BOYS VOLLEYBALL / Players to Watch
* Dennis Alshuler, Corona del Mar, middle blocker, Jr.
* Jeremy Blain, Marina, setter, Sr.
* Peter Day, El Toro, middle blocker, Sr.
* Mike Deal, Servite, middle blocker, Sr.
* Erick Helenihi, Villa Park, middle blocker, Sr.
* Matt Komer, Los Alamitos, outside hitter, Sr.
* Kevin Kowalski, Tustin, outside hitter, Jr.
* B.J. Lightvoet, Costa Mesa, outside hitter, Jr.
* Miles McGann, Laguna Beach, setter, Jr.
* Travis Nelson, Newport Harbor, setter, Sr.
* Matt Peacock, El Dorado, outside hitter, Sr.
* Beau Rawi, Capistrano Valley, opposite, Sr.
* Tyler Reynard, Laguna Beach, outside hitter, Sr.
* Marcus Skacel, Santa Margarita, outside hitter, Sr.
* Tony Tran, Los Amigos, middle blocker, Sr.
* Chris Van Reusen, Edison, outside hitter, Sr.
* Ryan Young, Calvary Chapel, middle blocker, Sr.
* Matt Zierhut, Santa Margarita, middle blocker, Sr.
League Favorites
Century: Villa Park; Empire: El Dorado; Garden Grove: Los Amigos; Golden West: Tustin; Olympic: Calvary Chapel. Pacific Coast: Laguna Beach; Sea View: Newport Harbor; South Coast: Capistrano Valley; Sunset: Marina.
Key Dates
Mar. 20-21, Orange County Championships, Marina HS. Mar. 23, OC Championships semifinals and final, Golden West College. May 13, 15, 19, 22, 27, Southern Section playoffs. May 30, Southern Section finals.
1997 Final Poll
1. Esperanza; 2. Santa Margarita; 3. Capistrano Valley; 4. Laguna Beach; 5. Huntington Beach; 6. Corona del Mar; 7. Dana Hills; 8. Newport Harbor; 9. Villa Park; 10. Edison.
Notes
Santa Margarita’s Marcus Skacel, a 6-foot-5 senior who has committed to Stanford, could be the county’s best all-around player, and his team plays in the county’s toughest league. Santa Margarita won the Southern Section Division II title and Corona del Mar reached the Division III final last season. But Newport Harbor is the league’s preseason favorite because it has an experienced, talented team led by one of the county’s top setters, Travis Nelson, a 6-2 senior. And, Sea View teams El Toro and Irvine have already upset Capistrano Valley, which has struggled. Capistrano Valley’s top player, Beau Rawi, has been slowed by an ankle injury . . . Laguna Beach junior Miles McGann is similar to Nelson, another big (6-4), athletic setter, who should lead the Artists back to playoff prominence. . . . Esperanza, the defending Division I champ, returns no starters from last season’s 19-1 team. Marina is the early favorite, but Fountain Valley leads a host of challengers. The Barons have a new coach, Ray Brown, who replaced Lori Biller. Biller resigned in the winter and plans to move to Indiana with her family.