DIVISION I BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : Sweetwater, Santana Test Boys, Girls of Mt. Carmel

Tonight’s San Diego Section Division I boys’ basketball final at 8:30 at Golden Hall matches teams deserving of a championship shot after years of what-might-have-beens.

The Red Devils of Sweetwater (29-1) are seeded No. 1, the Sundevils of Mt. Carmel (23-5) No. 2. It’s tempting to note that both teams are hot.

While each has had considerable success over the years, Sweetwater is in its first final in 10 seasons, Mt. Carmel its first ever after losing in the semifinals six times.

“Yeah,” Mt. Carmel Coach John Marincovich said, “but we won the quarterfinal six times.”

The intriguing aspect of this game is the apparent mismatch. Sweetwater is one of the smallest teams in the county, Mt. Carmel one of the biggest.

But Sweetwater is also extremely quick, relentless and talented, so the height disadvantage doesn’t carry much weight in National City, where the Red Devils earned their second consecutive Metro Conference title.

Another misperception outside of Rancho Penasquitos is that Mt. Carmel is a one-dimensional half-court team. The Sundevils can run, too, and all five starters averaged double figures in scoring during their Palomar League championship season.

Shane Knight (6-feet-9) leads an all-senior starting lineup in scoring (20.0 average) and rebounding (11.0), but on any given night Jeff Blake (6-7), Bill Wootton (6-3), Mike Graves (6-3) or Tom LaBuda (6-3) can outshine Knight.

“We don’t depend on one or two people to score, and I think that’s what makes Sweetwater so good,” Marincovich said.

Sweetwater has a balanced, potent attack. Joe McDowell (21.1 average), Carlos Campbell (19.8), John Gilbert (12.5), Melvin Rushing (8.2) and 5-6 point guard Mendel Nafarrete (5.0) can all score. Seniors McDowell (6-2), Campbell (6-4) and Gilbert (6-1) and junior Rushing (6-0) all started last year when Sweetwater finished 25-3 after a 97-89, double-overtime loss to Valhalla in the quarterfinals.

“I was wondering how we were going to improve on last year’s record,” Sweetwater Coach David Ybarra said. “To me, it just says a tremendous amount about our players.”

Improve it did. Sweetwater’s only loss was to Garfield High of Seattle in the championship of the 16-team Wildcat Invitational in Burnaby, Canada. Garfield has been ranked as high as 12th in the nation by USA Today.

Mt. Carmel lost just five times, three in the tough Palomar League to Poway (twice) and Rancho Buena Vista. The other two defeats were to St. Raymond of New York City in a tournament in Alaska and Bonanza of Las Vegas in a tournament there.