Sports
Moorpark Still Alive in Hoops Playoffs
After winning just four games last year, Moorpark is back on track, winning its first playoff game to set up tonight's Div. III-AA match up against visiting La Verne Lutheran.
After going just 4-22 last season, Moorpark High’s boys basketball team has made quite a comeback, and the ride is not over yet.
The Musketeers are 19-8, including a 57-45 win over Rosamond on Wednesday in the first round of the Sourthern Section Div. III-AA playoffs.
“We’ve had a nice turnaround for our program,” third-year coach Eddie Gutierrez said. “I don’t know any coach anywhere who likes to go 4-22, but we’ve perservered. We had some good growth at the lower levels, so I did think we would do better this year.
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“Plus, we have more skilled players this year, and the kids have put it on a lot of time. It’s paid off.”
Moorpark faces La Verne Lutheran (19-4) in the second round tonight at 7, and the high-powered Trojans have won eight in a row after winning a section title last year.
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“La Verne Lutheran is athletic with good height. They’re a solid team,” Gutierrez said. “They’ve been very successful. But we don’t want to lose anymore. We want to keep going as far as we can and see where it takes us.”
In the win over Rosamond, Lionel Poole scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, and he added 14 rebounds. He is one of Moorpark’s key players along with Jake Myers and Jordan Russell.
“Lionel has been great for us. He’s been playing like an All-CIF guys for most of the year,” Gutierrez said. “He’s just been very solid for us at both ends.”
“We’ve had some good leadership this year,” Gutierrez said. “Plus, some younger guys have stepped up and made some major contributions.”
Myers is just a sophomore, but he scored 22 points in the season finale against Westlake, and he has a lot of potential.
“He really knows how to score,” Gutierrez said. “Plus Jordan Russell. When we found three scorers, that made us really competitive.”
La Verne Lutheran has three players 6-foot-7 or taller, including 6-9 Grant Jerrett, who averages 17 points and 9.5 rebounds.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETALL PLAYOFFS
Southern Section Div. III-AA, second round
Tonight, 7 p.m.
La Verne Lutheran (19-4) at Moorpark (19-8)
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