Johnson Follows Family Ties to UCLA

Josiah Johnson, a 6-foot-8 senior basketball player from Montclair Prep, said Monday he has committed to UCLA, the alma mater of his father, Marques, and brother, Kris, both former Bruin stars.

Johnson averaged 23.8 points and 12.0 rebounds for the Mounties. He said he has wanted to attend UCLA since watching Kris play for the Bruins from 1995-98.

Like his older brother, Josiah impressed the Bruin coaches with his potential for improvement.

“I’m working real hard,” he said.

* Kelvin Gibbs, Tezale Archie and Brandon Armstrong of Pepperdine were chosen to the All-West Coast Conference team.

Gibbs, a junior forward, is a repeat selection and averages 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. Archie, a senior guard, averages 9.8 points and ranks second in the WCC with 5.8 assists a game.

Armstrong, a sophomore guard, is the leading scorer at 14.1 points a game for the Waves (22-7, 12-2), who won the WCC regular-season title and begin the conference tournament Saturday at Santa Clara.

Seniors Tommie Prince and Nick Sheppard were honorable mention.

Kenyon Jones, a 6-10 senior center from San Francisco, was player of the year.

* Rasheeda Clark of Pepperdine was chosen WCC player of the year in women’s basketball. Damaris Hinojosa, a Pepperdine freshman from Moorpark High, made the all-conference team.

Clark, a junior guard, averages 16 points. Hinojosa averages 13.7 points.

Pepperdine’s Dee Braxton, a senior guard, was honorable mention.

* Alex Gientke of Ventura High and Kelly Greathouse of Buena have been selected girls’ co-players of the year in the Channel League.

* Teams from the Mission and Marmonte leagues have agreed to play each other in a one-day boys’ basketball challenge next season, Coach Dick Dornan of Crespi said.

Specific matchups and a site have yet to be decided. Games would begin at 11 a.m. and last through the evening.

BASEBALL

* Pitcher Michael Marble of Grant, the team’s top returning right-handed pitcher, separated his left shoulder in the school’s alumni game Saturday and will be sidelined at least four weeks, Coach Jeremy Lawrence said.

* Former Crespi pitcher Tim Leveque, a freshman at Michigan, made his college debut Monday, retiring eight consecutive batters--three on strikeouts--in a game against Western Michigan in Florida.

* Former Crespi pitcher Barry Matthews struck out 14 batters in eight innings Saturday to help Gonzaga defeat Washington, 7-3. He’s 2-0 on the season.

* Notre Dame is ranked No. 20 and Hart No. 38 in Baseball America magazine’s preseason prep rankings.

MOTOR SPORTS

* Ron Hornaday Jr. finished third in the NASCAR Busch Series 200-lap race at Rockingham, N.C., on Saturday in his first appearance at the 1.017-mile oval.

Hornaday, who started 26th, spent the first part of the race in the rear of the field. He moved into the top five during a caution period on lap 87 brought on when a wheel came off of David Green’s car.

“[Car owner] Dale Earnhardt told me to drive it like Bakersfield before the green flag,” Hornaday said. That’s all [I] did. All [I] had to do was race [the car].”

The third-place finish moved Hornaday to 30th in the points standings after two races.