Verdugo Hills Dons Clinch City Title in Thrilling Semifinal

TARZANA – Verdugo Hills head coach Jared Gibson won his first City title before his son was born. Now his son is a freshman on the Dons’ squad (he played JV all season). Gibson didn’t expect him to play Friday night, but it added an opportunity for a full-circle moment. Could he get shot at another championship, this time with his son in uniform? A 70-57 win over Sherman Oaks CES in the CIF Los Angeles City Section D3 semifinals set up that opportunity.

Sherman Oaks head coach Jennifer Crockett was chasing something of her own. After 21 years of building a contender at SOCES, she was pining for the next step: the Knights first City title. Her team had surged through the playoffs, but arrived at the biggest game of the season battling adversity. Illness had swept through the roster, and one starter still hadn’t been cleared to play, the decision pending a doctor’s call.

From the opening tip, the Dons’ focused their attention on prolific scorer Andre O’Daniel, who came in averaging 30 points per game. Verdugo Hills used a suffocating box-and-one defense, shadowing him everywhere. The pressure worked. O’Daniel didn’t score until late in the first quarter.

A basketball player in a black jersey shoots the ball while a defender in a white jersey raises his hand to block. Spectators watch intently in the background.

A basketball player wearing a white jersey with the number 10 attempts a shot while two defenders in black jerseys labeled 'VERDUGO HILLS' reach for the ball. A spectator can be seen in the background.

Meanwhile, the Dons were crashing the glass, winning loose balls, outworking Sherman Oaks possession after possession. Leading scorer Jeffrey Moran came out quickly, drilling three three-pointers, and Verdugo Hills collected seven offensive rebounds in the opening frame, closing the first quarter up 20-9.

Sherman Oaks adjusted in the second, trying to free O’Daniel through drives and kick-outs, but the Dons’ defensive pressure never relented. When O’Daniel finally got going with an offensive rebound put-back, Verdugo Hills answered immediately as Alexander Kasumyan hit a three. Jordan Vargas came alive with eight points in the quarter.

A basketball player in black dribbles the ball while being closely guarded by two players in white uniforms during a game. Another player in white runs in the background.

A basketball player in a black uniform makes a jump shot while being defended by players in white uniforms during a game.

SOCES guard Owen Holtzman did his best to make up for the neutralized O’Daniel, hitting a couple threes and assisting Tyler Pearson on his first three. But it wasn’t enough and, by the break, the Knights found themselves trailing Verdugo Hills 41–23. The 18-point margin felt even larger given the way the Dons had dominated on both ends of the court.

Still, the Knights untapped firepower gave them a puncher’s chance. To Crockett’s credit, they emerged from halftime attacking the paint, controlling the tempo. Finally, Pearson, who earlier in the season set a record with 13 made three-pointers in a game, ignited the comeback scoring the first 11 second half points for the Knights. O’Daniel focused on grabbing boards as the Knights went on an 8–0 run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to single digits, 43-34.

A basketball player wearing a white jersey is shooting the ball while two defenders in black jerseys attempt to block the shot. The background features a gymnasium with red walls.

A basketball player in a white uniform makes a pass to a teammate while another player in a black uniform attempts to intercept the ball during a game.

Verdugo Hills faced trouble of its own. Their aggressive defense had built the lead, but it came at a cost. All three starting guards for the Dons had 4 fouls and were forced to sit. Then tensions flared after an offensive foul by Kasumyan, resulting in double technicals.

The experienced officiating crew quickly restored order, but, with key players on the bench, the Dons’ offense stalled. They managed just five points in the third quarter while Sherman Oaks poured in 18. Suddenly it was anyone’s game: Dons 46 SOCES 41.

A basketball player in a white jersey dribbles a ball while being closely defended by an opponent in a black jersey. Spectators can be seen in the background, emphasizing the intensity of the game.

The Knights continued their comeback in the fourth with Pearson’s hot shooting opening up lanes for O’Daniel to drive and pull up for his textbook elbow jumpers. Suddenly he caught fire, assisting on a corner three-pointer to Kace Clark. Moments later, O’Daniel buried a three himself to tie the game at 51. The 18-point deficit was erased with more than half a quarter still to play.

But Verdugo Hills had been in close games all season. “We were down 10 with 3 minutes left last Friday (quarterfinal match). They’re resilient. They don’t give up,” Gibson said. Kasumyan attacked the rim. Moran hit the boards. Samvel Ambartsumyan and Vargas delivered timely scoring and rebounding. The Dons overwhelmed SOCES 19-6 the final 4 minutes, slamming the door on the comeback and sealing their trip to the D3 Final, 70-57.

A basketball player in a black uniform with 'Verdudo Hills' printed on it is shooting a basketball towards the hoop. The player is wearing pink sneakers and has their arms raised. Two teammates are visible in the background on the wooden court.

Two basketball players in black jerseys celebrating a score, one jumping and the other clapping, while players in white jerseys look on.

Despite being hounded all night, O’Daniel led SOCES with 24 points, 18 coming in the 2nd half, with 10 rebounds. Crockett took the loss hard but was grateful for her seniors, including O’Daniel. “Honestly I just want to say, I’m really proud of these guys. I got a big team of seniors who played their heart out all season long.”

For Gibson, “O’Daniel is an incredible player and we just had to make him uncomfortable the entire game. If the other players beat us, they beat us. And (Pearson) almost beat us. He got hot and started hitting threes.” Moran led the the Dons with 24 points, Kasumyan added 16 and Vargas 12. 10th seeded Verdugo Hills will face the #1 seed, Robert F. Kennedy Community, this Friday February 27 for the Division 3 city crown.

all photos by David Martinez