MARMONTE LEAGUE BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM BY TEAM’
AGOURA
1994-95: 15-10, 11-3
* Senior Brian Laibow, a three-year starter, enables the Chargers to match up at guard with any team in the league. Ryan Yeager and Joel Weiss are returners who give Agoura additional strength at guard. Like several league teams, Agoura is weak at forward. Ryan Shannon and Jason Rose are strong in the middle, but they stand only 6-2.
CAMARILLO
1994-95: 7-18, 6-8
* With five key returners plus Argentine exchange students Mariano It (6-2) and Leo Espelet (6-8), the Scorpions are loaded. Forward Josh Hill (6-7) led the league in scoring last season with a 17.6 average. Nathan Kaup, a 6-3 forward, averaged 15.8 points. Junior guards Jason Allen, Joe Borchard and Jon Jordan all played varsity last season and combine with It to form a potent backcourt.
CHANNEL ISLANDS
1994-95: 8-15, 2-12
* Speedy guards are a team strength but lack of height is a weakness. O.J. Thomas, a 5-8 sophomore returning starter, pushes the ball down the court at point guard. Charles Merricks, a junior three-year starter, averaged 11.9 points last season. Bernabe Simon, a 5-9 junior, was sixth man.
NEWBURY PARK
1994-95: 5-18, 1-13
* Brent Bush, a 5-9 senior guard, already has set every school record for three-point shooting and could lead the league in scoring. Bush averaged 15.4 points and 4.5 assists last season. The Panthers have more height than most league teams with 6-9 senior Dave Erickson, 6-8 junior Jim Newton and 6-6 senior Charles Stanton, who averaged 6.7 rebounds.
ROYAL
1994-95: 15-9, 9-5
* Marques Pena keeps the Highlanders equal to their league counterparts at the star-studded point-guard position, but it is burly forward Ryan Nielsen, who averaged 10.1 rebounds and 12.5 points last season, who gives them an edge. Scott Schnetzler, a 6-4 transfer from Simi Valley, is a strong defensive guard who averaged 10.2 points. Nick Flanagan, Kraig Tytus and Eric Plummer give Royal additional strength inside.
SIMI VALLEY
1994-95: 20-6, 9-5
* With Pero Vasiljevic, the Pioneers are one of the best teams in the region and the league favorite. Without him, they still would be solid. Guards Scott Blough and Tony Campanario are good players made vastly better by Vasiljevic, who is as adept passing as he is scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Forward Rod MacLean, the leading scorer on the junior varsity last season, has made a smooth transition to the varsity and is playing with confidence.
THOUSAND OAKS
1994-95: 14-13, 8-6
* Senior Mike Lauer, a three-year starter at guard, is one of the league’s best players. Scott Sheridan (6-8) is an improving post player, but the Lancers lack strong forwards. Returning guard Aaron Shaw is much improved, and several players from last season’s junior varsity have stepped into key roles, including Matt Fraisse, Robbie Cassel, Joe Riccio and Brian Freeth.
WESTLAKE
1994-95: 19-5, 11-3
* The Warriors, ranked No. 4 in the Times regional poll last season, have nearly all their key players back and have added 6-8 post player Jeremiah Nesbitt, a transfer from Thousand Oaks. Steve Aylsworth, a 6-foot three-year starter at guard, was the league MVP. Jason Gaines and Jake Stewart give Westlake two more excellent guards.
