foothill hart v. valencia

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Foothill League Game Report:
Hart v. Valencia--(January 25, 1998)

The Foothill League has just been a real puzzler this year. It features teams such as Burbank, which has turned out not to be such a favorite after all with the loss of Juni Williams to academic deficiencies, Burroughs, Canyon (Valencia) H.S., Hart--defending league champs and winners of six of the seven last league titles, Saugus, and preseason favorite, Valencia.

Well, on Friday night, in an exciting overtime game, in a packed house at Valencia, Hart once again demonstrated why they've managed to be so successful at the expense of their opponents in league. They managed to pull off somewhat of an "upset" by beating the preseason favorites, 77-70. J.T. Stotts (5'-10" Sr. PG/SG) scored 30 points, seven in overtime and 11 in the fourth quarter. But with three other players scoring in double figures Hart Coach David Montgomery figured it was anything but an individual effort: "My 13th guy on the bench contributed to this as much as anyone. I knew we were ready to break out because we've been coming together as a unit. We don't care who starts, or who scores."

Valencia dropped to 16-5 overall and 3-2 in league. Hart improved to 13-8 overall and 4-1 in league. For Valencia, the play of the game was Eskias McDaniels' three-point basket with eight seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score, 66-66. After a Hart timeout, McDaniels blocked a shot by Stotts at the buzzer.

But in overtime, it was all Stotts. He scored on a fast break on the first play of the period after a steal by Jerry Owens. His back-breaking three-point basket with 1:15 to play gave the Indians a 75-68 lead. That three-pointer might not have happened. Thirty four seconds earlier, Stotts left the game after crashing to the floor with a cramp in his calf. He came back with 1:25 to play and 10 seconds later hit the big shot. Valencia struggled down the stretch. The Vikings made just one of seven field-goal attempts in overtime and committed nine of their 14 turnover in the fourth quarter and overtime. Stotts made five of six free throws in the final 1:24 of regulation and the Indians made five of six field-goal attempts in overtime. Unfortunately for Hart, Owens twisted his ankle and left with 1:49 to play in overtime, but the Indians still manged to hang on for the win.

"I think we came out a little too hot in the first half," Stotts said. "But we finally came together. Everybody pitched in." Valencia's leading scorer, Jerrohn Jordan, dominated the post when he was in the game, but picked up his third foul with 6:35 left in the third quarter and did not play the rest of the quarter. Jordan scored six of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and had three blocked shots and a steal in the quarter that helped keep Hart from pulling away.

Fabian Leon had 28 points for Valencia, 11 in the second quarter to held the Vikings to a 34-32 halftime lead.