Prep Basketball : Sunset League Roundup : Ocean View Gets Things Moving With Victory

Ocean View, the consensus class of the Sunset League at the beginning of the season, has found the going rough.

Teams in the league have learned that the best defense against the Seahawks was to drape three players on the limbs of Ocean View’s 6-6 1/2, 245-pound Todd Norman. Put someone else on Mike Frohn, the league’s most valuable player last year, and let the rest of the Seahawks fire away.

The strategy worked well enough 2 weeks ago for Huntington Beach. The Oilers upset the Seahawks, holding Norman to just 9 points. And it worked for Fountain Valley in the league opener, as the Barons upset Ocean View.

Something had to be done, and Ocean View Coach Jim Harris had the answer--motion.

Harris introduced his new whirlwind offense to his old pressure defense and the result was a 61-52 victory over visiting Fountain Valley in front of 800 Friday night.

With the old offense, teams routinely found Norman planted near the blocks and sent a couple of extra defenders to keep him company. In the new system, Norman has been uprooted. He and the rest of the Seahawks (14-7, 4-2) are running more than a hamster in a wheel.

The change has been fruitful for Norman, who scored a game-high 21 points and collected 10 rebounds, including 6 offensive rebounds. Frohn scored 20.

“They can’t double down on me inside anymore,” Norman said. “I scored a lot of different ways that I hadn’t scored before. I scored off a lot of offensive rebounds and passes from weak side and inside the key.”

A stellar defensive effort frustrated Fountain Valley’s high-scoring center, Mike Merli, who had only 11 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Going into the game, he was averaging 16.8 points.

The Seahawks set the tone in the first quarter. Norman and Frohn scored 6 each as Ocean View took a 22-15 lead. Merli, guarded by Darren Ernst, was called for 2 offensive fouls that nullified baskets. Norman also took a charge that nullifed a basket by Doug Weaver.

Ocean View led by as many as 13 points early in the third quarter but Fountain Valley (16-4, 4-2) battled back to within 54-52 with 56 seconds left. But 4 free throws by Frohn down the stretch put the game out of reach.

“We’re masters of our own destiny now,” Harris said. “If we win the rest of (our games) we’ll get a share of the title no matter who does what to each other.”

Huntington Beach 48, Edison 44--Andy Thompson scored 17 points, including 2 free throws in the final 23 seconds for host Huntington Beach. Scott Drake and Jeff Long each scored 11 for the Oilers (10-9, 5-1). Steve Thobe scored 11 points and Tom Tyler and Bill Martineau each scored 10 for Edison (10-12, 3-3).

Marina 73, Westminster 45--Sophomores Cherokee Parks (24 points) and Sean Haselrig (19 points) led Marina (9-12, 2-4) at home.