City Title Game Will Be Repeat

The Fairfax and Manual Arts boys’ basketball teams met once this season, a 76-73 victory by Fairfax in a Coastal Conference game Jan. 15.

That victory helped the Lions earn the top-seeded position in the City Section playoffs and bumped Manual Arts to the second-seeded spot.

The playoffs have thus far played to form and Fairfax (24-5) is hoping for more of the same when the Lions play Manual Arts (26-3) in the City Championship game tonight at Pauley Pavilion. Tipoff is at 8.

The girls’ final between Palisades (25-4) and Washington (16-5) is at 6.

Manual Arts is in the final for the second year in a row and features three players who have signed with Division I schools. Senior guard James Wright has signed with Long Beach State. Forward Brandon Moorer and center Johnny Hardwick will attend Texas A&M.;

Manual Arts beat Dorsey, Washington and Crenshaw to reach the final.

Fairfax, making its first appearance in the final since 1995, is led by 6-foot-6 senior Joe Shipp. He is averaging 28 points and 10.5 rebounds and is being recruited by several Pacific 10 schools.

Fairfax defeated Venice, Reseda Cleveland and Westchester to make the final.

In the girls’ championship game, senior forward Nicole Funn-Lockley and senior guard Leilani Estavan lead top-seeded Palisades against third-seeded Washington.

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Starting times for two Southern Section boys’ soccer championship games at La Mirada High on Saturday have been switched. The Division I game between Long Beach Poly and La Verne Damien will start at 10 a.m. The Division IV game between San Marino and West Covina South Hills will start at noon.