SACRAMENTO — The Los Angeles City Section has a state basketball champion for the first time since 2010, and it’s View Park.
With freshman Christian Johnson leading the way in the first half and senior Kamren Storrs powering the Knights down the stretch, the LA representatives took down no-quit Stuart Hall 74-62 to win the CIF Division IV Championship.
Storrs was all over the 20-5 third-quarter run that allowed View Park to open up a 21-point lead, with eight points and four rebounds during a stretch that consumed most of the third quarter.
“The better team won today,” said Stuart Hall head coach Charley Johnson. “They were just a little stronger. We threw a little bit of everything at them, but they were just better. Congratulations to them on a well-deserved state championship.”
Stuart Hall (23-12) did manage to get within 11 during the fourth quarter, but that run in the third provided enough separation, even with an inspired team from San Francisco backed by more than 400 students who took buses to the Golden 1 Center with classes canceled for the day to allow the entire school to support the team.
“Our fans show out for us, and we try to show out for them,” said Miles Amos, who scored a team-high 21 points, including a putback dunk to close the gap to 33-26 in the third quarter.
The junior point guard was injured on the play, and while Alex Byrd converted the ensuing free throw and Amos returned less than a minute later, View Park started the decisive run during the brief window with Amos off the floor.
Ultimately, View Park was just too big and too dominant in the paint. The Los Angeles-based charter school attempted just seven 3-pointers, relying instead on repeated drives to the hoop and mid-range shots.
With a freshman point guard leading the charge in an NBA arena, it would have been easy for Christian Johnson, known to head coach Deon Coleman as “Bam”, to get overwhelmed, but he was as calm and smooth as could be in his 18-point first half.
“Bam’s shot selection was incredible,” said Coleman. “He’s a wonder to coach.”
He scored the opening four points as part of a 9-2 run to start the game as View Park delivered the opening punch. Stuart Hall did take the lead on four occasions in the first half, but it was View Park (27-8) that finished the half on a 13-2 run to take control. A Johnson basket midway through the second to give his team a 23-22 lead would prove to be the last time the lead changed hands on the day.
Johnson and Storrs weren’t the only ones to step up for View Park. Shamir Lair scored 12 points, sophomore DeShawn Johnson (no relation to Bam) scored 10 and Ernest Flynn added eight. View Park was a well-oiled machine, playing tremendous team basketball.
“It’s a testament to the group staying together in an age where everyone is transferring to build a powerhouse,” said assistant coach Ken Henderson. “You’re seeing it in college basketball too, with the teams that stay together for four years knocking off the one-and-done schools.”
For a youthful Stuart Hall team that doesn’t have a senior in the starting lineup, the final moments of the game and the ensuing awards ceremony was a joyous occasion, with a team that started just 9-8 capping off its season playing in a state championship game. Though Bam Johnson was fabulous, Stuart Hall had a great freshman as well, with Nigel Burris racking up 13 points and eight rebounds.
“He was pretty good,” said Flynn, who was tasked with defending Burris for the afternoon.
Stuart Hall, also called the Knights, got 10 points from Jay Henry Ryan and six apiece from Spencer O’Brien-Steele and Tomas Wolber. Jorim Powell, one of just three seniors on the roster, finished his career with selfless play as he fouled down the stretch to extend the game.
“It’s about leading by example,” said Powell, who also served as captain of The Hall’s football team. “Even coming off the bench, I can play that role. I’m just glad I had the chance to help these young guys out.”
With so much talent among those youngsters on both sides, it’s quite possible that both teams will find themselves back on this stage next year, perhaps for a rematch.
