SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : 1-A : Crossroads vs. Whittier Christian

For one year, Bill Cuccia, Whittier Christian High School basketball coach, has impatiently been waiting for his team to get a chance to avenge a 70-61 loss to Santa Monica Crossroads in the 1-A championship game last March 8.

Saturday morning at 10:30 in the Sports Arena, Whittier Christian gets that chance when the Heralds (26-1) play the Roadrunners (22-5) for the 1-A title.

Will Cuccia’s wait be worth it, or will he have another year to mull over the frustration of losing in the title game to perennial power Crossroads?

Last season, Whittier Christian brought a 25-0 record into the final, while Crossroads was 19-7. But Crossroads had played a much more difficult nonleague schedule which may have been a factor in the Roadrunners winning their third Southern Section title in five years.

The circumstances are similar this year. Whittier Christian, six-time defending champion of the Olympic League, has won 26 straight since a season-opening loss to Lynwood, by far the Heralds’ toughest nonleague opponent. Crossroads, six-time defending champion of the Delphic League, has defeated Southern Section 4-A finalist Santa Monica, Southern Section 3-A finalist Saugus and City 3-A finalist Reseda. One of the Roadrunners’ losses was to Southern Section 5-A semifinalist St. Monica.

Yet Cuccia discounts any advantage that might be gained from playing a tougher schedule.

“Those games were in December, and it’s a long time from then until March,” he said. “Who you played four months ago won’t be important on Saturday.”

Whittier Christian is led by forward Erik Martin. Tuesday in the Heralds’ 76-55 semifinal victory over Chadwick, Martin, a 6-5 junior, scored 28 points, had 19 rebounds and blocked 6 shots. Martin averages 21 points and 14 rebounds. His brother, Chris, a 6-2 point guard, averages 15 points and 6-2 forward Mike Goodcase averages 15 points and 6 rebounds.

Martin will have to contend with David Wolfe, Crossroads’ 6-8 senior center. Wolfe had 25 points and 11 rebounds last year against the Heralds. Wolfe averages 15 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Bailey, a 6-2 point guard, averages 15 points. Bailey scored 25 points Tuesday night in the Roadrunners’ 79-55 semifinal victory over Harvard.

David Benezra, first-year Crossroads coach, said that if the Roadrunners are close going into the fourth quarter, they’ll have a good shot at winning.

“Our edge is our conditioning,” he said. “We’ve pulled away from a lot of teams in the fourth quarter because of that.”