Backcourt of best friends is boosting Mira Costa
Team chemistry has long been one of the biggest cliches in high school sports. Yet it’s the secret to almost every program’s success. Players have a special bond. A unique connection. It’s usually impossible to spot.
The real secret behind Manhattan Beach Mira Costa’s 24-1 start? Its starting backcourt, seniors Will Householter and Dylan Black, used to hate each other.
Seriously.
“In club practice, I’d be like, ‘God, I hate that kid,’ ” Householter said with a grin.
They’ve played against each other and together in youth basketball for a decade. In one scrimmage at 13 years old, Black remembered Householter ripping his jersey. Black shoved him. Householter shoved back.
Householter, who recently tallied his 1,000th career point for Mira Costa, didn’t remember ripping Black’s jersey. It was a long time ago.
“But I’m sure I did it,” said Householter, who has committed to Division III Claremont McKenna.
They arrived at Mira Costa as freshmen after growing up about 20 blocks away from each other, expecting to make the varsity team. That summer, though, they suddenly were competing against each other again — both determined to play point guard.
Four years later, they’ve become best friends and perfect complements on a Mustangs team heading to perhaps its best season in program history. They figured it out pretty quickly: Householter would dribble. Black would shoot. It became simple after all.
“We play really well off each other because he knows exactly where I’m going to be,” said Black, who has committed to Division III Carnegie Mellon.
In a mid-January rivalry game against Redondo Union, the sharpshooting Black started slowly, missing a few open shots. In the third quarter, though, his pure jumper started falling, Black hitting a couple of three-pointers in a row.
Coach Neal Perlmutter tried calling a play for Householter.
No, Householter said. The senior point guard insisted they run a set for Black. He was hot. By the end of the third quarter, Black had four threes and Mira Costa was ahead by 20 points.
“It’s rare as a head coach that you get two guys that are best friends that are also leaders of the team,” Perlmutter said.
The best teams weave together notes of a beautiful symphony. Householter is the composer, a high-IQ guard who snatches rebounds and finds teammates in tight windows. Black is the violinist, his jumper often a beautiful melody. Seniors Trey Pearce and Nick Lundy are the cellists, talented complementary scorers capable of rich performances. And 6-foot-7 sophomore Preston Ezewiro is the bassist in the middle, a defensive menace.
Metaphors aside, they’re simply fun to watch. They might fall short of the Open Division, but they will be a formidable opponent for anyone in Division 1.
Redondo coach Reggie Morris Jr. put it best.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything overly technical,” Morris said when asked what made Mira Costa tough to play. “They’re a team with great chemistry, with experience, and they play as though they’ve played with each other for a number of years.”
Freshman steps up
With just a few seconds remaining and a chance to seal a huge win over Chatsworth Sierra Canyon on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame star Dusty Stromer flung a pass to a wide-open teammate in the corner.
Freshman Zach White, who received the pass, had scored just two points up to that moment. Suddenly he was entrusted to make a game-sealing decision.
“I saw him at the threepoint line,” Stromer said after the game, “and I got a little nervous.”
But White comes from a special pedigree, son of former Encino Crespi great and California All-American running back Russell White.
“He told me to embrace the moment,” White said when asked whether his father had any advice.
Knowing he wanted to run down the clock, White caught the pass in the corner, pump-faked and calmly dribbled into a midrange pull-up jumper that he hit, sealing a 66-62 win for Notre Dame.
“Super proud of that kid,” Stromer said.
Westchester forfeit sparks investigation
The City Section has begun an investigation after Westchester coach Dewitt Cotton pulled his team off the court Saturday night at Crenshaw with 1.3 seconds left and the host Cougars ahead 63-62.
City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos said Sunday the game will go down as a forfeit win for Crenshaw after the officials' report indicated Westchester left the gymnasium without completing the game.
With four seconds left, a technical foul was called against a Westchester player for elbowing a Crenshaw player. AJ Robinson made both free throws to give Crenshaw the 63-62 lead. With 1.3 seconds left, another foul was called against Westchester. That's when the Comets decided to leave the gym.