Depth has lifted Los Alamitos boys basketball into CIF-SS Division 1 championship game

The Los Alamitos boys basketball team is like a hockey team.Substitutions in a Griffins game are like hockey line changes, with two or three players going in while as many players come out.Thats because Los Alamitos is so deep.

The Griffins have four players who have surpassed 1,000 career points seniors Samori Guyness, Liam Gray, Trent Minter and Wes Trevino and a large group of others who can defend, rebound and make clutch baskets inside or outside.We have seven different players who have scored in double figures during our playoff run, said Los Alamitos coach Nathan Berger.

Kedric Delaney, Jordan Taylor and Tyler Lopez arent the guys with the 1,000 career points, but those three have averaged 24 points as a group during the playoffs and that includes games when weve only scored in the 50s.Los Alamitos Kedric Delaney (11) defends Crean Lutherans Jordan Ceballos (4) during a boys basketball playoff game in the semisfinal of the CIF-SS Division 1 at Los Alamitos High School on Friday Feb.

21, 2025.

(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)Delaney, a 6-4 senior guard, often is assigned to guard the opponents best offensive player.

His teammates have said that Taylor, a 6-4 senior who plays guard and forward, is the best shooter on the team.

Lopez, 6-5 and the junior on the team who gets the most playing time, scores inside and out and is among the Griffins better rebounders.Los Alamitos furious press and quick transition game will be on display when the Griffins (24-8) play Mira Costa (29-3) in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday at Toyota Arena in Ontario.Mira Costa coach Neal Perlmutter appreciates Los Alamitos, too.Los Al played the toughest schedule of any team in Southern California, Perlmutter said.Los Alamitos is a homegrown team with players who have been in the program all of their high school lives.

Berger said more than 50 former Los Alamitos players attended the Griffins 82-57 semifinals win over Crean Lutheran on Friday at Los Alamitos.

Also at the game were four of the programs former head coaches, including Cerritos College coach Russ May who coached the Griffins to their most-recent CIF-SS championships in 2006 and 07.Los Alamitos tough defensive play has also drawn the admiration of Perlmutter.Nates style of play at Los Al inspired us to go to a more pressing system this year, Perlmutter said.

I challenged our team to be the best defensive team in Southern California.

And in the playoffs, we held Santa Barbara and Windward to their lowest point totals of the season.Berger expects a close, down-to-the-final-seconds game.Its going to be about the small things, Berger said.

Who makes free throws, executing the inbounds baseline plays.

My guess is that its going to come down to who steps up in the fourth quarter.Related ArticlesHigh School Sports | Fairmont Prep and Pacifica Christian boys basketball rivalry continues in CIF-SS finalHigh School Sports | Albanos Fab 5: Orange County girls basketball standouts last week, Feb.

26High School Sports | Santiago boys basketball beat rival, kept rolling to the CIF-SS finalsHigh School Sports | Farewell tour for Rosary girls basketball coach Richard Yoon reaches CIF-SS finalsHigh School Sports | Orange County boys athlete of the week: Jorden De La Mora, Santiago.

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