Arron Afflalo has lived a couple of blocks from Compton Centennial since the sixth grade. During his first two years in the neighborhood, however, he knew nothing about the school's basketball program.
All he ever heard about were the basketball teams at crosstown Compton Dominguez.
"As far as I knew, [the Dons] were the top team in the country," Afflalo said. "It was the school I was going to attend."
But four years ago while playing travel ball, Afflalo met Centennial Coach Rod Palmer. The youngster was impressed and convinced he could develop just as quickly under Palmer's tutelage, and do so only five minutes from home.
"That made things even easier," Afflalo said. "It was more than just the wins and the losses. I knew when I went to Centennial I would learn and develop as a player and as a person."
His decision has paid off. In November, Afflalo signed to play for UCLA. On Saturday, Centennial will make its second appearance in a state championship game in three seasons.
The Apaches will meet Oakland Bishop O'Dowd for the Division III title at 2:45 p.m. in Arco Arena in Sacramento. Dominguez will also be in Sacramento this weekend, playing for the Division II state title. It marks the first time the Compton schools have played in state title games in the same season.
The Dons, who will meet Hayward at 8 p.m. Friday, are looking for their sixth state title since 1996.
Palmer, a Dominguez graduate who played at UCLA and UC Irvine, said the citizens of Compton should be proud of their teams' accomplishments.
Combined with the men's state championship Compton College won last weekend, city schools have a chance at three state titles.
"I think it's real healthy," Palmer said. "Everything is positive at this point."
Dominguez Coach Russell Otis said he will keep his team in Sacramento an extra day so it can root for Centennial in the Apaches' bid for their first state title.
"He turned them around," Otis said of Palmer, in his sixth season at Centennial. "He has kids that want to go there now."
Palmer, like Otis and Michael Lynch, the coach of Division V state finalist Los Angeles Price, played for former Dominguez coach Ernie Carr.
"It's kind of nice," said Carr about watching three former players take their teams to the finals. "You hope it meant they were coached by someone who was fairly competent and they took something that has helped them do what they are doing now."
