Prep talk: Arenas vs. Ariza should bring out the fans on Friday night

It was the battle of sons from NBA dads. Tajh Ariza of Westchester, right, covers Chatsworth's Alijah Arenas last November.

Columnist

Feb. 27, 2025 4 AM PT

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You can’t get a better matchup to decide the City Section Open Division boys’ basketball championship on Friday at 8 p.m. at L.A. Southwest College than No. 1-seeded Chatsworth playing No. 2-seeded Westchester.

That’s because the two teams’ stars are the sons of former NBA players. Chatsworth is led by Alijah Arenas. Westchester is led by Tajh Ariza. Their fathers, Gilbert and Trevor, played high school basketball at Grant and Westchester, respectively, at a time when City Section basketball was strong. They moved on to Arizona and UCLA, then the NBA.

Their sons came back to the City Section trying to offer a boost, and the matchup has been months in anticipation since they met in November and Chatsworth won, 59-55.

“We’re winnin’,” Ariza said after Monday night’s semifinal win over Cleveland.

“No. Absolutely not,” Arenas countered after a semifinal win over Palisades.

“It’s what everybody wanted,” Westchester coach Dewitt Cotton said.

Westchester has won 15 City titles, all under former coach Ed Azzam. Cotton was his longtime assistant and took over in 2021.

Arenas reclassified to become a senior and has committed to USC. Regardless of which team wins, both will be in the state playoffs that begin next week. Pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.

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