CdM’s Kaluz shines

Barry Faulkner

Preparing for his second season of varsity boys basketball, 6-foot-7

Corona del Mar High sophomore-to-be Stefan Kaluz is up for just about

any challenge.

And, for the second time in a week, he was looking up at his

opponent in the post, Thursday in the first round of the George

Yardley Summer Cage Classic at Newport Harbor High.

After some early adjustments against El Toro’s 7-1 senior-to-be

David Foster, Kaluz settled down to produce 17 points and 17 rebounds

in the Sea Kings’ 62-40 loss.

Foster, who El Toro Coach and former Southern California College

(now Vanguard University) standout Todd Dixon said is being recruited

by schools including Utah, BYU, Colorado State, San Diego State and

Utah State, blocked four of Kaluz’s shots in the first quarter.

But Kaluz, who averaged 4.3 points as a freshman, refused to back

down. The same could be said of his youthful teammates.

CdM, playing without a handful of key contributors, including

standout senior-to-be Tyler Lance (out till September after shoulder

surgery), led, 4-0.

But El Toro scored the next 22 points, before CdM finished the

half on a 10-4 run.

“We showed a little resiliency to make it interesting in the

second quarter,” CdM Coach Ryan Curry said. “That was great to see.”

Jeff Eberhard, who will be a sophomore, added eight points for

CdM, which received six points from Ryan Anderson.

CdM continues in the consolation bracket today against either

Savanna or Northwood.

Foster finished with a team-high 16 points.

Kaluz recently faced a seven-footer from Mater Dei.