Southwestern League Standings

School League Overall

Great Oak 3-1 12-7

Chaparral 3-1 14-7

Murrieta Valley 2-2 13-6

Murrieta Mesa 2-2 12-9

Temecula Valley 2-2 12-9

Vista Murrieta 0-4 6-14

It appears to be a wide open race for the league’s top spots as Great Oak’s inside game proves tough to stop; Chaparral’s young, but scrappy team finds different ways to eke out wins; defending champion Murrieta Valley’s multiple scoring threats make them tough to defend; Murrieta Mesa’s explosive offense is two close games away from being the league leader; Temecula Valley has the inside/outside threats to run the table; and Vista Murrieta has been decreasing their margins each week.

Great Oak

The Wolfpack’s towers (6’7" Patrick Sniff and 6’6" Justin Sadler) can be dominant inside. Great Oak opened with a rare win against defending League Champion Murrieta Valley (54-39) in which Sniff had 19 rebounds and five blocks. Great Oak beat Vista Murrieta 90-67 and then lost a close one to a scrappy Chaparral team allowing 15/22 from the free throw line.

Down six points at half to TVHS, the Wolfpack came back with a 44 point second half behind Sadler’s 18 pts and Josh Cooper’s Q4 shooting to win 65-60.

"We shot a ton of 3’s in the first half and didn’t shoot well," said Coach Robert Hickey. "Second half, we got the ball inside."

Great Oak has the greatest total point differential, averaging a ten-point spread against league opponents.

Great Oak was away for both games this week, at Murrieta Mesa and Murrieta Valley, and then hosts Vista Murrieta, Jan. 30, and Chaparral, Feb. 1, next week.

Chaparral

The Pumas – with nine underclassmen – relied on scrappy defense and multiple outside threats to give them close wins of one, two, and three points after opening with a loss to Murrieta Mesa (72-51). Cody Coyle (17) and league scoring leader Dylan Jacobsen (12) contributed five of the team’s six three’s in the opening loss.

Their three-game win streak consists of a 59-58 win over Temecula Valley, a 47-44 win over Great Oak and a 52-50 win over Murrieta Valley. Coyle (19 pts) and Jacobsen (17) carried the offensive load, but the surprise difference was a 35-22 advantage on the boards against a taller TVHS team, three key blocks by Drake Powers and a 12-2 run in a third quarter that forced seven turnovers, holding TVHS to just three baskets. Powers (10 pts, 9 rebounds) also made a difference in the 47-44 win over Great Oak. Despite being down 28-17 in the first half against MVHS, the Pumas fought back to a 48-48 tie at the end of regulation and outscored the Nighthawks 4-2 to secure the win. Jacobsen and Sean Maganti each had 14.

Chaparral traveled to Vista Murrieta then will attempt to avenge their only loss as they host Murrieta Mesa Jan. 25 to start the second half of league play. They host Temecula Valley on Jan. 30 and travel to Great Oak on Feb. 1.

Murrieta Valley

The Nighthawks have won the league title four of the past five seasons, but are young-fielding six juniors and a sophomore. They brought an 11-4 record into league play, but opened with a 54-39 loss at Great Oak, despite a 75 percent, 18-pt shooting effort by Kevin Padlo.

"The air is out of the balloon," said Head Coach Scott Tarabilda. "No one will go undefeated in league."

MV had a tough time with Great Oak’s towers and the sagging Wolfpack defense. The 62-51 win over Murrieta Mesa was fueled by the balanced attack of Padlo (13), Thomas Alexandre (13, including three 3’s) and Tyler Bilton (16).

The Nighthawks 25-9 first quarter start was too much for Vista Murrieta to overcome as MVHS won 63-54 behind Padlo (20), Bilton (12) and Mitchell Lenhart (15). The Nighthawks dominated every stat category in the 52-50 OT loss to Chaparral, but only made 8 of 28 free throws. Bilton had 19 points, 10 rebounds. Murrieta Valley has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league as well as the league leader in assists and steals (Lenhart).

The Nighthawks hosted Temecula Valley and Great Oak; next week they travel to Murrieta Mesa, Jan. 30, and Vista Murrieta, Feb. 1.

Murrieta Mesa

The Rams hosted the Chaparral Pumas and posted a 23-6 third quarter; Shondell Smith (20 pts) and Shane Staton (17) led the team to 50 percent FG; the Rams were 100 percent from the FT line in the 72-51 win.

Murrieta Valley’s 18-10 first quarter lead held up as the Rams stayed within one point each of the next three quarters, losing 62-51, despite a 23-point effort by Staton (three 3’s) and 14 points by Trevon Session.

The game against Temecula Valley started fast with a 26-23 first quarter, but ended up 38-38 at the half. Staton had 19 and Smith had 16 in the 64-63 loss. The Rams were down 33-27 going into the fourth quarter, but beat Vista Murrieta by two, 45-43. With two close losses, the Rams could contend for one of the league’s top spots in the second half.

Mesa hosted Great Oak and traveled to Chaparral this week. They are at home next week against Murrieta Valley, Jan. 30, and Temecula Valley, Feb. 1.

Temecula Valley

The Golden Bears have one of the most versatile big men in the area in 6’8" senior Brandon Rosser who leads the league in blocks and rebounds; and a fine guard duo in D’Aubre Doucette and Michael Price. TV also leads the league in shooting at 61 percent.

TV opened with an 80-54 win over Vista Murrieta, bringing down 42 boards and making 14 steals. Freshman Riley Schaefer (6’4") had 15 pts; Price had 14; Rosser had five blocks. Temecula Valley led 36-34 at halftime, but the Pumas went on a 12-2 run to lead 47-41 late in the third. Price’s last-second shot rimmed out and TV lost to Chaparral 59-58. They beat Murrieta Mesa by the same margin, 64-63 as Price went 11-for-15, including 2-for-3 from the arc, ending the night with 27.

Rosser had 18 pts, 15 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. The Golden Bears led 27-21 at halftime but lost to the Wolfpack 65-60. Schaefer and Price each ended with 11 pts.

TV traveled to Murrieta Valley and hosted Vista Murrieta; next week they are away at Chaparral, Jan. 30, and away at Murrieta Mesa, Feb. 1.

Vista Murrieta

The Broncos made it to the quarterfinals last year, but are on a seven-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 27 at the Las Vegas tournament. They have been 6-4 the last three seasons and would need to win out to equal that record. They opened league play with an 80-54 loss to Temecula Valley.

Only two players were in double figures: Spencer Benson (11) and Anthony White (10). Sophomore Jamie Nunley had 11 rebounds. In the 90-67 loss to Great Oak, White had 15 pts, Benson had 10, and freshman Austin Beech had 14. The Broncos were 9-of-26 from the three-point arc.

The Broncos started slow against Murrieta Valley, 25-9, and despite an 18-10 third quarter, lost 63-54. Beech (13), White (11) and Jeremy Zorotovich (12 and 10 rebounds) provided most of the offense. The Broncos led the Rams 21-19 at half and outscored them 12-8 in the third quarter, but the Rams finished 18-10, handing the Broncos a 45-43 loss. White led the team scoring with 15; Zorotovich had nine rebounds.

Vista hosted Chaparral and traveled to Temecula Valley. Next week, they are away at Great Oak, Jan. 30, and then host Murrieta Valley, Feb. 1.