A handful of local team participated in the ninth annual Oxford Academy Tournament, which unfolded at Oxford Academy last week, ending on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The tournament was actually renamed the Douglas Uselton Memorial Tournament, re-named after the Buena Park resident and former Patriots captain who died in a drunk driving automobile accident while driving to a school event with his father two years ago.
A handful of local team participated in the ninth annual Oxford Academy Tournament, which unfolded at Oxford Academy last week, ending on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The tournament was actually renamed the Douglas Uselton Memorial Tournament, re-named after the Buena Park resident and former Patriots captain who died in a drunk driving automobile accident while driving to a school event with his father two years ago.
“Everything went really smoothly this year,” Oxford Academy head coach Andy Andrew Scimeca said. “All the teams showed up and we had good turnouts, or good crowds for the entire tournament, especially on Saturday for the final games.”
In all, 16 teams participated in the tournament. Cypress High captured the crown, defeating Brethren Christian 68-45 in the final round. The Centurions (9-2) bested Santiago, California, Pacifica to reach the championship matchup.
Western High (Anaheim) finished in third place, besting Pacifica (Garden Grove) 73-63 in the third-place constellation contest. It will actually face Cypress High in their Empire League opener on Jan. 2 – after the holiday break ends – at Cypress High at 7 p.m.
Buena Park High also competed, going 1-3. It defeated Estancia, 80-44, in the first round but dropped contests to Brethren Christian, Bishop Amat and Valley Christian.
Oxford Academy went 1-3 in the tourney. It opened with loses to California High and then Santiago before earning its only victory – a 38-27 affair against Calvary Chapel. Garden Grove High defeated the host, 55-52, in its final contest.
Santiago (Garden Grove) went 2-2 in the tourney. It fell to Cypress in its opener and then defeated Oxford Academy, 65-43, in the second round. The Cavaliers then took on rival Los Amigos in the third round. That contest turned out to be a thriller and preview of upcoming Garden Grove League action as the Cavaliers fell, 49-48, to Los Amigos.
“That was a real heartbreaker,” Santiago head coach Al Robertson said.
Los Amigos went 3-1 in the tourney, emerging victorious in all of its final three contests. However, it lost to Pacifica in the opener.
Garden Grove High ended the tourney with a 2-2 record, losing to Brethren Christian in the first round. It earned a victory against Estancia but also endured a loss to Santa Margarita.