The Kings of Cameron rivalry against South Hills High School is a battle of sports competition for the title of Kings. The boys basketball teams competed on Dec.16 at South Hills High School’s gym.
“It’s definitely the hype game of the year, it’s going to be packed and it’s a game to see who comes in on top,” said senior Point Guard Adam Otero.
On the varsity level, the rivalry means the highest level of competitive status and prestige for the winning team. Year after year, KOC is used as a measurement to evaluate the success and quality of the schools’ sports teams. The cumulative training and preparation of all the players are showcased on one night as KOC events bring forth attention from the student body.
“Getting back what we deserve, what we worked for and claiming what’s ours,” said senior Forward Jason Jenkins as he describes what this rivalry means to him.
From the start, the game was a back and forth battle for leading points. The entire game was within a few points, both teams did not overly pass each other with points on the scoreboard until the start of the third quarter, when West Covina temporarily maintained a nine point lead.
The Bulldogs prioritized defense to counter the Huskies’ offensive efforts and successfully put a stop to many attacking plays. The Bulldogs´ biggest challenge through the entire game was the Huskies tallest player, center #34 junior Andy Barajas played aggressive offense leading the Huskies in scoring eight points.
Near the end of the 3rd quarter the Bulldogs’ player #34, junior Steven Julio scored with a two-pointer making the Bulldogs 26 and South Hills 24. Soon after, player #31, senior David Toscano got an “And One”, meaning a player was fouled while taking a shot. The away side audience for West Covina kept the morale high for the team through every turnover and point scored.
Throughout the game, spectators on the Bulldog’s side of the gym expressed their frustration as they thought Huskies were being allowed to get away with questionable offensive charging calls. Nevertheless, the game continued with South Hills closing the gap.
In an attempt to recollect, Bulldogs called for a timeout in the fourth quarter as the final stretch approached with a narrow lead. In order to refocus on offense Coach Josh Aguilara instructed his squad to be more patient and open to passes to counter the Huskies aggressive pressing defense.
The momentum shifted halfway through the fourth quarter, even with an additional three pointer from the right corner by Toscano as the Huskies went on an unanswered 10-0 run ty
ing the game. Until #34 junior Anthony Daher hit a well-contested three-pointer from the right arc.
The game was within five points until Julio hit a tough three pointer from the left corner opening up the Bulldogs lead. Moving forward into the game, player #21, senior Allister Montenegro, hit a three pointer from the left corner extending the Bulldogs lead.
Both teams played an aggressive and full court press the entire game. With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Bulldogs held a five point lead due to the Huskies missing three consecutive shots in a row as well as going over the foul limit. Julio was able to answer and hit both free throws.
The Bulldogs, led by Julio with a game high 12 points, brought home the KOC crown with a game ending score of 48-41.
“It was a wacky start, but everyone on the team contributed and we got the team win,” said Julio.
Although the Bulldogs took the win they knew there was room for improvement. They did not behave boastfully about their win, understanding that win or lose there is always a lesson to learn from every game.
“Shooting and offense is what we need to work on but other than that we will be fine,” said JV and Varsity Head Coach Dylan Grajeda.
The win ultimately strengthened the spirits of the team and fans that made the seventh win for the Bulldogs this year. KOC was a memorable moment for the Bulldogs that will improve their game as they approach their first league game this season.
“It brought us closer together, we definitely fought together and we made sure to do what we needed to do…If we can keep capitalizing like this we are going to have a good season,” said Jenkins.
As said by Principal Charles Park, ¨keep doing what doing!”
