CARLSBAD — It’s a rematch.
For the second season in a row, Carlsbad High School and Montgomery High School will play for the San Diego Section Open Division boys basketball championship.
But the road to Friday’s title game at Frontwave Arena was anything but easy for Carlsbad, the defending champions.
In a game that was tied six times and the lead changed hand eight, the Lancers used a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to finally take control en route to a 73-61 win over Cathedral Catholic before a full house at Carlsbad.
It was the eighth win in a row for the No. 2-seeded Lancers (25-5), who haven’t lost since a 69-68 overtime decision at Torrey Pines on Jan. 31.
“Going back to the championship game means everything,” said Carlsbad senior Jake Hall, who finished with 22 points and had to push his career total to 3,045, second all-time in the San Diego Section.
“Playing Montgomery again is what everyone wanted.”
The Lancers got a career-high 24 points from 3-sport star Jett Kenady, who has signed to play baseball at Cal. Hall is headed to UC San Diego.
“For sure, we knew Cathedral was tough,” Kenady said. “We knew it was going to be tough. But we just do what we do.”
Cathedral Catholic led 19-17 at the end of the first quarter with Steven Evans-Glynn and Patrick O’Brien both scoring six.
Hall had eight points for Carlsbad, but was called for his second foul midway through the quarter and played the rest of the half with two fouls.
Carlsbad got eight points from Kenady in the second quarter and led 33-31 at the break. Roman Payne, a 7-foot volleyball player, who is bound for Hawaii, played his most extended minutes and had six rebounds.
Max Meza hit three straight 3-pointers to keep Cathedral Catholic in the game.
The score was tied five times and the lead changed hands eight times in the first 16 minutes.
“Roman gave us some great minutes,” said Carlsbad coach Clark Allard. “We were in a 2-3 zone and did a great job.”
Cathedral Catholic (20-10) cut Carlsbad’s lead to six with 1:40 to play, but the Dons could get no closer.
Jordan Garner finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for Carlsbad while Hall had 10 rebounds.
Evans-Glynn led the Dons with 18 points and had eight rebounds. O’Brien added 14 points and nine rebounds. Meza finished with 10 points.
Carlsbad is 140-47 since its last losing season in 2017-18. The Lancers are 94-30 in Hall’s four seasons, and 80-20 the last three seasons. The Lancers have beaten Santa Ana Mater Dei, ranked No. 29 in the state; Los Alamitos, ranked No. 16 in the state; and Georgetown Prep, ranked No. 9 in Maryland.
Two of the team’s losses are to Father Judge, ranked No. 1 in Philadelphia, and JSerra, ranked No. 18 in California.
