crenshaw v. Etiwanda

SoCal High School & Prep Report

MLK Challenge: Game 6--
Crenshaw v. Etiwanda--(January 19, 1998)

Crenshaw v. Etiwanda-- Game 6 MLK Challenge

Unbelievable. I've been here since 9:00 am. More hoops. And the main show hasn't even happened yet. Here comes Etiwanda v. Crenshaw, a warm-up for the main event, Dominguez v. Westchester. But the big guns are starting to come out of the woodwork. Lute Olsen is being interviewed by FSW2, and the TV guys are here in full force. Almost prime time. George Raveling is here. Michael Cooper is doing the TV commentary. What a crowd.

This is prime time.

Six time defending LA City Champs Crenshaw against the No. 9 ranked Etiwanda Eagles.

We want it to start, but now have to wait for a TV time-out and for Michael Cooper to get off the floor.

Crenshaw starts:

EJ Harris(6'-2" So. G)
Brandon Hawkins (6'-2" Sr. G)
Donte Barrett (6'-2" Sr. G/F)
Ryan Sims (6'-9" Jr. C)
Anthony Garrison (6'-4" Sr. F--240 lbs??)

Etiwanda starts

Rudy Simpson (6'-3" Sr. G)
Gary Colbert (6'-3" Sr. G)
Corey Landrum (6'-4" Sr. F/G)
Matt Donohue (6'-3" Sr. F/G)
Jeff Henry (6'-8" Jr. C)

Sims, all 6'-9" of him is jumping center against 6'-3" Donohue. Mismatch number one. Maybe. 'Shaw gets the tip and Sims makes the basket easily. Etiwanda is in a spread offense, and Sims blocks Landrum's shot. Crenshaw scores again easily, and then Donohue is fouled at the line, misses the first, misses the second, and it's 4-2 Crenshaw with 6:49 to play. Hawkins and EJ are just working the ball in and around with Sims posting up, and Garrison, doing his football imitation, just travels. Then on the fast break, Jeff Henry hits for two and with 5:47 to play it's all tied at 4 apiece. This is going to be a fast game, if Etiwanda can keep Crenshaw out of the set halfcourt offense. Garrison just powers in, and then Rudy Simpson of Etiwanda hits the j in the lane. Hawkins his from the right side with a 10' j, for two, and on the way down, Henry, who's just this skinny, but very quick kid, hits. Next time down, Gary Colbert comes off a Henry rebounding effort for the driving layup. With 3:53, Armand Thomas comes into the game, with Etiwanda leading 10-8. Thomas resembles Chris Jeffries in manner and style. . . we'll see if he can play like him. Also at 3:53, there's a TV time-out.

Henry then hits for two, from out on the left. EJ is at the point for Shaw. Etiwanda fouls and on the inbounds Garrison just powers it in, and gets the call for the trey. Donohue then hits a big three, and Etiwanda is leading 15-10. But EJ comes right back with the two, and this game will be a track meet. Jonathan Stokes comes in for Shaw as does Stokes and with Brandon Hawkins at the line, he misses the foul shot. But this time on the rebound, Adam Johnson of Etiwanda fouls Brandon, and he makes only one. Bringing it to 15-13 with 1:32 to play. These are two very physical and very fast teams. EJ on Colbert, Dewayne Parker grabbing the board and pushing it up the floor. A very fast game indeed. The Cougars trail by two with 36 seconds to play, and Etiwanda has the ball Colbert runs a 4-down type of play, and dishes to Corey Landrum who makes the basket, and Etiwanda stretches it to 4 points, and he gets the foul call. Landrum misses at the line, and Stokes gets the board, makes the length of the court run, and misses the shot. But time expires in the quarter, and it's 17-13 at the end of one, with Etiwanda surprisingly good, and holding Crenshaw in check.

Crenshaw starts Stokes at point, Parker at the other guard, Hemsley at forward, McLennan and and Gilmore. Colbert gets fouled, and goes to the line, missing the first, missing the second, and then Crenshaw feeds the ball to Garrison, who's fouled. Donohue attempts another long three, misses, and turns it over to Simpson, ;who fast breaks and Colbert just hammers it home. 19-13 with 5:31 to play. Brandon Hawkins gets hacked, makes them both, and brings the score to 19-14 with 5:26 to play. Garrison proves that even a 220 lb++ guy can dunk, bringing the score to 19-17. Dill then drills a long j from outside, and it's 21-17 Crenshaw trailing. Garrison then does it again, with the layup, and brings it back to two, 21-19 with 3:49 left to play. With 3:42 to play, Stokes commits a foul and in the ensuing TV time-out, Colbert and Donohue get a breather, and Corey Landrum breaks to the middle, Donohue sweeps to the left, gets the ball, and Ryan Sims fouls him in the act of shooting. Sims can get up. This was just the wrong time to be doing it. Fortunately for Shaw, Donohue misses the first, makes the second, and its 22-20 Etiwanda. But then Jonathon Stokes breaks the length of the floor, and hits for another two, and the game is tied at 22 with 3:16 to play. With Stokes at point, he feeds Brandon Hawkins who hits for three, and the Cougars lead 22-25 with 2:39 to play. Colbert then gets called for the 10th team foul, and Hawkins shoots from line, makes the first, misses the second, and Etiwanda calls time-out. But it's to no avail and Stokes and EJ just begin taking over, and they hit for two. But then Landrum decides it's not going to happen, and he hits on consecutive possessions, gets fouled on the last one, and goes to the line with a chance to pull Etiwanda to a tie if he makes it. But he misses, and Stokes passes to EJ to Garrison, who is fouled in the act of shooting but the shot is waved off on the offensive foul on Garrison. With one minute to go, Colbert forces it, misses and Stokes again goes the length of the floor, missing the layup but drawing the foul. Sandy Wake draws the call, and Crenshaw pulls up by 4 on EJ's shot. So with 17 seconds remaining before the half, Etiwanda trails by four 26-30. Etiwanda comes out looking at a Shaw press passes down low to Henry who misses the inside 5' j, and then gets called for traveling after recovering his own rebound. At the buzzer, Corey Landrum gets called for a foul on Garrison, who is shooting two, with a chance to bring it to a two point game, but he misses them both. . . badly.

Half-time 26-30 Crenshaw leads. We'll see what the second half brings.

The place is starting to get a bit crazy. TV people, about 9, 000 screaming fans now, getting ready for Dominguez. So here we go, Second half.

Anthony Garrison hits first then Rudy Simpson scores, and ten Corey Landrum brings it to a one point game, 33-34 on the three pointer by Landrum. Stokes comes back into the game and Colbert loses it to Stokes, and Barrett makes the pretty, leaning layin. Donohue hits for three and Colbert hits too, bringing it back to a tied game at 38. Donohue from Colbert assist, and Etiwanda is back up 40-38 with 4:07 left to play in the quarter. Armand Thomas then ties it up again for Shaw, at 3:30 following just a savage fall by Rudy Simpson, who hit the floor very hard, and he wobbled back to the halfcourt just in time to witness Thomas' shot. Following a TV time-out, Colbert decides to take Parker off the dribble, and Ryan Sheldon hits. Dante Barret brings it back to a one point Cougar lead, and at 2:24, it's again a track race. Stokes hits again for a layup on the break, and 'Shaw leads by three, 45-42 with 2:00 remaining. After a series of missed shots, Garrison then proves again that a big guy can not only get up, but he can move in traffic, and he makes a very pretty slashing off balance layup. Down at the other end, Colbert gets hacked on the rebound off a missed dunk by Henry, and he makes the first, misses the second, and it's back to four, 43-47 Shaw. Donohue then gets fouled shooting, and looking very agressive, misses the shot, but goes to the line, and hits one, misses the second and EJ Harris makes the shot for two. With 22 seconds in the third quarter, Etiwanda gets the ball back but it gets tied up. Fortunately for them, they get the possession, and make the shot on a Henry j in the lane, and it's back to a three point game, 46-49, Crenshaw.

Final period.

With less than a minute gone, it's back to a one point game, with a two free throws by Colbert. Then EJ picks up only his first personal. Both teams are clearly tired, and Etiwanda then does it again, Corey Landrum tries to dunk and misses, badly, pulling down the rim but missing the shot. Garrison hits for two down low, and is fouled, and now it's back to a three point Shaw lead after he misses the free throw. Had Landrum not missed the dunk, and then picked up the foul, Etiwanda would have led by now. Garrison feeds to EJ, who feeds back to AG, and he hits while falling on the floor. But Donohue puts it back with a three, and now its a two point game, 53-51, Crenshaw, with only 5:36 to play. The crowd is into it, the players are now back into it, and even Willie West, who has been at this for 27 years and never, and we mean never, gets excited is standing up. He's not excited, he's just standing.

Another TV time-out with 5:26 to play 51-53 Crenshaw.

Stokes to EJ to Sims to Stokes for three and a miss. Colbert is trapped in the corner very effectively by the swarming Crenshaw press with Sims. Dante Barrett hits for two, and it's again a 4 point game with 4:22 to play. Chris Dill goes to the line missing both, and it's still a four point game. AG then hits another two and it's a 6 point game, 57-51. Donohue then commits the offensive foul, something he doesn't seem at all prone to do, and Shaw gets the ball back, with yet another interminable TV time-out. You know, other than being able to spread the great news of these games to more people who might not otherwise see them, the CIF should not permit live TV broadcasts because of what it does to the flow of the game. Just ruins it.

So with 3:41 to go, Shaw brings it in at the far end of the court, and Etiwanda is set up in a 1-4 press, which quickly breaks down to a man to man. AG penetrates again, and dunks (now there's a guy who knows how). But Colbert comes right back, and with 3:13 to play it's a 6 point game 59-53. Colbert misses the free throw, but Etiwanda recovers the ball. Dill pulls up in the land for two, and then Etiwanda gets the board, misses on the far end, and Stokes comes screaming back, using his exceptional speed and jumping ability, makes the shot and goes to the line shooting one. So with yet another TV time-out, at 2:33 to play, it's still a six point game, 55-61 Crenshaw.

Plenty of time, if Etiwanda stays cool. Too much time if Crenshaw doesn't. But Garrison, just this huge bear of a guy, is about as cool as they come, and Stokes is even cooler, and he goes to the line misses, gets his rebound, loses, and turns it over to Etiwanda's Colbert. Crenshaw press is working, and every pass, the Cougars are getting a tip or a touch. Dill scores an easy layup. 1:52, its' still a 5 point game. They break the press again and Sandy Wake scores the layup. Then Etiwanda ties up Stokes, the ball goes to Shaw, and then Corey Landrum fouls out with only 1:27 to play. No further timeouts by either team the announcer says but they are given a time to replace the player. Donohue comes into the game, but it's not enough to stop Garrison for two in the lane, but then Dill hits another three, and that brings it to a two point ;game, Crenshaw 63-, Etiwanda 61 with 48 seconds to play. With only 18 seconds, Etiwanda fumbles the inbounds pass, but it goes off Crenshaw. Everyone takes their time, E so they can call a play. Colbert gives it to Simpson, who has his shot blocked out of bounds by Sims. Six seconds, Etiwanda ball at the line.

Six seconds.

An eternity. Enough for Willie West to call another time out, for the raffle ticket winner to be called by the announcer, and enough time for Etiwanda to think about it again. And again. Maybe to think about Corey dunking.

This has got to be a TV time-out. It's been about two minutes, and in high school ball, there's no such animal. Thank FSW.

The announcer must have been wrong on his earlier call that there were "no more timeouts" at about two minutes when Landrum fouled out, because Etiwanda doesn't like what it sees, and calls yet another.

Six seconds indeed.

Ball inbounded by Donohue, to Henry with an open look at the basket. He only needs to make a three foot layup, but jumps for the shot instead, and misses. Gets his own rebound. But on the second effort shot, he is called for traveling.

One second left. Crenshaw ball under the Etiwanda basket. Anyone taking bets on this? Not us.

The ball is inbounded down to the far end of the court, and Gary Colbert intercepts it, throws it down at the hoop, it hits the rim, bounces up high, hits the 35 second shot clock. . .it's on line. . . then it drops.

Just in front of the rim.

Wow.

Game, set, match. Crenshaw wins by two points 63-61. In the final second of the game.

Finally, it's now time for Showtime: Game 7-- Dominguez v. Westchester. The "unofficial" State Championship. Well, at least the SoCal Championship. Maybe. Stay tuned.