simi v. westlake

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Games of Note: Simi Defeats Westlake 93-61--(January 12, 1998)

Here's some news of a game which was played last Wednesday, January 7, 1998. Even though it took place last week, it's significant to note that just about every team in the Marmonte League looks like it will be playing for second. Every team that is except Simi Valley. After Wednesday's defeat of Westlake by a lopsided score of 93-61, Simi will have 11 more games to tune up for the playoffs. And it doesn't look like anyone in the league can even come close to challenging them.

Even though the Pioneers could have let down a bit coming into league play after the mixed results they had in Vegas, they played the game as hard as if it was a championship game. And if Rafael Berumen looked as though he was slightly off, or even injured in Vegas, there was none of that on Wednesday, as he just dominated the boards and the scoring, hitting for 34 points and pulling down a career high 19 rebounds. And who says he's not a "true center". This guy can do it all: Play with his back to the hoop, has great footwork, a quick drop-step, nice turn-around jumper, and even a nice little hook; and in Vlade-esq fashion, he even has a pretty nice outside j.

Adding to Simi's mayhem against Westlake was Brett Michel, who is the most consistently reliable of the inside-outside Simi scorers. Brett hit for 21 points, including 4 three-pointers, and had 7 assists. Branduinn Fullove, the super soph, had 16 points. Others scoring for Simi included Angelo Mosseso with 3 points, Ryan zumo with 2, Brandon Foster with 7 points, Ian Boys with 7, and Kurt Mjoen with 3 points.

Westlake was led by Joey Cuppari with 19 points, while Kevin Howard added another 18.

The game was close until early in the second quarter when Simi took a 9 point advantage going into the second quarter and exploded that to a 51-30 lead at the half. The third quarter was not much better for Westlake, and Simi outscored them 18-13 in the third, and then did it again, 24-18 in the fourth. In fact, there were a few hard feelings between the teams, coaches and fans as Simi kept its starters in the game deep into the fourth quarter, and continued to press full court up until about two minutes remained in the game.

And in yet another of those bizarre little mind-games which some teams seem to play on visiting teams, Westlake was rattled even before the game started, and it wasn't just because of the more dominant size of the Simi players. Simi has a relatively new gym, with ample facilities. There are folding bleachers on both sides of the gym, and fans are permitted to sit not only across from the players benches, but directly behind them. The Simi Valley players and coaches do not sit on the first row of the bleachers, but instead sit on their own chairs, immediately off the floor, to minimize the distractions which sitting behind the fans might cause. You know, getting a little distance.

Well, it seems there must only be 15 chairs in all of Simi High, because the Westlake team and coaches were not only expected to sit on the first row of bleachers, they were required to do so by Simi administrators. Even after Westlake Coach Gary Grayson complained, and somehow managed to find 15 additional folding chairs, the Simi Administrators made Grayson return the chairs and sit his team and staff in the first row of the bleachers. Talk about messing with their minds.

But then they say it's the little things that win games, don't they.

Somehow we think that Simi could have probably found a way to find some suitable chairs for everyone.

But then it probably wouldn't have made any difference in the game, which isn't played on chairs, but on the court. And we don't think sitting on benches gave Simi a 32 point advantage.