Morningside Coach Frets in Spite of Top Seeding : Playoffs: Inactivity because of first-round bye and close games in league play have Carl Franklin worried. Monarchs do not play until Tuesday.

Everything appears to be in order for the Morningside High boys’ basketball team going into the Southern Section III-AA Division playoffs.

The Monarchs (17-6) have not lost since a Jan. 8 game against Peninsula. 8.

Their nine consecutive victories helped earn them the top seeding in the playoffs. But that was expected from Morningside after it reached the III-A Division final last season.

Even so, Coach Carl Franklin is concerned as the Monarchs prepare for postseason play.

For one, Franklin is not enamored with his team earning a first-round bye. The Monarchs will play host to the winner of Friday’s Gladstone-Bloomington game Tuesday.

“I guess it’s something you just won’t know until afterward,” Franklin said. “But if I had my choice, I guess I’d prefer to play.”

Franklin is also worried because the Monarchs had their share of difficulty in in the Ocean League.

“We had a couple of close games with Mira Costa and we had a close one with Beverly Hills,” he said. “So I guess we have to keep it in perspective. Teams have played us close this season.”

But Franklin is encouraged because he has four players who are scoring in double figures. Leading the way is guard Stais Boseman, who averages 17.6 points, guard Donminic Ellison at 17.4, forward Dwight Curry at 11 and forward Corey Saffold at 10. And that doesn’t include center Pauliasi Taulava.

“(Taulava is) very capable of scoring 10 to 20 points in any game too,” Franklin said.

The layoff should also help Saffold to recuperate from a hip injury.

“We also brought up some players from our junior varsity, so this gives them a chance to get going with us and not have to jump right in,” Franklin said.

With teams such as Servite, which defeated Morningside for the III-A Division title last season, Brea-Olinda and South Torrance in the Monarchs’ bracket, Franklin realizes it will not be easy to reach the division final. But he is happy with the Monarchs’ progress.

“I think we’re ready to play,” he said. “I think we’re pretty well focused at this point. Now, it’s just a wait-and-see thing.”

The only other South Bay teams that are seeded in the playoffs are South Torrance at No. 4 in the III-AA Division and St. Bernard at No. 4 in the III-A Division. South has a bye in the first round and will play host to the winner of Friday’s Little-rock-Monrovia game Tuesday in the second round.

Here’s a list of first round games involving South Bay teams, all at 7:30 p.m. Friday:

I-AA--Peninsula at El Monte.

I-AA--Dominguez at Inglewood.

II-AA--Torrance at Norte Vista.

III-A--Pacifica at St. Bernard.

IV-AA--El Segundo at Santa Clara.

IV-A--Serra at Maranatha.

V-AA--Mary Star at St. Margaret’s, Southern California Christian at Chadwick.

V-A--Rolling Hills Prep at Baptist Christian, Harbor Christian at Calvary Chapel.