MacLean and DeLaittre Headline Tournament

Last season, Don MacLean and Shawn DeLaittre carried the inaugural Simi Valley High basketball tournament on their very young shoulders. They led the Pioneers to the tournament title and, at the end of the season, to the Marmonte League championship and the Southern Section 4-A final.

The second tournament begins Monday. Both MacLean and DeLaittre, now juniors, have returned, their shoulders a year older and stronger.

Organized by Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking, the Simi Valley tournament has been expanded from eight to 12 teams. “We should have 16 next season,” Hawking said. “Our hope is a top-of-the-line preleague tournament.”

Agoura and Birmingham open the tournament Monday at 3:30 p.m. Royal and Alemany follow at 5 p.m.; Hart faces Hueneme at 6:30, and Simi Valley plays Dos Pueblos at 8 p.m.

Last season, the Pioneers routed Fillmore, 106-38.

“I’m sure people will say we’re going to win it in a cakewalk,” Hawking said. “I don’t think so. There are some good teams in the tournament.”

On Wednesday, Glendale, Notre Dame, Saugus and Antelope Valley play the winners of Monday’s games. Notre Dame reached the final against Simi Valley last season and lost, 56-55.

Loser’s bracket games will be played Thursday, semifinal games Friday and the tournament championship is Saturday at 8 p.m. All games are at Simi Valley.

Most basketball teams like to open the season in some distant tournament where kinks can be worked out in privacy. Not so for cross-town rivals Granada Hills and Kennedy, who open Wednesday against each other at 7 p.m. at Kennedy.

Kennedy, which plays in the Valley 4-A League, is led by senior guard Marcus Malone, a returning member of The Times’ All-Valley team. Granada Hills, a strong 3-A team, will counter with its own All-Valley selection, center Gary Gray.

With All-Valley guard Kevin Franklin and junior forward Quincy Watts, Taft believes it can compete for the Valley 4-A League title. The Toreadors open in comfort against Canoga Park, which was 0-19 last season, and North Hollywood. But they must play league powers Cleveland and Fairfax before the Christmas break.

“We can’t ease into this season,” Taft Coach Jim Woodard said. “Our toughest league games are coming right up. We’ll have to be in midseason form.”

Taft defeated Canoga Park, 83-41, last season. The Toreadors defeated Fairfax, 76-73, in a league opener last season. Fairfax beat Taft, 65-59, in their second meeting, and Cleveland beat the Toreadors by the same score in their only game.