Mater Dei Is Seeded No. 1 in Tipoff Classic

Mater Dei High School is the top-seeded team and Huntington Beach is seeded second in the Daily Pilot Tipoff Classic scheduled to begin with four games today at Newport Harbor High.

Mater Dei has four returning starters, including two players who have signed early with Division I colleges. Forward David Drakeford (Oregon State) and guard Kamran Sufi (St. Mary’s College) lead the Monarchs, along with guard Miles Simon and forward Marmet Williams.

Huntington Beach has three three-year starters--Matt Ambrose, Bryan Chang and Tommy Walden--in the lineup and an outstanding junior center in Tony Gonzales.

Other top players scheduled to compete include guard Jared Winger (Foothill), forward Jim Faulkner (Estancia), guard Cornell Archer (Garden Grove), guard Anthony Porter (Santa Ana Valley), guard Chris St. Clair (Sonora) and forward Eric Ambrozich (Irvine).

The championship game is scheduled at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Corona del Mar. The first-round pairings:

Today at Newport Harbor: 3:15 p.m.--Irvine vs. Sonora; 4:45--Marina vs. Newport Harbor; 6:15--Brea-Olinda vs. Newport Harbor; 8:30--Mater Dei vs. Foothill.

Tuesday at Newport Harbor: 6 p.m.--Garden Grove vs. Santa Ana Valley; 7:40--Estancia vs. Westminster.

Tuesday at Corona del Mar: 6 p.m.--Corona del Mar vs. El Toro; 7:40--San Dieguito vs. Huntington Beach.

Tustin and Los Alamitos are co-favorites to win the Western/Savanna tournament set to begin today at two locations.

Tustin’s lineup includes Mater Dei transfer guard DeJuan Matthews and junior forward Jason Reynolds. Los Alamitos has two returning all-league guards--Steve Carbone and Tim Lin.

The championship game is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Western. The first-round pairings:

Today at Western: 6 p.m.--Sherman Oaks Notre Dame vs. Los Amigos; 7:30--Edison vs. Western.

Today at Savanna: 6 p.m.--Katella vs. Savanna; 7:30--Tustin vs. Rancho Alamitos.

Tuesday at Western: 7:30 p.m.--Paramount vs. Cypress.

Wednesday at Savanna: 7:30 p.m.--Los Alamitos vs. Servite.

Sunny Hills and Woodbridge have first-round byes.