La Verne Lutheran has an open date, any takers?

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I just found out that La Verne Lutheran’s showcase game in Las Vegas was canceled, creating an opening date for the Trojans to fill, most likely in January. The selfish reporter in me would love for one of our area’s top teams like Damien, Bishop Amat, Bonita, Ayala or Glendora to schedule a game with the two-time defending divisional champs and reigning state champs. I have it on good authority that the Trojans would love to schedule one of our area heavyweights. You want a shot at one of the best teams in the Southland, here it is. You say you want to measure yourself against the best, here it is. You want to create the biggest non-league game in years and cash in at the ticket booth, Lutheran is a phone call away. It makes sense any way you look at it. For me personally, I can only imagine the atmosphere of say, Lutheran going to Damien or Bonita. It probably won’t happen though, most schedules already are full. But I thought I would put it out there, you never know who might create an opening and step up to the plate.

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  • Aaron

    Coach Eckler…if it fits, make the call.

  • comeon

    Comeon Fred, you act like you have any influence over these schools and their schedules. Wake up, nobody cares what you think… except me ;)

  • valley watcher

    The should look for Mater Dei or Loyola or Orange Lutheran. Then you could have 2 cheaters on the same floor! Stick to your guns public schools! Play only those who don’t cheat.

  • FredJ

    You’re right, I have zero influence, but I can suggest ….

  • Way to go Freddie!

    Fred has laid down the guantlet! I would guarantee that NONE of the aforementioned local schools would accept the challenge even if they did have an open date. Of course there would be the anti-Cooper sentiments as the reason why they wouldn’t ever do it, but the fact is, they wouldn’t want to get a can of whup a$$ opened up on them!

  • wah wah wah Valley Watcher

    In relation to the cheating allegation you level at LVL, please share with us what you are talking about? I don’t recall LVL or any of their players getting sanctioned for doing anything untoward? I don’t think they have even had a transfer come in that was required to sit out a year due to CIF rules? Just because you naive and jealous Valley Watcher says someone is a cheater doesn’t make it so. You can continue to hide behind your fabricated contempted for LVL’s alleged cheating so you don’t have to take your beating on the court by a high quality squad. Go away already and rejoice in your son’s exploits agains Sierra Vista and the other run of the mill teams they are playing

  • FredJ

    LVL followers, don’t take the bait, anytime a school has great success there will always be those who claim they cheat, that’s just the way it is. Name a school that has won multiple CIF championships around here in any sport, and I bet you will find a transfer or two from that team. The thing about La Verne Lutheran is almost all of their players started there as freshman, and in fact, I believe they have had more players transfer out since coach Cooper has arrived, than transfer in…..

  • reality czech

    wah wah & Fred – there is the letter of the rule and the spirit of the rule. LVL has a convenience store program. One stop shopping, quick fix, team in a can. Take Coopers club team Quickshot, bring them in en masse, oust previous team members. sprinkle in a couple semi-local “recruits” and you have instant mini-school powerhouse. Win a a bunch of games vs the Indian School and School for the Deaf, pad your record and attract a couple more “recruits” or disgruntled transfers. Some see the light (I guess taking a 40+ commute on public transportation wasn’t all it was cracked up to be-no matter what bill of goods coop was selling) and leave – even at the expense of losing a year of eligibility. That’s admirable? That’s why he locals stay away.

  • SGV FAN

    Fred,
    Why don’t you and the Tribune put on a 3 game showcase. Take the top 4 teams LVL Damien Amat and Bonita. Have them play each other then the winners play for the SGV Championship. It would pit the top players in the area against each other. It would allow players like Northrup Rodriguez and Reyes to receive the exposure they need. LVL with all its superstars will bring the scouts and attention are area deserves. All the money can be donated to a local charity. Fred you and the Tribune can make it happen, so make it happen

  • FredJ

    That’s a great idea, but convincing the area’s hierarchy to take on La Verne Lutheran is tougher than scheduling an Amat-Charter Oak game….at the end of the day, if nobody in the area wants to schedule them, it’s not going to happen.

  • jcaz

    Honestly, I don’t follow basketball to much but maybe there is something to be said about why the locals don’t want to play these guys.

    I’m not saying that they cheat nor am I saying that they necessarily do anything wrong, but you have to ask your self why in the world so many of the local programs genuinely dislike them so much.

    I mean, it sems as if they have a problem with the way the general public views that school and it’s sports program.

    If they were successful in a way where the entire SGV could embrace them as “our” team (because of their success), then maybe more locals could embrace them, But to me, it just dosn’t look as if that’s ever going to happen.

    Just a thought here that’s all….

  • Writting?

    yeah man the writting here is horrible maybe you can fill in for fred…

  • cowards I tell you cowards!

    Fred,

    I agree with you totally! All the LVL haters would rather hide behind the blogs and justify their failure or unwillingness to schedule LVL by leveling false accusations and all the other tired negative crap they are spitting. I wonder if all the untrue stuff being posted is actually libelous. It can’t be just tossed off as opinion and the accusations are pretty serious, so I wonder if this could be a case of Cooper and the LVL program being libeled by the sniveling Valley Watcher and the other non de plumes he/she is using?

  • FredJ

    JCaz, I honestly believe it’s just envy, the players that I have met on Lutheran are the nicest kids you’ll ever meet, especially on a state championship team where you think they would be a little cocky. Coach Cooper is a class act, their players do well in school and several are going to division one colleges. And unlike several schools around here, not once have I heard a player declared ineligible at Lutheran for athletically motivated reasons, probably because most of the high profile players started there as freshman, and in a private school, freshman can go wherever they want. Even when Bishop Amat was winning state titles in girls basketball, you think all there players were from the SGV? No. When Glendora boys hoops was great, you think all those players grew up in Glendora? Heck, even the greatest SGV player ever, Tracy Murray, was from Pasadena. That’s how it is, players gravitate toward schools and coaches that run successful programs, I’ve said it a thousand times, Lutheran is no different.

  • reality czech

    Fred – read my post below-that’s exactly why – and all true. no one “gravitated” to a good program – most were brought in at once from Coops club. look it up

  • very true…someone call etiwanda/ cor. cent!!!!!

    good point about the murrays…even as rescent as 05 glendora had some guys out of the area…powell and sapp didnt grow up/live in glendora..or so i was told..so feel free to correct me….but thats neither here nor there….im sure im just living in a dream world..but etiwanda is right down the 210 from lv…any chance???..doubt it..but would be a nice match up….or even cor.cent….but im sure no chance for that either. if your a local coach with a good team..why wouldnt you want to play them??..see how you measure up…i dont see how playing a team like lv can hurt you…what happened to the ol any time/any place/any team approach?…or is it too hard to get past how lv was built??….someone call coach kleck at et..lets get this one off!! lol.

  • Don

    I’m the first to admit I know little about basketball. Call me a casual fan. That said, I follow with great interest Coach Coopers team’s rapid ascent. Maybe you local roundball insiders could help to educate me. Here is what I could find from Maxpreps:

    07-08 First year for Coach Cooper, son Carl leading scorer, team went from moribund 7-12 to 29-1, beat everyone but Price.

    08-09 Carl’s top scorer again, improved schedule, went 24-8, all OK until Windward.

    08-09 Another Cooper on board, apparently more balanced scoring, improved schedule yet again, (Gorman? Centennial?), wins State Championship (semi and final won by a total of 5 pts).

    As far as I can tell, the Lutheran team has been built over these past few years from largely handpicked recruits off Coach Cooper’s Club Team, (I have no problem with this, but bring it up only as Lutheran doesn’t seem to draw from the same pool of talent as other local schools). It also appears that Lutheran is angling for an ever bigger stage, more exposure, if you will, while schools like Bonita seem well placed both division-wise (like I can figure out the BB divisions lol) and in the tourneys they play in.

    My questions:

    What advantage could a local school like Damien, Bonita, Diamond Ranch, or C O hope for in playing Lutheran?

    Do bragging rights matter when the schools aren’t competing for the same talent?

    Is Coach Cooper at L of LV for the long run or is he there to hand build a hoops powerhouse to showcase his own kids?

    Are the Trojans marketing the hoops program to prospective students? (Some of you guys call this recruiting).

  • reality czech

    very true – yes, it’s too hard to get past how they were built. Mater Dei faces the same stigma 28 years AFTER Gary Mcnight pulled the same BS with his South Coast Basketball program. Went so far a whole school district/league made an OFFICIAL decision not to play the Monarchs not so long ago. Don’t expect Kleck or the Centennial coach to jump on board either. Giles at Centennial graduated from Glendora and Kleckner is a LeDuc buddy form way back.

  • Jackboy

    Bonita vs. La Verne Lutheran would be fun.
    Bohi has a great team this season, Maybe a CIF ring!

  • jcaz

    To the blog administrators,

    What’s with all of these bizar posts from these phony blogers all about anyway ?

    You have these one liners from: Bree Sanville, Ka Gonzalez, and Karena Purinton.

  • socalhoops fan

    Etiwanda and Corona Centennial will play against tough teams in the preleague games. Glendora will not play anyone they cannot beat. Etiwanda and CC have already played each other with Etiwanda winning a close game. CC played in the Santa Monica tournament and lost in the semi-finals to San Diego Lincoln.

  • Voice of the Trojans

    I just have to shake my head sometimes. The level of vitriol and anger at a high school basketball team…regardless of where the players grew up…is beyond childish. Fred is right, these kids are all very respectful and the nicest kids you will ever meet.

    They play an exciting brand of basketball. They play uptempo the entire game because they work extremely hard. Say what you will about Quickshot (which BTW has spawned plenty of great players who attend schools other than LVL), but don’t be fooled. How many youth “club” or “travel” team players really stand out in high school? I have seen many who don’t pan out or are simply not the star player mommy and daddy envisioned. Quickshot may have helped, but attend a practice and you will see just what makes this team what it is…HARD WORK!

    Just for those who are interested…tonights score was:

    LaVerne Lutheran Trojans 114

    Upland Christian 15

    NOT A TYPO

    Lutheran played without 2 projected starters (Eric Cooper and Xavier Jones) and played only subs (mostly freshmen and sophomores) the entire 2nd and 4th quarters.

    This is the real reason why the locals will shy away, not some nonsense excuse like portrayed by Valley Girl.

  • reality czech

    Hey Voice – it sounds like you’re actually bragging about that score. The reality is you should be embarrassed. 99 points? Just another reason not to play the Trojans. That’s “class? That’s “respectful”?
    You misunderstand the “vitriol and anger at (the) high school basketball team” it’s not the “team” – it’s the coaches and the manner in which they went about their business.
    You get respect by earning it but you only get ONE chance to make a first impression – Cooper blew that chance the way he entered the high school basketball scene. He’s got a lot of making up to do – and 114-15 isn’t helping

  • valley watcher

    Again, it is not about hatred. Coach Cooper comes to LVL. Oh, by the way, following him is a number of kids. Oh yeah, I forgot, the kids checked in before he became the coach so that makes it leagal in CIF’s eyes. Do the players on his team start there as freshmen? Sure. Are they coming from his travel ball organization yes. ENOUGH SAID!

  • Let’s stipulate?

    Valley crybaby and Reality Czech:

    Can we stipulate to the following facts and never mention them again?:

    1. Cooper has a team that consists of mostly out of area kids from his travel ball team.
    2. LVL has a very weak league schedule.
    3. Cooper is a very good coach.
    4. The LVL team is very good and probably the best in the valley.
    5. The kids are all good kids that work hard in school and on the court.
    6. Neither Cooper nor LVL has been sanctioned for violating the rules.
    7. You are jealous and have an ax to grind and are obviously formerly associated with Cooper and LVL or you wouldn’t care so much.

  • daily ref

    Tribune game is a great idea, proceeds to a charity of champions choice. It needs to fit the overall schedules of invited teams as the number of offical games is limited by CIF with some sort of exception for in season tournament games. That rule is why teams cannot just “add” a game on the fly mid season.
    As for exposure for the kids who don’t play with a D1 prospect, this too is another solid point. College contacts and outreach is an area that LVL excells at and others don’t. Likely due to full time educators who are part time coaches & run out of time to help their kids get looks versus a full time basketball program person. Happens in HS sports, look at Bonita great football team, who knows about next level for those kids, have not read anything, Bonita and Damien baseball both sucessful both with a few college kids due to travel ball showcase and tourneys. Basketball is dependent on AAU teams and school coach out reach as the NCAA limits viewing periods. Reyes like Adams before him will need both hs and aau programs but his size and skill will help, Northrop can play with any guard in so cal and defends better, can he get the attention at Bohi, his team wins, so maybe? Club team exposure will help.
    LVL has developed into a powerhouse because the school admin want it to. As a private there is not the same enrollment limits as public, so why not get a good travel coach and bring his kids, the formula works time and time again. Yes they play a few weak teams in league but in truth all the LV schools do too. Having a 6’8″ true prospect helps too and Cooper/English committed means something is good about the players. None are from La Verne but all can play basketball at a high level.
    LVL program is good about reporting scores and based ont he amount of ink must have a relationship with the papers, not sure about Bhs and Damien, heard bhs is 6-1 thats a good start but have seen nothing, Damien does get in the papers some as well.
    LVL looks to be a different level of school commitment, priority and programs willingness to extend out for athletes compared to other LV schools.
    Nothing about hating here, just observations.

  • LUT FAN SAID:

    Lut fan sai: Chris Reyes aau team belmont shores ! Who do you think is his coach Eric Cooper now if you dont call that a outreach and assure that Cris will get a D1 sholarship!

  • Tech Support

    Cut through it all and read Don’s post for the answeres.

    Regardless of how LVL gets their players they are playing a different game and at a different level than any team in valley. What does BA, Damien, etc get by playing them? They give LVL a showcase game (they would probably win) and another reason for more kids to go to LVL in the future at the possible expense of their own program.

    It’s the Boise State problem in a nutshell. Why schedule a team that gets local exposure just by playing them and will probably beat them? I am a die-hard HS hoops fan but even I’ve only seen LVL play once, because I don’t want to watch 99 point blow outs against weaker teams. Would I go watch them play BA, Damien, Glendora? Hell yes. And so would kids in the area who follow ball (or at least look at the box score).

    Frankly LVL should be looking for a game against powerhouse squads who don’t have as much to lose.

  • Voice of the Trojans

    reality czech

    Let’s talk reality. You ask if I am proud of the fact LVL beat Upland Christian by 99 points. No, I expected it.

    Let me tell you what I AM proud of:

    Junior Cameron Osorno, in his first ever start scored 12 points.

    Senior Kevin Payne, who tragically lost his father a couple of months ago, started and scored 10 points just a few days after what was his father’s birthday.

    Still rehabbing from a Track and Field injury, Sophomore Jay Miller scored 10 points and was the leader of the sub unit that played the entire 2nd and 4th quarters.

    In their first game as LVL Trojans…

    Sophomore McKay Anderson scored 12 points…

    Freshman Brian Beard scored 10 points…

    Freshman Tide Osifeso scored 8 points…

    Freshman Mark Borgeson scored 3 points…

    and Freshman Dean Lewis scored 2 points, all contributing to the victory.

    Senior Xavier Jones, who nearly died the day before Thanksgiving and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital was there with his teammates cheering them on.

    The Upland Christian Eagles coach never stopped coaching and the Eagle players never quit. They were even very gracious in defeat.

    As the lead grew, the Trojans kept playing hard. You can’t expect them to “lay down” and go easy. What purpose does that serve? They are preparing to play some of the best teams in the country in Myrtle Beach, the week following Christmas, without Xavier Jones and Eric Cooper Jr. They did, however, stop full-court pressing after the first quarter.

    So, YES, I have alot to be proud of regarding last nights game.

  • Lut Fan

    To tech Support from Lut Fan said: Great point! please come to our showcase on Jan,21 we are playing one of the powerhouses in so cal Price, admission will be below ten dollars, WE will have the top teams from north cal Salisian and Sacramento High and the top two teams from San Diego Lincoln and Hoover you will be the judge ,all games at ULV!

  • Amen to the VOICE!

    Very well stated Voice! Short of not playing the stars of the team at all and deliberately trying to make the game competetive, there was nothing that LVL could do. It wouldn’t be right to give up and make the game close just to satisfy the jealous and envious locals. Lutheran can only play the teams that are on the schedule and for 14 of their games, they have no choice who the opponents are, period.

    It is unfortunate that because of the league schedule Lutheran has played only one game when most of the other teams have played as many as 9 or 10.

    Go Trojans

  • Tech Support

    To Lut Fan:

    For that I will go. Price (of the event, not the school) doesn’t matter if the games are good.

    And I’m sure there is a balance between “making the game close” (which I don’t think anybody is suggesting) and “not winning by almost 100.” I wasn’t at the game so I can’t comment but 99 points? I think once you hit up by 30-40 you should take every shot with less than 5 on the shotclock, regardless of the talent on the court that will keep the spread a bit lower.

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  • Really???

    Ok I agree running up the score during a high school game is not something you just should never do. Now with that said how do you tell a freshman or a sophmore who obviously have something to prove to the coach in order to get more minutes to take it easy? Too pass up on an uncontested lay-up or not to defend? I just dont see what they could have done different?

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