HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS : Murguia, Meek Get Top Honors

Erik Meek and Christina Murguia, two dominating post players as seniors, earned the 1990-91 San Diego County player of year awards from The Times.

Meek of San Pasqual and Murguia of Castle Park were honored at The Times’ 28th annual high school basketball awards breakfast Sunday along with Poway’s Doug Wealch, the boys’ coach of the year, and Carlsbad’s John Duberville, the girls’ coach of the year.

Meek, a three-time All-County boys’ pick, and Murguia, a two-time girls’ selection, were leaders in scoring and rebounding this season. Both were second in scoring last season and among the top 10 as sophomores.

Meek, 6-feet-10, became the county’s second-leading all-time scorer and led San Pasqual to the San Diego Section Division II championship this season. This was the school’s first basketball title. Meek, who will attend Duke, earlier this month was named to the Parade Magazine All-American second team. He averaged 30 points and 14.3 rebounds this season.

Murguia, 6-1, led Castle Park (20-4 in the regular season) to the Division II semifinals, where the Trojans were eliminated by eventual champion El Cajon Valley. Murguia, who signed a national letter of intent with San Diego State in November, averaged 26.8 points and 15.9 rebounds.

“I feel I became more of a team player this year, and we improved so much as a team,” said Murguia, whose play has been compared to Terri Mann, former Point Loma High star.

“I never saw (Mann) play,” Murguia said, “but I know what she did. When they compare me to her, that makes me feel good.”

Wealch, who returned to the high school level for the first time since leaving Poway in the early 1980s, guided the Titans to the Division I championship and a 72-68 victory over Los Angeles Manual Arts in the first round of the Southern California Regionals. In the semifinals, Poway trailed by 13 at halftime before falling, 44-41, to top-seeded Los Angeles Fremont, the eventual state runner-up.

That game--Fremont averaged around 80 points during its other playoff games--helped solidify Wealch’s reputation as one of the top defensive coaches in the county. Poway held two opponents this year to fewer than 30 points and five others to fewer than 40 points. In a 57-39 San Diego Section semifinal victory, Poway held Palomar League rival Mt. Carmel scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“He’s what they call a student of the game,” Elaine Wealch, Doug’s wife, said. “He lives and breathes it.”

Two years ago, Duberville took over a Carlsbad program that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 1976. Last year, the Lancers started three freshman and finished 9-10, including 8-4 during Avocado League play.

“Our objective (this year) was to come out of the chute and win all the nonleague games and get some momentum going,” said Duberville, who coached boys’ teams in Buffalo, N.Y., for 12 years before moving to San Diego seven years ago.

Carlsbad (24-3) did just that, losing only to El Cajon Valley--in a Christmas tournament championship game and in the Division II final--and to eventual state champion Brea-Olinda in the Southern California semifinals.

In a key game midway through league play, Carlsbad routed previously undefeated San Marcos, 57-27.