tommy Johnson looks to
pass the rock

Tommy Johnson had 14 pts. in a very strong game, and Parker had 10.

Maddox showed every one why he's one of the most coveted players on the West Coast. Strong, aggressive and very talented. He often just threw the Tarbabes on his back and carried them. But he has a superb supporting cast. He finished with 24, as Dawson added 14, and Myles had 10.

No game of this magnitude would be complete without some kinda controversy. So here goes.

With about 30 seconds left in the game, Crenshaw missed a shot and Dawson came down with the rebound and Compton down by one 64-63. As he comes down with the ball, a Crenshaw player fouls him. HARD. Hard enough to send him tumbling into the Crenshaw bench. As he tries to get to his
feet, there's some minor shoving and pushing. The Crenshaw coaches intervene immediately and the Compton coaches head over to help keep it under control too. Unfortunately for Compton, their players on the bench followed the coaches to the melee. They got there at about the same time security, and all three refs did. No fight...but 6 ejections. Compton lost the three players, that the refs could identify, for leaving their bench. Makes sense. Then they threw out three Crenshaw players for leaving THEIR bench. I thought that was strange. Where did they leave to got to, the action was at their bench . . . .huummmm. Anyway, after a lengthy delay as the refs identified all of the ejectees, the real strange stuff began. They did not assess any technical fouls on either team, and walked Dawson to the line to shoot 2 (because of the double bonus). But they didn't bring anybody else down with them. He shot them as if they were technicals with nobody from either team lined up on the blocks. He did make them both to put them up 65-64, but then the refs walked the ball out to mid-court out of bounds and gave it to Crenshaw to inbound. I am getting old, I know that, but why didn't Compton have the opportunity to lineup and possibly rebound a missed free throw and a putback, and why was Crenshaw given half the length of the court, for free, to inbound and get a shot off? I'm sure there is an explanation, it might be a clear cut rule, or it may have been a bad call, whatever it was, what happened next will be talked about for a very long time at Crenshaw, and at Compton.

E.J. finishes at the rack

JR Jeremiah Thompson with the reverse

The Cougars inbounded the ball, and it eventually wound up in the hot hands of Stokes, who raised, released, and dropped the trey...all net. 67-65 Crenshaw. Compton calls a timeout, but couldn't score as Stokes comes up big again and blocks Compton's last shot at the basket. Mad scramble, clock ticks, buzzer sounds. Game over. And what a game.

While large numbers of fans, media, and VIP types did stick around for the game, it was stampede time at the final buzzer. That's why we don't have more complete stats. But, it's also why no "official" game MVP was named. I know that some media folks voted before they left, but the tally was not finished by the time we did.

Compton SR Terry Hosendove
(32) battles Crenshaw SR big man,
Ryan Sims

At the end, Compton Coach Rod Palmer,
always a class act, congratulates his team on
a hard fought game.

Regardless, Jonathan Stokes was the clear MVP of this one...and I'll go out on the limb and say that that's what the "official" tally says too.

Later

Jason Day