They’re Helping South Rise Again : Seniors Williamson and McIntosh Have Been Key Players in the Rebirth of Spartan Basketball

They have played together since elementary school, they live a block from each other, and so far Jimmy Williamson and Kyle McIntosh have led South Torrance High’s basketball team to an 11-1 record in their senior seasons.

South Coach LaMont Henry credits Williamson, a 5-foot-10 point guard, and McIntosh, a 6-7 center, for helping turn around the program. The Spartans were 20-7 last season--South’s first winning record since 1977-78--in Williamson’s and McIntosh’s second year on the varsity.

“What I needed was athletes who were dedicated to the program, and in three years they’ve really helped me make the program go,” Henry said.

Besides playing basketball on the same team, Williamson and McIntosh hang out together. They go on double dates and their families are close.

On the court, they’ve developed an ability to know what the other will do in certain situations. Williamson said it is a rare when he makes a pass that McIntosh is not expecting.

“We surprise each other more if we don’t hook up on a play than when we do,” Williamson said.

That chemistry has helped South win 11 consecutive games since opening the season with a 64-48 loss to Peninsula in the Pacific Shores tournament. The winning streak has included two tournament titles. The Spartans won the Damien tournament in La Verne two weeks ago, and Wednesday night they won the Torrance Holiday Classic with a 68-60 come-from-behind victory over Torrance.

Williamson, who was named most valuable player of both tournaments, had 20 points and nine assists against Torrance, and McIntosh had 28 points and nine rebounds. The two combined for 14 of the Spartans’ first 16 points in the fourth quarter, when they rallied from a nine-point deficit.

South will try to avenge its only loss when it plays host to Peninsula at 7:30 Tuesday night.

McIntosh, who averaged 12 rebounds a game last season to lead all South Bay players, is averaging 20.1 points and 13.4 rebounds this season.

Williamson, the son of former Loyola Marymount player and Mira Costa coach Duane Williamson, is averaging 16.8 points and 10.1 assists. He led the area in assists last season with an average of 8.9.

Williamson’s floor leadership has often overshadowed the inside work of McIntosh, who has been passed over for awards and recognition.

During the Pacific Shores tournament, Henry nominated McIntosh for the all-tournament team after leading South to the consolation championship. Williamson also thought McIntosh should have made the team. But when the all-tournament team was announced, it was Williamson who was selected.

“Kyle’s like Rodney Dangerfield, he gets no respect,” Henry said. “People always ignore him and focus on our guards, but he’s been valuable to our team and our program. He has carried us through a lot of tough games.”

Henry complained to Pacific Shores officials, and McIntosh was awarded an all-tournament plaque as well. At first, McIntosh, feeling slighted, refused to accept the award. But Williamson talked him into taking it.

“In the past, (lack of recognition) has been frustrating, but I have learned to deal with it,” McIntosh said. “It would be worse if we were losing, but I never feel bad if Jimmy gets (recognition).”

McIntosh also was named to the all-tournament teams at Damien and Torrance.

“Kyle’s one of the best big men around,” Williamson said. “He’s a good defender, he rebounds and can run the court well for a big man.”

Although he has not garnered as many accolades as Williamson, McIntosh has received more interest from NCAA Division I colleges.

An honors student, McIntosh said he would like to attend a strong academic college, such as Yale, Stanford, UC San Diego or Georgetown.

Williamson has received interest from National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics and Division II schools, but because of his size interest from Division I schools has been minimal.

Williamson models his game after his favorite player, 6-9 Magic Johnson. He frequented Johnson’s basketball camps and

said he impressed the former Laker.

“When I came back (one year), one of the counselors at Magic’s camp came up to me and told me that Magic had told him that I had the best court vision he had seen from a young player in a while,” Williamson said. “(Magic) is the one I pattern my game after.”

When Williamson was in the fifth grade, he won a one-on-one contest, a three-on-three contest, an outside-shooting contest and a free-throw shooting contest at Magic’s camp, becoming the first camper to win four pairs of basketball shoes.

“Jimmy knows he is a coach on the court, he’s been told that,” Henry said. “I usually don’t like flashy passes, but I tolerate it because he does it so well. He has the green light on making calls, and he almost always seems to run the play I would have run. It is rare if he doesn’t.”

McIntosh is amazed by some of Williamson’s passes.

“I think he’s real amazing,” McIntosh said. “But he was making those passes back in the fifth grade when he was only (4-foot-4).”

Williamson’s father was a point guard at Loyola from 1970-72 and earned All-West Coast Conference first-team honors in the 1971-72 season.

Both of Williamson’s parents coached high school basketball in the 1970s. Duane Williamson coached the Mira Costa boys’ team for three seasons, and Janie Williamson coached the St. Bernard girls’ team for two seasons.

Williamson’s mother said her son’s relationship with McIntosh will continue after they stop playing basketball.

“They are both pretty adaptable, the friendship will remain and they will follow each other,” Janie Williamson said. “They both have really good heads on their shoulders.”