CITY HARBOR LEAGUE : Saints Expected to Lead Parade

St. Augustine gets the nod, Christian gets a glance and Clairemont gets an encouraging word. Coronado and Marian get what’s left, which isn’t much.

The general consensus as the Harbor League opener nears is that Saints should win the championship. No one feels this more strongly than Coach Rick Stewart, who took over the Saints after Jeff Armstrong took the semester off to coach a junior national team in Saudi Arabia. Stewart took over a 1-3 team. Now the Saints are 10-4.

“I don’t think we should lose a game,” he said. “I think we can blow everyone off the court, but I worry about a letdown. I’m sure Christian is a fine team, but I don’t think they’ve played the same kind of schedule that we have.”

Said Christian Coach Randy Wright, who has led the Patriots to four consecutive San Diego Section division titles since 1988: “From what I understand, St. Augustine is the team to beat with Clairemont on their heels. But we want to play to that level too.”

Defending league champion Christian could do it. With no returning starters, the Patriots are off to a surprising 12-2 start and their spirits are soaring.

“What I attribute it to,” Wright said, “is the kids like each other and they play hard. We only have eight or nine players, but they all get along well.”

Clairemont, which finished the league tied for second with St. Augustine and was runner-up to Lincoln in the Division IV final last year, might make it a three-team race.

“I don’t think anyone’s more talented than we are,” said Clairemont Coach Greg Lee. “And I don’t think we should start out any league season thinking we aren’t as good as anyone else. It’s not like there are a bunch of supermen we can’t handle. I would be surprised if we were to blow anyone out and I don’t think we’ll get blown out.”

THE RACE

Top contenders: St. Augustine (10-4), Christian (12-2).

Surprise potential: Clairemont (5-6).

Hoping for improvement: Coronado (3-14), Marian (1-11).

Game of the year: St. Augustine at Christian, Jan. 24. Even with a second meeting scheduled Feb. 14, Christian would get an enormous lift with an early victory at home. If anyone falters early on, St. Augustine at Clairemont on Feb. 7 could be important.

THE PLAYERS

The man: St. Augustine’s top athlete is a basketball player by effort, not natural talent. John Gergurich has been dubbed St. Augustine’s “Russian ballplayer.”

Coach Stewart explained: “In the El Centro tournament earlier in the season, which we won and in which John was MVP, they kept pronouncing his name Geruvich, like it was Russian or something.”

This 6-4 senior swingman, an all-league selection last year, averages 20 points a game.

“He’s not really splashy, but he gets the job done,” Stewart said. “He’s a tremendous young man, the type you’d want as your own son.”

Who will fill Alex Love’s shoes? “Last year, it was very comforting to have Alex to pass to and watch him win the game for us,” Clairemont’s Lee said. “If Alex was coming back, we’d be prohibitive favorites to win league.”

Alas, he is not. Clairemont has several players coming back, but most played supporting roles last year to Love, the leading scorer and savior.

John Brady, a 6-5 junior who plays all positions, could emerge as Clairemont’s stopper. “He’s had good games, but he just hasn’t turned out on a day-to-day basis,” said Lee.

Others to watch: Christian expects a lift from seniors Pat Keough (5-10, guard), Jason Wenning (6-2, forward) and junior Jeremy Garrett (6-4, center). Wright said that Wenning doesn’t get a lot of attention but is a key to Christian’s 12-2 record.

St. Augustine seniors Eric Ott (6-4, forward) and Matt Bonin (5-8, guard) should help the Saints’ efforts. Seniors Craig Mounier (6-2), Rahsaan Brown (5-10) and John Price (6-0) make up the bulk of Clairemont’s starters.

Coronado Coach Thor Dekker, who has juniors Jason Switzer (6-0) and Andy Dickerson (5-7), figures 6-3 sophomore Layne Beaubien.

THE INTANGIBLES

Coaches’ Casting Call: When Armstrong left to coach in Saudi Arabia four games into the season, the Saints needed someone to step in . . . and quick. In stepped Stewart, the athletic director.

“This is something that occurs probably once in a millennium,” he said. “We felt it was better to keep the program going as it was, so I took over.”