SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL CAPSULES : MARMONTE LEAGUE

Agoura COACH: Kevin Pasky, 4th season LAST SEASON: 14-9; 3rd in Frontier League, 6-4 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Only two starters, senior guard Sean Martin and junior forward Eddie Corridori, return for the Chargers. Martin, a 5-foot-11 senior, was a second-team Times All-Valley selection last season and averaged 21.6 points a game. He is considered a Division II prospect by national scouting services. The only remaining Charger with varsity experience is senior forward Diego Edber (6-3), who played sparingly last season. Senior Dennis Fowler (6-1) likely will start beside Martin in the backcourt and junior Jon West (6-2) probably will start at the other forward position. The remaining starter could be sophomore forward-guard Jeff Niemann (6-3). Jeremy Fant, a 6-5 transfer from El Paso, Tex., sustained a broken ankle in September and likely will not play until January. Agoura is deep with senior forward Jeff Feinman (6-4), junior guard Brent Finch (5-10) and senior guard David Siegel (6-0). OUTLOOK: Agoura’s move from the Frontier League will be soothed by a deep roster. “This is one of the best benches we’ve had,” Pasky said. “We’ll probably run a nine-man rotation. We only have starters because we need five guys out there for the opening tip.” The Chargers, who lost to Edison in the second round of the 4-AA Division playoffs last season, lack size. But they will attempt to overcome that with their quickness, full-court pressure and an up-tempo attack. Agoura will rely heavily on Martin’s shooting touch. “The question is whether the team can handle the frustration when they’re not shooting well,” Pasky said. Agoura improved dramatically over the summer, but lack of size likely will keep the Chargers from moving into the league’s upper echelon. Camarillo COACH: Mike Prewitt, 1st season LAST SEASON: 16-9; tied for 3rd in league, 7-5 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior guard David Harbour (6-3), a two-time all-league and All-Ventura County selection who averaged 27.7 points a game last season, has signed an early letter of intent with Stanford. He leads a group of nine players who return from a team that lost to Walnut, 52-49, in the first round of the 4-AA Division playoffs. Seniors Brian Vellmure (5-10) and Greg Erickson (5-11) are battling at point guard. Junior Geoff Gordon (6-3), who has been hampered by a knee injury, and seniors Dave Nathaniel (6-1), Marc Teretola (6-2) and Fred Tepesano (6-3) are the leading candidates for the front-line positions. Other returnees include senior forwards Jamie Shaver (6-0) and Matt Watson (6-2). Sophomore point guard Jaime Jaquez (6-0), junior guard Brandon McFadden (5-11) and junior forward Anthony Bartolotto (6-1) are first-year varsity players. OUTLOOK: Last season, Camarillo struggled to provide scoring support for Harbour, who by season’s end was facing double- and triple-team defenses. Camarillo again will be a one-man show unless a scorer emerges to relieve the load. “We’re just hoping we can share the ball enough to get some balance, and that alone will take the pressure off David,” Pruitt said. The Scorpions are short and quick and will push the ball up the court. “We’ll try to find any advantage possible to make up for our weaknesses,” Pruitt said. Channel Islands COACH: Don Salado, 17th season LAST SEASON: 8-15; 6th in league, 2-10 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Stephane Brown (6-2) could be the best all-around player in the league. Brown transferred from Columbus, Ohio, last season but was academically ineligible until the final game--in which he had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Also returning are senior point guard Marlowe Durmiendo (6-0), who averaged 16.2 points and was second-team all-league and All-Ventura County. Junior guard Noe Noyola (6-3) averaged 11 points and received league honorable mention last season. Senior forward Paul Estrada (6-2) is a two-year letterman. Senior forward Renard Carn (6-2) is a returning starter. Brian Schimelpfehing (6-3), a senior forward, is a returning letterman. Senior Marlon Jones (6-4) could start at center. Seniors Tremaine Larkin (5-10) and Victor Medina (6-1) and sophomore Raysean Campbell (6-0) have moved up from a strong junior varsity and will provide the Raiders with depth. OUTLOOK: Channel Islands has steadily improved since its 1-19 mark during the 1988-89 season and the addition of Brown to an already-talented team will make the Raiders a contender for the league title. But, despite raves about the Raiders from the league’s other coaches, Salado is not convinced that his team will finish much better than .500. Channel Islands is quick and experienced but lacks height. It will attempt to parlay that weakness with pressure defense and an up-tempo offense. The guard combination of Brown, Durmiendo and Noyola provides the Raiders with perhaps the best backcourt in the league. “I’m very optimistic, but this is a very tough league,” Salado said. Newbury Park COACH: Greg Ropes, 2nd season LAST SEASON: 7-17; 7th in league, 1-11 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Tim Lane, a 5-10 point guard who averaged 11.8 points and four assists, and 6-3 senior forward Chris Falzone (11.8 points) are the lone returning players with varsity experience. Senior guards Mike Bannister (5-9) and Jamey Famularcano (6-1) move up from the junior varsity as do forwards Tyghe Harrell (6-0), Sean McKeown (6-4) and Jason Patterson (6-2). Junior transfer Matt Cummings (6-2) played at the junior-varsity level at Ventura last season. Newbury Park will rely on help in the middle from seniors Robby Robinson (6-3), Owen Ryan (6-2), and Jeff Hook (6-3). OUTLOOK: Lane, one of the league’s best point guards, is the lone bright spot for Newbury Park. “We don’t have any size or speed, but our work ethic and attitude have been pretty good,” Ropes said. Last season, the Panthers relied on the size of Kevin Loveall (6-8), who led Ventura County players in rebounding at 12.3 a game, and Joe Smigiel (6-5) and Ryan Turner (6-4). This season, no Panther is taller than 6-4, which will change Ropes’ strategy. “We’ll have to increase our defensive pressure and control the ball on offense,” he said. Newbury Park, which is the smallest school in the league (1,300 enrollment), likely will struggle again this season. “If we were a football team, everybody would be scheduling us for homecoming,” Ropes said. Royal COACH: Joe Malkinson, 4th season LAST SEASON: 20-7; tied for 1st in league, 9-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Royal has the biggest team in the league with a front line that includes seniors Jared Byrne (6-7), Kevin Hambly (6-7), Mark Fiala (6-5) and Aaron Kammerman (6-3), and juniors Kerry White (6-5) and Ryan Fien (6-4). Byrne averaged 11.5 points and eight rebounds last season and Hambly grabbed six rebounds a game. Senior Greg Gray (5-10), a returning letterman, will start at point guard. David Tyner (6-3), a senior transfer from Rim of the World, hit 44 three-point baskets last season and will play off-guard. Royal’s bench will be strong with junior guards Pratik Patel (5-9), Darren Mitchell (5-11), Brett Osterhoudt (6-1) and senior forward Tim Ross (6-3). OUTLOOK: Last season, Royal set a school record for wins in a season (20) and earned its first league title since 1971. Yet Malkinson believes the 1990-91 version of the Highlanders will be even stronger. Russell Myers, the school’s all-time leading scorer, has graduated and is playing at Cal Poly Pomona. But Tyner will help fill that void. “We’ll have a little more offensive power and will be stronger all-around,” Malkinson said. Royal is seeded second in the always-tough Beverly Hills tournament, which features top-seeded Rolling Hills and traditional power Long Beach Poly. “We’ll have something to say about the league title race,” Malkinson said. Simi Valley COACH: Dean Bradshaw, 3rd season LAST SEASON: 19-9; tied for 1st in league, 9-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior guards Tim Jaqua (5-11) and Daryl Hernandez (5-10) are Simi Valley’s only returning players and will provide the Pioneers with a strong backcourt. Michael Crawford (6-4), a senior transfer from Kennedy, has not played organized basketball but is the Pioneers’ best all-around player. “We’re counting on a lot of things from Michael,” Bradshaw said. “He has a lot to offer us.” Junior Gordon Stolla (6-1) will provide strong shooting from the perimeter. Senior Mike Fukumoto (5-8) will spell Jaqua. Senior guards David Lazicki (5-10), Tim Kirksey (6-0) and Brian Meyer (5-8) add depth. Junior forwards Shawn Smith (6-1) and Danny Alexander (6-5) move up from a junior-varsity team that finished 18-4 and won a league championship for the sixth consecutive year. Senior Diego Cabezas (6-2) is an exchange student from Ecuador. Seniors David Hayden (6-1) and Jeff Havard (6-6) will provide help in the middle. OUTLOOK: Simi Valley has won at least a share of the past five league titles and six of the past seven. Bradshaw called last season’s title run the Drive For Five and has dubbed this season Pick Six: “Because we’ll feel like we’ve won the lottery when we win it,” Bradshaw said. Simi Valley’s odds improved dramatically with Crawford’s transfer, which fills some gaps left by the graduation of center Mike Wawryk, forward Kenny Hood and guard Steve Carnes. Simi Valley, which traditionally works the ball into its post players, does not have the luxury of an accomplished post player this season. Instead, the Pioneers will push the ball up the floor and allow Crawford to exhibit his skills. “The best thing we have going is our tradition,” Bradshaw said. “Our kids believe they are going to get it done.” And, true to form, the Pioneers again are contenders. Thousand Oaks COACH: Ed Chevalier, 12th season LAST SEASON: 12-12; tied for 3rd in league, 7-5 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior forward Chris Loll (6-5), who averaged 15.6 points and seven rebounds last season, has bulked up to 190 pounds and is one of the finest all-around players in the league. Loll was All-Ventura County last season. Eight more players return from a team that dropped a 100-73 decision to Loyola in the first round of the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs. They include senior point guard Scott Peterson (6-0), senior guard Brian Capella (6-1), junior guard Andrew Borg (5-10), senior guard Gal Hever, senior forward Tony Siegel (6-2), senior forward Shane May (6-1), senior forward Dusty Lysobey (6-3) and junior forward Shane Graham (6-5). Lysobey was second to Loll in both scoring (10.5) and rebounding (6.9), and Hever averaged 7.2 points. OUTLOOK: Thousand Oaks is the preseason favorite to win the league title and could win 20 games for the first time since the 1983-84 season. The Lancers have so much talent that Chevalier has difficulty choosing a starting five. “They’re almost indistinguishable,” Chevalier said. “But I can live with it.” Like many league foes, Thousand Oaks will abandon its deliberate approach in favor of an up-tempo attack. “We’re going to let our players play to their abilities,” Chevalier said. That, no doubt, will result in some long nights for opposing teams. Westlake COACH: Gary Grayson, 1st season LAST SEASON: 13-11, tied for 3rd in league, 7-5 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior John Van Spyk (6-6), a returning first-team all-league player who led the team with 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, could be the top post player in the league. Returning letterman Lonnie Chavez (5-9), a junior, will start at point guard. Senior forward Dave Monheim (6-3) was a part-time starter last year. Senior forwards Rob Hoover (6-3) and Esau Blanco (6-3 are returning lettermen who will contend for a starting position along with seniors Derek Stein (6-5) and Ryan Jenkinson (6-5). Guard Ramin Kabir (5-9) moves up from the freshman team. OUTLOOK: Grayson, an assistant at Canyon the past four seasons, will be pressed to improve upon last season’s record, especially after he got a late start--he wasn’t hired until August. “It might take us a little time to catch up,” he said. Westlake’s strengths are its post players, specifically Van Spyk. The Warriors will find out how strong their post players are Thursday when they open with powerhouse St. Monica in the St. Monica tournament. “Obviously, we’d like to win,” Grayson said, “but it will be a time for us to grow as a team.”

Alpa, Delphic, Desert-Inyo, Foothill, Frontier, Golden, Liberty, Pacific and Tri-Valley league capsule previews Thursday.