PREP BASKETBALL STATE PLAYOFFS : They Give Mater Dei Fail-Safe Reserve Clause : Monarchs: Bench players usually show their strength in practice. That’s when nonstarters beat stars.

They call themselves “The Scrubs.” Not only are they one of the best prep basketball teams you’ll seldom see, they’re the only team to consistently beat Mater Dei all season.

Mater Dei is the state’s top-ranked high school team with a 33-1 record going into the State Division I boys’ championship game Saturday in Oakland. The Monarchs have won 25 consecutive games, including a victory over Loyola for the Southern Section’s 5-A title and over Long Beach Poly for the Southern California Division I regional championship.

But in the daily practices with only coaches and team managers in attendance, the reserves are often the stars for Mater Dei.

“They’re better than half the teams we’ve played this season,” starting forward Charlie Andres said.

“Most of them could be starting at other schools,” Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said. “They’ve been pushed to the limit just to survive here, but they have a ring on their finger and a smile on their face.”

Mater Dei’s reserves are underclassmen projected as starters who are awaiting their turn, seniors who are borderline starters but had an impact on lower-level teams or seniors who rarely play but just want to be part of the team.

Junior center Mark Moneypenny, junior forward Taylor Ivey and sophomore guard Reggie Geary are considered the cornerstones of next season’s team.

Senior point guard Glen Malone and senior off-guard Paul Nolan would start at most schools, but find themselves playing behind returning starters Jason Quinn and David Boyle and sixth man Dan O’Neil.

Despite being reserves, Malone and Nolan have caught the attention of college coaches.

Orange Coast College Coach Tandy Gillis is interested in Malone. Nolan is being recruited by University of Redlands Coach Gary Smith.

John O’Toole, senior class valedictorian with a 4.6 grade-point average, falls into the third class of reserve. He rarely plays, but enjoys being part of a championship team.

“I could be playing at other schools, but I wouldn’t be playing now in March at another school,” O’Toole said. “I’d rather not play and win than play and lose.”

The Scrubs, headed by O’Toole, emulate an opponent’s offense in practice or provide depth and moral support from the bench on game nights.

Nolan is the team’s great impostor. Before Mater Dei played Capistrano Valley, Nolan was Scott McCorkle, the Cougars’ high-scoring forward. He was Rob Johnson before Mater Dei met El Toro in the 5-A semifinals; John Molle before Mater Dei played Irvine in the opening round of the playoffs.

Nolan, a senior, was projected as a starter during the summer, but he broke his finger last July in a tournament in Texas. Nolan recovered from that injury, then broke his ankle on the second day of the season.

“I never caught up,” Nolan said. “If you fall behind here, there’s somebody else just as good who’s going to take your place.”

Nolan displayed Mater Dei’s incredible depth when he got the opportunity to become the team’s sixth man when O’Neil was on a football recruiting trip. He scored nine points, hitting three consecutive critical shots, in a 66-53 victory over Ocean View.

“Paul showed how deep we are,” O’Toole said. “We all have the confidence we can produce if given the opportunity. The practices get the starters and reserves ready for every game.”

Ivey anticipates that next season “will be my year” and has accepted his role as a reserve. He battles Andy Karich, the Angelus League’s most valuable player, every day in practice. He is quick to point out that the final two minutes of a lopsided game is prime time for the reserves.

“It’s our chance to show the coaches, but at the same time, you don’t want to be a ballhog, so you have to play within a team concept,” Ivey said. “We usually get in the game in the final two minutes if we have a 14-point lead or better.”

Geary is the prime reason Mater Dei fans seldom leave a game before it’s over. Geary’s acrobatic dunks have helped him become the favorite of the Mater Dei student section.

“He is the reason people stay for the whole game,” O’Toole said. “Reggie is the pride of the Scrubs. We know some day he’s going to be the star player at Mater Dei.”

The Scrubs’ excitement on the bench is often transmitted to the action on the floor. The players sometimes try to excite the student section that is headed by a former player, Brian Liberto.

Liberto was a reserve for three years in Mater Dei’s basketball program, but opted to become a rooter rather than a reserve in his senior year.

“You have to be a little subdued on the bench, and I found you can get out more aggression and have more fun sitting in the rooter section,” Liberto said.