HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEWS : Delphic Teams to Renew Rivalry

Not you again.

You’re the guy with the sharp elbows.

For the second time in as many seasons, familiarity will reign when Delphic League teams meet in the boys’ Southern Section Division V-AA basketball final.

Tonight at Pepperdine, rivals Faith Baptist and Campbell Hall highs will meet at 7:30 to decide much more than area bragging rights. When these teams take the floor against each other, players get up close and personal.

“Everybody knows everybody by name,” Campbell Hall guard Austin McKellar said. “Everybody knows about the rivalry between Faith Baptist and Campbell Hall.”

McKellar, a 6-foot senior, has been superlative for fourth-seeded Campbell Hall (18-9) in the playoffs. He twice has recorded triple-doubles. In Tuesday’s 44-36 semifinal-round upset of top-seeded Brethren Christian, McKellar scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Faith Baptist, seeded No. 2 and riding a 15-game winning streak, twice defeated Campbell Hall during the season. After an 89-70 victory over the Vikings on Jan. 14, Faith Baptist needed some last-minute heroics to pull out a victory in the Feb. 6 rematch.

Faith Baptist (24-5) trailed by 10 points with 5 minutes 25 seconds left but rallied behind senior point guard Alex (Loafie) Estrada, who scored three baskets in the final minute of a 71-70 victory.

By all accounts, the second game was highly charged with emotion. McKellar was chastised afterward by his coaches for being too demonstrative.

Faith Baptist Coach Stuart Mason and senior forward Etienne Moore exchanged words during a timeout and Moore stalked out of the gym. He returned and finished the game.

There will be few secrets in tonight’s renewal.

“Both are the same teams, basically, that we’ve had for the last two years,” Mason said.

Other championship games:

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS’ DIVISION I-A

The roles will be reversed when Thousand Oaks meets Buena for the second consecutive year in the I-A final, this time at 6:45 tonight at UC Irvine.

In last year’s final, a veteran Buena team was upended by a young Thousand Oaks squad, 67-57. But tonight, it will be the top-seeded Lancers (27-1) in the favorite’s role.

Third-seeded Buena (26-2) has two starters back from last season--5-11 point guard Andrea Hilsmann and 6-3 April Buck.

Thousand Oaks has four of its five starters back, including Michelle Palmisano, the fourth-leading scorer in state history.

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS’ DIVISION II-A

After splitting four games in the past two seasons--all victories came on the home team’s court--Mission League foes Alemany and Bishop Montgomery will play a fifth time today at 11:15 a.m. at UC Irvine.

“It’s like playing ourselves,” Alemany Coach Melissa Melton said. “It’s hard to find weaknesses.”

Alemany (25-4) lost its league opener to the Knights, 51-41, but rebounded to beat Bishop Montgomery, 63-52.

Bishop Montgomery (24-6) is led by guard Mirlen Martinez.

David Coulson contributed to this story.