Southern Section

Verbum Dei 83, Valley Chrs. 46--Deon Williams scored 16 points to lead the Eagles in a Division IV-A game Tuesday at Gahr High.

Call it perfect timing in the era of BBCOR bats. Top-seeded Orange Lutheran has put together a baseball team that relies on pitching, defense, bunting and finding ways to score without the aid of a home run. It has led the Lancers (23-4) into the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs after a 7-2 win over Vista Murrieta in a second-round game Tuesday at Hart Park. Six of their 10 hits Tuesday were infield singles. Conner Sullivan, who had three singles, started the game sliding into first base to beat out a ball that pitcher Jeff Moberg couldn't handle.

Junior Khalfani Muhammad of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High thrives on having a target on his back as the sprinter you have to beat to be considered the fastest teenager in California. "Everybody wants to come after me," he said. "I love it. I love the pressure. " On Saturday at the Southern Section track and field championships, Muhammad recovered from a momentary slip at the start of the Division 3 100 meters to win in a wind-aided 10.45 seconds, the fastest time in the state this year.

The Southern Section track and field championships will be held Saturday at Mount San Antonio College, with field events beginning at 10:30 a.m. and running events at 1 p.m. Sprinter Khalfani Muhammad of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the second-place finisher in the state 100 and 200 last year, will be trying to win his first section title in the Division 3 100 and 200. There are lots of standouts in the boys' and girls' ranks, including Gardena...

Before games, Mission Hills Alemany Coach Tray Meeks would put on headphones, listen to music and do some dancing as if he were firing himself up for the basketball game like his players. And he was. Meeks, 35, in his seventh season as coach, helped deliver the first Southern Section and state championships since the school opened in 1956. Equally impressive was the Warriors (33-4) winning the Mission League and knocking off powers Los Angeles Loyola and Encino Crespi. For helping pull off the greatest basketball season in school history, Meeks has been named the boys' Coach of the Year by The Times.

Max Guercy's journey in high school basketball ends Saturday in the Division III state championship game in Sacramento. What an appropriate setting for a senior point guard from Mission Hills Alemany whose resilience and perseverance have helped turn skeptics into believers. "From the beginning of the season, I played with a chip on my shoulder," he said. "This year, I've been able to win. The schools that have offered me scholarships, they're seeing that size doesn't matter and know I can play.

It's not unusual for a high school team to be honored by the local city council or school board for winning a championship, and that's what happened last week for the Santa Ana Valley girls' water polo team. They showed up at the board of education meeting to be recognized for winning a second consecutive Southern Section Division 7 championship last month. What surprised many in the audience was the revelation they heard after a question was asked by a board member: "What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome?"

There was a definite spring in the legs of 6-foot-7 Xavier Johnson on Saturday night. And with shots not going through the hoop very often at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Santa Ana Mater Dei senior was picking up rebounds in bunches. Mater Dei took advantage of its second chances courtesy of Johnson and came away with a 63-59 victory over Long Beach Poly in the Southern Section 1AA championship game. It was the 21st section title in 30 years for Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight.

Motivated by chants of "overrated" from the Oak Park student section, Mission Hills Alemany point guard Max Guercy responded by scoring 11 of his 21 points in the second quarter to ignite the Warriors to a 72-60 victory over the Eagles in the Southern Section Division 3A championship game Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center. It is Alemany's first boys' basketball title since the school opened in 1956. The top-seeded Warriors (28-4) charged back from a seven-point deficit to overwhelm Oak Park (24-8)

"Who's your Daddy?" That was the chant from the Gardena Serra student section on Thursday night at the Anaheim Convention Center, and Daddy Ugbede was enjoying every second of it. "That's my name," the 6-foot-7 senior from Nigeria said. "I hear it every game. I like it. " Ugbede came through with 32 points, making 14 of 20 shots, to help Serra (29-2) defeat La Verne Lutheran, 69-59, in the Southern Section Division 4AA championship basketball game. When it comes to size and athletes, Serra is near the top in Southern California.

Caila Hailey broke a 77-77 tie with a pair of free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining and added another free throw with 0.3 seconds left in the third overtime to lift Gardena Serra to an 82-77 victory over Los Angeles Windward in the Southern Section Division 4AA championship game at the Anaheim Convention Center on Wednesday night. With Windward trailing 79-77, Imani Stafford spun in the lane for a layup but was called for a double dribble, nullifying the basket with two seconds left.