Southern Section Boys’ 5-A : Mater Dei, Ocean View Find Road to Long Beach Is Easy

Southern Section officials have dubbed the 1985 boys’ basketball playoffs “The Road to Long Beach,” and Mater Dei and Ocean View high schools have found it a relatively easy route to travel in the new 5-A division.

Undefeated Mater Dei (28-0) has won three games by an average score of 26.3 points in reaching tonight’s championship game at 8:45 against second-seeded Ocean View (24-3) at the Long Beach Arena.

Ocean View, meanwhile, has beaten three opponents in the streamlined, 16-team tournament by an average of 22 points.

Mater Dei has breezed to its third straight appearance in the title game on the scoring of forward Tom Lewis and the rebounding and defense of forward Mike Mitchell. Ocean View, featuring three underclassmen, is the only team that can physically match up with the Monarchs.

The Seahawks proved they can play with Mater Dei in the Tournament of Champions, where they battled the Monarchs evenly before losing in the championship game, 57-52. But experience could be the big factor in the rematch.

Lewis and Mitchell have played in three championship games. Lewis averages 31.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game, and Mitchell contributes 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds.

The key to Ocean View’s attack is point guard Blaine DeBrouwer, a junior who is often brilliant but sometimes forgets that he has four talented teammates. DeBrouwer averages 15 points and 6.5 assists.

The Seahawks’ zone defense has spelled trouble for offensive players during the playoffs, but no one has contained Lewis all season. The 6-8 senior has totaled 2,423 points in his three-year prep career, and needs 38 points tonight to surpass Leon Wood, former Cal State Fullerton All-American, as the section’s third-leading scorer.

“Our defense was pretty awesome against Poly in the semifinals, but our offense is going to have to be a lot better if we hope to beat Mater Dei,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. “We wasted too many scoring opportunities. We can’t afford to be tentative.”

Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight was a five-year assistant under Harris at Ocean View before becoming the Monarchs’ head coach. He has compiled an 85-5 record in the last three seasons.

“I’d like to go out with this group as undefeated champions,” McKnight said. “I don’t think an Orange County team has ever finished a season undefeated.”

Tonight’s game marks the first time two Orange County schools have played for the large-school championship. Inglewood was the last large school to finish a season undefeated, going 30-0 in 1980.