HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PREVIEWS : Milburn Pulling Up Moorpark

The soaring fortunes of the Moorpark High girls’ basketball team have coincided with the raising of Brent Milburn’s pants.

Milburn, the Musketeers’ second-year coach, has presided over the team’s rapid improvement--and, as its games have increased in intensity and importance, his waistband has increased in elevation.

“He’s very intense and he gets so into the games that if you watch, he keeps hiking up his pants and he doesn’t even know it,” said Tina Milburn, Brent’s daughter and a senior forward. “By the end of a game they’re up to his chest. My mom says she’s glad when games are over because she’s worried his belt buckle is going to hit his neck.”

Better get the coach a throat protector. The Musketeers are on the march.

With Tina averaging 10 points and 11 rebounds and her sister, Tracey, averaging 16 points and seven assists, Moorpark is 11-0 going into league play tonight.

“I think we should win it because I know our team has gotten much better,” Tracey said. “We’re better shooters, we actually run the plays this year and they work. Because of that we’re more relaxed.”

Under Brent Milburn’s tutelage, the team is playing with greater intensity, paying more attention to fundamentals and having more success.

Moorpark and Calabasas were 7-3 in league play last season, but the Musketeers lost twice against the Coyotes and finished third, one game behind league champion Nordhoff (8-2).

Moorpark was 6-14 two seasons ago--the best record in the program’s history to that point. Last season the Musketeers improved to 14-6.

“Basketball wasn’t respected at our school,” said Tracey Milburn, who along with her sister and senior Tara O’Donnell, are the only holdovers from Moorpark’s last losing season. “We couldn’t get much gym time so we had to practice with the JV and no one came to our games. It was something we did just for fun. No one took it seriously.”

This season, veteran players such as the Milburn sisters and forwards Sonjia Ceja and Laura Everett have been joined by first-year varsity players Damaris Hinojosa, a freshman forward, and Kelly Jaeger, a junior guard who moved from Florida. Both are averaging 10 points.

“Last year we knew we had to play good defense to win and everyone bought into it,” Brent Milburn said. “This year we’ve kept that but we also have better chemistry and we have more scorers.”

And more pants problems.

Around the League

CALABASAS

1994-95: 15-7, 7-3

The Coyotes’ starters know their roles, Coach Steve Spadaro said. Returning all-league guard Jamie Apody, a senior, is the shooter, averaging 16 points. Freshman point guard Cara Blumfield surprised Spadaro by becoming the ballhandler. Junior forward Alyssa Love is the rebounder, averaging 11 rebounds. Junior center Heather Robertson handles post play and senior forward Cathleen Curran is the defensive specialist.

MOORPARK

1994-95: 14-6, 7-3

The Musketeers have last season’s starting lineup back but the team has improved enough that two of them are reserves. Tracey Milburn, a junior point guard, starts along with her sister, Tina, a senior forward. Both were all-league picks last season. The other starters are guards Jennifer Plante and Kelly Jaeger and forward Sonja Ceja.

NORDHOFF

1994-95: 15-9, 8-2

The Rangers, defending champions, return three proven standouts. Sophomore forward Erin Barker, an all-league selection, is averaging 15 points and six rebounds. She is joined by forwards Keyana Stanford, a senior and a Times second-team All-County pick, and sophomore Nell Becker, who earned second team all-league honors. Senior point guard Sarah Becker and senior forward Rayven McCloskey also start. “We’re not a big team so we want to press and get offense off of turnovers,” Coach Jack Smith said.

SANTA CLARA

1994-95: 4-17, 2-8

In an effort to harden her team and speed its improvement, second-year Coach Sherri Cvijanovich took the Saints to a team summer camp in Las Vegas in July. “We got kicked around,” Cvijanovich said. “We were the smallest school (430 students) and we were playing teams from schools as big as 2,000.” That experience and added quickness may stop Santa Clara from being intimidated by league opponents. Whether the pint-sized Saints can beat them is another matter. Junior point guard Michelle Mullen, senior forward Aimee Chaparro and junior center Christine Hanson are returning starters. Junior guard Kathy Montoya and senior forward Dani Maestas are the other starters. “Our offense is controlled and patient,” Cvijanovich said. “If we run and gun it without getting people under the net, with our lack of height we won’t get the rebounds.”

SANTA PAULA

1994-95: 11-12, 6-4

Coach Julie Coert may have a tough time in her first year with “a young group with little experience.” But she says this is an ideal starting point from which to build a program. “I basically started from scratch, progressing from the fundamentals,” Coert said. “I think I would have found it more difficult with eight seniors.” The guards are senior Tanya Paez, an all-league selection who is averaging 12 points, junior Kathy Mata and sophomore Nyla Foley. The forwards are sophomores Erika Vint and Lisa Casarez.