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Players from Los Alamitos (left) and Calvary Chapel warm up before a semifinal game in the Tustin Classic this week. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
COMMENTARY: A look back at tournaments in the final week.
What a sports year it’s been in Orange County!
There were CIF titles in multiple sports for teams and some amazing individual performances.
There were tough times too with the death of several Orange County coaching legends, including Ed Prange, Loara basketball coach; former Irvine High School football coach Terry Henigan and Santa Ana College football coach Anthony White.
All three left a lasting legacy and we can all look to them for inspiration.
This past week, Orange County boys and girls basketball players were giving it their all in tournaments in Orange County and throughout the country, from Las Vegas to Carolina. A number of teams brought home titles in their divisions.
Credit goes to the tournament directors of these events and the many volunteers who made it happen. Also to the players, who played so hard to get wins and the coaches, who tried to put them in the right positions to succeed.
Irvine’s Cooper Stearns, back from a shoulder injury, led his team to two victories in the Estancia Coast Classic and he notched his 1,000th career point with the Vaqueros. Stearns is only a junior.
Godinez High School’s boys basketball team captured third place at the Oxford Academy Tournament.
Woodbridge (gold division) and Valencia (silver) took home titles in the Estancia Classic, which featured some excellent basketball games. Estancia Coach Xavier Castellano ran a sold tournament.
At the Tustin Classic, the Tustin High School gymnasium nicknamed “The Barn,” (one of the best venues for basketball in OC) was host for games Wednesday through Saturday and it ended with a competitive game between Los Alamitos and Tustin in the final. Both teams should do well in their respective leagues.
Tustin Coach Ringo Bossenmeyer was tournament director and was one of the first to congratulate Griffins coach Nate Berger after the Griffins won the title game 59-50. Long-time Tustin public address announcer Keith Martryn did his usual solid job informing fans at the classic.
Basketball fans in Orange County were the true winners. OC Sports Zone was pleased to be able to cover both finals Saturday and games throughout the week. We’ve included our story links from Saturday’s stories.
Thank you for reading OC Sports Zone and please follow us again in 2024! Thank you to all of our partners who make our free, independent website possible.
—Tim Burt and Gabriel Calderon, OC Sports Zone
