PREP BASKETBALL ‘91-’92: GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE

Kennedy

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 20-7 10-4

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL

Pat O’Hern: 20-7

RETURNING STARTERS YR. HGT. P Lynly Matsumoto Jr. 5-6 G Heather Sato Sr. 5-5 F Stacy Yamanishi Sr. 5-6 F

TOP RETURNERS YR. HGT. P Sharri Andrews So. 5-8 C Debbie Lite Jr. 5-6 G

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. HGT. P Erryn Gutjhar Fr. 5-7 F Wendy Chen Jr. 5-7 F Karin Kitigawa Fr. 5-4 G

OUTLOOK

Among the challenges faced by O’Hern is the task of replacing point guard Valerie Ruiz, the league’s most valuable player last year and now on a basketball scholarship at UC Riverside. Ruiz was an All-County pick who averaged 23.2 points and provided valuable floor leadership. Another obstacle is how to remain competitive with a team lacking height. The first problem, O’Hern hopes, will be solved by Kitigawa. The second will have to be dealt with through strategy, all-out effort and speed. “I’ve got a lot of new girls, and we don’t have a real tall team, so we have to press and force the other teams into a full-court game,” said O’Hern, in his second year with the team. “Overall, I think we’ve got pretty good quickness and speed.” Providing some of that will be Matsumoto, an all-league selection who averaged 13 points last season, Yamanishi (five points per game) and Sato (four points per game). O’Hern hopes their outside shooting, coupled with hard-nosed defense, can keep the Fighting Irish in close pursuit of Rancho Alamitos, the defending league champion and preseason favorite. Kennedy, which has posted 10-4 records the past three seasons, was runner-up to Rancho Alamitos last year.