HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : SOUTH COAST LEAGUE : Capistrano Valley Should Follow Form With Another Big Season

Winning league titles and advancing to the semifinals of the Southern Section basketball playoffs has become almost routine at Capistrano Valley High School, so why should the 1988-89 season be any different?

Capistrano Valley, under veteran Coach Mark Thornton, has won the league title 6 of the past 8 years and has reached the final four of the playoffs five times. The Cougars are the overwhelming favorites to win the South Coast League title, considered by many to be the toughest league in Orange County.

For openers, Thornton has the county’s best player, forward Scott McCorkle, a muscular 6-foot 5-inch junior with excellent range. McCorkle averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds as a sophomore and was impressive this summer in a national tournament in Phoenix.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached, and I’ve coached some good ones,” Thornton said. “The great thing is that he’s only going to get better.”

Thornton has a talented team with plenty of depth that won a whopping 41 games last summer, losing only to Mater Dei. He’s approaching the season with a low-key attitude. “We’ll be pretty good, and that’s as far as I’ll go,” he said.

The Cougars have four returning lettermen and added transfer Bill Mazurie, an all-league guard from Foothill. What’s more, Thornton has four players off last year’s junior varsity team that finished 21-3.

“Capistrano Valley could be the best team in the county,” said Rich Skelton, Dana Hills coach.

San Clemente Coach Dion Kerhoulas envisioned the Cougars conquering bigger and better things.

“Capistrano Valley has the kind of talent to win the state title,” Kerhoulas said.

Of course, Thornton won’t hear of such talk. When asked to access the league, he said, “We will be in the hunt.”

El Toro, runner-up in the 6-team league, is a consensus choice to finish second again. El Toro has the league’s most athletic player, forward Khari Johnson, and an outstanding sophomore in forward Rob Johnson.

Irvine, the surprise team of the league under Coach Steve Keith last season, has a good chance of winning the league title.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see Irvine move up a notch and finish second this year,” Mission Viejo Coach Bob Minier said. “They’re always going to be tough from now on.”

Here’s a closer look:

CAPISTRANO VALLEY: McCorkle emerged as a dominant player in the Cougars’ run to the 4-A division championship game last year, averaging 18 points in 5 playoff games. He scored a career-high 35 points against Santa Barbara in the semifinals, including 4 3-point shots. The Cougars lost the championship game to Simi Valley.

Chris Kostoff is the lastest product off Capistrano Valley’s point guard assembly line. He compares favorably to former Cougars Burt Call, Nathan Call, Scott McCullough and Charles Lockard. Steve McCaughey, a 6-10 center, begins his third season on the varsity and is expected to create defensive problems for most opponents.

“We have good speed and good shooters,” Thornton said. “We had an awfully good summer.” Capistrano Valley finished 10-0 at Trabuco Hills and 9-1 at Dana Hills in summer league play, losing only to Mater Dei. Capistrano Valley should get a good test in its season opener Thursday night at Corona del Mar.

DANA HILLS: Skelton, former coach at San Clemente and assistant at Saddleback College, has replaced Steve Thornton as coach. Skelton’s claim to fame as a coach is a 6-4 loss to Sierra in the 1980 playoffs while coaching at San Clemente, the lowest scoring game in Southern Section history.

Skelton’s top returning player is 6-8 center John Lloyd, who averaged 14.7 points, 7 rebounds and shot 58% from the field as a junior. He has signed with Brigham Young University. Also returning are guard Chris Delfs and forward Mike Fedden. Among the top newcomers are center John Vivano and forward Jason Spizuoco.

“John Lloyd could develop into one of the county’s top players,” Skelton said. “We have good outside shooting, but we lack aggressiveness and we’re weak on the boards.”

EL TORO: The Chargers won 20 games for the first time in the school’s history, but it was only good enough for second place. That could happen again this season.

Three-year starters Bret Johnson, Eric Speaker and Cory Wayland have graduated, but Tim Travers has Johnson and Johnson and the ever-improving Greg Everett at center as he returns for his ninth season.

Rob Johnson, a fine 3-point shooter, was an all-tournament selection at San Clemente as a freshman and was named by the Long Beach Press-Telegram as among the top sophomores in the state. Johnson’s father, Bob, joins Travers’ staff as an assistant.

Khari Johnson averaged 14.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and shot 63% from the field as a junior. Johnson is exceptionally quick and a very good leaper. He has signed with UC Irvine.

Among the top newcomers is guard Greg Reynolds, the leading scorer on last year’s junior varsity team with a 23-point average. Tim Casarez, Mike Shannon and Dan Somers--members of last year’s league championship sophomore team--also should help.

IRVINE: Keith arrived at Irvine last year from Glendale with the reputation as one of Southern California’s top coaches and didn’t disappoint. Keith led Irvine to its first playoff berth in the school’s history and beat Charter Oak in a wild-card game before losing to Muir.

Bryan Allred, an all-league guard as a junior who averaged 12 points per game, is the team’s top returning player. Center Raphael Molle and forward Todd Trout also return, but it’s the play of Molle’s younger brother, John, that has Keith excited.

“John is going to be one of the top sophomores in Orange County,” Keith said. “We’re hoping to build on last year’s success with five returning lettermen.” Irvine played in two tournaments and a league over the summer and finished 16-2.

Irvine will meet El Toro in the opening game of league play at 6:45 in UC Irvine’s Bren Center and will face powers Marina, Los Alamitos and Corona del Mar in nonleague play.

MISSION VIEJO: The Diablos missed the playoffs for the first time in 7 seasons with a fourth-place finish, and the prospects of making the postseason tournament this year don’t look much better with only one returning letterman.

Newcomers Eric Cramer and Greg Amaya, 6-3 junior forwards, are the team’s top players. “Quite frankly, the others are just average high school players,” said Coach Minier. The Diablos were 18-12 in summer league play.

Minier said he is concerned about the lack of depth, especially on the front line, and hinted he might elevate three sophomores off the junior varsity team before the season ends.

“We’re a year away,” Minier said. “I think we’ll be quite good next year.”

SAN CLEMENTE: The Tritons failed to win a league game and were 2-18 overall last year, but they will be improved. Unfortunately, Kerhoulas has the youngest team in the league with six underclassmen among the top nine players.

Forwards Brian Reichard and Jon Pardoen and guard Michael Bell are the top returning players, but newcomers Eddie Morgan and Melvin Johnson, both sophomores, are expected to make big contributions. Morgan is the tallest player on the team at 6-6, but weighs only 175 pounds.

“The league is as strong as it’s ever been, which will be tough for a young team like ours,” Kerhoulas said.

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

1987-88 Overall, League Record in Parenthesis

SCHOOL ‘88-’89 COMMENT Capistrano Valley (26-5, 10-0) Best team with the best player in league. Dana Hills (10-14, 3-7) Should improve with new coach, Lloyd at center. El Toro (20-6, 8-2) Johnson and Johnson are league’s top forward duo. Irvine (13-14, 5-5) Could move to second with Keith coaching. Mission Viejo (11-13, 4-6) Rebuilding with only one returning letterman. San Clemente (2-18, 0-10) Another long season for a very young team.