El Segundo Shoots for First Finals Spot in 23 Years

A confident El Segundo High School basketball team will attempt to reach the CIF Southern Section finals for the first time in 23 years when it faces top-seeded Laguna Beach at 7:30 tonight in the 2-A playoffs at Rolling Hills High.

“We’re looking forward to it,” El Segundo Coach Rick Sabosky said of the semifinal match-up. “I know Laguna Beach is a good team. But I feel if we play a strong game defensively, we can handle them.”

The Eagles (15-13) have been impressive in both of their playoff victories, beating Crossroads, 81-67, last week and fourth-seeded Orange Lutheran, 80-63, in the quarterfinals Tuesday night.

“Our defense has been the key in the last few games,” Sabosky said.

El Segundo figures to focus most of its attention on Laguna Beach forward Dain Blanton, a 6-foot-4 senior who averages 17.5 points and six rebounds. A good leaper, Blanton is rated one of the West Coast’s top college volleyball prospects.

“He’s a slashing-type player,” Sabosky said. “He’s really strong going to the hole.”

Blanton’s supporting cast is headed by guards Josh Borella, who scored 28 points Tuesday in a 73-62 victory over Bishop, and John Trevino, who averages 15 points and 3.3 assists. The Artists (21-5) were runners-up to Trabuco Hills in the Pacific Coast League.

El Segundo features a balanced lineup led by 6-5, 230-pound center Kenny Talanoa, 6-3 forward Tate Seefried and guard Scott Panfil. In Tuesday’s win over Orange Lutheran, Panfil and Seefried combined for 40 points and seven three-point shots.

Panfil averages 19.5 points, Seefried 16.5 and Talanoa 13.5 points and 13 rebounds.

“If Seefried and Panfil are both on, we’re pretty tough,” Sabosky said. “They’ve both been contributing in the playoffs.”

The coach also lauded the recent play of guard Craig Friesen and reserve forward Chris Hansen, a 6-4 junior who has been a welcome addition in the 2-A tournament after missing most of the regular season because of grade problems.

The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the 2-A championship game at 9:45 a.m. March 3 at the Sports Arena.

El Segundo last appeared in a CIF basketball final in 1967, when a team coached by Cliff Warren (now the coach at Rolling Hills High) and starring Dana Pagett (now the coach at Rancho Santiago College) lost in overtime to Monrovia in the major division title game.

Laguna Beach is going after its first Southern Section title since 1962, when it won the Small Schools championship under present Coach Ed Bowen.