Prep Review : Scouting Ploy Deflected by Section’s Thomas

When Southern Section officials announced that the 5-A basketball playoff games would be scheduled on Thursday nights instead of Friday nights for the opening two rounds, many applauded the move.

The change was initiated for three reasons. First, it would mean the section’s large-school games would not conflict with other lower division games on Friday nights, allowing fans an opportunity to attend more games.

Second, it would allow for more flexibility in securing facilities. Some of the division’s parochial schools play in gymnasiums that barely seat 1,000. Alternate sites would be easier to secure on Thursday nights.

Finally, the best officials could be assigned to the games, again avoiding a conflict with the heavy Friday night schedules.

But when the pairings where announced Sunday afternoon at the Southern Section office in Cerritos, some coaches were making plans to switch their opening-round games to Friday night in order to scout second-round opponents who were playing Thursday night.

The scheme was quickly killed by Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, who told the 16 5-A coaches to play their games on Thursday nights.

“The whole thing started when (Lakewood Coach) Tim Sweeney told us that Loyola had permission to play their first-round game on Friday night,” said Dean Crowley, associate commissioner. “I went back to Stan and asked him about it. He never gave anyone permission to play Friday night.

“We had to nip this in the bud right away because Marina was talking about playing on Friday night. The idea of playing our large-school games on Thursday night came from the media advisory board and was endorsed by the basketball advisory committee.

“The whole thing became a scouting issue. We made this move for the fans, and we think we’ll get better media coverage staggering the games.”

Where’s Mater Dei?: For the first time in six seasons, the No. 1 seeded team in the 5-A division isn’t Mater Dei. In fact, the defending state champion Monarchs failed to earn a seeding and drew a road game against Loyola in the first round.

Bishop Amat, which won the Angelus League title for the first time in 14 season, is the top-seeded team followed by Long Beach Millikan, St. Anthony and surprising Ocean View. St. Paul was named the at-large team, giving the Angelus League four entries.

Gary McKnight, Mater Dei coach, was asked about the fall from the No. 1 spot and his team’s chances of repeating as division champion.

“Bishop Amat deserves to be the top seed,” McKnight said. “Anybody that goes 9-1 in the Angelus League deserves anything they get. They’re the team to beat. I thought an 8-2 record would win the league outright.

“If Bishop Amat continues to play like they did against us, they’ll win the title. But there are probably 12 teams who could win it. Parity is definitely there this year.”

Among the more attractive first-round games in the division will match two Sunset League teams against two Angelus League teams. Marina (18-6) will play host to St. Bernard (18-7) and Ocean View (15-7) will play host to St. Paul (15-7).

Despite failing to earn a seeding, Mater Dei (17-7) is a good bet to reach the semifinals on Wednesday, March 2.

Quantity and Quality: As usual, the 4-A division is the section’s strongest with 12 teams entered boasting 20 or more victories and three more with 19 victories in the 32-team bracket.

Simi Valley (22-3) is seeded first, followed by Glendora (26-0) and Capistrano Valley (22-4) and Santa Ana (23-3).

Capistrano Valley and Santa Ana have been ranked first and second in Orange County most of the season, but both teams will have to beat a tough opponent just to reach the quarterfinals.

Greg Coombs, Santa Ana coach, wasn’t pleased drawing perennial power Dominguez (14-10) in the first round. Dominguez tied Downey for second place in the San Gabriel Valley League, but was designated as the league’s No. 3 entry when it lost a coin flip.

“They’re strength is quickness and so is ours,” Coombs said. “Dominguez is one of the toughest third-place teams in the division, if not the toughest.”

Capistrano Valley opens with Palm Springs and then will likely meet defending 4-A champion Santa Monica in the second round. The Cougars did get a break against Palm Springs. The Indians’ leading scorer and rebounder, Richard Low, was declared academically ineligible last week.

Now, consider the plight of Beverly Hills (22-3). The Normans won the Ocean League and drew Ventura (20-5) in the first round.

“Once again, the 4-A is the toughest division,” said Jim Reames, Foothill coach. “Outside of Bishop Amat, the top four teams in the section are in the 4-A.”

Here’s to the Champions: Saddleback (22-4) won its first league title in the school’s 21-year history and was named the top-seeded 3-A team. Sunny Hills (20-3) was seeded second, followed by Tustin (20-5) and Rolling Hills (18-6).

“The first league title means more than anything,” said Pat Quinn, Saddleback coach. “We started the year looking to be league champions, now everything is gravy.

“I just hope we don’t relax now and say, yeah, we got what we wanted. I think our league (Sea View) will do very well in the playoffs. There wasn’t many points separating the top teams from the bottom teams.”

Estancia, the league’s No. 3 entry, will be a good test for Sunny Hills in the first round. The Eagles beat Los Alamitos, Marina and Laguna Hills and played only four teams with a losing record.

The division also features two rematches of earlier season games. Los Alamitos beat Fullerton in a nonleague game and Tustin beat La Quinta in the La Quinta Tournament. Los Alamitos (19-6) wasn’t seeded, but the Griffins are playing as well as anybody in the division.

The Jerry Dunphy Division: The ABC Eyewitness news anchors’ trademark greeting, “From the desert, to the sea, to all of Southern California” best describes the 2-A division.

Entries qualified from Calexico in the south to Paso Robles in the north, and from Barstow in the east to Laguna Beach in the west.

Last season, Woodbridge began its quest for the 2-A title with a scouting trip to El Centro for a wild-card game, but Coach Bill Shannon will have an easy trip to Elsinore on Wednesday night to scout his first-round opponent.

Woodbridge (18-5) was seeded third in the division behind top-seeded Banning (25-0) and San Bernardino (25-1). The Warriors, with center Adam Keefe, will be formidable again.

“Keefe will take them as far as he wants to,” said Lou Cvijanovich, Santa Clara coach. “He’s the most dominating player in the division.”

One More Time: Whittier Christian (17-6) was seeded third in the 1-A division. The Heralds have been the runner-up for two straight seasons to Crossroads, but Crossroads (14-9) failed to earn a seeding and drew a wild-card game in the first round.

St. Bonaventure (20-2) is top seeded followed by Beaumont (19-5). Eight league champions will play the winners of wild-card games in the first round.

Prep Notes

Tom Roanhaus, basketball coach at St. Anthony, has been suspended for the playoffs and all of next season by the school’s principal, Sister Marion Kikukawa, after a recommendation by the Southern Section’s Executive Council. Roanhaus admitted to sending invitations to eighth grade coaches inviting them and their players to St. Anthony’s home games, a section violation. Assistant Kevin Hillsey, who graduated at St. Anthony in 1979, will coach the team against Edison in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Nine county football players, headed by quarterbacks Bret Johnson of El Toro and Todd Marinovich of Capistrano Valley, have been invited to play for the Southern California team in the 37th Shrine All-Star football game scheduled for July 23 in the Rose Bowl. Other players selected are Mike Linn (Esperanza), Pete Schmitt (Laguna Beach), Pat Blottiaux (Servite), Reza Mehdizadeh (Fountain Valley), Roger Roadstrom (Los Alamitos), Jeff Pease (Mission Viejo) and Adam Brass (El Toro). . . . Bobby Joyce, Santa Ana center, is being recruited by Villanova, Pittsburgh, Nevada Las Vegas and Providence, according to Saints Coach Greg Coombs.