It’s Finally Foothill’s Turn at Title

From 1984-88, the Century League was a model of consistency. Santa Ana High School won the league’s basketball championship and Foothill finished second.

Santa Ana’s stranglehold on the league title was broken last season. El Modena won the championship and the Saints slipped into a second-place tie with Foothill.

That’s right, the Knights were bridesmaids for the fifth consecutive year.

“We won the title in 1983 and have been second place ever since,” Foothill Coach Jim Reames said. “That’s not a very good stat.”

That could change this season because the Knights are considered the favorite--and for good reason. Their starting lineup ranges from 6-feet-4 to 6-7.

And it’s not just the size of the players. Foothill is loaded with talent.

So every coach in the league, with the exception of Reames, is picking the Knights to finish first.

“Overall, the league is better this year, but Foothill has to be the favorite,” El Modena Coach Tim Tivenan said. “They have the best talent in the league.”

The Knights, who were 15-11 last season, return two starters in Mark Wilkinson, a 6-4 senior guard, and Jamal Duff, a 6-7 senior center.

Wilkinson led the Knights in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 16.8 points and 8 rebounds and shot 52% from the field.

However, Wilkinson is switching from shooting guard to point guard, a move that might make or break the Knights. Reames said that Wilkinson will be able to make the adjustment.

“Mark played point during the summer,” Reames said. “That’s when we found out he could do it. The team actually played better when he was at point guard than it did when he was at the shooting guard spot.”

The Knights’ size will cause matchup problems for almost every team they play, especially in the backcourt. Wilkinson and Eric Gilbertson (6-4) are bigger than many front-line players, let alone guards.

But things are far from perfect for Reames. Other than Wilkinson, the starting lineup is not strong on ballhandling skills.

“We could have some matchup problems of our own,” Reames said. “We also aren’t a very good defensive team right now.”

The Knights’ shortcomings offer a ray of hope for the rest of the league. Canyon, El Modena and Santa Ana could challenge Foothill.

Santa Ana has three starters returning, including three-year letterman Oscar Wilson, at 6-3. The Saints also have a new coach; Nash Rivera replaces Greg Coombs, who is coaching at Century High. Rivera won consecutive Southern Section 2-A championships at El Dorado.

Here’s a closer look at the teams:

CANYON--The Comanches are looking for their first playoff berth since 1986, and they might have the talent to get there.

Canyon, 12-13 a year ago, returns Kevin Wilborn, a 6-4 forward, and Addi Barkhordar a 6-0 guard. Wilborn averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds per game, and Barkhordar was the team’s floor leader. Both are juniors.

However, the key for the Comanches will be the recovery of center Charlie Saunders, who was injured in an automobile accident two weeks ago. Saunders, a 6-6 senior, sustained some head and arm injuries but is in rehabilitation.

“I don’t know what kind of shape Charlie will be in mentally when he gets the OK to play,” Coach Steve Sabins said. “Hopefully, he’ll be at full strength by the time league starts.”

EL MODENA--Rob Pietsch has graduated, leaving a tremendous void in the Vanguards’ offense.

Pietsch was one of the top scorers in Orange County last season, averaging 22.1 points per game. He also averaged 12 rebounds and shot 58% from the field.

The Vanguards, 18-6 last season, do have seniors Jeff Leedom, a 6-3 forward, and Greg Gottlieb, a 5-11 guard, returning. Leedom averaged eight points and five rebounds per game and Gottlieb nine points and four assists per game.

El Modena will have problems rebounding, because Tivenan doesn’t have a player taller than 6-3. He hopes to compensate by playing an up-tempo game and utilizing the three-point line.

FOOTHILL--Yes, the Knights are huge, but they do lack experience.

Duff and Wilkerson, who has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Dominguez Hills, are the only returning players. Fred Amos (6-6), Nick Konopisos (6-6) and Gilbertson will have to adjust to the varsity level before league play begins.

Bench strength will come from seniors Jeff Janis (6-3), Greg Clark (6-3) and John Shanahan (5-11). Shanahan will become the point guard if the Wilkinson experiment fails.

All were part of a junior varsity team that lost only one game in league play on the way to the title.

SANTA ANA--Coombs is gone after winning four league titles in the past five years. In his place is Rivera, who ran a successful program at El Dorado from 1966-80.

However, Rivera doesn’t have many players yet, four to be exact. The rest of the varsity basketball team is still playing for the school’s football team, which is in the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

When Rivera does get his players, it will be worth the wait.

The best of the group is Wilson, who weighs 235 pounds and is one of the strongest players in the county. He averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game last season.

Already playing are juniors Chauncey Woolridge (6-4) and Ramon Yerna (6-3). Woolridge averaged 12 points per game last season.

SANTA ANA VALLEY--Ken Spancil takes over as coach this season, replacing Jeff Bishop. He inherits a team that has only one returning player.

Inexperience will hurt the Falcons, who have six juniors and three sophomores.

The best of the group are juniors George Alvarado (6-2) and Leo Maldonado (6-2) and sophomore Carlos Tapai (6-4).

“We’re a lot smaller this season, but quicker,” said Spancil, who was an assistant under Bishop for the last three seasons.

VILLA PARK--The Spartans also have a new coach this season; Andrew Beyer has replaced Frank Palminteri.

Villa Park, which finished last in league play last season, returns three starters. Senior Chris Kirby (6-3), a forward/guard, is the best of the group. He averaged 14 points per game last season.

Beyer expects seniors Jay Pearsall (6-5) and Sean Callahan (6-3) to be improved this season.

“It’s tough for me to make a prediction on this team,” said Beyer, who was the junior varsity coach last season. “They are real good perimeter players. But, fundamentally, they don’t have a real strong background.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PREVIEW ’89 CENTURY LEAGUE

1988 Overall, League Records in Parentheses

SCHOOL: El Modena (18-6, 9-1) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: Two starters return but Pietsch has graduated SCHOOL: Foothill (15-11, 7-3) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: Starting lineup between 6-feet-4 and 6-7 SCHOOL: Santa Ana (19-8, 7-3) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: Six players returning, including Oscar Wilson SCHOOL: Santa Ana Valley (12-11, 4-6) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: New coach, only one returner SCHOOL: Canyon (11-13, 2-8) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: Good shooting team with some size SCHOOL: Villa Park (9-15, 1-9) ‘89-’90 COMMENT: Three returning starters, but little depth

Thursday: Empire League