Basketball: Knights start league play before traveling to Sierra Canyon Saturday

Apr. 29—St. Joseph High may be the top basketball team in the CIF Central Section this spring.

The Knights will be facing one of the top teams in the state, if not the nation, on Saturday.

St. Joseph will, probably, take its unbeaten record to face Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth then. Sierra Canyon went 30-4 last year and finished in the top five of just about every national ranking before the spring season ended before the state title games in California.

St. Joseph is 9-0 this spring. The Knights have been incredibly busy and that's no different this week. St. Joseph beat Bakersfield Christian on the road Tuesday, winning 72-67. They're scheduled to play Mountain League games against San Luis Obispo (0-4) Thursday and Friday. Thursday's game is scheduled to be played at the Knights' Hufschulte Gym.

The Knights also beat the Brentwood School on Monday. That means they're set to play five games this week after playing four times last week, including road games at Bakersfield Garces and Santa Ynez.

Sierra Canyon played its third game of the season Wednesday against Los Angeles El Camino Real. The Trailblazers have wins over Culver City and Agoura and are scheduled to play Calabasas Viewpoint on Friday.

The game against St. Joseph is set for 3 p.m. Saturday in Chatsworth. Sierra Canyon has raised its profile in recent years under coach Andre Chavalier, recruiting some of the top players in the country

Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, is a sophomore on the team, though he tore his meniscus and had surgery in February. NBA prospects Scottie Pippen Jr., Remy Martin, Cody Riley and BJ Boston played there and current NBA players Marvin Bagley III, Cassius Stanley and KJ Martin also starred at Sierra Canyon.

In St. Joseph's 72-67 win over Bakersfield Christian, Sam Bazunga, a 6-foot-6 power forward, had 21 points. Jincho Rivera, a Chicago State commit, added 17 points and Dre Roman, a junior on the rise, also added 17.

Righetti girls, boys host Arroyo Grande Thursday

The Mountain League action is starting to heat up as Righetti will take on Arroyo Grande in a girls-boys doubleheader Thursday.

Righetti's girls are 3-0 on the season and in search of another Mountain League title. Arroyo Grande is 4-1.

Arroyo Grande and Righetti split the league series last year before the Eagles knocked the Warriors out of the CIF Central Section Division 1 semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Righetti's boys are 3-1 on the season, the first under coach Nick Sauer. Arroyo Grande is 4-1.

Games are not open to the public.

Baseball

Santa Maria 12, Orcutt Academy 0, 5 Inn.

Saints pounded out 19 hits and held the Spartans to just one hit.

Luis Guerrero went four innings and struck out seven, giving up one hit.

Guerrero, Firgueroa, Raymond Rodriguez and Carlos Hidalgo all had three hits.

The Saints are 6-4 and 1-0 in the Mountain League. Santa Maria will host Orcutt Academy Saturday in a doubleheader that starts at 11 a.m.

San Marcos 19. Santa Ynez 1

Henry Manfredonia, Cole Shoenwetter and Aidan Johnson combined on a three-hitter with six strikeouts for the Royals.

For Santa Ynez, Vic Heredia doubled and Logan Smith went 1-for-1.

Santa Barbara 14, Cabrillo 1

AJ Simmons had two hits for Cabrillo in the loss to the Dons.

Softball

St. Joseph 8, Motto Bay 2

The Knights pounded out 16 hits in the win as Brianna Muñoz threw a complete game, four-hitter.

Dylan Prandini and Lizzette Carlos each had two RBIs.

Muñoz, Prandini, Dezirae Rodriguez and Kaylee Dolores each had two hits. Carlos had three hits. Shianne Gooley drove in a run. Prandini homered and doubled.

Dos Pueblos 6, Lompoc 1

Georgia Wilson held the Braves to just three hits, one of which was a Haley Larsh home run.

Shea Armenta and Cheyenne Cordova also had hits for the Braves, who fall to 7-2 and 4-2 in Channel League play.

Boys soccer

St. Joseph 2, Orcutt Academy 1 (Tuesday)

Steven Pallan and Ryan Cossa scored goals for the Knights as Colin Reynolds had an assist.

Girls soccer

Santa Maria 1, Orcutt Academy 0 (Tuesday)

The Saints improved to 6-1-1 on the season with a win over Orcutt Academy on Tuesday.

They are set to play Thursday at Pioneer Valley.

Nipomo 3, Templeton 1 (Tuesday)

Templeton scored on a corner kick that went directly into the goal and led 1-0 at the end of the first half.

In the second, Nipomo scored three goals and held Templeton scoreless.

The goals scored by Nipomo were from Iliana Murgia, Cloey Missamore and Ximena Hinojosa-perez.

As Nipomo enters the second half of the season, the Titans have a record of 6-0-1.

San Luis Obispo 3, St. Joseph 0 (Tuesday)

The Tigers scored three second-half goals to beat the Knights.

Girls volleyball

Nipomo 3, St. Joseph 1 (Tuesday)

St. Joseph won the opening set but the Titans won the next three to take the match 24-26, 25-23, 25-10 and 25-22.