City 4-A Boys’ Semifinals : Cleveland, Fairfax Winners

The changing of the guard in City basketball became official Friday night: For the first time in four years, Crenshaw High School, three-time defending 4-A champion and two-time state Division I winner, will not be in the title game.

In one sense, the Cougars have only themselves to blame.

“My feeling is that we were looking too far ahead,� Coach Willie West said after his Cougars were knocked off by Reseda Cleveland, 87-75, in the semifinals at the Sports Arena. “They (the players) were looking to the finals and to the rematch with Fairfax. I tried to prevent them from doing that, but you can only do so much with kids who talk another language.�

Instead, it will be an unheralded Cleveland team that will get a rematch with unbeaten and top-ranked Fairfax, which defeated L.A. Dorsey, 79-66, in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader.

The fourth meeting of the season between the teams will be next Friday--for the 4-A championship.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long,� said Cleveland Coach Bob Braswell, who will be making his second straight trip to the title game. “This is the greatest feeling on earth. The team with no names; I’m flabbergasted.�

Crenshaw (18-5) led by four points at halftime, fell behind by two at the end of the third quarter, 66-64, and then fell apart. The Cougars set the tone for the final eight minutes early with three straight turnovers that led to Cleveland baskets, and later had two straight turnovers after missing five of six free throws. Finally, on the way to committing eight turnovers in the final quarter and hitting just 1 of 7 shots from the line, they fell behind, 84-71, with 39 seconds left, the biggest lead of the game for either team.

Four players scored in double figures for Cleveland, which has a 19-3 record, each of the losses coming against Fairfax. For the seventh straight game, the Cavaliers were led by Mike Gray, a junior guard. Gray scored 19 points, Richard Branham getting 16 points and 10 rebounds, Andre Anderson contributing 14 points off the bench and Damon Greer adding 12 points. Moreover, the Cavaliers made 6 of 8 free throws and had just four turnovers in the fourth quarter.

John Staggers scored a game-high 34 points for Crenshaw but had just eight in the second half. Cornelius Holder added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The rematch of last season’s title game had Cleveland taking several nine-point leads in the first half. Credit the Cavaliers’ free-throw-shooting--12 of 14 in the first quarter alone, when they took a 32-23 lead. Staggers, a 6-foot 4-inch junior, had all but eight of Crenshaw’s points in that time.

Crenshaw, however, had the lead at halftime, 52-48, owing to a 12-2 run in 90 seconds near the end of the second quarter, and also owing to Staggers’ 26 points. Actually, the Cougars scored 10 straight points, starting with Deon Myricks’ dunk in the face of Cleveland’s Richard Branham.

In all, the Cougars hit 21 of 34 shots from the field in the first half.

Fairfax, rated No. 2 in the nation by USA Today and No. 1 in the state, improved to 24-0 overall with the win over Dorsey as four players scored in double figures--Chris Mills, 24 points; Sean Higgins, 18; Eric McDaniels, 15, and J.D. Green, 13.

For Dorsey (16-6), Marcus Nash and Chris Brooks each scored 14.