PREPS / MITCH POLIN : Panthers Put Bay League on Notice With Their Surprising 13-3 Start

Since the start of the season, opponents of the Peninsula High boys’ basketball team have tried to stop highly regarded forward John Anthony.

But Coach John Mihaljevich says the Panthers are hardly a one-man team.

That was evident in the Panthers’ 66-53 nonleague road victory over Mira Costa Friday night.

Anthony and guard Julius Coleman each scored 13 points, guard Frank White added 12 and guards David Iwasaka and Bryan Murphy each had eight as Peninsula improved to 13-3--the most victories of any South Bay team.

“John Anthony is the player the other teams have to gear up to stop but everyone contributes on this team,” Mihaljevich said. “We’re using nine players and that really keeps us fresh.

“What pleases me the most about this team is the amount of players we’re using. They are not only contributing, but they are contributing well.”

Mihaljevich said Peninsula’s depth will become important when it starts Bay League play Jan. 15 against Inglewood.

“(Our league) is going to be a war and Inglewood is playing so well right now,” he said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

But first the Panthers must play nonleague games against perennial Southern Section power Morningside on Wednesday and North Torrance on Friday.

Morningside (8-5) defeated Torrance, 91-62, Friday night. The Monarchs were led by All-Southern Section guard Stais Boseman, who scored 28 points.

“These are great tune-up games for us,” Mihaljevich said. “This was a tough game tonight and we’ve got another tough game against Morningside coming up.”

He said the Panthers also benefited from their appearance in the Las Vegas tournament last week. Peninsula finished 10th in the tournament, losing to St. John’s of Washington D.C. and McClintock of Tempe, Ariz.

“We saw teams from different states with different styles (of play) and that should help us later on,” Mihaljevich said.

Mira Costa Coach Glenn Marx was upbeat despite the loss to Peninsula.

“There are two things that strike me about this team,” Marx said. “We’re not doing everything we’re capable of yet and we’re still hanging in every game. So I think that’s a good sign.”

Marx was also encouraged by the team’s 11-3 record, one of the best in the South Bay. The team is mostly made up of juniors and sophomores.

“I think the difference between us and (Peninsula) is age and experience,” Marx said. “We’re running at them with two seniors and they’re all seniors.”

Marx expects improvement as younger players such as sophomore guard Shane Willis and junior forward Frank Zeno develop.

“We figure to improve a lot the rest of this year,” Marx said. “Zeno and Willis are both improving and they’re only going to get better.”

The coach said the Mustangs have also received strong defensive play from guard Chris Kresser, a senior who made the top 80 at the prestigious Superstars Basketball Camp last summer at UC Santa Barbara.

“(He) guarded Anthony the whole game and he held him under his average and he did that when we played them in the summer, too,” Marx said. “It’s nice to have a senior who can do that. That’s going to really help us in league play.”

The Mustangs finish nonleague play against West Torrance on Wednesday and Santa Monica on Friday before meeting Beverly Hills in their Ocean League opener Jan. 14.

Despite the presence of Morningside, which reached the Southern Section Division III-A final last season, Marx is optimistic about the Mustangs’ chances in league play.

“We beat two pretty good teams--Lakewood and Carson--in the Pacific Shores tournament,” he said. “If we can beat Lakewood and Carson, I’d have to say we’re on a par with Morningside. Based on preseason games, you’d have to say we’re even with Morningside, but there are also some other teams in that league that are pretty good.”

After slow starts, the Redondo and El Segundo boys’ basketball teams have experienced a reversal of fortune.

Redondo, in its first season under former Rolling Hills Coach Cliff Warren, improved to 6-8 with a 65-53 nonleague win over West Torrance Friday night. El Segundo defeated North Torrance, 50-47, in overtime to climb to 6-7.

Redondo won only one of its first eight games. In addition to adjusting to a new coach, the Sea Hawks had five players on their roster who were competing in football. They did not join the team until three days before the start of the season.

With no players returning from a 18-9 team, El Segundo lost six of its first eight games, including a 66-44 decision to North.

“We went into the season being very realistic,” El Segundo Coach Rick Sabosky said. “We didn’t have a lot of experience and we just wanted to get ready for league. We don’t have a lot of size, but we play very hard.”

The Eagles showed considerable improvement in winning the consolation title at the Santa Ynez tournament Dec. 21. Sabosky said Friday’s victory over North was a confidence booster. El Segundo was led by guard Pat Twomey and center Steve St. Charles with 14 points each.

“This was a good win for us because of the way they beat us last time,” he said. “It’s a good confidence builder going into league.”

Coach Cedric Hurt had high expectations for the Bishop Montgomery girls’ basketball, but even Hurt has been startled by the play of the Knights, who have won 13 consecutive games after a season-opening loss to Ventura.

On Friday, Bishop Montgomery beat Del Campo of Fair Oaks, 71-61.

“They are playing well as a unit and they are winning,” Hurt said.

The Knights have been led by guard Mirlen Martinez, who scored 22 points and added six assists and five steals against Del Campo. She is averaging 16 points and seven assists. Another leader has been 6-foot forward Keisa Smith, who averages 10 points and 11 rebounds.

But Hurt realizes the team’s most difficult challenge will come in a Mission League opener against St. Bernard on Thursday and Alemany on Jan. 14.

“I think those first two games will let us know where we stand in our league,” Hurt said. “If we get past those two games, then we can say we’re in the driver’s seat.”