PREPS / CAP CAREY : Redondo Earns High Marks in Nielsen Ratings

It only took three games for Redondo basketball Coach Jim Nielsen to realize that his team was going to play better than many coaches had predicted.

Although Redondo was expected to win only four or five games, the Sea Hawks finished the regular season with a 14-11 record and a 4-4 Ocean League mark, good enough to tie for second place.

Redondo clinched second Friday night by defeating rival Mira Costa, 76-63, for the second time this season, thus avoiding the possibility of having to play Beverly Hills in a playoff game Saturday to qualify for the Southern Section playoffs.

“They were playing for their lives,” said Mira Costa Coach Glenn Marx, whose team is 18-7 and 4-4. “We had won seven straight (against Redondo prior to this season) and it was just their time. Give credit to the Redondo program.”

Redondo was 13-14 last season and returned no starters. Nielsen was the school’s third coach in three years.

After opening with a 69-41 victory over West Torrance in the Pacific Shores tournament, Redondo lost to Peninsula, 76-74. The next night Redondo came close to upsetting Serra before losing, 66-62. After that, Nielsen knew the Sea Hawks would be a competitive team.

“We had a chance to beat Peninsula and we knew they would be a good team,” Nielsen said. “I knew for sure (Redondo would do well) when we played Serra really tough.”

Redondo guard Morgan Ensburg made the big plays in the victories over Mira Costa. In the first game, Ensburg’s bank shot with three seconds left gave the Sea Hawks a 61-60 victory at Mira Costa. Friday night at Redondo, Ensburg led all scorers with 20 points, including four three-point baskets.

Redondo’s inside game was strong. Center Bryan Kelly, who played with the flu, had 17 points and eight rebounds, and forward Dan Hyde added 16 points and seven rebounds.

“Hyde played brilliantly and Kelly was sick as a dog,” Nielsen said. “The most important thing was the whole team was dedicated to winning.”

Mira Costa had clinched a playoff spot earlier in the week when it upset league champion Morningside, 81-75.

“We learned that you can’t celebrate a victory too long,” Marx said.

Mira Costa was led by forward Frank Zeno with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Shane Willis scored 18 points and backcourt partner Josh Branca scored 16.

Chadwick’s basketball team enters the Southern Section playoffs with momentum after going 8-0 to win the Prep League championship.

The Dolphins go into the Division V-AA playoffs with an 18-7 overall record and the No. 2 ranking in Division V.

Neil Thakur scored 17 points Friday to lead Chadwick to a 52-32 victory over Pasadena Poly in a league finale. Dylan Brown had 11 points and Casey Reickel added eight for the Dolphins.

Coach Tom Maier prepared Chadwick for league play with a challenging nonleague schedule that included games against Bishop Montgomery, Crossroads and Cypress Brethren Christian.

It was a 45-37 defeat to Brethren Christian, the third-ranked team in Division V, that turned the Dolphins’ season around, Maier said.

“That was our last loss and I benched three of my seniors down the stretch,” Maier said. “I told them if they were going to make that many mistakes, I can play underclassmen. I can live with their mistakes.”

Although he is confident going into the playoffs, Maier knows firsthand not to underestimate any opponent.

“Two years ago we got knocked off by a 3-19 team (Capistrano Valley Christian),” Maier said.

The Peninsula girls’ basketball team completed an unbeaten Bay League season Friday night by defeating Leuzinger, 59-18, in the opener of a tripleheader at Peninsula.

North Torrance defeated Harrison High of New Jersey, 64-50, in the second game to finish the regular season with an 18-6 record. Point guard Leslie Mukogawa led North with 22 points, seven assists and six steals and forward Jennifer Tojo had 17 points and nine assists.

The Saxons finished third in the Pioneer League with a 4-4 record, but Coach Rick Rosato hopes his team will revert to playing like it did during the nonleague schedule when it was 13-2.

“We got to the semifinals last year and we hope to at least get there this year again,” Rosato said. “We started off real well but we lost some tough games in league play.”

El Segundo’s alumni baseball game is always a big attraction in the community, especially with former Eagle players such as Ken and George Brett, Scott McGregor and American League umpire Darryl Cousins as regular participants.

The home-run hitting contest is usually the main attraction, and Coach John Stevenson said last weekend’s contest was the best ever.

“Most contests are usually disappointing because everyone tries too hard and ends up hitting popups,” Stevenson said. “But not this one. This was the best power-hitting contest I have ever seen. It definitely had everyone’s attention.”

The winner was Tate Seefried, a 1990 graduate, who hit six homers in 10 swings. Seefried, a New York Yankee minor leaguer, batted .242 with 20 home runs and 90 runs batted in last season for Class A Greensboro.

Second place went to Scott Talanoa (1987), who hit five home runs. Talanoa played for Beloit, a Class A team of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 1992 and batted .230 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Third place went to Matt Filson (1987), who hit four home runs. Filson spent 1992 playing for the Dodgers’ Class A team in Yakima, Wash., where he batted .303 with six home runs and 34 RBIs.