SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW : DIVISION IV-AA, IV-A : Artists Are Looking for Respect

Success on the basketball court has returned to Laguna Beach High School, but, apparently, it’s taking time for that to sink in.

Because of an error by the Pacific Coast League representative, Laguna Beach, the league’s second-place team, was considered as a third-place team when the Southern Section’s Division IV-A seedings were determined. Therefore, the Artists (16-9) are in the unenviable position of having to make a six-hour bus trip Friday to Bishop, if they defeat visiting Cantwell (5-16) in tonight’s qualifying game.

“I would have liked to get a little more respect for the way we finished in league,” Laguna Beach Coach Bret Fleming said. “We didn’t really dodge anybody in the preseason, and I look at the schedules of a lot of the clubs that are seeded ahead of us and they haven’t really played anybody.”

Laguna Beach’s enrollment (634) is the smallest of any public school in Orange County and a bit more than half as much as the next smallest school in the Pacific Coast League.

Fleming said there is no team in the division better than Estancia, which won the Pacific Coast League title and is the top-seeded team in Division III-AA. Only defending division champion Santa Maria St. Joseph compares to Laguna Hills, the team the Artists defeated to finish second in their league, Fleming said.

Laguna Beach filled out most of its nonleague schedule with larger schools, such as Mater Dei, Corona del Mar, San Clemente and Brea-Olinda.

But Fleming isn’t overly upset with the pairings and is upbeat about his team’s chance of returning to the division title, though only one starter remains from the team that lost to St. Joseph, 80-78, in last season’s title game.

He is Josh Borella, the team’s only senior starter, who averaged 30.6 points in the regular season. Borella, a 6-foot-1 guard, draws most of the attention from the opposition, but Darrin Gravely (16.5 points) and Tom Ravensburg (12.1) have taken some of the pressure off with their nearly 50% three-point shooting.

“They’ve been looking to stop (Borella) all year and haven’t accomplished it,” said Fleming, who was an assistant to Coach Ed Bowen last season. “We’ve faced several freak defenses this year--a lot of teams have tried to double him and even send three players at him. But his lowest-scoring game in league was 28 points.

“I don’t think anybody is going to be able to shut him down.”

Borella said he is looking forward to a rematch with St. Joseph, which returns three of its starters and a sixth man.

“It’s a new group of kids,” Borella said. “I think we are pretty tough mentally this year. That’s not to say we weren’t tough before, but we don’t give up this year.”

Orange Lutheran (12-12), the only other Orange County school in Division IV-A, finished fourth in the Olympic League and tonight will play host to Serra, another at-large team. The winner of tonight’s game plays the winner of Los Angeles Baptist (11-11) and Oak Park (0-18).

The Lancers are led by 6-3 center Brian Bedord, who is averaging 15 points, and have won six of their past eight games.

The only county school in Division IV-AA is Whittier Christian (13-11), which plays host to San Jacinto (4-17) tonight. The Heralds, who finished third in the Olympic League, are led by returning second-team all-division selection Ruben Oronoz, who is averaging 19.5 points and 11.7 rebounds.

If Whittier Christian advances beyond the first-round game against the winner of Salesian (11-10) and Marshall (3-16) game, it will face two-time defending division and state champion Santa Clara.

Although four starters--including UCLA’s Shon Tarver--graduated from last season’s championship team, Santa Clara (21-4) is again the top-seeded team.

IV--AA

Defending champion: Santa Clara.

Top teams: Santa Clara (21-4), Pius X (15-7), Banning (16-8), Palo Verde (16-7). Top players: Charles Barnes (Verbum Dei), Art Barron (Santa Clara), Randy Horn (Cathedral), Anthony Mastes (Santa Clara), Mike Muttoni (Twentynine Palms), Ruben Oronoz (Whittier Christian), Michael O’Quinn (Pius X), Evan Swanger (Santa Clara).

Dark horse: Verbum Dei (12-10).

Best draw: Banning (16-8). Will play the winner of Friday’s game between Tehachapi (5-15) and Chaminade (6-16).

Worst draw: Twentynine Palms (15-5). If it defeats Valley View (5-17) today, the Wildcats, ranked No. 6 in the last divisional poll, will face No. 9 Palo Verde.

Notes: Santa Clara, the two-time Southern Section and state Division VI champion, lost four starters from last year’s team.

IV-A

Defending champion: Santa Maria St. Joseph.

Top teams: St. Joseph (21-2), Valley Christian (18-5), St. Monica (13-8).

Top players: Brian Bedord (Orange Lutheran), Josh Borella (Laguna Beach), Chris Bruce (Western Christian), Roger Cavazos (St. Joseph), Darrin Gravely (Laguna Beach), Lafelle McGilvery (St. Joseph), Todd Van Otterloo (Valley Christian), Frank White (Miraleste).

Dark horse: Laguna Beach (16-9).

Best draw: Big Bear (15-7). Wouldn’t face a team with more victories than defeats until the quarterfinals. High-altitude home games give the Bears an advantage.

Worst draw: Laguna Beach. If it wins its qualifying game with Cantwell today, it will have to make a long trip to play Bishop on Friday.

Notes: Rematch of last season’s divisional title game between St. Joseph and Laguna Beach could take place Feb. 26 in the semifinals.