CIF PREVIEW: Eight of 9 Parts : SOUTH COAST : Capistrano Valley Calls on Nathan to Point the Way

Capistrano Valley High School, with three returning starters and an influx of newcomers from an undefeated junior varsity team, is a slight favorite over defending champion Mission Viejo in the South Coast League basketball race.

Both schools won 23 games last season and are expected to be among the prep powers in Orange County this season. Both also have some major college prospects.

Capistrano Valley, 23-6 last year but only third in the league, boasts three players who have already signed national letters of intent with Division I programs. Nathan Call, the premier point guard in the county, has signed with Brigham Young University. John Waikle, a 6-foot 9-inch center, and forward Jason Trask, 6-7, have signed with Weber State.

Scott Stark, the county’s single-season passing leader for the Cougar football team, will leave the ballhandling to Call and play the role of the shooting guard. Stark led the Cougars in scoring over the summer.

“We’ll be a notch ahead of some teams simply because of the presence of Nathan,” said Mark Thornton, Capistrano Valley coach. Call, starting his third season, averaged 9.4 assists per game as a junior.

The Cougars should be one of the most entertaining teams in the county with their fast-breaking style.

“We’re not bad inside, and we’ll run as well as anybody in Southern California once I get Nathan, Scott and Todd Beightol off the football team,” Thornton said.

Bob Minier, Mission Viejo’s veteran coach, acknowledged that Call gives the Cougars an advantage in the league title chase. Playmaker Tom Desiano, now at Saddleback College, was a key in Mission Viejo’s drive to the championship last season.

“We miss Tom at the point guard,” Minier admitted. “No one has emerged at that position, and we had problems against the press in our scrimmage against North Riverside.”

While the Diablo guards are suspect, Minier does have one of the best front lines in the county. Center Tim Knowles (6-7) and forwards Scott Pedersen (6-4) and Jeff Herdman (6-5) are all good shooters and strong rebounders.

Herdman, the most talented player on the team, made 10 of 15 attempts and had 14 rebounds against North Riverside, a team that eliminated Mission Viejo in the CIF Southern Section 4-A playoffs last season.

“We match up real well against Capo with the exception of Nathan,” Minier said. “But I want to be careful not to dwell on playing them or we might overlook somebody else.”

While Mission Viejo and Capistrano Valley are considered the class of the league, every other team except Laguna Hills should compete for the third playoff berth in the seven-team league.

Here’s a closer look at the South Coast League:

CAPISTRANO VALLEY: Returning Starters--Nathan Call (6-0, G), Shawn Reed (6-3, F) and Jason Trask (6-7, F).

Top Newcomers--John Waikle (6-9, C), Scott Stark (6-2, G), Todd Beightol (5-10, G), Steve Montes (6-4, F) and Rob Binder (6-5, F).

Outlook--The Cougars will start slowly until Call, Stark and Beightol get their “basketball legs.” Stark played sparingly last year, but Thornton said the senior is a good shooter with great court sense. The Cougars feature an all-senior team with six returning lettermen. “This is the tallest and deepest team I’ve had here in five years,” Thornton said. “If the big guys (Waikle and Trask) play well, we could be real good.” Capistrano Valley will find out how good, playing in the Tournament of Champions and the Orange Invitational for the first time this year. The Cougars also appear to be set for the future. The star of the freshman team figures to be Steve McCaugly, a 6-9 center, who Thornton said has the potential to become one of his best players.

DANA HILLS: Returning Starters--Dave Lyon (6-1, F), Eddie Esteban (5-10, G) and Jeff Duby (6-1, F).

Top Newcomers--Pat Loyd (6-3, C), Bob Crawford (5-6, G), Dave Cmelak (6-3, F) and Matt Thompson (6-6, C).

Outlook--Two-time all-county star Bryan McSweeney, a 6-7 forward, is at Stanford, and the Dolphins will struggle in his absence. Lyon is a proven player who was considered the top defensive player in the league last season by opposing coaches. Esteban is a good ballhandler with excellent quickness. Both will be counted on to do most of the scoring. “On paper, this will be my weakest team in seven years here,” said Steve Thornton, Dana Hills coach. “However, this is a great group of kids who are very coachable. We probably should be picked to finish fifth or sixth in the league, but we may surprise some people.” The Dolphins don’t get a break, opening league play with Mission Viejo and Capistrano Valley.

EL TORO: Returning Starter--Jeff Stone (6-2, G).

Top Newcomers--Bret Johnson (5-10, G), Cory Wayland (6-4, C), Eric Speaker (6-3, F), Rick Tobey (6-1, F), Jim Hargy (5-8, G) and Steve Cuttrell (6-6, C).

Outlook--Three sophomores--Johnson, Wayland and Speaker--will start for Coach Tim Travers. Johnson, the Chargers’ starting quarterback, is an excellent point guard who was brought up to the varsity midway through his freshman season. Speaker started on the Chargers’ freshman team that went 23-1. Wayland is a transfer from Mission Viejo. Stone, a two-year starter, averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists last year and was an all-league honorable mention selection. Tobey was the MVP on the junior varsity team. The Chargers will travel to Hawaii to play in the Walter Wong Tournament before opening league play against Capistrano Valley.

IRVINE: Returning Starters--Mike Herring (6-4, G), Shawn Patchell (6-5, C), Scott Tamura (6-2, F), Mike Moceri (5-10, G) and Brian Snoddy (6-4, F).

Top Newcomers--Mike Oden (6-7, C), Jerry Petersen (6-5, C) and Matt Norton (6-4, F).

Outlook--The Vaqueros have their most talented and experienced team in the school’s nine-year history. Herring, son of Coach Al Herring, is the best player on the team. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore, earning second-team all-league honors. Patchell averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds and shot 58% from the field. Norton, son of Irvine principal Gary Norton, is a transfer from Mater Dei where he started on the Monarchs’ junior varsity team. “Our main goal this year is to establish the program, be consistent and execute to the best of our ability at all times,” Herring said. Jeff Harshaw, who was exonerated in the Huntington Beach Union High School District’s investigation of Ocean View’s basketball program, has joined Herring’s staff.

LAGUNA HILLS: Returning Starters--None.

Top Newcomers--Pete Colburn (6-0, G), Ricky Kawada (5-11, G), Chris Sheff (6-0, G), Joe Moravick (5-11, G), Greg Nelson (6-3, F), Sean Hardy (6-2, F) and Greg Still (6-3, F).

Outlook--Bleak. The Hawks have a new coach, no returning starters, six underclassmen on the roster and only one player standing over 6-3. Dave King, a six-year assistant at the school and a former head coach at Mission Viejo, replaces John Moore, who retired to become an official. “This will be a big rebuilding year, but we will surprise some teams,” King said. Laguna Hills’ football team failed to win a game, and the drought could continue into the basketball season.

MISSION VIEJO: Returning Starters--Tim Knowles (6-7, C), Scott Pedersen (6-4, F) and Jeff Herdman (6-5, F).

Top Newcomers--Todd Mathews (6-0, G), Steve Aldrian (6-2, G), Rich Brown (6-4, F), Doug Barrett (6-4, F), Tim Kelly (6-0, G) and Dennis Erk (6-0, G).

Outlook--Good size, depth and excellent shooters will be the Diablos’ strength. The lack of a true point guard could spell their downfall. Minier said senior Kelly emerged in the team’s scrimmage against North Riverside as a possible replacement for Desiano at point guard. “Tim was cut as a freshman, was the last player to make the team as a sophomore, but has worked hard to become a varsity player,” he said. “The question is how well he will perform under pressure.” The Diablos have an attractive season opener on Saturday night against Servite.

SAN CLEMENTE: Returning Starter--Gary Wade (6-6, F).

Top Newcomers--Jeff Love (5-9, G), John McGraw (6-4, F), Dave Koepsell (6-6, C), Mike Steadman (6-7, C), Hyun Kim (5-8, G), Keith Christiansen (6-0, G) and Justin Burrows (6-1, G).

Outlook--Wade is one of the top players in the county, but his supporting cast will limit his scoring production. The returning all-league selection will be asked to play center and forward, though he is a college prospect at guard. “We should be competitive, but we’ll have difficulty with Capistrano Valley and Mission Viejo,” said Brian Scherbart, San Clemente coach. “Hopefully, we can compete for a third-place playoff spot.”

Tomorrow: Sunset League.