Prep Wednesday : SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEWS : 5-A : Trying to Break Through, Again : Capistrano Valley Has Been Close, but Hasn’t Won a Title

Will Capistrano Valley High School finally win that elusive Southern Section basketball title in 1989? Or will Pasadena return to its glory days of the 1970s when it advanced to four large-school championship games in seven years?

Capistrano Valley has advanced to the semifinals five times in seven seasons under Coach Mark Thornton. The Cougars have played in two championship games, losing to Simi Valley in overtime, 70-64, for the 4-A title last year and to Ridgecrest Burroughs, 66-55, in the 2-A title game in 1982.

Will the third time be a charm? Several coaches in the 5-A division think so. Capistrano Valley (20-4) is seeded second behind Pasadena (22-2).

“I scouted Capistrano Valley last Wednesday, and I’d have to say they’re the class of the 5-A division,” said John Dahl, veteran coach at Moreno Valley. “They’ve got everything . . . a solid point guard, good height, excellent shooting and a great player in (Scott) McCorkle.”

McCorkle averages 24.1 points per game for Capistrano Valley, which has won 11 consecutive games since losing to Saddleback, 57-53, in the semifinals of the Orange Holiday tournament.

But it was the improved play of point guard Chris Kostoff that carried the Cougars to 10 consecutive victories in the South Coast League. Kostoff made 36 of 62 attempts from three-point range and boosted his scoring average to 15 points per game.

“Kostoff has made them a better team,” said Rich Skelton, the Dana Hills coach. “It’s difficult to imagine anyone better than Capistrano Valley or Irvine in the division.”

Thornton, who cringed when Capistrano Valley was made the preseason choice as Orange County’s top-ranked team ahead of Mater Dei, isn’t discounting his team’s chances.

“We’ve been a really good playoff team in the past, and I feel we’re just starting to hit our stride,” he said.

Irvine (21-5) is seeded fourth. Second-year Coach Steve Keith is aiming for his third Southern Section championship, having won the 4-A title in 1985 and the 2-A title in 1981, both while at Glendale.

Irvine has stumbled recently, losing two of its past three games. Not exactly the type of momentum a coach wants going into the tournament.

“I wish there was something tangible I could point to, like an injury or sickness to explain the way we finished the season,” Keith said. “We had a taxing preseason, but I thought it was important for our program to win those tournaments. (Irvine won the Irvine World News and Coast Christmas tournaments.)

“We came up short on the gas tank at the end of the season, but with a week off, we’ll have time to recharge our batteries.”

Keith, who had some memorable games against Pasadena for the Pacific League title while at Glendale, expects Pasadena to be a strong challenger for the 5-A title.

“They were down a few years and took a back seat to Muir, but this year marked a return to their glory years,” Keith said. “They’re athletic and quick.” Pasadena guard Idris Jones, who averages 20.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists per game, has signed to attend UC Santa Barbara.

Buena (19-4) is seeded third and was the runner-up to Rio Mesa in the Channel League. Buena advanced to the 4-A quarterfinals last year before being eliminated by Santa Ana.

Buena is one of the best three-point shooting teams in Southern California. Junior guard Jeff Oliver averages 18 points per game but 6-foot-5 center Adan Valencia is the only player with good size on the team.

Among the unseeded teams, Ocean View (17-8) is the strongest entry. Ocean View’s record is deceiving, with six of its losses coming against Mater Dei (twice), Fountain Valley, St. Paul, Huntington Beach and Edison, all playoff entries.

“The first thing I noticed when I picked up the playoff sheet was that Ocean View was in our bracket, and I didn’t like that,” Capistrano Valley’s Thornton said. “I’ve always thought they were the best team we’ve played all year.”

Ocean View defeated Capistrano Valley, 72-62, in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions, despite a 35-point performance by McCorkle.

Looking for a sleeper? Edison (14-12) is the only team to beat 2-A powerhouse Santa Clara, and Coach Jon Borchert’s teams have a habit of disrupting favored opponents with strong defensive play.

But Edison won’t be playing its second-round game on its home court Friday night. School officials discounted the team’s chances of making the playoffs before the season. They scheduled a divisional championship wrestling match in the school’s gymnasium.

5-A IN A BOX Teams to beat: Pasadena (22-2), Capistrano Valley (20-4), Ocean View (17-8) and Irvine (21-5).

Dark horse: Edison (14-12).

Players to watch: Bryan Allred (Irvine), Idris Jones (Pasadena), Scott McCorkle (Capistrano Val- ley), Todd Norman (Ocean View), Jeff Oliver (Buena).

Best first-round game: El Toro (13-12) at Los Alamitos (11-14).

Final Four prediction: Pasadena vs. Irvine, Ocean View vs. Capistrano Valley.