HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Alemany and Hueneme highs should be among the most improved boys’ basketball teams in the region, but neither will be at full strength for another week or two.

Each has several key players participating in the Southern Section football playoffs.

Alemany, 6-18 in 1997-98, opened the season with a 79-73 loss against Calabasas in the first round of the Saugus tournament on Wednesday without five players who will play in a Division III football semifinal against Hart at College of the Canyons on Saturday night.

Hueneme, 9-14 last season, lost to Ventura, 66-49, in its opener Monday minus six players who will play in a Division IV semifinal against San Luis Obispo on Saturday night.

“It’ll be a junior varsity team that plays in the Saugus tournament,” Coach Darryl McDonald of Alemany said Tuesday. “It will basically be comprised of freshmen and junior varsity players.”

Quarterback Casey Clausen of Alemany, who has passed for 3,043 yards and 27 touchdowns, and receivers Devin Montgomery, Deon Scott, Reggie Kinlaw and Bryson Atkins will play varsity basketball this season.

De’Andre Scott, who has rushed for 1,107 yards and scored 19 touchdowns, receiver Derek Goodman and reserve quarterback Rick Clausen, Casey’s brother, will try out for the varsity.

Hueneme suited up only six players against Ventura, but Coach Tom McCollum has no intention of filling out the roster until Carlos Bailey, Dwight Norman, Johnie Williams, Franklin Thompson, Eric Watkins and Leslie Lee are finished playing football.

“We were 10 players deep over the summer,” McCollum said. “But I don’t want to change the way we play or the level of intensity we play with because of our situation. I still want us playing on the ragged edge.”

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Senior Robbie Collins, who averaged 17.3 points a game for Hueneme last season, moved to Victorville with his family in August, but McCollum isn’t fretting over the lossHe said senior Robert Luna, who had 18 points against Ventura, is doing a fine job in Collins’ spot at guard.

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Injuries will prevent the Oxnard boys’ team from being at full strength until January.

The Yellowjackets, who opened the season with a 57-45 victory against Quartz Hill in the first round of the Saugus tournament Wednesday, have quality guards, seniors Damian Tafoya and Jacob Galloway. But an ankle injury is expected to sideline junior guard Matt Merricks until at least next week and a knee injury will prevent junior forward Ricky Hernandez from playing until at least the Santa Barbara tournament, which starts Dec. 26.

“We were looking forward to being able to do a lot of different things this season,” Coach Henry Lobo said. “But until we get everyone back, we’re going to be limited somewhat.”

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Jacob Rogers, Oxnard’s leading rebounder last season, won’t play basketball this season.

The 6-6 senior has committed to USC to play football and will graduate from Oxnard at the end of the first semester.

Rogers averaged 10.4 rebounds last season, but missed five of the last six games with an ankle injury.

The injury bothered him during football season and contributed to his decision to skip basketball, Lobo said.

“He just wanted to let his body heal after football,” Lobo said. “We’re going to miss him. He gave us a big body in the middle, but I understand that football is his future at USC.”

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Eric Serna, a 6-6 senior for Monroe, had an impressive first week, scoring six, 27, 19 and 16 points as the Vikings went 2-2 in a tournament at Manual Arts.

Monroe lost to Fremont and Hollywood and defeated Los Angeles and Gardena.

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The Top 10

Rankings of basketball teams from the region

BOYS

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RK School (League) 1 Simi Valley (Marmonte) 2 Chaminade (Mission) 3 Sylmar (East Valley) 4 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 5 Cleveland (West Valley) 6 Valencia (Foothill) 7 Santa Clara (Frontier) 8 Newbury Park (Marmonte) 9 Notre Dame (Mission) 10 Grant (East Valley)

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GIRLS

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RK School (League) 1 Buena (Channel) 2 Channel Islands (Pacific View) 3 Ventura (Channel) 4 Crescenta Valley (Pacific) 5 North Hollywood (East Valley) 6 Alemany (Mission) 7 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 8 Moorpark (Marmonte) 9 Canyon (Foothill) 10 Glendale (Pacific)

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