Prep Report: Serra HS Baseball Playing for (and Chasing) History

Serra High School here in Gardena is an athletic powerhouse. You might have heard of a few football guys who went there. Marqise Lee, the No. 1 college WR in the country, and NFL rookie-to-be Robert Woods. One of the top female track-and-field athletes in the country, UCLA's Turquoise Thompson, also spent her senior year at Serra, where her mother is the head track-and-field coach.

Their football team remains one of the best in Southern California and their 2013 squad will be one of the favorites to win state. Their basketball team is one of the better small schools in Southern California and their boys and girls track program ranks among the best in the state and nation.

Just this school year, they've won state titles in football and girls' basketball. Their track team heads north to the state track-and-field meet this weekend as the favorites to win several events and the boys' team title.

But also this weekend, another Serra team is poised to win a division championship. Their baseball heads to Dodger Stadium on Friday for the chance to win the program's first CIF title. Yet, they're also playing for much more than just that. They're perhaps the first predominantly Black team to be this close to a CIF title in three decades, although that has not been confirmed.

Steve Smith Retires: One of the Finest California Athletes of the 21st Century

Steve Smith from 2000-09 had a career that any kid would dream of. 4-sport star at Taft HS, All-American/ring at USC & a Super Bowl ring
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) May 29, 2013

Steve Smith may have been confused with the 5-9 Steve Smith down in Carolina but for me, his sudden retirement is a shame because it ends the career of one of the best all-around athletes California has produced this century.

I respected Smith while he was at USC but it wasn't until I started covering high school sports in LA that I realized just how great he was. He succeeded on all three levels in sports before he turned 25 and it deserves to be recognized.

1999-2003: While attending Taft High School in Woodland Hills, he had one of the greatest athletic careers in state history.  

And The Beat Goes On (The Spurs Just Win)

The Spurs are like the old men at the Venice Beach courts. You might think you can beat them but somehow, you look up wondering how you lost so bad. One way or another, you fall prey to their mastery.

Better yet, they're like The Whispers and their 1980 classic single "And the Beat Goes On". An old, successful group infused with the production of a young Leon Sylvers that they rode that wave to even greater heights.

The Spurs are back on top. Back in the Finals for the first time in six years. Like they never left. All due to a mix of young folks, old vets, and a proven system led by a coaching genius who plays chess on the court.

Battle for Los Angeles (Dodgers vs. Angels)

I hate to say it but the battle for Los Angeles baseball supremacy this week feels lackluster. Maybe I'm saying this as a Dodgers fan, but the facts support me.

In one corner you have the Angels, who've won eight straight games and appear to be finding their mojo after struggling mightily. In the other you have the Dodgers, who've won three out of their last nine and appear on the verge of firing Don Mattingly as manager.

Clayton Kershaw also picked a bad time to have a rough start, giving up 4 HR's to the Cardinals on Sunday. Considering he's been hot the last few starts, you can forgive him for that. The Dodgers have bigger problems to worry about.

Game 1 ECF: Paul George Great, LeBron James Better

The Game Winner (Associated Press photo)

Remember how I advocated that the Eastern Conference Finals would be better than advertised? Well after Game 1, guess who's right.

Paul George continued to come of age as the Palmdale native hit big shot after big shot, none bigger than his 32-foot, 3-pointer to force overtime. If there's a doubt why he was voted Most Improved Player, he erased them by stepping up.

Was that first 3-point shot lucky? A little bit but a good shot is a good shot. No more lucky than having the presence of mind to shoot a 3 in overtime with D-Wade draped all over him. He was 2.2 seconds away from being the hero after sinking three free throws to give Indiana the lead.

And yet, it wasn't enough. It was like Craig Ehlo feeling happy about this, before this happened. Just like Ehlo, George just had to play defense. Instead, he over-committed and became a footnote in the latest chapter of LeBron James' greatness.

Sergio Garcia's Not a Racist, He's Insecure

 

Sergio Garcia's fried chicken comments revealed one thing to me. He's an insecure guy who's jealous of Tiger Woods and the fact that he can't beat him on the field. He came close in 1999 and he came close again 2 weeks ago and now he's letting off steam that appears to be coming from deep resentment.

I feel sorry for him really. That's my why my second video of the day ends with a personal message to him to get over it and just focus on his game. It's sad really. I'm not offended by his racist comments because I find it clownish that he reached for a personal insult when he realized he couldn't get a bigger rise out of Tiger.

As Bomani Jones posed today though on Around the Horn, the bigger question is why it seems like folks come at Tiger like this so often. Fuzzy Zoeller in 97, Kelly Tilghman's lynching comments and now this? Tiger may not want to be seen as Black but that doesn't stop others from doing that.

Evaluating Dwight Howard's Future

 

The problem with being in L.A. is that we have to hear folks wonder about Dwight Howard's future front and center. As I've tried to share here in word and video form, I personally don't care what he does because it's his call and he didn't do much to convince me to be interested either way.

But after being inspired a few peers, I decided to go all in and evaluate Howard for hopefully the last time until he makes his free agent decision. I discuss his pros and cons as a center, how he conducts himself and where I think he'll end up.

A Crazy Thought: Indiana-Miami Will Be Great

Call me crazy but I think Miami-Indiana is going to be a great Eastern Conference Final. Just based off how surprising the Pacers were last year against the Heat and how much better they look now.

Then again, I haven't been able to look at the Pacers the same way since the Lakers beat them on the road minus Kobe during the regular season. If there's a team remaining that has more fool's gold, I'm not sure who it is.

At the same time, the Pacers' ugly style (which led to them having the No. 1 defense in the league) has started to look better. Roy Hibbert is a legit center who can cause problems in the paint. Lance Stephenson is starting to fulfill the promise he had as a NYC hoops legend. Paul George is validating why he's an All-Star as the team's leader and an emerging go-to scorer (in spots).

The Sad Fall of Titus Young (and Hope for Redemption)

 

The first time Titus Young was arrested, I avoided the news. Typically, I don't gawk when somebody gets arrested on small stuff because 1) I don't the full story, 2) I'd rather they be shamed by others than me. My aunt told me as a kid to "look once, then look away" so I try not to stare at certain things.

The 2nd time he was arrested (15 hours later), I wondered how dumb this guy could be. Getting arrested twice in a day is unheard of, even for me having been to college where I saw people do enough dumb things that warranted it. It made me start to notice and roll my eyes a bit.

The 3rd time, 6 days later? He ran from police after being accused of breaking into a house. For me, this stopped being a joke and it became sad. I started to feel sorry for him because something isn't right.

Who Got Da Props: Memphis Stays Fly

As much as I focused on the predictable blame game that's going to happen in Oklahoma City, I should also give Memphis a ton of props because I've loved how they played the last two playoff rounds. It's old school, it's physical, it's smart hoops that any fan of the game should admire.

Props to Mike Conley, who has become by default the best player from his highly recruited Ohio State of 2006. Seven years ago, who would've thought that he'd have a better pro career than Greg Oden and Daequan Cook.

Conley's gotten a lot of heat most of his career but I loved how aggressive he is on both sides of the floor. He dominated the Thunder without Russell Westbrook guarding him and I think he's grown a lot more comfortable with who he is as a player.