When Etiwanda took the court to begin warming up for the CIF-SS Division 1AA boys basketball championship game against Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the state, the Eagles were a little cramped on their side of the court as Fox Sports Prime Ticket was filming a promotional bit with Mater Dei’s star players that spilled over mid-court.
It was a perfect illustration of the dichotomy between these two teams – a nationally ranked Mater Dei powerhouse (USA Today has them 11th in the country), and an Etiwanda team that was seeded sixth in its own division. Mater Dei averages 88 points per game and won its semifinal by 36 (yes, 36) points. Etiwanda plays a gritty defensive style that is certainly not sexy, but this program went to a CIF final in 2008 and lost a competitive game to Mater Dei in last season’s semifinals.
We’re about to tip off at the Honda Center in the final game of the night. This game appears a mismatch in a lot of ways, but I’m expecting a close contest similar to when these two met last year.
