1995-96 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW : CENTURY LEAGUE

Canyon: 20-7, 10-0 in 1994-95. Coach: Nelson Herrera (third year, 35-15). Prospects: The Comanches will be hard-pressed to repeat last year’s romp through the league after losing to graduation some key players, including Sara Spjut (Washington State) and league co-MVP Robynn Kuhlmann (Dowling College, Long Island, N.Y.). Herrera starts rebuilding with two returning players: 5-7 junior guard Jennifer Fulbright and 5-7 senior forward Erin O’Neill. He is expecting to get help from 6-0 sophomore center Lauren Sward. Herrera said he just wants to make the playoffs, which is a reasonable goal.

El Modena 9-14, 5-5 in 1994-95. Coach: John Cahill (sixth year, 60-48). Prospects: The Vanguards can either be a contender for the third playoff spot or could turn into a spoiler for someone else. They should become more dangerous as the season progresses and they gain some confidence. Six-foot senior center Heather Potter, an all-league selection, and 5-5 junior guard Karen Herco, a 29% three-point shooter last season, will shoulder the leadership burden. Freshman 5-11 center Valerie Matweef will need to help with the rebounding. The graduation of first-team all-leaguer Jenny Foyle (Stanford) hurts.

Foothill: 6-16, 2-8 in 1994-95. Coach: Ty Watkins (second year, 6-16). Prospects: Another team with nowhere to go but up. Watkins gets six players back, including 5-6 sophomore guard Rebekah Cole and 5-9 senior guard Katy Stienle. A key to the Knights’ success could be 5-11 junior forward Kerry Brunansky, who provides some badly needed size inside. The Knights posted a 15-7 summer league record, but they may still be a season away from playoff contention.

Orange: 3-18, 0-10 in 1994-95. Coach: Chuck Newman (second year, 3-18). Prospects: Forget last season, because the Panthers will. With most of that squad having graduated, Newman can turn his attention to molding his players into the kind of team he wants. He does have a couple of key holdovers in 5-7 senior forward Sunny Lauridsen (5.8 points), a second-team all-league selection, and 5-10 senior center Jennifer French (2.4). Newman is also expecting improvement from 6-0 senior center Joanie Abrahamsen (1.2). If they get better, the Panthers should get better.

Santa Ana Valley: 16-7, 7-3 in 1994-95. Coach: Julie Van Vooren (first year). Prospects: Not many first-year coaches would be eager to step into a program that lost its standout players, including co-league MVP Velina Gibson (Irvine Valley), to graduation. And Van Vooren’s task will be made harder because she just got the job last Friday; Cardell Taylor, who first replaced Kevin Stipp (now coaching the boys’ team exclusively) decided he could not give the team his full attention. The Falcons still have talent, starting with 5-4 junior guard Maria Fariaz, a tough defender, and 5-7 senior forward Rhonda Bell. It’s too much to ask the Falcons for a league title, but they should be in the playoff hunt.

Villa Park: 13-11, 6-4 in 1994-95. Coach: Connie Brazell (first year). Prospects: Brazell, who coached at Irvine last season, couldn’t have picked a better year to start as coach here. The Spartans are solid, with seven returning starters. Three of the best are 5-11 senior center Mary Jo Pennington (10.1 points), a two-time first-team all-league selection, 5-6 sophomore guard Missy Bynon (11.6), a first-team all-league pick at age 14, and 5-5 senior guard Michelle Miyake, who was selected to the all-league second team despite missing nine games with a dislocated ankle. Health may be the only thing that keeps the Spartans from a league title; last season, six players missed a combined 42 games.