San Diego Padres' Manny Machado celebrates his home run during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball NL Championship Series between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Give edge to Mission Hills over LJCD in ‘best rivalry’ in San Diego..
Some 112 high schools in the San Diego Section compete in girls basketball. To find the most fierce, most respected rivalry in the section, you need to focus on just two programs: La Jolla Country Day and Mission Hills.
Since the Open Division was created in 2014, 11 championship games have been held. Mission Hills has won four of them, LJCD three. They’ve met in the finals three times, including a Mission Hills win last year, with the Grizzlies holding a 2-1 advantage.
Mission Hills coach Chris Kroesch doesn’t think it’s the best current girls basketball rivalry.
Said Kroesch: “It’s the best rivalry, ever, in San Diego County.”
The rivals met again Tuesday night on the Torreys’ campus and this time Mission Hills dominated, running away with a 63-42 win. The Grizzlies advance to the Open Division championship on Friday night at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, where they’ll face Francis Parker. Parker beat Westview 51-39 on Tuesday night.
Mission Hills lost all five starters off last year’s Open Division championship team. By their standards, the Grizzlies struggled s
Some 112 high schools in the San Diego Section compete in girls basketball. To find the most fierce, most respected rivalry in the section, you need to focus on just two programs: La Jolla Country Day and Mission Hills.
some early and came together late.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been more proud of a group,” said Kroesch. “We graduated all five starters. We had to learn how to mature. And they did. We had a meeting at lunch and it lasted all of two minutes. I could tell they were locked in.”
Mission Hills wasted no time taking control. The Grizzlies led 15-7 after the first quarter, then stretched the lead to 15 in the second. LJCD made it interesting early in the third quarter, pulling to within eight, 36-28. But the lead soon swelled to 15 again and the Grizzlies weren’t pushed.
