Boys basketball: Harbor boys host Gahr in II-AA opener
Barry Faulkner
NEWPORT BEACH - Gahr High, which visits Newport Harbor tonight at
7:30 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA boys
basketball playoffs, wound up tied for third in the San Gabriel Valley
League.
But, as a review of the Gladiators’ roster reveals, Coach Kurt Ruth’s
squad could have moonlighted on the side in a 6-foot-2-and-under
recreation league.
Gahr (18-8) has no player taller than the aforementioned standard, which,
of course, is welcome news to Newport senior standout Dustin Illingworth.
A 6-foot-4 post, who tonight becomes the first Newport Harbor varsity
player to play in the postseason four straight years, Illingworth is used
to looking up at his inside rivals.
But Illingworth, as well as 6-6 sophomore Tony Melum, will have no such
challenge tonight.
The Gladiators, however, figure to be no soft touch. Half of their losses
(two each) came to league rival and nationally top-ranked Dominguez of
Compton, as well as Orange County power Brea Olinda (20-6).
Gahr, hoping to hand Harbor its 13th loss in 22 first-round games, is
paced by 6-0 senior guard Romalice Reed, who averages 15.9 points and 8.4
rebounds per game.
Tajuan Jackson, a 6-2 junior center, contributes 15.5 points and 7.2
rebounds per contest, while Justin Rhoane, Noel Chase and Hamed Yazarlou
combine to average nearly 22 points.
Coach Larry Hirst’s Tars (17-8), who finished second in the Sea View
League, are paced by Illingworth’s 19.9 ppg, while junior guard Aaron
Yarnal chips in 15.4 ppg.
Illingworth, playing in a school-record 105th varsity contest, enters
with 1,287 career points.
Tonight’s winner will advance to Tuesday’s second round against the
Brea-Torrance winner.
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