SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Corona del Mar: 4-19, 0-10 in 1997-98. Coach: Elbert Davis (second year, 4-19). Six-foot senior Jennifer Dickson (6.5 points, 7.5 rebounds) and point guard Charlene Quon return and will be part of Davis’ steady rotation of runners and gunners. The Sea Kings’ goal is to shoot every 10 seconds, hoping their frenetic pace will make up for their shortcomings. Sophomore center Ainsley King (6-0) could be an invaluable rebounder, and sophomores Karolina Libuda (5-10) and Kristen McCoy (a 5-8 transfer from Texas), and freshman Andrea Gruber are three-point threats.

El Toro: 27-3, 10-0 in 1997-98. Coach: Vincent Avitabile (third year, 44-12). The Chargers upset Capistrano Valley (in two overtimes) and top-seeded La Crescenta Crescenta Valley, 63-61, in the Division I-AA playoffs. Eight players return, including four starters. Giuliana Mendiola, the county’s scoring leader her first two seasons, can keep the Chargers in any game. Senior Gioconda Mendiola (5-8, 12.4 points, 5.8 assists, 5.2 steals) must have another stellar season to complement her sister. Similarly, senior forwards Amy Everett (five points) and Amy Rikamaru (six points), the other two returning starters, must accelerate their game for El Toro to take the next step--reach, and win, the section final.

Irvine: 16-9, 7-3 in 1997-98. Coach: Diane Vaughan (first year). Irvine and Santa Margarita figure to battle for second place. The Vaqueros have two returning starters, including sophomore Jody Carlson (6-1), a second-team all-league player whose 76.4% free-throw percentage was the county’s fifth-best. One of two seniors on the team is point guard Natalie Kamada (5-4), whose leadership has impressed Vaughan.

Newport Harbor: 8-18, 3-7 in 1997-98. Coach: Gregg Savage (first year). Five starters return to the athletic Sailors. A good-sized team with a strong rebounding presence, juniors April Ross (6-1, eight points) and Kalena Jackson (5-7, 11.8 points), and seniors Alyssa Paul (5-7), Kristen Urban (5-9, nine points) and Melissa Hollister (6-0) could upset the balance of power in the league.

Santa Margarita: 14-11, 5-5 in 1997-98. Coach: Rich Schaaf (third year, 34-19). The Eagles had 10 returning players last season from a 20-8 squad but didn’t perform as expected and missed the playoffs. This season they have only three returning players, including all-league 5-9 junior forward Venessa Ferragamo (13 points, seven rebounds), 5-7 junior guard Colleen O’Leary (six points) and 5-9 senior guard Daniell Bennett (10 points). Two juniors from JV and a freshman are also likely to contribute: Chelsea Argo (forward, 5-8), Shannon Simon (guard, 5-6) and freshman Susan Leary (guard, 5-5), a good shooter and defender. Though quick, their lack of height continues, and they’ll try to make up for it with an up-tempo approach.

Woodbridge: 14-13, 5-5 in 1997-98. Coach: Eric Bangs (13th year, 296-69). Bangs returns after a three-year absence. Woodbridge reached two state championship games (winning the first of two in a row) before he joined Irvine Valley College. The cupboard is not the way he left it. Only two starters return, senior forward Amber Avestruz (5-11) and junior post Bryn Riley (5-11). There’s not much experience here, though forward Anne Christensen (5-11) saw action off the bench. Another starter, Natalie Quinn, transferred to Marina after her father, Coach Pat Quinn, was not rehired. The Warriors won’t challenge for the league title, but under Bangs, they’ll definitely improve by season’s end.