Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) makes a national statement with a resounding 70-56 victory over FAB 50 No. 26 Timpview (Provo, Utah) in the championship game of the Platinum Division of the 2025 Tarkanian Classic. Sea Hawks use consistent defensive pressure to jump all over a talented team to become the fourth consecutive CIF Southern Section club to win the prestigious tournament.
Coming into the 2025 Tarkanian Classic, the conventional thinking was Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) had a terrific chance to make noise or perhaps even capture the Platinum Division field. Its first game versus Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) was going to be tough, and the Sea Hawks pulled out a 65-60 win. From there, coach Reggie Morris Jr.’s club played with more confidence and consistency each passing round until it crested in Tuesday’s championship game against its best opponent.
That championship opponent was the highest ranked team in the field, FAB 50 No. 26 Timpview (Provo, Utah), and Redondo Union used its pressure defense and unselfish team play to roll to a 70-56 win over the Thunderbirds on Tuesday afternoon at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. The margin of victory over Timpview, which defeated FAB 50 No. 29 Santa Margarita (Rancho S.M., Calif.) in a two-point semifinal contest, was actually the largest of its four victories.
The Redondo Union upped its season won-loss record to 11-2, while Timpview fell to 11-1.
Redondo Union came out with incredible ball pressure that Timpview’s ball-handlers were just not ready for. The Sea Hawks were able to jump out to a big lead early because of that pressure, their nose for loose balls and because of an incredible first half by unsigned senior guard Chace Holley. The 6-foot-2 guard scored on a dunk to make it 4-0 and blew by his defender to score on multiple occasions. Once Holley got going, he seemed faster with the ball each time and his play also energized his teammates. Redondo Union led by 19 points with seven minutes remaining in the first half and was up, 38-19, before a mini surge by Timpview in the closing minute of the first half gave the boys from Utah a lift going into the second half.
The score was 38-26 at halftime and Holley had 17 points and was 7-of-8 from the field. Redondo’s Chris Sanders, a bullish junior forward, had 11 points, while no one on Timpview had more than eight.
Redondo Union looked like a FAB 50 ranked team in this tournament, but came in unranked because of two losses, including one to San Gabriel Academy (Calif.), which lost in the semifinals of the Nike (second) Division. Redondo Union also had a lead going into the fourth period of its loss to Bullis (Potomac, Md.) and the outside shots were not falling in those games. After Tuesday’s title game victory, Morris Jr. didn’t point to 3-point shooting when talking about the culprit of those losses. The focus was being consistent defensively and not relaxing and letting teams get comfortable after taking a lead.
“We did not want to slow down the intensity and pressure,” Morris Jr. said. “The losses have not been predicated on how many shots we miss.”
2025 Tarkanian Classic @TarkClassic
High School Division Day 4
Bishop Gorman Court 1
The official stats for REDONDO UNION (CA) vs TIMPVIEW (UT).
Platinum Division Champs: REDONDO UNION
Chace Holley – 20 points, 5 assists
Chris Sanders – 17 points
SJ Madison – 14 points,… pic.twitter.com/sBbNEFfDKe— Gamebook Stats Inc. (@gamebookstats) December 24, 2025
Timpview attempted to makes things interesting late in the game, but the Sea Hawks did not let up, although the Thunderbirds’ ball-handling and decisiveness with their decision-making improved slightly. To Morris’ point, Holley slowed down offensively in the second half (he finished with a team-high 20 points plus five assists) but with just under three minutes to play, he came up with the defensive play that perhaps sealed Timpview’s fate. Timpview had an open path to the basket on a lay-up attempt, but Holley’s pin block high on the backboard with Redondo Union leading 63-52 killed a majority of the Thunderbird’s momentum ,as Sanders scored on the other end.
Sanders finished with 17 points and averaged 14.5 ppg for the event. Nevada-bound guard S.J. Madison added 14 points and cleared the defensive glass with authority, finishing with eight rebounds. Junior Kaiden Wilson added nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end.
Despite leaving the game because of injury late in the first half, BYU-bound forward Dean Rueckert led Timpview with 18 points. For the tournament, the lively forward with a sweet shooting stroke averaged 24.2 ppg. BYU-bound big Will Openshaw added 13 points and seven rebounds while senior guard Mason Ford added 11 points and six assists.
The Timpview trio was chosen to the all-tournament team, as the snake-bit Thunderbirds finished 3-1 in the tourney for the second consecutive season.
Redondo Union, which was sitting at No. 38 in the FAB 50 before the losses to San Gabriel Academy and Bullis, became the second program to win the Platinum Division more than one time, joining Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), which won in 2012 and 2013, along with host Bishop Gorman, which captured major division titles in 2017, 2018 and 2021.
The last time Redondo Union won the championship in 2014 behind the play of Leland Green (Hawaii) and Billy Preston (overseas pro), co-MVPs were named. Ironically, Madison and Holley share tourney MVP honors 11 years later. Madison averaged 15 ppg for the event, while the lightening-fast Holley averaged 15.5 ppg. Madison has a D1 scholarship and college coaches at the low D1 level would be foolish not to give Holley a long look.
“We wanted it more than everyone else,” Madison said. “Last season, we were an overlooked team and I think it’s happening again this season. We’re simply not going to let that happen again. This team has great comraderie off the court.”
Added Madison: “My teammates always encourage me to go hard to the basket. When I get like three in a row, I start feeling it and keep going.”
Redondo Union will return to the SoCal basin after Christmas and will look the capture the Plantinum Division title at The Classic at Damien (Dec. 26-30). The field also includes FAB 50 No. 25 Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), No. 38 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), and No. 46 Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.). All three of those teams reside on the opposite side of the bracket of Redondo Union.
“We’re looking forward to Damien and being back home,” Morris said. “It’s a different set of teams that present a different set of challenges. Hopefully we don’t have a let down.”
Santa Margarita Takes Third Place
In the third place game, Santa Margarita bounced back from its two-point loss in the semifinals with hard-fought victory over a Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) club the Eagles are quite familiar with.
Santa Margarita led 42-34 with 12:35 to go and led 52-45 with 6:25 after timely 3-pointer by Washington St-bound Brayden Kyman. Two more 3-pointers by Kyman gave the Eagles a cushion and they rolled to a 75-67 victory.
It was the second win this season for FAB 50 No. 29 Santa Margarita over Notre Dame. Coach Justin Bell’s team defeated the Blue Knights, 77-73, at the Trinity-Mission League Showcase on Nov. 22 at UCLA.
Kyman scored a game-high 18 points, while Oregon St.-bound Drew Anderson added 17 points. Notre Dame was led by Ilan Nikolov, a junior transfer from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) with 18 points, while all-tourney selection NaVorro Bowman Jr. added 18 points. The highly-regarded junior guard averaged 22.3 ppg for the tournament.
Nike Division: La Mirada Toughs It Out
This divisional final included two talented teams that have played tough schedules and entered the final with plenty of confidence. For La Mirada coach Randy Oronoz, he figured Lone Peak would come out on an emotional high after that team’s incredible and hard-to-believe double overtime victory over previously unbeaten Desert Pines (Las Vegas, Nev.).
Sure enough, Lone Peak jumped out to a 23-8 lead after a 3-pointer by Crew Fotheringham, a terrific junior forward and all-tourney choice, but La Mirada was able fight back. The Mats tied the game on a conventional 3-point play by junior Gene Roebuck, and used a 19-2 run to take a 27-25 lead.
After leading 29-27 at halftime, Lone Peak (7-6) was able to take a 36-29 lead on some terrific plays by point guard Saxon Young and Fotheringham, a pair of juniors eventually headed to the D1 ranks. La Mirada (7-4), however, picked up its defensive intensity big-time down the stretch to record the 58-53 win.
The Mats took a 48-47 lead on a lay-up by Roebuck and went up 51-47 on a lay-up by King Riley-Owens after he forced a Young turnover on defense. With 53 seconds remaining, Roebuck gave La Mirada a 56-50 lead via a clutch 3-pointer after a key bucket by Fotheringham gave the Knights hope.
After scoring 29 points in La Mirada’s 66-53 semifinal victory over San Gabriel Academy (Calif.), Roebuck led the charge against Lone Peak with 26 points and two steals. He was named divisional MVP. Point guard Cisco Munoz had terrific moments throughout La Mirada’s four victories and was named all-tourney after netting 12 points and four assists in the title game.
“I know they (Lone Peak) were going to come out and punch us in the mouth and I knew we were going to fight back,” Oronoz said. “We’re pretty resilient; have to give our guys credit. We talked about staying together.”
Spalding Division: JSerra Outlasts Local Club
JSerra, which competes in SoCal’s powerful Trinity League, figured to be one of the favorites in the third toughest division. Sure enough, JSerra powered its way through the first two games. In the semifinals, JSerra (9-5) downed Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.), 60-57, despite committing 28 turnovers.
In the title game against upset minded Democracy Prep (Las Vegas, Nev.), JSerra led 27-23 at halftime and went up 36-29, but Demo Prep got within 38-35 on a 3-pointer by Zyon Harris, a 6-foot-3 senior and all-tourney selection. Demo Prep kept in range and finally tied the game at 43-43 on a field goal by senior Mario Allen. When Harris made a 3-pointer, it put Demo Prep up, 48-47.
All-tourney selection Earl Bryson made some big plays down the stretch to put JSerra in position to win, but the biggest was made by Grid-Hoop jumbo forward Lincoln Fa’alafi with 36 seconds remaining. Demo Prep trailed 61-60, when Bryson made one free throw and that’s when Fa’alafi tipped in the second miss with his left hand off the carom. The JSerra bench and faithful went nuts for the hustle play as the Lions led 64-60.
JSerra went up 66-60 after two free throws by senior Jaiden Bailes that made it 66-60, but Redding converted a 4-point play to make it 66-64 with 11 seconds to go. Demo Prep, however, couldn’t get one more break it needed.
Democracy Prep was eager to prove its standing among Sin City’s best teams with a signature victory over a team quite capable of competing in the Nike (second) Division. Democracy Prep (5-3) defeated Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.), 64-53, in its semifinal contest. Demo Prep’s other losses are to Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro, Calif.) and Platinum Division champ Redondo Union.
Bailes finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for JSerra and was named divisional MVP, while Bryson added 23 points, five assists and a boatload of hustle plays.
Redding, who is quickly becoming one of the better 2028s in the West Region, finished with a team-high 22 points, including 5-of-10 3-pointers. Harris added 13 points.
JSerra out-rebounded Democracy Prep, 45-29.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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