Shooting Stars

Guards Charley and Sammy Wadler are Living their Hoop Dreams at Brentwood School 

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Watching Charley and Sammy Wadler spot up for jumpers during warmups it’s easy to see they share the same shooting motion. Fast, efficient and, most importantly, the ball almost always swishes in. Yet the siblings have something else in common—a knack for delivering when the game is on the line.

Only hours after Sammy sank a tying three-pointer, then made the game-winning layup to lead the Brentwood School girls basketball team to a 55-53 victory over Foothill Tech in the Southern Section Division 4AA championship game, Charley made it all in the family with a three-pointer that clinched the Brentwood boys’  48-41 triumph over Crossroads in the 2AA title game—the Eagles’ second straight CIF crown.   

The Huntington Palisades residents and former Village School students were back at it Saturday night in the Southern California Regional playoffs, leading their squads to wins with clutch baskets in the final minutes. Not that it came as a big shock to anyone who knows them because they’ve been doing it their whole lives.

Charley, a senior captain and point guard, knocked down four long-range shots, the last putting Brentwood’s 72-61 victory over Muir on ice. He added three steals, two assists and two rebounds, but his biggest contribution was his communication on the court.

“Charley is a foundational piece to our growth,” Brentwood boys coach Ryan Bailey said. “His jersey and shorts swallow him up but the moment never does. He’s stepped up to every challenge. I remember early in his freshman year against Palisades when he hit three straight three-pointers to break it open. He’s the first to the gym, the last to leave and it’s been an honor coaching him.”     

Earlier, Sammy showed that while she’s only a freshman, she has the charisma and poise of a four-year starter. She made a driving layup with 1:27 left, hit a three-pointer from the corner to give the Eagles a 61-54 lead and added three free throws in the final 20 seconds to salt away a 64-58 triumph over Cathedral City.

“I started when I was 4 years old and watching my brother I’ve definitely learned to keep my composure and try not to freak out,” said Sammy, who made first team All-League playing No. 2 singles for the Eagles’ tennis team in the fall and loves her Goldendoodles, Buddy and Billy. “It’s nice to be up 20 points but games like this really test our toughness more.”   

Brentwood girls coach Charles Solomon most appreciates his rising star’s calm demeanor: “Sammy has a high IQ and is a deadly three-point shooter. She’s very cerebral and never gets too high or too low. Like her brother, she does whatever you ask her to do.”    

For Charley it’s about attitude.

“I have the most experience on the team and I’m pretty good at keeping everyone composed,” he said. “I love hitting big shots in big games. Winning CIF last year was special, but doing it again this year against our biggest rivals, it was a blessing.”

Charley knows several players on the Pali High team, including guard Anthony Spencer, who he played with in Certified Shooters and who was at Saturday’s game.

Like his sister, Charley grew up playing soccer and tennis and he also played in the PPBA, even winning the World Series as a shortstop with the Red Sox.

“We grew up competing with each other,” Charley said. “That’s nothing new.”

Although he hasn’t decided on where to continue his education, he wants to walk on at a major school and get a taste of the NCAA’s “March Madness.”

While Charley’s high school career is ending, Sammy’s has just begun—and the arrow is pointing up. She may have big sneakers to fill, but she’s well on her way.

“We play the same position so I learn a lot from him,” Sammy said. “Especially when it comes to being a leader, being unselfish and always making smart plays. I want to spend as much time with him as I can before he goes to college.”    

“If there’s one piece of advice I can give my sister it’s simply to cherish these moments,” Charley said. “It’s truly an honor to be part of this program and this school and you never know what’s next,  so enjoy this while it lasts.”