Finishing off the season 18-11 overall, the #32 ranked Cypress High School’s Boys Basketball Varsity team finished 4-5 in the Crestview League. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for the CIF playoffs this year.
On February 4, 2025, Cypress High School’s Boys Basketball Varsity team won their last league game away at Foothill High School. After their loss to Crean Lutheran in the previous week, the team bounced back and defeated the Foothill Knights with a final score of 65-50. This was the Centurions’ second win against Foothill this season, as they defeated them back in January with a score of 72-65. Senior Jaden Lopez-Dee said that a highlight of his season was “being in one of the top leagues in the country and being able to compete with the higher division teams.” Lopez-Dee also talked about Cypress’ strengths: conditioning and stamina, as well as “team chemistry,” and their ability to “share the ball.”
On February 5, 2025, Canyon High School and Cypress High School played for a spot in CIFs, after La Habra High School won a three-way coin flip. The Centurions came up eight points short with a final score of 64-56. Senior Isaac Vergara expressed that “competition is tough at the next level,” and to, “stay motivated.” He shared that the team does that by “keeping the energy high and always encouraging each other and pushing each other so that we become better than we are.” The Centurions are #32 out of 516 CIF-SS boys basketball teams, and are grouped in Division 1. However, out of 29 automatic qualifications in that division, and three at-large bids, playoffs were not secured for Cypress. Those at-large berths went to Mater Dei High School, Chaminade High School, and Alemany High School.
Cypress High School tied for second in the Crestview League, the second best league in Orange County. The team hit their peak after beating three Top 15 teams in the county. However, they were hit hard by the flu. Coach Derek Mitchell expressed his sympathy for the boys who “worked so hard and did everything that was asked of them.” He added, “CIF is using a new criteria for allowing teams into the playoffs, and we were left out.” Mitchell also talked about the Centurions’ great performance at the National Torrey Pines After Christmas Tournament in San Diego. They finished second in their division and beat a good team in double overtime, which Mitchell said, “was one of the most memorable games of [his] coaching career.”
Mitchell tries to motivate his players through competition. “Every drill we do and every game we play is about competing to the best of our abilities. The will to compete at the highest level will take our boys past any limits they have previously experienced,” he said. The constant goal for the program, according to Mitchell, is to compete for a League championship, to continue on in the CIF playoffs, and to eventually win a CIF championship.
