| Front Page |
| Crespi Athletics |
 |
| Search |
Crespi Athletics
Celts have gone from Mission League doormat to first place Who are these guys? And where did they come from? The Crespi High of Encino boys' basketball team wasn't expected to make much of an impact in the Mission League race this year, not with perennial powerhouses Harvard-Westlake of Studio City and Loyola of Los Angeles still in the mix, as well as a resurgent Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks squad on the verge of something big. After finishing 8-17 overall and 2-10 and next-to-last in the Mission League last season, the Celts this season were merely hoping to compete and end up somewhere in the middle of the pack - anywhere but at the bottom of the standings. But Crespi has emerged as one of the bigger surprises in the area and sits in sole possession of first place in league, even after a 69-56 loss to host Notre Dame on Thursday night. The Celts are 11-9 overall and 6-1 in league. "I don't even know where to begin. It's been a roller-coaster ride and I hope it doesn't stop," said Russell White, who is in his first year as coach at Crespi after a successful seven-year stint at Calabasas. "Sure, we're surprised to be in first place, very surprised and very pleased. We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, though. The season is far from over. We have a long ways to go." Inconsistency troubled the Celts during nonleague play. They opened the season with losses to Van Nuys by 18points and Campbell Hall of North Hollywood by 47, then won five of six, then lost five in a row heading into league play. The outlook wasn't promising for a team that had won five league games over the past three seasons. But Crespi started league play with six consecutive victories, including an eye-opening upset of Loyola, the Celts' first win over the Cubs since 2001 and first at home against the league frontrunner in over 10 years. A five-point victory over the Harvard-Westlake three days later restored some much-needed confidence and marked the Celts' first victory over the Wolverines since 2002. "No one thought Crespi would go undefeated in its firstsix league games. No one," said Chaminade coach Bryan Cantwell, whose team was swept in its regular-season series with Crespi for the firsttime since 2001. "They're rolling, though. Give them credit. Russell has done a great job. They've had some success and control their own fate now. It will be interesting to see how they handle things the rest of the way." Joseph Fauria finished his commitments with the football team in late February and has been a solid contributor since joining the Celts in the thirdgame of the season. The 6-foot-7 junior post player is averaging 11.2 points and 8.5rebounds per game. Point guard Blake Stanton has developed into a steady leader in the backcourt despite being a freshman, and Jerramy King, Gino Zanrosso, Toby Spino and Mark Watley have proved reliable from the perimeter. Seniors Andrew Nulman, Matt Gray, Gibran Kahn and Matt Adelman do the dirty work on both ends of the floor, each willing to sacrifice personal numbers for team success. "Truth be told, we don't really have any stars on this team, no one who can drop 30or 40 points on any given night," Fauria said. "Everyone is contributing, and we're finding ways to win. That's all that counts." White prefers to downplay the sudden hype surrounding the program. But there's no disputing that a league title remains a possibility. Beyond that, a postseason appearance appears attainable. A fourth-place finish in league would assure the Celts an automatic berth in the Southern Section Div. I-AA playoffs. At worst, they could petition for an at-large berth with at least 12 wins. "From my perspective, the kids have bought into the system and believe they can win," said Crespi athletic director Dick Dornan, who coached the Celts for nineyears before the arrival of White. "This group has come a long way. They've exceeded everyone's expectations. People are seeing them in a different light." Make no mistake, Crespi is not content with the fast start. This is a goal-oriented group, one determined to prove its ascent to the top is no fluke. A league title would serve as a validation. There will be plenty of tests along the way, beginning Saturday against Verbum Dei. Things don't get any easier after that with games on the road at Loyola and Harvard-Westlake in the nextweek and a half. Whether Crespi can go from near the bottom of the Mission League to league champion remains to be seen. One thing is certain: The Celts are headed in the right direction after opening league play with six consecutive victories for the first time since 1986. "We've been considered the dormat of the league for a while now, but we knew we had a chance to turn things around," Gray said. "We used to be the hunters; now we're the hunted." |