Basketball ‘War’ Begins on Monday

The War on the Floor boys’ basketball tournament, featuring 20 teams, including 14 from the region, begins Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Chatsworth High.

Dominguez, the state Division II champion in 1996 and ‘97, is the defending champion, having beaten Simi Valley in last year’s final.

Other teams from the region include Sylmar, the City Section 3-A champion, and five teams from the Northwest Valley Conference, including the entire 4-A West Valley League--Taft, Cleveland, Chatsworth and Kennedy.

Each team will play three pool play games with the semifinals Thursday and the finals Friday.

Gilbert Arenas of Grant High and Devin Montgomery of San Fernando will meet in the championship of the War on the Floor one-on-one tournament at Chatsworth High tonight.

Arenas and Montgomery, who will play at the conclusion of the coach’s game, advanced to the championship by going 3-0 on Saturday.

Arenas will go against Sylmar’s Chris Slade for the three-point shooting championship during halftime of the City Section-Southern Section all-star game, which starts at 6:30 tonight.

GOLF

The Encino Golf Course, which has been operating as a nine-hole course at a reduced rate for the last four months because of flood damage, will reopen as an 18-hole course Wednesday.

El Nino-induced storms severely damaged several holes over the winter. The 18-hole rate will be $17.50.

Moorpark’s Kyle Thurston, 12, is one of four Southwest region qualifiers in the 11-12 age division for the Optimist International tournament, July 19-24 in Palm Beach, Fla.

Thurston placed fourth, with a score of 76, in the Pacific Southwest Optimist tournament Thursday at Balboa Golf Course in Encino.

SOCCER

Crystal James scored the only goal as the Valley United Stars’ 14-and-under girls’ soccer team defeated the Colorado Rush, 1-0, in the championship of the Far West Regional Championships Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M.

James scored off an assist from Sara Davis. The Stars went 6-0 in the tournament, recording two shutouts and outscoring their opponents, 23-2.

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War on the Floor

Pool Play (First Round)

Monday, at Chatsworth High

* Crespi vs. Clovis West, 10:30 a.m.

* Dominguez vs. Canoga Park, noon

* Buchanan vs. Kennedy, 1:10 p.m.

* Sylmar vs. Granada Hills, 2:15 p.m.

* Cleveland vs. Taft, 3:20 p.m.

* Centennial vs. Santa Monica, 4:25 p.m.

* Inglewood vs. Valencia, 5:30 p.m.

* Notre Dame vs. Burbank, 6:50 p.m.

* Harvard-Westlake vs. Chatsworth, 7:55 p.m.

* Simi Valley vs. Montclair Prep, 9 p.m.