The Washington Prep Generals used their size to defeat a speedy San Pedro Pirates squad 64-56 in the Boys Division I City Section Championship.
“I feel like I finally achieved something in my life and I made everybody happy,” said Generals junior Dareon Scott. “I didn’t let anybody down so that’s the best part for me.”
The overtime victory was the General’s first championship title since their historical run in 2018 when they defeated University 60-58 for the Division I title.
“It’s amazing,” said Generals senior Michael Aikhionbare. “I will never forget this ever in my life.”
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The Generals had battled in contests that went beyond four quarters during the season. In early January, the Generals fell to the Marquez Gladiators 71-68 double overtime. Their next game was a battle against the Crenshaw Cougars that went into quadruple overtime, the Generals lost 113-112.
“That prepared us for this moment because we played in several close ones, Crenshaw, Marquez,” said Washington Prep head coach Jovante King. “We was well prepared, the [Generals], they did their job.”
While the Generals took an early lead, the shooting skills and zone defense of San Pedro kept the game close. Pirate senior Noah Simpson and Ricky Alonso led the offensive effort while several Generals scored. By the end of the first quarter, Washington Prep was up 13-10.
“We just tried to feed our bigs … we tried to pound the paint,” Aikhionbare said. “We want to shoot, just want to attack because they were a smaller team.”
Scott ignited a six-point run late in the second phase. In under 30 regulated seconds, the Pirates made a five-point run, bringing them within four points of the Generals by halftime.
“We just had to come out and establish our dominance,” Scott said. “We got size, they had more speed shooters but we still found a way and we punched through.”
The Pirates carried their offensive momentum into the third quarter, causing six ties and three lead changes. San Pedro found success by getting out in transition to score. A jumper by Generals senior Zachery Scarborough would tie the game at 38 going into the final phase.
Scott rallied for the Generals as the two teams traded baskets. Simpson made the final shot of the fourth to tie with the Generals at 47, forcing the game into overtime.
Scott went on a 5-2 run to start the extra period but a three-pointer by Zach Saavedra would tie the game at 52. The Generals continued to score and take advantage of their free-throw opportunities. This helped Washington Prep pull away in the final minutes.
“This was just a dedication to hard work and resilience right now,” King said. “I feel like we finally got the program back to where it was before COVID.”
