California public high schools, neighborhood teams clash in CIF Division 1 title game

Los Alamitos and Mira Costa will be first public vs. public matchup in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final since 2018.

Los Alamitos will take on Mira Costa in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final on March 1. / Michael Pineda

We hear it all the time now: 'transfers'.

It's rampant at the collegiate level with the transfer portal, and it's certainly threaded through the fabric of high school sports the last decade. But on March 1, two schools will provide a breath of fresh air when they clash for a high-level boys basketball championship.

Mira Costa and Los Alamitos, two public schools with rosters made up of neighborhood kids, will face off in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final Saturday at the Toyota Arena in Ontario at 4:30 p.m.

Los Alamitos has no varsity transfers on its roster. Mira Costa has one transfer in Luke Hammerschmidt, who came from Loyola. In today's standards, one combined transfer between two teams is rare.

"All these kids have grown up together from grade school," Los Alamitos coach Nate Berger said. "It creates a community and culture unlike any other, in my opinion. Public school programs are more than 15 kids and the coaches — there's a whole community behind them."

It will mark the first time two public schools reached the Division 1 final since 2018 when Chino Hills defeated Pasadena 72-56 at Azusa Pacific University. Onyeka Okongwu, now in the NBA, was a junior for Chino Hills.

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Two of the last three years, the Division 1 final has been between two private schools. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks beat Windward in 2024. St. Bernard topped JSerra in 2022. The 2018 Chino Hills team is the last public school to win Division 1. That's destined to change this year.

"I don't think many thought either of us would be in the final," Mira Costa coach Neal Perlmutter said. "We're underdogs. It feels great to be here."

Mira Costa will make history Saturday, making the program's first-ever CIF finals appearance.

"It's already a huge opportunity for our program," Perlmutter said. "Winning would be a huge deal for our school."

Los Alamitos will be making its first CIF final appearance since 2007. The Griffins won back-to-back CIF titles in 2006 and 2007, winning Division IAA and IA, respectively. The 2006 team was led by Landry Fields, who went on to standout at Stanford and play in the NBA.

Berger was a sophomore on the 2007 Los Alamitos team.

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The pride of public schools will be felt. But ironically, it's the gauntlet of private school juggernauts that prepared Mira Costa and Los Alamitos for its Division 1 playoff run. One of Mira Costa's three losses are to NorCal private De La Salle. The Mustangs beat private schools St. Pius and Windward en route to Saturday's final.

Los Alamitos suffered losses to Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks and Santa Margarita this year, two Open Division teams.

"We wanted to make sure we'd be unfazed by anything come playoff time," Berger said. "Playing those teams prepared us for the Division 1 playoffs."

The Griffins defeated private schools Rolling Hills Prep and Crean Lutheran in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MIRA COSTA (29-3)
-Eneasi Piuleini, F, Sr. (14.6ppg, 5rpg)
-Jacob De Armas, W, Sr. (11.7ppg)
-Luke Hammerschmidt, F, Sr. (6.9ppg, 5.5rpg)
-Christian Kranz, G, Sr. (7.5ppg, 4.1apg)

LOS ALAMITOS (24-8)
-Trent Minter, G, Sr. (14.1ppg, 8.0)
-Liam Gray, W, Sr. (11.8ppg, 4.2rpg, 5.9apg)
-Wesley Trevino, G, Sr. (14ppg, 5rpg)
-Samori Guyness, G, Sr. (14.4ppg, 3rpg)

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