Bishop Amat boys basketball isn’t anywhere near some of the private school state powers, but the school has had success in recent years, advancing to the Division 3A quarterfinals three of the past four years, and figures to be a contender in 2015 with ten seniors back and returning all-league first team senior Josh Andarza.
The Lancers are 12-3 and winners of the Arroyo tournament with wins over La Canada in the semifinals and hot Wilson in the championship.
The Lancers were ranked fifth in the Division 3A preseason poll and have proved deserving, but coach Brandon Ertle doesn’t want to think that far ahead.

“We’re still trying to prepare and get better,” Ertle said. “We’re not anywhere close to where we need to be or how good we want to be. That’s pretty much the focus, to keep working and get better as a team.
“The football team played so well that some of our players got going late, so we’re still trying to sort everything out and be the best we can.”
Junior Tyler Vaughns, named the area football player of the year, is averaging nearly 10 points per game and improving with each game and practice. The Lancers also boast inside bruiser Anthony Camargo, who will be attending Harvard in the fall to play football.
Lancers quarterback Ryder Ruiz, who injured his finger in the Lancers’ Pac-5 Division semifinal loss to eventual champion Corona Centennial, is a sharp-shooter whose finger is just now getting better and will add more depth to the team.

“You talk about Tyler, he’s just a great athlete whether he’s playing football, basketball, soccer or anything else,” Ertle said. “He’ll stand out no matter what sport he’s playing. He’s just a confident kid who gives us that edge.”
It should also help Amat that it’s not in the Del Rey League anymore where it ran up against state powers Alemany and Serra. With the Catholic league realignment, Amat now competes in the Camino Real League, where its toughest competition could come from Bell-Jeff, off to a 12-1 start. The Lancers open league at Bell-Jeff on Jan. 14.
Other teams in the league include La Salle, St. Monica, Salesian and St. Anthony.
“I think our league is really well balanced with all the teams,” Ertle said. “It will be competitive, I’m looking forward to it.”