Simi Valley Might Say See You Later to the Rest

Can anyone in the Marmonte League beat the Simi Valley High boys’ basketball team?

That question will be on the minds of many high school basketball coaches, players and fans in Ventura County when the league season opens tonight.

Newbury Park (19-9) and Simi Valley (23-4) tied for the league title with 9-3 records last season, but the Panthers have only two returning starters from that team while Simi Valley has four starters back along with 6-foot-7 transfer Ian Boys.

“Simi Valley definitely deserves to be the favorite,” third-year Newbury Park Coach Steve Johnson said. “Based on what they did last year and what they have coming back, they deserve it.”

He could have added that the Pioneers (4-0) made an impressive run through the Simi Valley tournament a week and a half ago.

Behind 6-9 junior Rafael Berumen, 6-4 sophomore Branduinn Fullove and 6-6 sophomore Brett Michel, Simi Valley defeated North Hollywood, Hart, Newbury Park and Chaminade by 15 points or more during the tournament.

Johnson was particularly impressed with the way in which the Pioneers turned a one-point deficit into an 18-point victory over his team in the last quarter and a half of the semifinals.

“You can’t have a series of wasted possessions against them,” Johnson said. “You have to make plays to answer their plays. If you don’t, things can’t get out of hand real quick.”

A lot of that is because of the Pioneers’ offensive versatility.

If an opponent packs the inside against Berumen, who averaged 23.3 points and 10.9 rebounds a game and was The Times’ Ventura County player of the year last season, he’ll kick the ball out to Fullove or Michel, who each averaged 16.2 points as freshmen.

Kurt Mjoen, a 6-4 junior, is the other returning starter for Simi Valley and 5-7 junior Branden Foster and Boys are talented newcomers.

Foster, who starts at point guard, was most valuable player for the Pioneers’ junior varsity last season and Boys averaged 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds as a junior at Buena.

Many coaches in the Marmonte League and Ventura County have questioned the fairness of Boys’ transfer, which was granted under a hardship waiver, but there’s no doubt he has given the Pioneers added depth while averaging 7.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Newbury Park (6-2), Agoura (4-1) and Westlake (4-2) seem to be the teams with the best chance of upsetting Simi Valley, the No. 1-ranked team in the region.

Newbury Park, which finished third in the Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks tournaments, has two returning starters--seniors Daniel Bobik and Luther Staines.

The Brigham Young-bound Bobik is a 6-6 shooting guard who averaged 20.1 points and 7.6 rebounds as a junior to earn Times All-Ventura County honors.

Staines is a 5-11 senior point guard who was a third-team all-league selection last year after averaging 5.8 points and 3.7 steals for the sixth-ranked Panthers.

Agoura, third in the Beverly Hills tournament last week, has three returning starters from a team that tied for fourth.

Marcus Helfman, a 6-5, 220-pound senior who committed to play football for Cal on Monday, is the ninth-ranked Chargers’ top returner after averaging 17.1 points and eight rebounds as a junior.

Westlake (4-2) won its tournament last week behind guards Joey Cuppari and Jake DeGennaro, a 5-9 junior transfer from St. Bonaventure.

Thousand Oaks (2-5), Channel Islands (6-0), Camarillo (3-2) and Royal (3-4) are expected to finish in the second division in the league.

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Rafael Berumen of Simi Valley, a 6-foot-9 junior center, averaged 23.3 points and 10.9 rebounds a game last season to earn The Times’ Ventura County player of the year award. Daniel Bobik, a 6-6 senior shooting guard who has signed a letter of intent with Brigham Young, earned All-Ventura County honors last season after averaging 20.1 points and 7.6 rebounds. Marcus Helfman, a 6-5 senior forward, averaged 17.1 points and eight rebounds last season.

* THE PROMISING: Jake DeGennaro of Westlake, a 5-9 junior transfer from St. Bonaventure, helped the Warriors win their tournament last week. Dwight Sattiewhite of Channel Islands, a 6-1 junior guard, is averaging 19.5 points a game and hitting 50% of his three-point shots. Jeff Stuteville of Camarillo, a 6-1 senior guard, is averaging 16.4 points after being a part-time starter last season.

* FAST FACT: Agoura has qualified for the Southern Section playoffs in each of the past 10 seasons.

* 1996-97 STANDINGS: 1. (tie) Simi Valley, 9-3 in league play, 23-4 overall; Newbury Park, 9-3, 19-9; 3. Channel Islands, 9-5, 20-6; 4. (tie) Royal, 7-7, 16-12; Agoura, 7-7, 10-14; 6. (tie) Camarillo, 4-10, 11-13; Westlake, 4-10, 11-14; 8. Thousand Oaks, 3-11, 10-15.