El Camino head coach Colin Jamerson entered the matchup against the 11-5 Calabasas Coyotes with uncertainty. Missing two starters due to family vacations, the 7-9 Royals faced a confident opponent riding a six-game win streak and strengthened by two transfers cleared to play since December 27. But Calabasas head coach Jon Palarz downplayed his team’s recent success, acknowledging their solid holiday performance but avoiding overconfidence.

The game opened with El Camino asserting early control, spearheaded by junior point guard Charles Eleri, who was simply spectacular, scoring 13 of his team’s 15 first-quarter points. Despite Eleri’s heroics, Calabasas sophomore Johnny Thyfault’s tenacity on loose balls and putbacks helped the Coyotes edge out a 16-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw El Camino stick with a zone defense that dared Calabasas to shoot from the perimeter. After a cold start, sophomore Grayson Coleman finally connected on a three-pointer. Still, the Coyotes’ offense struggled to find a scorer until senior Josh Ness singlehandedly stole two consecutive balls for breakaway baskets, including an electrifying dunk that brought the Calabasas bench to life.

However, El Camino senior captain Shawn Tunson also answered the Coyote challenge with two crucial three-pointers to take some of the defensive pressure off Eleri and keep the Royals in the game. The first half ended in a defensive deadlock, 29-29, and Ness leading the Coyotes with 13 points. Eleri paced the Royals with 17.

El Camino opened the second half with a perfectly executed play, freeing Tunson to drain a corner three. The surgical precision of the play foreshadowed the type of basketball the Royals would play the rest of the way. Unleashing an unrelenting transition offense, turning rebounds into fast breaks while taking care of the ball on every possession.

Junior Jaydin Jackson joined the offensive surge, scoring nine points in the third quarter as the Royals pulled ahead 52-45. With Ness (21 points, 4 steals) leading the charge, Calabasas fought to stay close but El Camino’s defensive intensity forced the Coyotes to battle for every basket and points were tough to come by.

Palarz attempted to reverse the tide with a full-court press for much of the 2nd half, but El Camino dismantled it with their superior speed and precision passes. Eleri, Jackson, and Tunson were always on the attack, the ball barely touching the floor as they continually broke the press and scored easy baskets. Within minutes, the Royals extended their lead from seven to 17, effectively sealing the game.

Eleri was “Mr. Everything” for the Royals, finishing with 30 points and making his teammates better with good decisions all night long. Tunson added 22 (16 in the second half), while Jackson and Anderson chipped in 11 points each. For Calabasas, Thyfault finished with 10 points and 8 boards, while Coleman chipped in 9 points.

After the game, Palarz attributed the loss to struggles against the zone and ineffective defensive pressure. “Some games [the press works], it didn’t tonight,” he admitted. “They scored on it all the time and opened up a lead. We’ve got to reorient ourselves for league play.” Calabasas hosts Westlake on Wednesday, January 7, at 7 PM.

Jamerson praised his team’s effort and discipline. “We played with a lot of heart, lot of grit. And a lot of it is due to the early schedule that we played. No letdown from start to finish. So, hopefully we can carry this momentum into our league and see what we can do.” Highlighting standout performances, Jamerson added, “Charles (Eleri) has been playing awesome. But Amari (Anderson)’s presence was felt with rim protection and Shawn (Tunson) shot it really, really well from the outside. And we didn’t hurt ourselves tonight. We didn’t turn it over. When the play was there we finished. Two-on-ones we made the right decisions and we capitalized on every possession. And Nic [Phenix] was our glue guy, making the right decisions in the middle of the press.”

Missing two starters, El Camino heads to the Coyotes’ home and turns in this performance? Watch out for the Royals in the West Valley. El Camino begins league play at Taft on Wednesday, January 8, at 5 PM.

All photos by Henry Barrial