Coyotes take care of business

. CHS boys’ basketball team wins second CIF title in three years



ATTACK THE HOOP—Conner Longmire scored 17 points for the Coyotes in the CIF title win.

ATTACK THE HOOP—Conner Longmire scored 17 points for the Coyotes in the CIF title win.

Expect the unexpected during playoff basketball.

Role players become stars during crunch time. Superstars become facilitators when running on fumes.

Throw statistics into the wastebasket— teamwork and toughness lead to championships.

Calabasas High boys’ basketball head coach Jon Palarz wrote two words on the whiteboard—“ togetherness” and “toughness”—before his squad competed for a CIF-Southern Section title at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

The Coyotes received the message.

Calabasas defeated Sonora 66-47 last weekend to capture the Division 2A crown and a second section banner in three years.

Coyote top guns Larry Bush and Jeremy Lieberman, arguably the best backcourt in Ventura County, combined for only 16 points.

Bush, who scored 12 points, got into foul trouble and notched only two points at halftime.

Lieberman, who scored four points, played through a painful left ankle sprain and didn’t score in the final three quarters.

The supporting cast of Austin Smith, Conner Longmire and Justin Bessard stepped up for the Coyotes, 27-5 overall at press time.

“We’ve had a pretty balanced team all year long,” Palarz said. “Most of our guys can score in double figures. Conner and Austin rose to the occasion.

“Our experience was big for us. I thought that we were the most experienced team (in the bracket).”

Smith, a senior forward, finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

He’s a physical forward with an arsenal of weapons on offense, but he sometimes defers on offense. Smith usually gets lost in the shuffle behind Lieberman and Bush. Smith is the Chris Bosh to Calabasas’ “Big Three.”

“I don’t worry about being the third guy,” Smith said. “We have great team chemistry. We all get along. No one is mad after a game if they didn’t play well individually.

“I’ve had a few bad games in the playoffs, and I wanted to make sure to step up when my team really needed me.”

Smith and Lieberman are the only players left from the 2012 championship squad that defeated South Torrance 69-39 in the Division 3AA title game.

Lieberman was the sophomore point guard in the midst of a breakout season. Smith was an up-and-coming bench player.

“This championship is more special because I was an impact player,” said Smith, who has garnered interest from colleges to play at the next level. “Coach Palarz took me in at a young age and really elevated my game.”

Longmire has drained 3-pointers all season, but his role changed in the section finale.

The junior guard attacked the rim early in the first quarter to set the tone for Calabasas. He scored eight points in the first period, and he finished with 17.

Sonora head coach Mike Murphy didn’t anticipate an offensive outburst by Longmire.

“ No. 4 ( Longmire) really hurt us,” Murphy said. “ We thought he would be one of their weaker guys. They were more athletic and more physical than we thought.”

Bessard chipped in nine points, including a rare 3-pointer to put Calabasas ahead 51-41 with 3:50 left in regulation.

Lieberman, who is bound for the University of Wyoming, sprained his ankle last week against Tustin at home in the semifinals. After the Coyotes defeated Tustin, Lieberman said, he trusted his teammates to back him up if he wasn’t 100 percent against Sonora.

“My ankle was bad two days ago (before the section finale),” said Lieberman, who recorded six assists. “I had to push and go on Kobe mode.”

Bush was assigned to guard Sonora standout point guard Josh Rodriguez but was unable to stay on the floor due to foul trouble.

Senior guard Chad Wilcox filled in for Bush and helped slow down the Sonora guards.

The third time was the charm in Bush’s quest for a section championship. The senior shooting guard lost in the big game with Westlake last year and with Buckley in 2011.

“Words can’t explain how happy I am,” Bush said. “It’s an amazing feeling to be on the opposite side and go into the locker room happy.

“This isn’t the finish line. We’re going after a state title.”

Calabasas faced Sylmar at home in the opening round of the Division 2 state tournament on Wednesday. Results weren’t available before deadline.

Bush had sympathy for his former teammates at Westlake, who lost to Canyon of Anaheim in the Division 2AA finale 40 minutes before Calabasas hit the floor.

“Westlake is a good team,” Bush said. “They just fell short. Those are my boys and I love them.”

Coyotes Tristan Gebbia, Tal Gweta, Amin Ismael, Jonah Camberg, Christian Foster and Kevin Seydan are champions.

Palarz won his second section crown with Calabasas and his fourth overall as a head coach. He won section titles at Campbell Hall in 1992 and 1994.


 

 

TITLE TOWN—The Calabasas High boys’ basketball team defeated Sonora in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A championship game last weekend at the Honda Center in Anaheim. At left, Coyote senior shooting guard Larry Bush kisses the trophy. At right, Amin Ismael, left, Justin Bessard and Christian Foster celebrate the Coyotes win, their second section title in three seasons.

TITLE TOWN—The Calabasas High boys’ basketball team defeated Sonora in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A championship game last weekend at the Honda Center in Anaheim. At left, Coyote senior shooting guard Larry Bush kisses the trophy. At right, Amin Ismael, left, Justin Bessard and Christian Foster celebrate the Coyotes win, their second section title in three seasons.

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