High School Basketball Playoffs Today

CITY SECTION 4-A DIVISION

Fremont (12-9)

vs. Cleveland (18-3)

At Cleveland 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland comes into the game on a low note after losing to Taft, 69-68, in the Valley League finale, which cost the Cavaliers a share of the league title. Fremont finished fifth at 3-7 in the Central League, which includes Crenshaw (22-0), the No. 1-ranked team in the nation and second-place Westchester (18-5), which was briefly ranked among the nation’s top 25. Cleveland’s pressing defense is keyed by several feisty guards, including junior Adonis Jordan and seniors Damon Greer, Joey Manliguis and Michael Gray. Senior forwards Richard Branham and Damon Charlot are also excellent defensive players. Cleveland has lost only two home games in the past three years.

Dorsey 14-7)

vs. Kennedy (16-4)

At Kennedy 7:30 p.m.

Dorsey Coach Dave Gordon feels his team must contain Kennedy senior guard Uba Satterfield and senior center Clarence Williams, but he said Kennedy seems unpredictable--and that compounds matters. Kennedy scored 31 points against Fairfax and 80 against Hamilton. Kennedy’s defense will be a key--the Golden Cougars allow an average of only 56.8 points a game. Williams will face Dorsey’s Dimario Sykes (6-5), who was moved into the starting lineup to give the Dons more height to go with forwards Chris Brooks (6-5) and Chris Mims (6-5). Dorsey’s guards, Marcus Nash (21 points) and Anthony Thomas (17), shoot well.

Taft (16-6)

vs. San Pedro (9-10)

At Gardena High 7:30 p.m.

Taft pulled off the upset of the regular season Thursday by beating Cleveland in the Valley League finale, 69-68. As usual, the Toreadors received a big game from guards Quincy Watts and Dedan Thomas. Watts scored 28 points, eight above his season average, and Thomas set a single-game school record for assists with 20 and a single-season record of 131. Taft may be able to use its height advantage. San Pedro’s tallest starter is 6-3 Willie Sanchez, who leads the team in scoring (16 points). Sanchez shares time at center with 6-0 John Wells, who averages 9 points and 7 rebounds. Taft counters with forwards Lamont Koonce (6-6), Tony Moten (6-5) and Donte McFrazier (6-2).

El Camino Real (5-14)

vs. Manual Arts (20-2)

At Manual Arts 7:30 p.m.

It could have been worse. Had El Camino Real lost one more league game, it could have drawn Crenshaw, the top-ranked team in the nation. Instead, the Conquistadores will have to settle for Manual Arts, ranked No. 7 in the state. The Toilers are averaging 94 points a game. Manual Arts forces an average of 22 turnovers a game. Senior Chris Small, the Marine League MVP last year, is averaging 20 points a game. Develle Walker averages 17 points and 8 rebounds. Point guard Wayne Williams averages 17 points and 6 assists. El Camino Real’s main gun is 6-4 junior forward Brent Lofton, who averages 21.9 points and 11.9 rebounds. El Camino Real needs a big outing from senior guard Damon Orlando, who averages 10.6 points.

CITY SECTION 3-A DIVISION

Narbonne (7-9)

vs. San Fernando (15-5)

At San Fernando 7:30 p.m.

San Fernando coasted to the Northwest Valley League championship, finishing first by a two-game margin. But the Tigers were blown out by Birmingham, 88-57, in the regular-season finale. “It was the other side of ugly,” said Coach Dick Crowell, who promised to intensify practice this week. “But at least now the kids know that a team they beat by 21 can beat them badly.” San Fernando guard Tory Stephens, who averages 26.3 points a game, is second to Simi Valley’s Don MacLean as the Valley-area’s leading scorer. Teammate Joe Mauldin is averaging 18.6 points, and Lance Whitaker and Duane Heller both average 8. Narbonne, which finished third in the Eastern League, defeated Roosevelt in a tiebreaker Wednesday.

Birmingham (11-8)

vs. Bell (13-6)

At Bell, 7:30 p.m.

Birmingham Coach Elliot Turret is concerned about the size of Bell, the Eastern League champion. He should be. Forward Alex Del Hierro (6-7) averages 12 points and 9 rebounds a game and center Cesar Uballe (6-6) averages 14 points and 11 rebounds. But Birmingham, which finished in a second-place tie with Granada Hills in the Northwest Valley League, is accustomed to being undersized. “Every team we go against is bigger,” said Turret, whose team has won five in a row. Guard Greg Maxwell (15.6 points) is the team’s leading scorer. He is complement by three teammates averaging in double figures: Jason Moore (10.8), Vince Walker (10.4) and Glenn Sucich (10.7).

Granada Hills (11-6)

vs. Grant (17-3)

At Grant 7:30 p.m.

Granada Hills defeated Grant, 90-86, in overtime in the consolation championship of the North Hollywood tournament in December, but Grant Coach Howard Levine said the first game is meaningless. “Every game is played unto itself,” he said. Grant has only one loss since and the Highlanders, the defending City 3-A champions, will play without starters Kyle Jan (broken hand) and Amir Hatam (academic ineligibility). Center Alvin Brown is averaging 17.7 points a game. Grant’s Danny Enowitz, who averages a team-high 17.6 points a game, scored a season-high 41 points in the first game. Sean Watkins averages 12.4 points and center Troy Mcleod averages 8.5 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Marshall (9-12)

vs. North Hollywood (16-4)

At North Hollywood 7:30 p.m.

North Hollywood is one of the hottest teams in the Valley area, winning 6 consecutive games and 10 of 11. North Hollywood, which tied Grant for first place in the East Valley League, is led by All-City forward Dominic Nappi, a 6-7 senior forward, who is averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds. Forward Alan Breslauer is expected to play after missing six games because of a severe ankle sprain. Marshall tied Eagle Rock for third in the Northern League but beat the Eagles in a tiebreaker to advance as the league’s third-place team. North Hollywood edged the Barristers in December, 42-41.

Poly (12-8)

vs. Wilson (17-5)

At Wilson 7:30 p.m.

Poly and Wilson played each other four times this season but came away with identical 0-0 records--the teams squared off three times in the Eagle Rock summer league and once in a preseason scrimmage game, none of which count on their overall records. “We are used to playing against them,” Poly Coach Al Uyemura said. Poly, which finished third in the East Valley League, is led by Bobby Ntoya (13.3 points a game), Scott Cooper (12.9) and Nick Lymberopoulos (10.9). Wilson, the Northern League champion, is led by Eric Arreola, who is averaging 30.2 points and 5.4 assists a game. Wilson has been in the playoffs 7 of the past 8 years.

SOUTHERN SECTION 4-A DIVISION

Westlake (15-9) vs. Santa Barbara (19-5)

At Santa Barbara 7:30 p.m.

After a slow start, Westlake has won 7 of its past 9 games to finish second in the Marmonte League. The Warriors average 6-7 across their front line, led by 6-7 senior Kevin Logan, who averages 16.5 points and 8 rebounds. Logan has made 33 of 60 three-point attempts. Bill Fassl (6-6) and Kurt Schwan (6-8) also average in double figures in scoring. Santa Barbara, which finished second in the Channel League, relies heavily on forward Paul Johnson, who averages 23 points and 9 rebounds a game. Johnson signed early to attend UC Santa Barbara on a basketball scholarship. Freshman Matt Purdy, the 6-4 son of first-year Coach Bob Purdy, will start at center. Santa Barbara has lost once in three years on its home court.

Thousand Oaks (8-12)

vs. Diamond Bar (21-4)

At Diamond Bar 7:30 p.m.

If Thousand Oaks Coach Ed Chevalier has his way, the Lancers’ sixth man will get more playing time than usual against Diamond Bar, the Sierra League champion. “Maybe we can play with six guys if they let us,” Chevalier said in jest. Thousand Oaks more likely will have to rely on Kevin Martin as it has for most of the season. Martin, a senior guard, averages 21.1 points and is the team’s chief threat from three-point range. Forward Mike Shoemaker averages 6.5 rebounds a game to lead the Lancers. Brian Hendrick, a 6-7 center and son of former major league baseball player George Hendrick, is the Diamond Bar player who most concerns Chevalier. Hendrick averages 26 points and 15 rebounds a game.

SOUTHERN SECTION 3-A DIVISION

Burbank (15-8) vs. Saddleback (22-4)

At Saddleback 7:30 p.m.

Burbank finished its season with a bang, beating Schurr (17-5) and rival Burroughs with a late, last-minute charge to wind up 7-3 in Foothill League play and tied with Schurr for second. The Bulldogs lost the coin flip to determine the league’s second-place representative and thus drew the unenviable task of playing the top-seeded team. Leading scorer Mark Nielsen sprained his ankle in the final game, but Bulldog Coach John Downum expects him to play.

SOUTHERN SECTION 2-A DIVISION

Chaminade (16-9)

vs. Beaumont (19-5)

At Beaumont 7:30 p.m.

Chaminade has won four consecutive games, including a 56-54 decision over Crossroads--the two-time defending 1-A champion--in a wild-card game Wednesday. Chaminade’s defense, which has played particularly well during the streak, will be tested by Scott Haskin, a 6-10 senior center who has signed with Oregon State. Haskin is averaging 29 points, 15 rebounds and 9 blocked shots. Chaminade, the third-place team in the Santa Fe League, will counter with John Carolan (11-point avg.), Andy Connolly (10) and Alex Rigolizzo (9).

SOUTHERN SECTION 1-A DIVISION

Montclair Prep (16-6)

vs. Pasadena Poly (19-3)

At Pasadena Poly 7:30 p.m.

Montclair Prep faces a team similar to itself in Pasadena Poly. The Mounties, Alpha League co-champions, have won 10 consecutive games, aided by a high-scoring guard and a dominating center. Prep League champion Pasadena Poly has won seven in a row with the same qualities. Craig Handschu (averages of 25.6 points, 7.4 rebounds) and David Sanger (14.8, 11.9) are Montclair Prep’s top guns and 6-3 guard Duane Johnson (11.1 points) gives the Mounties a third offensive weapon. Ryan McKee (20.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists) and Carter Judy (12 points, 13 rebounds) lead the Panthers.

Orange Lutheran (17-6)

vs. Bell-Jeff (16-6)

At Bell-Jeff 7:30 p.m.

Two teams riding the crests of long winning streaks meet in this game. Bell-Jeff, which earned a share of its first Santa Fe League title since 1981, has won nine consecutive games, and Orange Lutheran, the Olympic League co-champion, has won 11 in a row. Bell-Jeff possesses a balanced offense consisting of 6-2 forward Nick Sanderson (18.5-point average), 6-0 guard Greg Dunn (14.4) and 6-0 center Henry Polee (14.2). The trio has averaged 50.2 points a game during the Guards’ winning streak. Forward Geoff MacArthur and guard Jason Nevin are averaging 16 and 12 points respectively, for the Lancers. Bell-Jeff has a 10-1 record at home.