MidValleySports.Com

Spartan defense has 22 games under 50 points allowed. (Photo by Anne Cypress)

For Tom Hofman’s team, it has not done anything easy the last few weeks.

La Canada is one-win shy of a thirty-win season. Most importantly for the program, community, and school it is near a plateau very many never reach.

Many times during the past seasons the Spartans have been the team with “good-smart” players which come out to compete. Always “coached” well but up until last week with a win against Price, never good enough to capture the ultimate prize of a CIF Division 3AA title.

This team has chemistry. The starting five have played together since its freshman year. Throw Mason Holle out of the equation and four have been teammates since eighth grade. The freshman team went 24-0.

All have been through the La Canada basketball camps. The system has been etched in their minds for some time.

Good fundamentals, playing strong defense is the mantra for the Spartans. Take into account that 22 of 29 wins the opponents have scored fifty or less points.

The team is undefeated when doing so.

Nail-biting is something expected during La Canada’s unexpected run to the Southern Section Regions for the CIF State Playoffs.

Figure that in its opening round game against West its defense needed to come up big on three-straight possessions or the Spartans could’ve been upset.

Its third round game, La Canada needed to work double-time. Bishop Montgomery came from 11-points down at halftime to send the game into overtime. The Spartans squeaked by in the second overtime session.

The semi-finals against second-seeded Palm Springs would’ve been the end if not for a layup by Mike McGlashan with eight seconds remaining in overtime.

Matt Faber and Dario CiVon stepped up in the finals with 14 and 13 points respectively to help lead the Spartans toward the CIF Crown. McGlashan finished with 14 as well.

In the finals, La Canada ran out to a fourteen-point in the first quarter. Of course, it was short lived against Price. The Spartans wouldn’t want it any other way.

It still fought through a Knights 10-0 run at the end of the game.

On Thursday evening in front of a packed gym, La Canada battled tooth and nail against Crespi. The Celts never allowed the Spartans to breathe.

Hofman and company just bided its time until Faber sent shockwaves through the crowd at the beginning in the fourth quarter. Faber’s slam-dunk changed the momentum of the game for La Canada.

The final two-minutes became shutdown time for the Spartans after Holle’s three-pointer gave it the lead and send La Canada to the Southern Section Regionals.

Here is a look at the match-up against Inglewood tonight. Game is sold out.