As Expected, Seedings Mystify Some County Coaches

It wouldn’t be a pairings day at the Southern Section office if there wasn’t a little sniping about the draw sheet, and there was certainly that going on Monday.

Capistrano Valley (20-6), which shared the South Coast League title with San Clemente, was unseeded. The Sunset League’s second-place team, Esperanza (18-8), was seeded fourth despite losing two of its last four games, to Edison and Marina, which shared the league title.

Capistrano Valley, ranked third in the section poll, lost one game last week--to San Clemente. Esperanza was ranked fourth.

“How a second-place team that lost to Edison can still be seeded fourth is beyond me,” Capistrano Valley Coach Pete Belanto said. “Esperanza got the best draw in the bracket; nobody came close to getting a worst draw than us.”

It probably wouldn’t have bothered Belanto so much, except that the two teams he didn’t want to face--El Toro and top-seeded La Crescenta Crescenta Valley--are his likely second-and third-round opponents.

As for Esperanza Coach Marc Hill? He liked his draw.

San Clemente (23-4) was the second part of the South Coast shutout. Ranked sixth last week in Division I-A, it won both games--including Capistrano Valley--and was essentially dropped to eighth. The Tritons could face top-seeded Cerritos (20-2) in the quarterfinals. Cerritos defeated San Clemente earlier, 72-53.

“You never know what their reasoning is--whether they even have all the info,” Tritons Coach Mary Mulligan said. “They should have given us a rematch with [second-seeded] Buena--then I’d be happy.”

San Clemente beat Buena, 58-47.

DIVISION I-AA

Defending champion: Oxnard.

Top teams: La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (22-2); Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula (23-3); Chino Hills Ayala (20-6); Esperanza (18-8).

Dark horse: Capistrano Valley (20-6) doesn’t have the depth it needs, but its starting five is well-prepared, having already played Diamond Bar, Crescenta Valley and Esperanza. Unfortunately for the Cougars, they lost each game.

Top players: Candice Allen (Chino Hills Ayala); Jami Allred (Irvine); Mary Anderson (Capistrano Valley); Leah Combs (Esperanza); Natasha Combs (Capistrano Valley); Kristin Geoffroy (Los Alamitos); Allison Gerber (Esperanza); Michelle Greco (Crescenta Valley); Loni Ives (Ayala); Janiqua Jackson (Long Beach Poly); Natalie Kelly (Peninsula); Sarina Kissel (Capistrano Valley); Teresa Manning (Canyon Springs); Monique Mathews (Capistrano Valley); Giuliana Mendiola (El Toro); Gioconda Mendiola (El Toro); Trinetta Moore (Rowland); Kelli Obrero (Rowland); Lauren O’Hara (Irvine); Kim Omer (Esperanza); Leah Wilde (Capistrano Valley);

Notes: Oxnard defeated Lynwood, 39-37, to win last year’s title. . . . Capistrano Valley certainly has the talent to reach the finals. Coach Pete Belanto said this year’s team is as physically gifted as the team that featured senior Alisa Farr and junior Angie White in 1992, and the following year when White’s team reached the finals but lost to Lynwood, 58-41. “Talent doesn’t always get you to the finals,” Belanto said. “You have to be mentally tough to get there. You have to win at least one on the road, and you have to win one when you’re not playing real well. And that mental toughness has to get you over the hump. And that mental toughness is what we’re struggling to find.” . . . Capistrano Valley got plenty of practice against teams in the division. The Cougars lost to Diamond Bar, 57-50, to La Crescenta Crescenta Valley, 68-59, and to Esperanza, 54-49. They did beat Chino, 52-36, and Schurr, 59-42. . . . Brooklyn Christ the King, ranked No. 1 in the nation, defeated La Crescenta, 62-40.