Morningside Tries to Repeat Its Title Feat : Boys: The Monarchs return the area’s best player and have plenty in reserve as they vie for another Division III championship.

The pressure is already on Morningside High to duplicate its 1991-92 season.

The Monarchs won the Division III state title in March by defeating Monterey Seaside, 79-72. With nearly the entire team back, including one of the state’s most dominant players in 6-foot-4 guard Stais Boseman, the challenge for Coach Carl Franklin is to keep the Monarchs’ expectations in perspective.

“The thing we don’t want to do is think that we’re larger than life,” he said. “But, in reality, we know that if we play to our potential we’re going to be tough to compete against.”

Although the Monarchs reign as the preseason kings of the South Bay, teams such as Serra and Mira Costa are expected to challenge for area supremacy.

Many of the area’s top teams, including Morningside, Serra and Mira Costa, will open the season in the 41st annual Pacific Shores tournament on Monday at Redondo and Mira Costa high schools.

Here is a look at the top 10 teams in the South Bay. Last season’s records are in parentheses.

1. MORNINGSIDE (25-6)

It was bad news for Monarch opponents when the football team, quarterbacked by Boseman, was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

That means Boseman will be competing on the basketball team from Day 1.

But Boseman, a senior who has signed a national letter of intent to attend USC next year, isn’t the only major-college prospect on the Monarch roster. Morningside also has 6-7 center Corey Saffold, who has signed with Oklahoma, and 6-0 guard Donminic Ellison, who will attend Washington State.

“I feel very good about this team,” Franklin said. “It’s a very quick team and we can show you a lot of different looks. One time down, you might see Donminic on the wing and Stais inside and then the next time you might see Stais on the wing. We have a lot of options.”

The Monarchs also return seniors Sean Harris (5-6) at guard and Dwight Curry (6-2) at forward. They have good bench strength with forwards Dennis Savage (6-3), Aundre McKenzie (6-4) and Davion Carter (6-4) and swingman Glenford Smith (6-2).

2. SERRA (15-16)

In many respects, the Cavaliers resembled two teams last season.

Serra struggled through much of the regular season, then built momentum at the end and came within a whisker of winning a Southern Section title.

With four starters and nine lettermen returning from the team that lost to Crossroads in the Division IV-A final and reached the state regionals, Serra is optimistic about its prospects for the 1992-93 season.

“I’ve been the head coach at Serra for five years and this is the season I’ve been waiting for,” Coach Dwan Hurt said.

The Cavaliers, who enjoyed an impressive summer league season, have the size, quickness and experience that should not leave Hurt disappointed.

Serra’s top prospect might be 6-8 senior center Akeli Jackson, who has signed a national letter of intent to attend Cal State Long Beach. The front line will also consist of 6-5 forwards Michael Boyd and Arthur Tate, an All-Southern Section selection last season.

The Cavaliers also have experience at guard, including seniors Roderick Swift and Eric Reed.

3. MIRA COSTA (19-8)

After having one of the area’s best regular-season records the past two seasons, the Mustangs have faltered in second round of the playoffs. This season, Coach Glenn Marx is hoping for a strong finish.

With nine of their top 11 players returning, the Mustangs appear to have the talent to accomplish that goal.

Mira Costa returns one of the area’s best guard tandems in Shane Willis (5-11), who averaged 16.8 points and 6.2 assists as a junior, and senior Josh Branca (6-1).

They also expect to have plenty of firepower on the front line, led by All-Southern Section forward Frank Zeno, a 6-5 and 210-pounder who averaged 17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior. The Mustangs can also count on senior forwards Chris Whitworth (6-3) and John Murphy (6-6) and sophomore Phil Fonua, who is 6-1 and 250 pounds.

4. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (16-11)

In its first three seasons under Coach Doug Mitchell, Bishop Montgomery has shown potential to be one of the area’s premier programs.

The Knights are ranked No. 4 in a preseason Southern Section Division III and Mitchell is hoping this is the season the program goes over the top.

Bishop Montgomery has one of the area’s most dominant inside players in All-Southern Section forward Andre English (6-7), who averaged 17.5 points and 11.1 rebounds as a junior.

There is a strong supporting cast that includes guards Kareem Mutrie (5-11), Jason Jones (6-0) and Jayson Sanders (6-1), and 6-3 forward Geno Malauulu--a sophomore whose older brother, George, plays quarterback for the University of Arizona.

5. INGLEWOOD (17-9)

There has been a changing of the guard at Inglewood, where Patrick Roy has replaced Art Bias as coach.

But don’t expect a lot of changes from Roy, who played for the Sentinels from 1981-84 and was an assistant at Inglewood for three seasons. That is bad news for Inglewood opponents because the Sentinels return four starters from last season.

Leading the way are forward Givon Hester (6-4) and guard Chris White (6-2). The other returning starters are point guard Sam Turks (5-11) and forward Shannon Brown (6-6).

The Sentinels appear to have excellent depth with junior forwards Abdul Benjamin (6-3) and Damon Brisco (6-3) and guard Jason Crowe (6-2). In fact, with only four seniors on their 15-man roster, the Sentinels appear to have a bright future.

6. PENINSULA (23-7)

After the merger of three high schools into Peninsula, the Panthers had a surplus of players to draw from last season.

But with only one letterman returning from a squad that reached the second round of the Division I-AA playoffs, Coach John Mihaljevich knows the honeymoon is about to end.

“I completed my rookie year and this year I will have to do some coaching,” he said.

The Panthers do not possess as much talent as they had last season, although there is still an ample supply. Peninsula should benefit from a junior varsity team that went 24-0.

Peninsula does have 6-7 senior forward Matt Acres. The Panthers will also feature forwards Brian Hogentogler (6-6), Ryan Howley (6-4) and Brian Bowles (6-4) and point guard Tim Akins (5-10).

7. ST. BERNARD (19-11)

Viking Coach Jim McClune believes the most successful teams are built around a strong backcourt.

“That’s the one thing you have to have and I think we have a really good backcourt,” he said. “The real question is how many rebounds are we going to get.”

The Vikings, who reached the Division III-A semifinals last season before losing to eventual champion La Canada, return starting guards Terrell Hickmon (6-1) and Darren Mitchell (6-3). They also have two other guards, senior David Coleman and junior Joseph Owens, who are expected to receive considerable playing time.

The concern for McClune is the front line, where St. Bernard does not have a lot of size or depth. The Vikings return 6-4 forward Chris Bowman, who was one of the team’s top rebounders last season, but he might not play early in the season because of tendinitis in his knee. Junior forward Leonard Jefferson (6-3) also returns.

8. SOUTH TORRANCE (20-7)

With three newcomers in the lineup and a difficult nonleague schedule, Coach LaMont Henry said he would not be alarmed if the Spartans do not get off to a fast start.

“If we got off to a shaky start, I wouldn’t worry because this is a team that will take a little more time to come together,” Henry said.

South returns two of the premier players in the South Bay, 6-8 center Kyle McIntosh and 5-10 point guard Jimmy Williamson. McIntosh averaged 12.1 points and 12 rebounds and Williamson led the South Bay in assists with an average of 8.9.

McIntosh will receive rebounding help from 6-4 forwards Spencer Mercer and John Calas and 6-3 Brandon Baxter. The Spartans also have good outside shooters, including guards Chris Hammond, Derek Brown and Todd Miller.

9. WESTCHESTER (28-3)

The Comets return only one starter from last season’s team, which won its second City 4-A title in a row.

But Coach Ed Azzam believes Westchester can still maintain its place among the elite City teams.

The only returning starter is 6-2 point guard Jason Sanders, who averaged 10.6 points as a junior. Sanders will be surrounded by inexperienced players such as junior swingman Cullen Countee (6-3), freshman guard Danny Walker (6-0) and 6-3 sophomore swingmen Damon Smith and Ben Sanders--Jason’s brother.

Westchester’s strength inside might hinge on 6-4 senior center Walter Walker, who was a top reserve last season but has been slow to recuperate from knee surgery.

10. TORRANCE (10-14)

First-year Coach George Tachibana is hoping a healthy Michael Dean will make all the difference this season.

The 6-0 guard missed most of the team’s nonleague season as a junior because of assorted injuries. But in the 12 games that he did play, Dean averaged 21.2 points and helped Torrance stay in the Pioneer League race. Despite the limited playing time, he received co-most valuable player honors in the league.

Tachibana, who was Torrance’s junior-varsity coach the past three seasons, said the Tartars will rely on quickness and outside shooting. So he will employ a three-guard offense that will also feature returning players Desmond Norwood (5-9), Jeff Kubo (5-8) and John Cha (5-10).

The team’s small front line will consist of junior Kelvin Jamison (6-3) at center and Antoris Coleman (6-1) at forward.

OTHER TEAMS

Carson (19-8)--The Colts, who reached the City 4-A semifinals before losing to Crenshaw last season, have a new coach in Ade Kido. Carson returns forwards Charles Perry (6-3) and Chris Ramsey (6-2) and point guard Shondrell Taylor (5-10). “It’s going to be your average Carson team,” Kido said. “We still have a lot of good kids here.”

Banning (9-17)--After finishing 5-19 in 1990-91, the Pilots showed more improvement last season than their record indicated. With a drop from the City 4-A to the 3-A, Banning should continue to improve. The Pilots benefit from the return of 6-6 center Bryan Hill, a strong inside player who averaged 9.5 points and 10.4 rebounds as a junior, and forward Leon Bilbrew (6-4). They also added an outstanding transfer in guard Jason Pickett, who came from Compton Dominguez and was listed among prep underclassmen to watch by Street and Smith magazine.

Leuzinger (5-17)--Coach Jimmy Ellis said he is optimistic about his team’s chances after the Olympians struggled in his first season as coach. His optimism is based on the return of All-Bay League guard Tryvon Cockrell (6-1), the only senior in Leuzinger’s starting lineup, and junior point guard Donti Aubry (5-8). The Olympians also have as much size as any team in the South Bay with the return of junior center Wendell Robinson (6-8) and the addition of sophomore forward Leonard Butler (6-7).

San Pedro (12-13)--The Pirates, who have a new coach in Jim Masterson, return three guards from a squad that finished second in the Pacific League. Raymond Tutt (6-3), an All-City selection last season when he averaged 24.2 points, Kevin Simpson (6-0) and Daniel Kordich (5-8) are expected to lead the charge. The problem for the Pirates is their lack of size. The center is expected to be either Themis Lambropolous or Lee Stewart, both 6-3.

Redondo (13-14)--It has the appearance of a rebuilding year for the Sea Hawks, who return no starters and have their third coach in three seasons in Jim Nielsen. But Nielsen’s team has the size and shooting ability that gives him reason for hope. The Sea Hawks are led by junior guards Morgan Ensberg (6-1) and Cecil Fletcher (6-0) and have ample size up front, including seniors Dan Hyde (6-4) and Bryan Kelly (6-6) and junior Brian Hatting (6-7). There is also hope for the future behind two highly regarded freshmen, forward Doug Francis and guard Tremaine Mayeaux.

Chadwick (15-11)--The Dolphins made a strong run in the Division V-AA playoffs last season, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to eventual state Division V finalist Canoga Park Faith Baptist, 70-61. With four starters returning, Chadwick could be improved. The Dolphins are expected to be led by junior guard Neil Thakur (6-1), who averaged 10.4 points last season, senior forward Joe Giaconi (6-4) and swingmen Todd Ammons (6-3) and Dylan Brown (6-1).