Playing for Dad Interests Chelette

Brady Chelette probably will be shooting three-point shots for Antelope Valley College next season.

The idea appeals to him and his father.

Newton Chelette, Antelope Valley’s longtime coach and basketball official, has had to make more than a few fastbreaks this season to watch Brady play.

Brady, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, is averaging a team-high 14 points and leads Golden League-champion Quartz Hill (19-7) against visiting Lynwood tonight at 7:30 in the opening round of the Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs.

“It’s been a very special year,” Newton said. “He and I have had a lot of talks this year, and we’ve become very close.”

Brady last week scored 24 points, including three three-point baskets, in a 71-54 victory over Littlerock that earned Quartz Hill its first league title since 1992.

Newton, president of the Mojave Desert Officials Assn., has curtailed his officiating commitments and has missed only one Quartz Hill game this season.

On Friday, Newton officiated the junior varsity game between Quartz Hill and Littlerock, showered and returned to the gym in time for varsity tip-off.

“It was really nice to see him at the last game,” Quartz Hill Coach Bernard Nichter said. “When Brady hit his threes, [Newton’s] fists were pumping. Brady has been under so much pressure. Everyone expects him to produce, since his dad is such a good shooting coach.”

“It’s great,” Brady said. “My dad is always there, always telling me to square up. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. I was always hanging around his gym.”

Brady’s college options are limited. He has received some interest from Nevada and UC Santa Barbara, but Division I schools are not pounding down his door.

Meanwhile, the nearby junior college beckons.

“If nothing happens, I’d be happy to play for [dad],” Brady said.

Said Newton: “If he doesn’t [go away to college], I know of a dad who would be happy to have him.”

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How does a coach fire up his team to compete for a section championship when there are only eight teams in the playoff bracket?

That’s what Jeff Young of Chaminade and Greg Hilliard of Harvard-Westlake must figure out. Only six teams earned automatic playoff berths for Division III-A, with only two teams qualifying for at-large berths.

“It’s bizarre,” said Hilliard, whose team hosts Morningside tonight. “What would be the odds of not many teams qualifying? It’s strange being in the quarterfinals. They’ve basically skipped the two preliminary games, put us in the quarterfinals and when you get there, you’re supposed to play somebody good and we are.”

Chaminade, top-seeded in the tournament, hosts Estancia tonight.

“Yes, there are only eight teams that qualified for our division, but they are eight good teams,” Young said.

Chaminade could be playing one game a week for the next three weeks. Young might want to consult with football Coach Ed Croson on how to prepare for that.

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Tony Freeman, the scoring, rebounding and assist leader and best defender for Santa Barbara (22-5), is listed as questionable for the game tonight against Hueneme (11-12) in the first round of the Division I-A playoffs.

Freeman, a 6-4 swingman who averages 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists, partially tore a calf against Ventura on Jan. 15 and aggravated the injury two weeks ago. He missed the final two games of the regular season.

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Teams that appear to be headed in opposite directions will meet tonight when Oxnard (20-6) hosts Irvine (18-8) in a first-round game of the Division I-AA playoffs.

Oxnard, ranked No. 8 in the region by The Times, has won 12 of its last 13 games. Irvine is 5-6 in its last 11 games.

Nonetheless, Oxnard Coach Henry Lobo is wary of Irvine.

“They’re a lot like us,” he said. “They play good defense, keep the score low and depend on their guards for a lot of their offensive support.”

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Jerome Holyfield of Littlerock is only 5-8. But his shooting packs a punch.

Holyfield, a senior point guard, is a second cousin of heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. But long-distance shooting is Jerome’s game.

Holyfield has made 11 three-point baskets in the last three games, including four in Littlerock’s 71-54 loss to Quartz Hill in the Golden League finale.

Holyfield leads the Lobos with 22 three-point baskets.

Littlerock (20-5) plays at Corona Centennial tonight in a Division I-AA first-round game.

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Michael Flot soon could complete an unusual hat trick.

In 1997, Flot helped coach the Harvard-Westlake boys’ team to the section Division III-A championship. Last season, he was an assistant for the Wolverine girls’ team that won the Division III-A title.

Flot is now the girls’ coach at Los Angeles High, which is top-seeded in the City Division playoffs.

Staff writers Vince Kowalick, John Ortega, Eric Sondheimer and correspondent Dave Desmond contributed to this notebook.