BOYS ROUNDUP : Favored Mater Dei is Taking a Gamble : Monarchs Banking on Big Crowd for Servite Game at Long Beach

Mater Dei High School Coach Gary McKnight admitted he was taking a $7,000 gamble last year when he booked the Long Beach Arena for his school’s showdown with rival Servite. But 4,496 fans showed up to watch the Monarchs belt Servite, 71-47, and the turnout was one of the largest ever to see a regular-season game in the Southern Section.

The teams will meet in the same arena tonight, and once again McKnight is gambling on at least 3,000 fans attending in order to break even financially. Three preliminary games--freshman, sophomore, junior--starting at 4:30 p.m. will precede the varsity match scheduled to begin at 7:30.

Mater Dei (3-0 in league, 18-0 overall) has a 25-game winning streak in the Angelus League and shouldn’t have much trouble making Servite (2-1, 6-9) victim No. 26. The Monarchs will have a big height advantage on the frontline and more experience than the Friars.

Seven Servite players, including three starters, decided to transfer during the off-season, and Coach Larry Walker said only forwards Jim Osgood and Matt Honikel were familiar with his system when the season started.

“People were saying we wouldn’t win a game, but if we continue to play like we have the past two weeks, we have a realistic shot of making the playoffs,” said Walker. “If the season went two more months, we’d be pretty good. It just took awhile for the younger kids to know the system.”

McKnight won’t have that problem. Center Tom Lewis and forward Mike Mitchell are three-year starters and are considered two of the top players in the state. Lewis scored 36 points the last time the teams met and is averaging 31.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Honikel paces Servite with a 20.3 scoring average and 9.5 rebounds per game.

“We’ll put Mitchell on Honikel and see what happens,” McKnight said. “If Honikel scores 65 points like he did last week, he’ll have to earn them. I’m just wondering if Servite plans on holding the ball or not.”

The Friars are noted for using a four-corner delay offense in big games, and Walker said the tactic isn’t out of the question.

“If by some blessing from heaven we get a lead, we could spread the court,” he said. “Everybody’s tried a little bit of everything against Mater Dei and it hasn’t worked. Everybody said Mater Dei had a better team last year, but they lost two games. I haven’t seen anybody beat them this season.”

In other action:

CENTURY LEAGUE

El Modena (4-2, 10-5) at Santa Ana (4-2, 9-7): The Vanguards have lost two of their last three games to fall out of the league lead and it doesn’t get an easier tonight when they travel to The Court in Santa Ana. Colin Moss leads El Modena with a 14-point scoring and 12.2 rebounding average. Roger Flores averages 17.6 points and is shooting 58% from the floor. Also: Villa Park at Canyon; Tustin at Foothill; and Santa Ana Valley at Orange.

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Kennedy (7-0, 14-3) at Katella (5-2, 13-3): Since opening league play with two losses, the Knights have won eight straight games including their own tournament and then five straight in league. Junior Bob Erbst averages 19.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for Katella. Kennedy upset league-favorite El Dorado, 74-72, Wednesday night and will most likely break into the county’s top 10 for the first time with a victory tonight. Also: Pacifica at Esperanza; Cypress vs. Los Alamitos at Cypress College; and El Dorado at Loara.

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Buena Park (2-1, 8-7) at Sonora (2-1, 5-9): Four teams--Fullerton, Sunny Hills, Buena Park and Sonora--are tied for first place in the six-team league. The traffic at the top should clear after tonight. Buena Park features Reggie Brown, one of the top point guards in the county. Sonora counters with versatile Mike Samuelson, who averages 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Also: Fullerton at Sunny Hills and La Habra at Troy.

GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE

Rancho Alamitos (2-1, 7-9) at Garden Grove (3-0, 10-6): The Argonauts, the surprise leaders of the league, face the Vaqueros, preseason favorite to win the league. Rancho Alamitos has averaged 75 points per game since an upset loss to Santiago. Garden Grove has limited three league foes to an average of 46.7 points per game. Also: Bolsa Grande at La Quinta and Santiago at Los Amigos.

ORANGE LEAGUE

Western (2-1, 7-10) at Valencia (2-1, 10-6): The Pioneers escaped with a 49-46 overtime victory over host Anaheim on Wednesday night to stay in the playoff picture. Troy Joseph scored his team’s six points in overtime. Valencia celebrated the return of guard Chris Rojo from arthroscopic knee surgery with a 79-44 romp over winless Magnolia to keep pace with Western and Savanna for second place in the league. Also: Brea at Magnolia and Savanna at Anaheim.

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Estancia (5-1, 17-2) at Costa Mesa (2-4, 7-9): The records are deceiving here since Costa Mesa’s gym always has been a difficult facility for opposing teams. The Mustangs took league-leading Newport Harbor to the wire before losing, 59-58, Wednesday night. Matt Judd paces the Mustangs with a 16.0 scoring and 8.2 rebounding average. Versatile Adam Lockwood leads the Eagles’ balanced attack. Also: Corona del Mar at Laguna Beach; Saddleback at University; and Newport Harbor at Woodbridge.

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

Capistrano Valley (4-1, 15-3) at El Toro (3-2, 8-9): This should be a very entertaining game with two, high-scoring teams that feature up-tempo, fast-breaking offenses. Guard Scott Shockey is the leading scorer for the Chargers with a 18.4 average. Gregg Bujnovsky averages 16.2 points for the Cougars. Capistrano Valley’s Nathan Call is the leading point guard in the county with 9.5 assists per game. Also: Laguna Hills at Irvine and San Clemente at Mission Viejo.

SUNSET LEAGUE

Huntington Beach (2-2, 7-8) at Fountain Valley (2-2, 10-7): Have the defending league champion Barons hit the skids following a 67-61 loss to Edison on Wednesday night? That’s the big question as Fountain Valley hopes to regroup and get back into the playoff picture. Center Brent Martin is the top scorer for the Barons with a 17.9 average. Also: Marina at Edison and Ocean View at Westminster.