Cleveland Tops Birmingham in Important City Section Basketball Matchup

Cleveland High’s Sophomore Guard Leads Victory Over Birmingham

Cleveland High School’s sophomore guard, Charlie Adams, showcased his potential for future coaching with a keen understanding of the game during Friday night’s action. Adams capitalized on a gap in Birmingham’s defense, driving the Cavaliers to an 81-70 victory, which secured first place in the West Valley League.

The Cavaliers entered halftime with a narrow lead of 37-35. In the third quarter, Adams noticed that Birmingham was unable to defend against his drives to the basket. “I kept going,” Adams stated. “Don’t stop what’s working.” His strategic moves resulted in 12 points during the quarter, all from layups, contributing to his final tally of 20 points.

Cleveland, now boasting a record of 13-8 overall and 4-0 in league play, displayed cohesive teamwork that bodes well for their prospects in the Open Division playoffs. Alongside Adams, Sergine Deme, a 6-foot-8 center, made a significant impact in the second half with 18 points and strong rebounding, while TJ Wansa and Harout Posheyan added 16 and 12 points, respectively. “We executed the game plan — play together,” said Cleveland coach Dagem Asfaw.

Birmingham, with a record of 13-5 and 3-1 in league play, also saw strong performances. X’zavion McKay led the Patriots with 25 points, while Tekeio Phillips added 21.

In other notable high school basketball results, Harvey Kitani of Rolling Hills Prep reached a milestone with his 1,000th career coaching victory after a 60-45 win over Bishop Gorman. This achievement places him among an elite group of coaches in California history, including Gary McKnight and Mike LeDuc. Nick Welch Jr. contributed to the victory with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Additional scores include:

• Chatsworth defeated Taft 72-58 with Aaron Krueger leading with 31 points.
• Fairfax overpowered University 67-28, with Kentrayl Roberson scoring 20 points.
• Washington Prep routed Crenshaw 100-53, fueled by Jayshawn Kibble’s 38 points and Bricyn Coleman’s 30 points.
• Orange Lutheran triumphed over Los Altos 94-57 thanks to 27 points from Josh King.
• Calabasas edged Westlake 58-48, led by Cayde Rooke with 13 points.
• Thousand Oaks narrowly defeated Oaks Christian 55-52 in overtime.
• St. Bernard overcame St. Monica 64-56 with standout performances from Jordan Ballard and Brandon Granger, scoring 25 and 23 points, respectively.

In girls’ basketball action, Birmingham defeated Cleveland 79-52, with Belinda Hernandez leading the Patriots with 21 points. Mater Dei secured a close victory over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, winning 68-64 and improving to 20-4.