Top Teams Take to the Road

All eight Southern Section teams in The Times’ regional Top 10 cruised through the first round of boys’ basketball playoffs, winning by an average margin of 24.5 points.

Top-ranked Chaminade (24-1) won its first-round game by 40, No. 5 Montclair Prep (23-3) won by 68 and No. 10 Valencia by 31. No. 8 La Canada (23-5) and No. 9 Hart (18-9) played the tightest games and each won by nine.

But the eight teams shouldn’t rest on their laurels. While all eight won at home in the first round, seven must win on the road tonight.

The coin tosses Saturday at the Southern Section office to determine home teams for the second and quarterfinal round games were not favorable to regional teams: Five of the six teams at the mercy of a coin flip lost the flip.

The lone winner: No. 2 Newbury Park (24-4) drew a home game against Dos Pueblos.

Here’s a look at some key second and quarterfinal-round matchups involving area teams:

DIVISION I-AA

Second round

Simi Valley (23-5) at Long Beach Jordan (17-11)--Junior Rafael Berumen and sophomores Branduinn Fullove and Brett Michel will lead No. 4-seeded Simi Valley, which defeated Santa Maria, 74-62, in the first round.

Berumen, a 6-foot-9 center, is averaging 21.2 points and 10 rebounds with the 6-4 Fullove at 16.8 points and the 6-6 Michel at 16.0.

Darrin Peterson, a 6-4 junior, is averaging 18 points for Long Beach Jordan.

Eisenhower (23-4) at Oxnard (17-8)--This should be an up-tempo game because neither team has a dominating big man.

Eisenhower, the co-Citrus Belt League champion with Fontana, is led by 5-8 junior Trenell Eddings, who is averaging 20 points and 9.5 assists.

Junior Damian Tafoya is averaging a team-high 13.5 points for Oxnard, and senior Jeff Fouchey averages 13.4. Fouchey hit the game-winning shot with two seconds left in the Yellowjackets’ 54-52 victory over Los Alamitos in the first round.

DIVISION I-A

Second round

Hart (18-9) at Canyon (11-16)--Canyon’s record is deceptive. True, the Cowboys finished 2-8 and last in the Foothill League, but they lost six by fewer than 10 points, including narrow 59-51 and 55-53 losses to Hart, the league champion. Canyon defeated Foothill runner-up Valencia, 66-62, in overtime. Some say that Canyon, a team without a superstar, sneaked into the playoffs, but a first-round victory over Loyola showed the Cowboys belong.

Hart, led by guard J.T. Stotts (23.4 points), is the three-time defending champion of what is becoming one of the toughest leagues in the region. All four playoff teams from the Foothill won first-round games.

Valencia (21-6) at Santa Barbara (17-10)--The front-line of Valencia has been, well, front line. Center Jerrohn Jordan (6-8) is coming off a school-record 37 points in the Vikings’ first-ever playoff victory. Forwards Fabian Leon (6-6) and Eskias McDaniels (6-4) also average in double figures and all three average more than three rebounds.

Getting over the hump of that first playoff victory should help ease the pressure for the Vikings, who couldn’t seem to win a big game all season. A victory over Santa Barbara, the fourth-place team from the Channel League will put Valencia in the quarterfinals in just its third varsity season.

DIVISION II-A

Second round

Dos Pueblos (23-4) at Newbury Park (24-4)--Brigham Young-bound Daniel Bobik, who is averaging 20.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals, leads No. 5-seeded Newbury Park.

The Marmonte League champion Panthers have won 14 consecutive games, but Channel League champion Dos Pueblos defeated them, 90-75, in a tournament game in December.

Forward Alex Jenkins scored 22 points and point guard Shantay Legans had 16 in Dos Pueblos’ 86-54 rout of Agoura in the first round.

Paso Robles (24-0) at Burroughs (18-9)--It could have been ugly for Burroughs after an 0-3 start in Foothill League games, but the Indians have turned it around and won seven of their last eight, including a 68-63 victory over Temple City in the first round.

Guard Mario Fernandez (4.7 assists per game) has played well recently, and the scoring combination of Jeremy Cartee (18.3) and Kevin Krose (15.7) is a formidable threat.

Moorpark (22-6) at Pacifica (22-4)--Moorpark, the Frontier League runner-up, travels to play at Garden Grove League champion Pacifica, which did not lose a league game.

Moorpark is led by senior forward Kevin Lawrence, who averages 22.9 points and 12.8 rebounds and who has 33 dunks. Sophomore guard Todd Tomlinson and senior forward Byron Burnett each average 9.7 points.

Pacifica, an up-tempo team with a love of the press, features 6-8 senior center Bryan Wislocki, who averages 10 points and eight rebounds, and junior guard Adam Rachlin, who averages 12 points and four assists.

DIVISION III-AA

Quarterfinals

La Canada (23-5) vs. Lompoc (19-6) at Cabrillo H.S.--La Canada is peaking at the right time. The third-seeded Spartans have won their last six games by an average score of 78-63. Matt Moore, La Canada’s 6-foot-7 center and leading scorer, has averaged more than 30 points, including a 51-point effort against Monrovia, in that stretch.

“We’re playing our best basketball of the season right now,” Coach Tom Hofman said.

DIVISION III-A

Quarterfinals

Chaminade (24-1) vs. Compton Centennial (19-8) at Compton Dominguez--This will be Chaminade’s toughest test since losing to Simi Valley, 62-47, and embarking on a 21-game winning streak. Centennial is much smaller than top-seeded Chaminade, but the Apaches are quick and athletic--a combination the Eagles haven’t seen much of this season.

Centennial’s strength is its guard play: Senior Arturo Jones and junior Marquis Poole are team’s leading scorers, averaging 15 and 14 points. Forwards Brian Johnson (6-3) averages 12 points and 14 rebounds and Steven Sims (6-3) averages 10 points and eight rebounds.

Chaminade’s balanced attack is led by 6-5 senior swingman Scott Long, who is averaging 14.6 points and 7.9 rebounds.

Santa Paula (21-6) vs. Cabrillo (13-12) at Lompoc High--Santa Paula, the Frontier League champion, is led by senior guard Joey Riccio, who averages 22.3 points and 6.2 assists. Guard David Herrera averages 11.4 points and post player Moses Gasio averages 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Cabrillo, the third-place finisher from the Los Padres League, counters with center Jay Richardson, a 6-7 senior who averages 20 points and 12 rebounds. Senior point guard Travis James averages 15 points and five assists.

The teams met last season with Cabrillo winning by three points.

DIVISION V-AA

Second round

Montclair Prep (24-3) at Apple Valley Christian (17-4)--Top-seeded Montclair Prep figures to face little challenge from Apple Valley Christian, the Agape League runner-up. The Mounties, who won the 1996 Division V-AA championship and the 1995 Division V state championship, figure to contend for both titles again. Guard Rocky Steryo, who is ninth on the all-time state list for three-pointer baskets, averages 22 points. Power forward Kevn Bentley averages 10.7 points and 10.5 rebounds. The Mounties defeated Cate, 87-19, in the first round.

Santa Clara (11-12) vs. Valley Torah (12-1) at Westside Jewish Community Center--Santa Clara, which won the division title last season, struggled after losing star forward Nick Jones to a broken foot on the first day of practice. In his place, the Saints rely on forward B.J. Ward, who averages 19.4 points. Center Ryan McGill averages 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds.