Brea-Olinda’s Strength Is Constant Amid Changes

There have been changes aplenty since Orange County girls’ basketball teams last played.

First, the lowdown on the coaching changes:

John Hattrup, who led Mission Viejo High School to the 3-A championship last season, quit to become an assistant at Brea-Olinda under Mark Trakh.

“Mission Viejo’s loss was our gain,” Trakh said. “A lot of people said it wouldn’t work. We’re both yellers. But it has. It’s just made the program stronger.”

Dave White, who guided Edison to the 4-A title and a berth in the state semifinals, has quit to concentrate on the Charger football program.

Mickey McAulay, who led Katella into the 3-A final, resigned to become an assistant to Darlene May at Cal Poly Pomona.

Steve Asay is the new coach at Mission Viejo. White’s assistant, Mark Shannon, is Edison’s new coach. Barbara Bausch has taken over at Katella.

Now the players who have gone on to play in college:

Kristi Smith, the 4-A player of the year from Edison, is at the University of Utah.

Carrie Egan, the 3-A player of the year from Brea-Olinda, is at Cal Poly Pomona.

Elaine Youngs, El Toro guard/forward; Tricia Stringam, Mission Viejo guard, and Susan Tousey, Brea-Olinda center, are among those who will replace Smith and Egan as the county’s top players.

Finally, there is the addition of the three-point shot, which debuts this season.

Trakh, for one, does not believe the 19-foot 9-inch line will prove to be a significant factor.

“You’ve got to shoot it and be productive,” he said. “Making 1 out of 10 isn’t going to do it. It’s not going to change our offense. I don’t see it being that big a factor in girls’ basketball. I like the rule, though.”

So much for the changes.

What will remain constant is that Brea-Olinda will be the county’s top team. The Wildcats have been at the top, or close to it, for the past five years.

El Toro, Mission Viejo, Marina and Katella, as they were last season, are among the county’s top 10 teams. Should Brea-Olinda falter, the others will be there to step in.

1. BREA-OLINDA

Last season, the Wildcats missed the championship game for the first time since 1982. In that time, the Wildcats were 3-A champions once, 3-A runners-up once and 2-A runners-up twice. This season, Brea-Olinda has too much talent and too much tradition to rate lower than No. 1 in Orange County.

Since 1980, either Brea-Olinda or Mission Viejo has played in the championship game every season but one. Brea-Olinda made the 3-A semifinals last season, and Mission Viejo won the title.

In Egan’s place are a number of talented players, including veteran center Tousey, a 6-foot 3-inch senior who averaged 16 points a game. Kristen Blair, a part-time starter last season, is back. Aimee McDaniel and Tammy Blackburn will be counted on to anchor the backcourt. Cindy Gunn, a transfer from Texas, is the Wildcats’ best newcomer.

2. EL TORO

Trakh on the Chargers: “If they don’t win the (Southern Section) title, I don’t know . . .” Youngs hasn’t played a game this season, yet is drawing rave reviews. Trakh said Youngs is far and away the best player in Orange County.

Len Locher, who runs a scouting service for the western United States, calls her the best athlete in the region.

In addition, the Chargers, who were 20-8 last season, have three starters back, including Lori Halliday, a 5-8 senior; Rae Andrews, the point guard, and Andrea Young, a 6-0 senior.

Young was the Chargers’ second-leading scorer and rebounder last season but will miss about six weeks with a stress fracture of her left foot. Young, who averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds last season, had a cast placed on her foot Monday.

3. MISSION VIEJO

The 3-A champions last season lost their coach (Hattrup) and four starters, but Stringam, one of the Diablos’ clutch performers, is back for her senior season. Stringam, a 5-11 guard/forward, averaged 13.7 points per game last season as Mission Viejo went 29-3.

She had her best games in the playoffs, when she averaged almost 20 points.

The Diablos should challenge El Toro for the South Coast League championship as they did last season, when each finished 9-1.

4. MARINA

Liberty Brewster and Dawn Charroin have seemingly been wearing Viking uniforms forever. Well, they’re finally seniors, having played on varsity since their freshman seasons. Brewster averaged 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds and Charroin 16.2 and 11.5 last season as they led the Vikings to a 15-11 record.

Both players have vastly improved, and Marina should have, too. With Edison and Fountain Valley losing their star players to graduation, the Vikings are favored in the Sunset League.

Coach Mike Thornton believes the Vikings’ biggest improvement is at guard, where he will use Allison Krause, Dee Dee Stigar and Melisa Sortino, a sophomore who will be the first player off the bench.

“The guards will be the difference from this year and last year,” said Thornton, who is in his eighth season at Marina.

Kathy Stuppy, a 5-11 center who has played for three seasons, is the Vikings’ best defensive player.

5. KATELLA

The Knights lost a lot with McAulay’s departure. The good news is that Jodi Easterly, a 5-10 junior guard/forward, is back after she helped the Knights to their best record last season.

Easterly, who averaged 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a game as a sophomore, is regarded as the county’s best junior.

Katella went 24-3, won its first Empire League title and advanced the 3-A championship before losing to Mission Viejo. Although the Knights lost senior Serenda Valdez, they do not appear to have lost a step. Katella beat league rival Esperanza, generally thought to have the best chance to unseat the Knights this season, by 25 points in a summer league game.

6. MATER DEI

Every season or so, it seems, the Monarchs roll along almost unnoticed, quietly winning 20 games and taking the Angelus League title. This season should be no different.

The Monarchs, under their new coach, Brenda Yecke, got an added bonus when Claudia Morris, a 5-8 guard/forward, transferred from Edison. Morris brought with her playoff experience and an average of nine points per game.

Guard Geri Gainey, who started for three seasons, will be difficult to replace. The front line is solid with Kelly O’Brien, who averaged 11 points last season.

7. LA QUINTA

The Aztecs have dominated the Garden Grove League and have been a force in the 2-A division in the 1980s. This season should be no exception.

La Quinta advanced to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs before losing to Hesperia last season. And the Aztecs did it without their best player, center Donna Gondringer, who suffered a dislocated kneecap midway through the season. Gondringer (6-2) averaged 19.2 points and 9 rebounds a game for a team that was 19-6 overall and 10-0 in league play.

8. HUNTINGTON BEACH

The Oilers will challenge Marina for the Sunset League title and will do so with a lineup that’s similar to the Vikings’. Like Marina, the Oilers are led by two veteran players.

Tami Chick and Stefanie Pemper are returning starters. Chick, the team’s leading scorer last season, averaged 13.5 points a game.

Said Marina’s Thornton: “(Huntington Beach) is capable of beating anybody. Tami is one of the better players in Orange County.”

9. ESPERANZA

The Aztecs have three-year starters Kari Davidson and Laura Jones back from last season’s team that was 14-10. Davidson, a 6-1 junior center who averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds, signed a letter of intent to play at Nevada Reno next season.

Esperanza Coach Marc Hill’s team should give Katella a battle for the top spot in the Empire League.

10. VALENCIA

The Tigers gave Brea-Olinda fits in the Orange League last season, beating the Wildcats once and tying them at 9-1. The Tigers (17-5 overall) are scrappy.

Lauren Rich, a 5-7 forward, is the only starter back from last season’s team, but Valencia has four other varsity players returning.

Others to watch:

Capistrano Valley, Edison, Foothill, Fountain Valley, La Habra and Los Alamitos.