PREP BASKETBALL -- Southern Section Boys Playoffs : Camarillo Is On Right End of Rout This Time as Banales Scores 24

Last year, All-Southern Section guard Steve Banales and teammates Mitch Parrot and Glen Dutro missed a week of practice before the playoffs due to illness and, although they played in Camarillo High’s opening round game against Glendale, they were very ineffective. As a result, the Scorpions were routed, 51-30.

Camarillo was on the other side of a rout Friday as it crushed Santa Barbara, 71-42, in the first round of the 4-A playoffs at Camarillo.

Banales, Parrot and Dutro played key roles in the win.

Banales, a senior, hit 8 of 12 shots and scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half as the Scorpions took a 33-20 lead at the intermission. On the night, Banales made 11 of 18 shots from the field.

Parrot scored 10 points and collected 7 rebounds while Dutro grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 2 shots for Camarillo, which improved its overall record to 19-5. Forward Phil Hahn added 12 points.

The win sets up a rematch with No. 1-ranked Glendale on Tuesday and Harbour said that the game means something special to his team.

“Our players feel that they have something to prove in the playoffs this year,” he said. “They definitely have something to prove against Glendale.”

Banales added, “Last year, they said that even though we were sick, they would have beat us anyway. We’re going to take it to them this time.”

The Scorpions certainly took it to Santa Barbara.

After holding a 13-8 advantage after one quarter, Camarillo went on a 19-6 run to begin the second period to put the game out of reach before halftime.

Although the Dons entered the game with a 16-8 record, they were only the Channel League’s third-place representative. Banales insisted that Camarillo was not looking past Santa Barbara to Glendale.

“We definitely were not looking past Santa Barbara,” he said. “Last season, we may have looked past Glendale and they beat us.”

Santa Barbara was paced by forward Mike Craven, who scored 16 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 2 shots.