all photos by Benjamin Becher

CHATSWORTH – Senior Alijah Arenas is now just one win away from turning his preseason obsession into reality—delivering Chatsworth a state championship and cementing himself as an SFV legend. But during warmups, he was nowhere to be seen. As both teams sized each other up, they appeared evenly matched. Bakersfield Christian had 6’9” sophomore Taiwo Daramola; Chatsworth countered with 6’9” senior Taj Unuakhalu. But then Arenas stepped onto the floor. The first time you see him, it’s striking—his size, his agility. He wasn’t the tallest kid on the floor but he was clearly a man among boys.

The first quarter began as a back-and-forth battle. Sophomore Tekeio Phillips opened with a two-pointer and then a three, giving Chatsworth an early 5-4 edge. Then Arenas stole the ball, went coast-to-coast, and threw down a thunderous dunk—must-see TV. But, to put the focus solely on Arenas would not only be unfair, it would be wrong. This was a total team win. Unuakhalu set the tone defensively with three first-quarter blocks, while senior V’Elijah Miller came off the bench and did it all—rebounding, assisting, scoring. And the defense? Locked in. There were some breakdowns, particularly on inbound plays, but no real weak spots. Bakersfield Christian managed just eight first-quarter points and Chatsworth led 15-8.

The second quarter started with a perfectly drawn-up alley-oop from Miller to Arenas, sending the crowd into a frenzy. But sloppy play and Bakersfield Christian’s scrappy 2-3 zone kept things tight, cutting the lead to 24-18 with three minutes left in the half. That’s when Chatsworth head coach Sam Harris, pushing all the right buttons, subbed in sophomore Aaron Kreuger, who drilled a silky three to keep Chatsworth in command. By halftime, the Chancellors held a 29-20 lead.

A nine-point cushion was solid but not safe—especially against a team that could heat up from deep. The Eagles’ Gabriel Gutierrez had dropped 40 in the semis. So, when the third quarter began, there was no exhale, no let-up.

The second half opened with a faster pace as Bakersfield Christian entered with a new sense of urgency. Arenas got things rolling with two quick buckets but also turned the ball over a couple of times. Meanwhile, the Eagles found their rhythm from beyond the arc, keeping themselves within striking distance at 35-26 with 4:37 left in the third. Once again, Harris looked to his bench, and again, they delivered. Krueger knocked down back-to-back threes, while V’lijah Miller injected much-needed energy into the lineup. The Chancellors closed the quarter strong, outscoring Bakersfield 14-7 to take a commanding 49-33 lead.

Desperate for a spark, the Eagles cranked up the full-court pressure in the fourth quarter, but Chatsworth handled it with poise. Despite missing three of their first four shots, the Chancellors’ defense remained relentless. Bakersfield managed to cut the deficit to 51-37 with 5:17 left, but then Arenas took over. He sealed the game with seven late points, including his lone three-pointer, stretching the lead to 64-43 with just over a minute to play. That was Harris’ cue to empty the bench. The Eagles tacked on some late baskets to close the gap, but the outcome was never in doubt—Chatsworth dominated, 66-51.

Arenas, a walking 5X5er, finished with 21 points (10-20 FG), six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks—everywhere, doing everything. But this wasn’t a solo act. Unuakhalu controlled the paint with 10 rebounds and five blocks, Phillips added 10 points, and senior Salomon Torres chipped in seven. Krueger provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points, while Miller contributed eight points, four assists, and four rebounds.

After the game, Harris first reflected on the defensive effort: “Our motto has been playing defense all game – being disrupters, having active hands. And just listening to me when we switch things up and they did that tonight.” On the total team effort: “It’s really everybody. We practice hard everyday. Those guys that sometimes don’t get a lot of minutes or sometimes don’t play, they still practice and compete. They get us better. It doesn’t always show in the game, because you don’t see them, but they’re a huge part of what we do. We’re going to try and continue to do that.”

Harris and his Chatsworth Chancellors will look to finish the job and claim a state championship this Saturday at 4:00 PM at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.