Courtesy Photo

The last time a Santa Clarita boys basketball team won a CIF championship was 1987 when Saugus did it under head coach John Clark. On that squad was John Brooks, now the head coach at Trinity Classical Academy. For the second year in a row, Brooks and the Knights of Trinity will try to become the second champion in this valley’s history when they will play Desert Chapel for the CIF Southern Section Division 6 championship Saturday morning.

“They have three guys that average over 20 points a game,” said Brooks, in his sixth year as the Knights only head coach. “They have a big guy in the center. Their point guard is a really good athlete. The Daily News said he’s the player to watch in Division 6. So they have athletes too.”

The Knights are 17-8, playing many upper division teams during the season. In the four playoff games leading up to this championship, the Knights have averaged 73 points per game and won by an average margin of 34.5. Yet despite these numbers, coaches and players point to one game motivating the Knights through these playoffs… Last year’s championship loss to Rio Hondo.

“Getting back has been our goal since we lost last year,” Brooks said. “It’s hard to return and come back and get to the championship game.”

“Last year, after we lost, we realized next year we are going to have a better opportunity to reach this point,” said Spencer Klehn, the lone senior and co-captain of the team. “So all of last year, all of this year, we have played and practiced with this game in mind.”

This year Trinity is led by Klehn and Junior Ryan Brooks, who both average better than 12 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. Add to that sophomore Michael Mateo and sophomore John Mumper, who went from 2.5 points per game last year to nearly ten this season.

“Spencer is a rock,” Brooks said. “He gets every rebound and he’s tough inside. Ryan had to switch positions and be our point and has been coming on and getting really used to running the offense. Michael Mateo has been great defensively for us. And Josh has come in and just hit big shot after big shot and his game from last year to this year has been an incredible increase.”

Only one player from last year’s team graduated. And while freshman have come in to the program who are contributing, the greatest addition to this year’s team is in the coaching staff. Former Canyon, COC and The Master’s College player Jeremy Haggerty, who also was an assistant coach at Canyon and West Ranch, has helped lift the Knights to a new level.

“And with that experience, he’s able to implement a much more dynamic offense, dynamic defense, and he just has brought a ton to our team, from a coaching aspect, that we didn’t have last year and we’re happy to have him,” Brooks said.

No school in Santa Clarita history has won both a CIF football championship AND a CIF basketball championship. After winning the 8-Man Division 2 title this past December, Trinity Classical Academy looks to add another layer to its young legacy.