Boys’ Basketball: CdM falls in CIF title game

AZUSA — Out of Ryan Schachter’s nine seasons as coach of the Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball team, he said this one is by far the best. This one has even topped his debut season in which Schachter led CdM to a CIF Southern Section title.

“Even the first year we won CIF, I was just happy the season was over,” Schachter said. “I’m glad we won CIF, but I was just like, ‘Thank God this season is over.’ It was tough to coach that year. They bought in at the end of the year, but there was so much [resistance] throughout the season.”

Schachter doesn’t want this season to end. He has at least one more game left with an unselfish group of players.

The latest game Schachter coached in was special, but he was unable to guide the No. 2-seeded Sea Kings past No. 1 Beverly Hills in the CIF Southern Section Division 3A final at Azusa Pacific University on Friday night.

The Normans won, 55-47, earning their first section title in 46 years. They have reeled off 16 wins in a row.

Schachter fell short of his second section crown, and won’t join Jack Errion and Paul Orris as the only CdM boys’ basketball coaches to guide the program to two section championships. Errion won his in 1976-77 and 1980-81, and Orris in 1992-93 and 1994-95.

Beverly Hills’ height and athleticism, with 6-foot-11 senior Chance Comanche and 6-4 Jalen Sands, proved to be too much for CdM (24-7). Comanche, who’s bound for Arizona, patrolled the paint and forced the Sea Kings to shoot mostly jumpers and three-pointers, and he finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Sands led the Normans with 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Normans (25-5) hit their free throws, going 16 for 17. In the fourth, they hit all 10 attempts. The Sea Kings struggled at the charity stripe in the final eight minutes, making only seven of 12.

Sam Kobrine finished with 16 points for CdM, which dropped to 5-5 in the section final appearances. Bo St. Geme had 11 points, while Kevin Fults had seven points.

The Sea Kings’ season isn’t over. Their next game is in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division III playoffs on Wednesday. On Sunday, Schachter learns whom his team is facing in the opening round of the state tournament.

Even though the Sea Kings’ 15-game winning streak ended, the 36-year-old Schachter and his players are looking forward continuing the madness in March.