Bouncing Off the Walls Over Basketball Playoffs : Preps: School spirit hits fever pitch on four campuses with teams shooting for regional titles.

School spirit is exploding at four Orange County high schools this week as students get ready to cheer for their basketball teams at tonight’s semifinals of the Southern California regional basketball playoffs.

For each of the schools, tonight’s game is the game before the game-the Southern California regional championship on Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The winners play against the northern regional champion March 15-16 for state titles. There will be five state champions this year.

Players may be reticent about their chances in tonight’s competition, but their fellow students are optimistically outspoken. They have no doubt; their teams will prevail.

At Servite High School in Anaheim, where the Friars (24-6) are gearing for a rematch with Costa Mesa’s Estancia High School Eagles (26-5) in the Division III playoffs, the mood is one of unbridled anticipation. The Eagles beat the Friars by two points in overtime in the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section 3-A final last year.

Servite is the defending state Division III champion.

“When our team does good, it pumps the spirit of the school,” said Vince Giuseffi, 17. “And, we’re pumping, so they’ll win.”

Forward Adam Anderson would not promise a win. But as long as students continue to give the team their support, “there’s no telling how far we can go,” he said.

“And when Ken Mousseau and his buddies show up at the game,” Anderson added, “watch out, because he really gets the players in the game.”

Mousseau, 17, is known for his antics that include painting a skull design on his face and walking around the court in a long, gray priest’s robe while yelling through a megaphone.

“I’m having a lot of fun getting the crowd involved, and I’m not going to stop doing it until I graduate,” vowed Mousseau, a junior.

“The morale is real high,” he said. “I’ve never seen it like this before. Estancia better watch out.”

The Estancia Eagles, in turn, are bragging that their team will be victorious with the school’s students behind them.

“We’re probably the best school fans anywhere in the county,” bragged Jim Faulkner, 15. “We have this dance that really gets the crowd going and gets our players to perform.”

He gathered four friends and they proceeded to demonstrate. While his three buddies chanted encouragement, Faulker and another friend gyrated rhythmically to the beat.

“We actually get on the court and dance for the crowd,” Faulker said between dance steps. “We’re the school with the real spirit.”

Meanwhile, the Tillers at Tustin High School (27-4) are still reeling from a celebration that started after their Division II quarterfinal victory over an Escondido high school Tuesday night.

“As a whole, the school celebrated all night,” said Michelle Clavijo, 17. “Now, we’re about to celebrate into (tonight’s) game. We’re very excited.”

Guard David Beilstein said students at the school give the players incentive to “play our best every time we get out there.”

“They’re great,” said Beilstein, 17. “They come out every game.”

In Brea, while the Brea-Olinda High School Lady Cats are intent upon a quiet and extensive practice to prepare for tonight’s action in the Girls Division II playoffs, the rest of the student body is already predicting a return to the championship round. The Lady Cats (30-1) lost in the state championship game last year.

As of Wednesday, the students had painted 12 banners, some as long as 15 feet. Today, they plan to either hang the banners on balconies or lay them on the awnings of the buildings to cheer the girls on while they’re at school.

“The last couple of games, the students finally realized how fun girls’ basketball can be because (the Lady Cats) played so well,” said Kerry Hoeft, 17. “They’re really crowd-pleasers.”

Mike Ryan, 18, the school’s “pep commissioner,” has already plotted his role in tonight’s effort to spur his team into playing its best game.

“I’m just going to tell everyone to let go and go wild,” Ryan said.

Ryan is hoping playoff organizers will allow him to give his patented performance: While students hold on to his feet, he mimes a surfer’s move with the music of “Wipe Out” in the background.