DIVISION IV-AA

Defending champion: Santa Fe Springs St. Paul.

Top teams: Twentynine Palms (22-3); Calvary Chapel (20-6); Pasadena Marshall (17-5); Santa Maria St. Joseph (17-8).

Dark horse: Laguna Beach (16-10). The Artists, who have had some injuries, are healthy now.

Top players: Aqi Aquino (Pasadena La Salle), Nathan Dondero (Bishop Union), Keith Holmes (Duarte), Joe Ortiz (Calvary Chapel), Lance Ray (Twentynine Palms), Chris Sirianni (Laguna Beach), Bryan Stephens (Beaumont).

Notes: There are two county teams in the division. . . . Laguna Beach can be dangerous now that guards 6-3 Sirianni (14 points, 6 rebounds) and 5-9 Sean Donnelly are back at full strength. . . . In moving up from Division IV-A, Calvary Chapel won’t have Santa Monica Crossroads blocking its playoff path. Two years ago, the Roadrunners knocked out the Eagles in the semifinals. Last year, Crossroads beat Calvary Chapel in the division championship game, and also in the Southern California Regional Division IV final. Yet Coach Craig Falconer would like another shot. “Last year if we were in this division, we could have won it. This year, if we had faced Crossroads [in Division IV-A], I believe we would have been stronger. What I hope is we can get to the finals, get into the state regionals and play Crossroads again.” Ortiz, the Eagles’ 6-2 senior guard, needs 76 points for 2,000 in his career. He would be the sixth county player to reach that figure. The more home games Calvary Chapel plays, the better his chances. The Eagles have won 30 league games in a row and 24 consecutive home games . . . . Beaumont is led by 6-9 senior center Bryan Stephens (24 points, 12 rebounds).