Boys’ basketball: Etiwanda is back as a top team

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Etiwanda Coach Dave Kleckner didn’t want to hype his team in the preseason because they had lost several key players to graduation. He said he didn’t know how good his team might be.

‘We don’t play in spring league and fall league,’ he said.

But the Eagles won’t be overlooked anymore. They routed one of the City Section title contenders, Los Angeles Washington, 72-48, in a Pasadena tournament game on Thursday.

‘Last night proved we’re not going to be too shabby,’ Kleckner said.

The Eagles have a mix of seniors and underclassmen. Sam Flemming, Dominique Walker and Brandon Towns are the seniors who led the win. Freshman Delewis Johnson is also seeing action, with sophomore Jordan McLaughlin.

Etiwanda faces another ranked team, Los Angeles Price, in a semifinal game Friday at 8 p.m. at Pasadena. The other semifinal has La Verne Lutheran facing Pasadena.

-- Eric Sondheimer