1988 ALL-COUNTY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM : Breaking Into This Lineup Proves to Be a Tall Order for Most Guards

The strength of girls’ basketball in Orange County was inside the lane this season. If there was a theme to the season, it was that only the strong survived.

The Times’ All-County team has forwards and centers galore, but only 2 of the 10 players selected were guards.

And only one, Aimee McDaniel of Brea-Olinda High School, could be termed a “true” guard.

McDaniel, a 5-foot 10-inch sophomore, played point guard, running the offense and leading the team in scoring. She is the first sophomore member of the All-County team since 1985, when Brea’s Carrie Egan was selected.

Kathy Millat of Woodbridge, the other guard, played on the wing for the Warriors. Though she is 5-8, the smallest player selected, Millat usually scored her points in the key, mixing it up with the taller players.

Millat led the Warriors to the only Southern Section title-game appearance by a county team this season. Woodbridge lost in the 2-A final to Chino.

But McDaniel and Millat are the exceptions.

Susan Tousey and Joni Easterly are more typical of this season’s team.

Tousey, a 6-3 senior center at Brea, was one of the tallest players in the county and one of its best centers. She averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds.

Easterly, a 5-11 junior forward at Katella, led the county in scoring with a 22.1-point average and also grabbed 11.7 rebounds a game. She was one of three players who averaged double figures in points and rebounds.

Dawn Charroin, a 6-1 senior center who averaged 15.8 points and 11.0 rebounds, and Donna Gondringer, a 6-1 senior center at La Quinta who averaged 19 points and 12.1 rebounds, were the others.

Tricia Stringam, a 5-11 senior forward at Mission Viejo, and Tami Chick, a 5-11 senior forward at Huntington Beach, were skilled enough to play guard, but they helped their teams best by playing inside.

Stringam is the only repeat selection on this season’s team.

Though small for a center, Robin Seabrook, a 5-11 senior at La Habra, still averaged 20 points a game, second best in the county. And she did it primarily from the inside.

Heather Schoeny, a 5-11 senior forward at Capistrano Valley, played a similar game to Seabrook’s.

The Times’ 1987-88 All-County team was selected by a poll of county coaches.

The county’s most valuable player and coach of the year will be announced at an awards banquet honoring the team May 1 at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel.

All-County Team

Pos Name School Avg. C Dawn Charroin Marina 15.8 F Tami Chick Huntington Beach 17.0 F Joni Easterly Katella 22.1 C Donna Gondringer La Quinta 19.0 G Aimee McDaniel Brea-Olinda 21.0 G Kathy Millat Woodbridge 16.7 F Heather Schoeny Capistrano Valley 18.1 C Robin Seabrook La Habra 20.0 F Tricia Stringam Mission Viejo 17.9 C Susan Tousey Brea-Olinda 18.0

Dawn Charroin

Marina, 6-1, Sr.

Charroin averaged 15.8 points and 11 rebounds a game for the Vikings. She set seven school records this season, including a single-game scoring record of 36 points against Lakewood in the second round of the 4-A playoffs. She has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Oregon.

Tami Chick

Huntington Beach, 5-11, Sr.

Chick was named the Sunset League’s most valuable player, averaging 17 points a game for the Oilers. Chick has signed a letter of intent to play at Cal Poly Pomona. She helped the Oilers into the second-round of the 4-A playoffs where they lost, 75-70, to Morningside, the eventual champion.

Joni Easterly

Katella, 5-11, Jr.

Easterly averaged 22.1 points a game to lead the Knights to their second straight Empire League title and a 17-9 overall record. Her scoring average was tops in the county this season. She also averaged 11.7 rebounds for the Knights. She was named the league’s most valuable player.

Donna Gondringer

La Quinta, 6-1, Sr.

Gondringer led the Aztecs to their seventh consecutive Garden Grove League championship and to the top spot in the 2-A rankings for most of the season. She shared the league’s most valuable player award with teammate Laura Anderson. Gondringer averaged 19 points and 12.1 rebounds a game.

Aimee McDaniel

Brea-Olinda, 5-10, Soph.

McDaniel showed savvy running the Wildcats’ offense this season. She averaged 21 points, 4 assists and 5 rebounds a game for Brea-Olinda, which was ranked No. 1 in the 3-A polls for most of the regular season. She helped the team to a 28-2 record and to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

Kathy Millat

Woodbridge, 5-8, Sr.

Millat led an undersized Warrior team to the 2-A title game, where it was defeated, 47-41, by Chino. She helped the Warriors win their fifth straight league championship. She averaged 16.7 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals a game and was named the Pacific Coast League’s most valuable player.

Heather Schoeny

Capistrano Valley, 5-11, Sr.

Schoeny signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of the Pacific. Averaged 18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds to lead the Cougars to a 21-7 record and to the semifinal round of the 3-A playoffs, where they lost to Los Altos, 52-45. She was named to the all-South Coast League first team.

Robin Seabrook

La Habra, 5-11, Sr.

Seabrook was the second-leading scorer in the county with a 20-point average. She has not committed to a college yet, but is taking a recruiting trip to USC this week. She helped the Highlanders, who advanced to the second-round of the 2-A playoffs, to the Freeway League championship.

Tricia Stringam

Mission Viejo, 5-11, Sr.

Stringam helped a young Diablo team to the South Coast League championship and a 21-6 record. She averaged 17.9 points and 9.8 rebounds as one of only two seniors on the Diablos. She was named the league’s most valuable player and has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hawaii.

Susan Tousey

Brea-Olinda, 6-3, Sr.

Tousey, a three-year starter, was named second-team all-Southern Section 3-A last season. This season, she averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds a game for the Wildcats. She was named to the all-Orange League first team. She has signed a letter of intent to play at Pepperdine next season.