Pius X sophomore center, Douglas Langford, goes for a dunk in a Camino Real League game Monday (January 30) against Paraclete. The Warriors won the league championship with a 95-72 victory over Paraclete. (Photo by Jelissa Holder)

DOWNEY – With a 33-game league winning streak, a CIF-Southern Section Division 3AA No. 1 ranking and a third consecutive league title, the St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (PMA) Boys Basketball team is on a massive roll.

That roll continued Monday (January 30) over visiting Paraclete with a resounding 95-72 Camino Real League win on senior night.

With the win, the Warriors improved to 23-4 and 9-0 in league. Paraclete, ranked first in CIF Division 3 A, falls to 22-4 and 5-2. This is also PMA’s first year in the Camino Real League, after competing in the Santa Fe League.

Behind all of the accolades is fifth-year coach Donte Archie.

“It’s been a good thing (the streak) for us, building the program and the guys are buying in and working hard,” Donte said of the 34-game league winning streak.

Actually, it was a rough beginning for Archie in his first year in 2018-’19, as PMA was 7-29 overall and only 1-9 in league.

But that all changed drastically the next year in what has to be one of the biggest turn arounds in local high school basketball history.

The next season the Warriors won a CIF championship and advanced to the Southern California Regional finals, finishing at 29-7.

In Donte’s next four seasons to date, they have an 81-21 overall record.

This years’ team, which didn’t have one player on that 2019 championship, has one big goal to accomplish – a CIF-SS and state title.

That all stems from a 51-46 semifinal loss last year to Bishop Diego in the CIF-SS D 3A playoffs.

After accomplishing the goal of league champions, that (semifinal loss in ’22) was on the players’ minds as they get ready for the playoffs. PMA concluded the Camino Real League schedule with a 76-61 win over Bishop Amat Wednesday night to complete a trifecta – three perfect undefeated league seasons at 10-0.

Riley led all scorers with 45 points, while Langford added 12.

“We came in after that semifinal loss and had a week to talk it over and get back into it for state playoffs,” 6-6 junior guard Tyrone Riley said. “After state we worked hard for this year and want to go after a championship and for sure are going after it now.”

Riley, who scored 23 points (6-11 FT, 1 3-pointer) in the game against Paraclete, is ranked No. 49 in the ESPN 2024 top 60 ranking. He also has multiple NCAA DI offers.

“Coming into this game we told our seniors the we weren’t going to lose this game,” said Riley, who averages 24.5 points per game (53% from the field), 10 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals. “We came out laser focused and were talking it out during the school day.”

Leading all scorers in the game was center Douglas Langford with 24 points (2-4 FT), which included two big dunks. Langford, who is 6-8, is shooting 53% from field this season with 15 points per game average, 11.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals.

“For the team, it’s very important (with me under the basket) and our other big is not here right now, because he lost his father and he is back in New York.

“Every time I step on the court, I do it for him (Edmari Binion).”

Langford, who is only a sophomore, had great things to say about Archie.

“He pushed me, he believed in me when I have my down days,” he said. “I love playing for him. I believe he’s a division I coach. I’m just grateful he gave me the opportunity to play basketball at this high school.”

Also in double figures for the Warriors was junior guard Tylon Williams with 11 points (1 3-pointer). Sophomore guard Saul Anaya added nine points, which were all three pointers, along with sophomore guard Tariq Bridges with eight points. Bridges is averaging 10.1 points per game.

Three players added four points each for the Warriors – Emmanuel Gillam, Shaun Fonoimoana and the loudest cheer went up for guard Andrew Rivas. Darrin Poland, Jr. added a basket.

“Andrew, we call him the money man,” Langford said. “He’s our leader, he’s our captain and it was exciting to see him score and we wanted him to go for 10 points. It means a lot for us that we can cherish.”

Leading the way for Paraclete was senior forward Donovan Ware with 20 points (4 3-pointers), followed by junior guard Mister Burnside with 15 (3 3-pointers). Also in double figures was junior guard DJ Phillips with 10. Titus Morris and Devon Marshall had nine and eight points, respectively.

Archie reflected for a minute in a nearly empty gym after the game, then added, “Like I told my team, it’s great that we’re doing this and having a good record, but if we don’t win it all, it will be all for nothing,” he said. “This group has put in long days and long nights and I love it here.

“It’s a great group with good grades and they all get a taste of what it’s like in college. It’s a great atmosphere here. It’s a great school, great environment, and it’s a blessing. I know, at the end of the day, the spot I was supposed to be at was here and it’s been great ever since.”

Paraclete, which forced PMA into an overtime game in their last outing before losing by two points, 71-69, came out energized in the game on Monday and matched the Warriors point-for-point in the early going. The Spirit even had a brief lead, 14-11 on a 3-pointer by Ware with 3:31 left in the opening quarter.

However, that was it for the Spirit, as they were outscored, 13-5, in the last 3:20 seconds of the opening quarter, which included a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Williams which put the senior night crowd into a frenzy. The Warriors led 24-19 after one period.

On an 11-2 run from late in the first to early in the second quarter, Langford scored eight points in the second quarter, which was highlighted by a thundering dunk with 3:31 left in the half for the 15-point, 40-25 lead. Riley and Williams scored six each in the quarter for the Warriors.

PMA led at the half, 47-30.

Paraclete began the third quarter with a 9-2 run to dwindle the lead down to 10 points, 49-39. But PMA answered with their own 12-2 run, which was highlighted by two 3-pointers by Anaya and another highlight dunk by Langford and they led, 61-41, with three minutes left in the third. Late in the quarter, Riley and Anaya scored consecutive 3-pointers to continue the scoring assault.

“I started off slow at first, then I had to keep shooting and shooting until I hit at least one (3-pointer), then I get hot,” said Anaya, who shoots 36% from beyond the arc. “I want to thank my teammates for getting me the ball and trusting me to take those kinds of shots.”

With subs coming in for both teams in the final quarter, the Warriors had their biggest lead of the game at 30 points on a short jumper by Fonoimoana with 4:30 left.

Rivas, who was one of the two seniors honored before the game, excited the crowd and the Warriors bench with a short jumper and a driving layup with less than a minute left in the game.

Now that the regular season has ended, the team will await the release of the playoff brackets, which will be announced on the CIF-SS website Sunday (Feb. 5) at noon.

PMA boys basketball extends win streak to 34