Trakh Thinks Otherwise, but Brea Has Team to Beat in 3-A

Despite the considerable protests of Mark Trakh, Brea-Olinda High School is indeed the team to beat in the Southern Section 3-A girls’ basketball playoffs, which begin tonight.

A couple of weeks ago, Trakh, Brea’s coach, said the Wildcats were by no means the class of the 3-A.

Alemany, Palm Desert and St. Joseph of Lakewood were going to be difficult to beat, he said.

Trakh doth protest too much.

Brea has been top-ranked in the 3-A and in Orange County this season. The Wildcats (23-2) have not lost to a Southern Section team this season.

And if there was any doubt about their strength, the Wildcats removed it when they went to Ventura and beat Buena High, 64-63.

What’s the big deal about that?

Buena, which third-ranked in the 5-A, had lost a total of one home game in 13 seasons.

Brea starts its challenge for the title Saturday night, playing the winner of tonight’s game between Bellflower and Sierra Vista.

Two factors could hinder the Wildcats’ chances for a championship. The first is inexperience: Brea starts two juniors, a freshman, a sophomore and a senior.

Second, top scorer Aimee McDaniel, a junior guard, is hurting with a case of shin splints, a painful strain of the lower leg muscles. McDaniel, The Times’ player of the year in Orange County last season, averages 15 points a game.

Other 3-A teams to watch:

Palm Desert (21-2) is second-seeded and led by a big front line. Kelly McClanahan, a 6-foot-2 forward, averages 16.5 points and 11.4 rebounds a game.

La Quinta (22-3) is third-seeded and boasts the Southern Section’s leading scorer in Amy Jalewalia, who averages 31.2 points and 13.6 rebounds.

Alemany (17-5) is fourth-seeded.

In 5-AA, top-seeded Morningside (25-1) moved up from the 3-A and is an overwhelming favorite to win the title.

Fountain Valley (16-8) is fourth-seeded and plays host to Saddleback (13-11) tonight. Unseeded El Toro (18-9), the only other county team entered, plays host to Redlands (17-6).

In 5-A, Chino (26-0), which won the 2-A title over Woodbridge last season, is top-seeded. Ocean View (23-3) is the county’s top team in the division, but is not seeded.

In 4-AA, Mission Viejo (21-4) earned the top-seeded spot and a first-round bye in a division with a slew of byes.

Center Jennifer Rohrig averages 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for Mission Viejo.

Canyon (19-4), which ended Foothill’s six-year reign as Century League champions, is seeded second. Keri Erkenbrack is the Comanches’ top player, averaging 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.

Tustin (15-10) is fourth-seeded and earned a bye as did Valencia, Orange, University and Kennedy.

In 2-AA, unseeded Whittier Christian (14-7), the only county team in the division, plays host to Mayfair (11-10). Santa Maria St. Joseph (18-5) is top-seeded.

In 2-A, Santa Clara (20-1), which lost in the 1-A final to Valley Christian last season, is top-seeded ahead of the second-seeded Crusaders.

Orange Lutheran (12-8) and Connelly (11-4) are the only county teams in the division. Neither is seeded.

In Small Schools, Liberty Christian (15-4) is third-seeded and has a first-round bye. Sharon Crouch is fourth in the Southern Section in rebounding, averaging 16.9 a game.