CITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : EASTERN LEAGUE : Henry and Mira Mesa Are Tops

“Hah!” Patrick Henry Coach Fritz Ziegenfuss said. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t call us the favorite.”

But that’s just what his team has been called. The consensus in the City Eastern League is that Patrick Henry will be up there at the top when all the regular-season games have been concluded.

“We are well-balanced, and we don’t have any glaring weaknesses,” Ziegenfuss said. “But I think it’s going to be (an even race).”

Don’t forget about Mira Mesa, says Point Loma Coach David Aros.

“I still think they’re the team to beat,” Aros said. “They’re very disciplined.”

Mira Mesa Coach Tim Cunningham isn’t so sure.

“We’re too inconsistent,” he said. “When we’re good we can play. We’ve got some real drop-off-the-cliff games. We’re too much of a roll-the-dice team.”

So roll the dice and play.

THE RACE

Top contenders: Mira Mesa (4-21 in 1988-89), Patrick Henry (13-11).

Surprise potential: Point Loma (15-10), Morse (10-12).

Hoping for improvement: Serra (14-9).

Game of the year: Patrick Henry at Mira Mesa, Feb. 16. Two top teams in the league will go at it on the last week of the regular season.

THE PLAYERS

The man: J.J. Stokes (6-foot-5) is listed on Point Loma’s roster as a guard-forward-center, which pretty much sums things up.

He’s about a five-dimensional player, who can shoot three-pointers, shoot two-pointers, rebound, pass and play D.

“I think he’s one of the top three players in the county,” Aros said. “There’s not anybody better. I’m prejudiced, of course, but that’s my own opinion.”

Remember, this is the kid who lit up the county with quarterback Danny White as a receiver on the football team last fall.

“And,” Aros said, “he’s a better basketball player than a football player.”

Jeepers.

Who will fill Robby Robinson’s shoes? The man with the long curly locks is gone, and so is his team. Robinson graduated, and Madison jumped to the City Central League. He was second in the county in scoring last season with a 27-point average.

Nobody will completely fill his shoes or his stats, but the City East has a few players who can score. Patrick Henry’s Jason Lonsdale (6-3) is an aggressive player with a nice touch on his jumper. J.J. Rowlett, Mira Mesa’s 6-3 forward, has been a bit inconsistent in preseason but should make significant contributions as league play progresses.

Others: Rod Alexander, a 6-0 guard from Serra, and David Dunn, a 6-4 forward from Morse.

In the newcomer department, Serra center Joey Wojdowski should crane a few necks. He’s only 6-3 but he can jump and has established himself as a rebounding force. Morse’s starting point guard, Andre Calvin, is only a freshman but averaged 11.1 points a game through the preseason.

Others to watch: Marc Ziegler, Mira Mesa’s 6-4 center, won’t be pushed around underneath the basket. Ziegler played tight end on the football team and is a strong rebounder with a good inside shot.

Butch Reese, Patrick Henry’s 6-1 guard, transferred from Virginia and has good ball-handling skills.

Point Loma’s Rapheal Durr, a 6-1 point guard, gained experience during nonleague games and is starting to play with consistency. He’s a good defender too.

THE INTANGIBLES

No longer a six pack: Madison’s departure to the City Central shouldn’t evoke any tears from the rest of the East. Madison finished the regular season last year tied for second with Morse. Then the Warhawks advanced all the way to the Division II final before losing to Torrey Pines.

Receiving attention: Good hands should be a trademark of this league. Three of the best football pass catchers in the county are playing hoops in the City East: Ziegler, Stokes and Lonsdale.

The football factor: Point Loma started off 2-4 this season before six of its players were finished with football. The Pointers then won six of their next eight.

Cunningham would like to see fewer football recruiters hovering around his players. Both Ziegler and Rowlett are legitimate Division I football prospects and drawing the attention that goes with it. But Cunningham would like them to pay a bit more attention to zones, picks and layups.

“The kids can’t handle this,” Cunningham said. “J.J. Rowlett hasn’t been consistent like the player he was in the summer. I think his mind is elsewhere at times because these football recruiters are all over him. Ziegler is worried about making the (recruiting) trips.”

New kid on the block: Aros says he has a 40-year-old cousin who played for Serra Coach Tom Williams. Aros has coached only four years at the varsity level.

“I get knocked around by these guys every year,” he said. “There are some great coaches in this league.”