Prep Wrapup / Rob Fernas : Balance, Not Stars, Keeps Monarchs on Ocean League Throne

As successful as Morningside’s basketball team has been this season, it’s difficult to associate this group with great Monarch teams of the past.

Those teams had stars. Former Nevada-Las Vegas standout Jackie Robinson, Laker guard Byron Scott, Clemson center Elden Campbell and 5-5 guard Leland (Pookie) Wigington of Seton Hall helped put Morningside on the athletic map.

The closest thing Morningside has to a star this year is 6-6 forward Eddie Scott, cousin of the Scott who plays down the road at the Forum.

Eddie leads the Monarchs with a 14-point scoring average. When cousin Byron was lighting it up for Morningside in the 1978 and ’79 seasons, he would knock down 14 points by the first quarter.

Moreover, Eddie Scott is the only Morningside player with a scoring average in double figures, and only twice this season has any Monarch scored more than 20 points in a game.

Before you start laughing, however, consider the following:

--The Monarchs won the Ocean League title with a 14-0 record.

--They are 20-4 overall.

--They have not lost since Dec. 20.

--They are ranked fourth in the Southern Section 3-A Division.

Welcome to the most balanced team in the South Bay.

“Everybody sacrified their individual numbers for the team concept,” said Morningside Co-Coach Ron Randle. “We have at least 10 players who could score in double figures, and seven who could score in the 20’s.”

But that’s not part of the game plan.

In the Morningside system under Randle and longtime Coach Carl Franklin, the individual gives way to the total unit. It might not be glamorous, but you can’t argue with success.

The Monarchs enter every game with one intention: substitute frequently and run the other team ragged. The fast break and full-court defensive pressure are their mainstays.

Randle is confident the formula will continue to work in the 3-A playoffs. Morningside, which figures to be seeded, will play at home Wednesday night in the first round.

“We have high expectations,” he said. “We want to win the title. This year we can accomplish that goal with this team. We have the best collection of athletes in the 3-A (Division), bar none.”

The Monarchs, who usually play from 10 to 13 players a game, have a good blend of height and quickness. Joining Scott in the starting lineup are 6-7 forward Chris Vance, 6-7 center Jeff Crowe, 6-3 guard Kenny Jones and 5-11 point guard Don Sanders.

Unlike other teams, there’s not much of a dropoff when you get past the starting five. Depth is the team’s best feature.

However, some question whether Morningside was tested in the Ocean League. While it may not have been the toughest league around, Randle argues that his team played a demanding schedule in December in the Pacific Shores, Ocean View and Iolani (Honolulu) tournaments.

The Monarchs’ only losses have been against highly rated teams--St. Bernard (No. 5, 5-AA Division), Capistrano Valley (No. 2, 5-A Division), Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va. (No. 9 in the nation by USA Today) and Roman Catholic of Philadelphia.

“Only the strong and bold survive,” Randle said of the playoffs. “And we’re real hungry this year.”

Morningside, making its sixth consecutive appearance in the playoffs, has gone 3-3 in postseason play since winning the 3-A title in 1985. The Monarchs were beaten at home by Palos Verdes in the first round last year.

“That was a painful one for us,” Randle said.

The coach says the Monarchs are in better shape now than they were in 1988. Eddie Scott broke his wrist midway through league play last year and the team finished 3-3 without him.

Despite missing as many as three starters in a game this season because of injuries, Randle said the Monarchs were not hampered because of their improved depth.

“We don’t worry about one player going down,” he said. “We have 10 to 15 players ready to meet the challenge.”

Pairings for the Southern Section playoffs, which get under way Wednesday, will be announced today.

Here is a list of South Bay teams that have either clinched spots or are eligible for at-large berths:

5-AA Division--St. Bernard, Leuzinger (at-large).

4-AA Division--Inglewood, Torrance.

4-A Division--Redondo, West Torrance (at-large).

3-A Division--Rolling Hills, Morningside.

2-AA Division--El Segundo, Miraleste (at-large).

1-A Division--Chadwick, Mary Star (at-large).

Small Schools--South Bay Lutheran.

Five of the eight teams in the Bay League appear headed for the playoffs. Aside from champion Rolling Hills, second-place Inglewood and third-place Torrance, Leuzinger and Beverly Hills (5-A), which tied for fourth, should get at-large berths for having overall records above .500.

Although Serra has been ranked in the 2-A Division top 10 virtually the entire season, the Cavaliers did not make the playoffs because they finished tied for fourth in the Camino Real League and had an overall record (10-12) below .500.

It was only three years ago that Serra reached the 5-A final.

“It’s extremely frustrating because we finally realized we were our own worst enemy,” said Serra assistant coach James Durk. “There are some teams we should have beaten that would have made a difference in a .500 record.”

More than anything else, the Cavaliers were the victims of a tough league. Finishing above them in the Camino Real League were St. Bernard, St. Monica (ranked No. 7 in the 5-AA Division) and St. Anthony (ranked No. 3 in the 2-A Division).

Another detrimental factor was that Serra played the last seven games with only eight players. Three quit the squad during the course of the year.

“That made a difference,” Durk said. “They weren’t starters, but they were players that could come off the bench and play five-plus minutes a game. We started looking down the bench, and there was no one there.”

Westchester is considered one of the most talented basketball teams in the state, but the Comets have trouble winning the big ones.

Their latest prime-time failure came Friday when they dropped a 74-64 game to Manual Arts before a standing-room-only crowd at Westchester. The Comets made only 13 of 27 free throws and committed two costly turnovers in the final minute to ruin a comeback effort.

“They kicked our butts,” said Westchester Coach Ed Azzam, whose team finished second in the Metro League behind Manual Arts at 8-2, 15-5 overall. “They played defense and we didn’t. They made free throws and we didn’t. They rebounded and we didn’t.”

It was the Comets’ second loss in two weeks to Manual Arts, which improved to 21-0 and wrapped up the No. 1 seed for the L.A. City 4-A playoffs starting Friday. The Toilers are ranked No. 6 in the nation by USA Today.

“We might not be the most talented team in the L.A. City,” said Manual Arts Coach Randolph Simpson, “but we play harder than anybody else.”

Westchester, led by UCLA-bound forward Zan Mason and All-City guard Sam Crawford, suffered its other losses this season to Edison of Fresno in the Ocean View Tournament, and Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va., and Westwood of Memphis in the King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Ark.

Because the L.A. City athletic office recently decided to allow all 16 4-A teams into the playoffs, there are two first-round mismatches:

--Narbonne (3-17), the fourth-place team from the Pacific League, will play at Manual Arts. --Gardena (11-12), which lost to Cleveland 111-58 on Jan. 4, will travel to Reseda for a rematch with the No. 2-seeded Cavaliers.

In other first-round games Friday involving area teams, Westchester will play host to Banning (10-13), Pacific League champion Carson (14-7) will be home against either Palisades (9-10) or Fairfax (11-11) and San Pedro (9-11) will entertain either Palisades or Fairfax.

Carson received a blow last week when starting center Eric Bender and reserve swingman Michael Ross were both declared academically ineligible for the remainder of the season.

“It’s going to hurt us,” said Carson Coach Rich Masson. “They were probably our two most intense defensive players.”

Palos Verdes’ soccer team put the finishing touches on an unbeaten regular season Friday by edging rival Rolling Hills, 1-0, at Palos Verdes. It was the 21st shutout for the No. 1-ranked Sea Kings, who improved to 30-0 heading into the Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

Gregg Swartz scored the goal; Mark Antrobius had the shutout.