DIVISION IV : Reams Take Whittier Christian to the Playoffs

Before this season, Whittier Christian hadn’t won an Olympic League title since 1988. But before this season, the Heralds never had Trevor and Tyler Ream in the starting lineup.

The brothers, who play different styles of basketball, helped the Heralds knock off two-time defending league champion Brethren Christian.

Tyler is a small forward with exceptional ability; Trevor is more at home with his back to the basket.

Tyler is a senior forward and leads Whittier Christian in scoring (14.5 points per game), rebounding (6.9) and free-throw percentage (78.1). According to Coach Bob Brown, he is “a gifted athlete with great leaping ability who can run the floor and play 32 minutes a game.”

Trevor, a junior center, averages 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds.

“He is not the natural athlete that Tyler is,” Brown said. “But he works exceptionally hard on the finer points of the game. He spends a lot of time working on post moves.”

Their styles differ, but they share the same goals:

--Win two of three nonleague tournaments.

--Finish the season with at least a 20-4 record.

--Win the Olympic League championship.

--Become the second team in school history to win a Southern Section championship.

The Heralds won the championship games of the Cerritos Valley Christian and Atascadero tournaments, then went on to post a 21-3 record in winning the league title.

That last goal, however, may be a little much to hope for.

Whittier Christian opens the playoffs Friday playing host to the winner of tonight’s wild-card game between Pasadena La Salle (10-13) and Downey Pius X (10-12). If the Heralds win, they will likely face second-seeded Santa Clara (15-7) on Feb. 25.

Santa Clara, the Frontier League champion and winner of 12 Southern Section championships--including four in the past five years--knocked Whittier Christian out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals in 1991.

If the Heralds get past Santa Clara, they would still have to battle a field of teams loaded with strong players.

Some of the standouts include, 6-foot-6 Rick Price from Gardena Serra, who has signed with Duke; Andre Miller, a Los Angeles Verbum Dei guard who averages 22.8 points and is being recruited by Arizona, and Troy Collins, a 6-7 junior from Pius X who is being recruited by UCLA and others.

“I know we have a tough division.” Tyler Ream said. “I have played with guys from Serra and Verbum Dei. . . . A lot of people still do not believe we (Whittier Christian) are for real, and that is an advantage to us.”

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Brethren Christian, last year’s section Division V-AA champion, has moved up a division. After finishing third in the Olympic League, the Warriors (16-8) will travel to Santa Monica St. Monica (11-12), the runner-up in the Camino Real League, in a Division IV-A wild-card game tonight. The winner will play at North Hills L.A. Baptist (15-6), the second-place team from the Alpha League, Friday.

Calvary Chapel (13-13), the fourth-place team from the Olympic League, will also play a Division IV-A wild-card game tonight when it travels to Sierra Madre Maranatha (17-5). The winner will meet second-seeded Santa Clara Friday.

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Corona del Mar, the defending section Division IV-AA champion, received an at-large berth. The Sea Kings (13-13) finished fifth in the Sea View League but still play at home tonight against El Segundo (10-15). The winner will travel to third-seeded Twentynine Palms (14-7) Friday.

Division IV-AA at a Glance

Defending champion: Corona del Mar.

Top-seeded teams: Hemet West Valley (19-6), Banning (17-6), Twentynine Palms (14-7), Los Angeles Murphy (8-13).

Dark horse: Corona del Mar (13-13).

Top players: Ramin Bastani (Corona del Mar), Robert Carrillo (Los Angeles Murphy), Jack Hartman (Twentynine Palms), Jason Mora (Santa Ynez), Steve Newton (Banning), Matt Sabosky (El Segundo), Roferrel Simpson (Hemet West Valley).

Best draw: Banning. The second-seeded team gets a bye into the quarterfinals and does not have another first-place team in its side of the bracket.

Worst draw: Los Angeles Murphy. Murphy (8-13) was seeded fourth but must face Playa del Rey St. Bernard (12-11), runner-up in last year’s championship game.

Notes: Corona del Mar finished the season with a 13-13 record, almost identical to the 13-12 record it brought into the playoffs last year when the Sea Kings won the title. Nine of the 13 teams in the playoffs are the same as last year’s. Last season’s runner-up, St. Bernard, is in the bracket opposite Corona del Mar, so a rematch is possible.

Division IV-A at a Glance

Defending champion: Gardena Serra.

Top-seeded teams: Los Angeles Verbum Dei (20-2), Oxnard Santa Clara (15-7), Gardena Serra (15-9), Agoura Oak Park (21-2).

Dark horse: Whittier Christian (21-3).

Top players: Leonard Butler (Serra), Jamal Cobbs (Verbum Dei), Troy Collins (Downey Pius X), Reggie Davis (Brethren Christian), Allen Fletcher (Pius X), Chris Kuzminski (Mojave), Isaac Leasau (Calvary Chapel), Andre Miller (Verbum Dei), Rick Price (Serra), Trevor Ream (Whittier Christian), Tyler Ream (Whittier Christian).

Best draw: Verbum Dei. The top-seeded team meets Kern Valley (9-10), a third-place finisher from the High Desert League in the first round. The only teams capable of playing with Verbum Dei are Serra, Whittier Christian and Santa Clara, and they are on the opposite side of the bracket.

Worst draw: Calvary Chapel. The Eagles must travel to Sierra Madre Maranatha (17-5) for a wild-card game. If they win, the Eagles will be boarding a bus and heading to Oxnard to face second-seeded Santa Clara.

Notes: Santa Clara has won four of the past five championships. Verbum Dei has appeared in the championship game three of the last four years, losing all three. Serra has played in the championship the past two years, losing one and winning one. Whittier Christian won its only section title in 1989.