St. Bonaventure boys take league championship

James Lambert scored a game-high 15 points and Gene Grant, Tim

Hoffmann, and Adam Dedeaux each contributed key second half baskets to

lead the St. Bonaventure Saints of Huntington Beach past St. Mary’s

(Aliso Viejo), 34-32, in the Parochial Athletic League county

championship game held at St. Jeanne’s in Tustin.

Strong rebounding by Danny Falkenstein and Tommy Ursano, and the defense

of Grant and Hoffmann, helped contain St. Mary’s guard-driven offense.

St. Bonaventure went 20-5 during the regular season, and brought an

11-game win streak into the championship tournament. The Saints followed

up a 46-16 quarterfinal rout of Our Lady of Guadalupe (La Habra) with an

impressive 44-43 win over perennial parochial school power, St. John

Episcopal (Santa Margarita), which came into the semifinal showdown

unbeaten at 22-0.

A few of the current Saints were also on the St. Bonaventure squad that

last year defeated St. John Episcopal in the championship game, and many

played on the Saints football team that won the PAL county championship

in football last fall.

“I have never coached a team with more desire to win, or with such

willpower to never quit,” Saints Coach Pat Grant said. “They truly

represent their school and city well with their sportsmanship and drive.”

Members of the Saints also include eighth-graders Raymond Sweller, Nick

Cardona, Brent Hurley, Kyle Suryan, Adam McCall, Brian Nicalek, and Eric

Esparza, seventh-graders Kevin Brake, David Grantham, Tommy Erwin, Danny

Lehane, and assistant coach Ed Lambert.