THE PREPS : Marina, Capo Valley Favored in Tournament

Marina High School is the top-seeded team and Capistrano Valley is seeded second in the 28-team Irvine World News basketball tournament, which begins today at three different locations.

Marina features 6-foot 9-inch freshman Cherokee Parks and 6-6 forward Steve Guild. Capistrano Valley won the Laguna Beach tournament, in which forward Frank Aguilar was named the most valuable player.

Other top players scheduled to compete in the county’s largest boys’ tournament are Gylan and Malru Dottin of Saddleback, Bobby Joyce of Santa Ana, Adam Keefe of Woodbridge, Geoff Probst of Corona del Mar, Kyle Roberts of Laguna Hills and Steve Stolzoff of University.

The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 Saturday in UC Irvine’s Bren Center. Today’s first-round pairings:

At Irvine High School: 3 p.m.--Estancia vs. Western; 4:30--Saddleback vs. Corona; 6--Cypress vs. L.B. Wilson. Kennedy and Marina have first-round byes.

At Woodbridge: 3 p.m.--Dana Hills vs. Artesia; 4:30--Norco vs. Santa Ana; 6--Mission Viejo vs. Savanna; 7:30--Pacifica vs. Woodbridge.

At University: 3 p.m.--L.B. Wilson JV vs. Paramount; 4:30--Garey vs. Laguna Hills; 6--Los Amigos vs. Corona del Mar; 7:30--Capistrano Valley vs. Esperanza. Edison and University have first-round byes.

Servite and Fullerton high schools are the co-favorites to win the Fullerton Holiday basketball tournament beginning Tuesday at Fullerton.

Fullerton was the runner-up in the Garden Grove tournament, with center Alan Lewis and guard Greg Wilber named to the all-tournament team. Brian Kenney, Servite guard, has averaged 26.3 points in three games.

Other leading players who will compete are Pete Bach of Fullerton, Kevin Graddy and Gary Hunter of Buena Park, Grayle Humphrey of Sonora and Nick Marusich of Servite.

The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 Friday. The first-round pairings:

Tuesday: 6 p.m.--Buena Park vs. Villa Park; 7:30--Sonora vs. Servite.

Wednesday: 6 p.m.--Cerritos vs. Garden Grove; 7:30--La Mirada vs. Fullerton.

Whittier Christian High School, which has advanced to the Southern Section’s 1-A championship game the past two seasons, is the favorite in the boys’ division of the first El Dorado co-ed basketball tournament.

Whittier Christian features 6-6 forward Erik Martin, an all-state Division III selection last season. Martin recently signed a letter of intent with Texas Christian University.

The 16-team tournament also features eight girls’ teams with the championship game scheduled for 6:30 Saturday at El Dorado in Placentia.

The boys’ championship game is scheduled for 8. The first-round pairings:

Boys

Tuesday: 5 p.m.--Valencia vs. Downey; 8--Whittier Christian vs. Canyon.

Wednesday: 5 p.m.--Troy vs. L.B. Jordan; 8--Palm Desert vs. El Dorado.

Girls

Tuesday: 3:30 p.m.--Notre Dame vs. Downey; 6:30--Whittier Christian vs. Canyon.

Wednesday: 3:30 p.m.--Elsinore vs. Pomona; 6:30--Palm Desert vs. El Dorado.