SKY’S THE LIMIT

Woodbridge big man David Burgess already has a 7-footer’s mentality. He’ll take the ball to the basket without fear, block out with abandon and knock some people around with his superior size.

In one quarter against Loara, the 6-foot-8 1/2 center scored eight points and blocked three shots.

Burgess has the potential and lineage to become one of the all-time best post players in Orange County.

And he’s only a freshman.

It may be unfair to place that kind of expectation on such a young player, but the fact is that Burgess, only one week into his first varsity season, already has shown glimpses of what could be a prolific high school career.

In very little playing time, Burgess is tied for the team lead in blocks and is third in rebounding. And this isn’t for just any team. Woodbridge (3-1) is ranked fourth in the county.

“He’s not a shy kid. He has a killer instinct on the block,” Woodbridge Coach John Halagan said. “He’s sitting more than he’s playing, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to help us. He’s not afraid to mix it up and he’s very coachable. He listens and does things right the first time.

“As the season progresses, it’s going to be hard to keep him off the floor. If you have a 6-8 kid who can defend and rebound and score inside, those are things you certainly have to explore.”

Burgess is using his scant playing time--two minutes here, three minutes there--to develop a game that could be awesome in a year or two.

“I’m loving it so far,” he said. “I know as a freshman I won’t get much playing time, but I’m really working hard in practice and trying to get better. In the future, I want to get as good as my brother was, even better.”

Burgess is referring to his brother Chris, an All-American at Woodbridge who averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and four assists as a senior before going on to play at Duke and now Utah.

There are differences in the brothers’ games.

“Chris was a little more perimeter-oriented,” Halagan said, “but David wants to get down in the kitchen and abuse people.”

Said David: “When Chris was my age, he wasn’t as thick as I am. He couldn’t bang around, so he had to develop another game. With my body mold [230 pounds], I can bang with guys who are bigger and score easily.”

David and his family believe that he will grow to be taller than Chris, who’s 6-10. The younger Burgess could be 7-0 or 7-1, they figure.

Halagan said he can’t compare the brothers’ games as freshmen because Chris played his first high school season at Mater Dei. But one thing’s for sure: David, six for six from the line, is a much better free-throw shooter.

DOUBLE DRIBBLES

It could be a long season for Laguna Beach, which lost its coach when Bret Flemming recently resigned. Things got worse when the Artists lost their first game under Clayton Olivier by 58 points, 76-18 to Mission Viejo. It was the worst opening-game defeat for the Artists in the program’s 67-year history and the second-worst loss of all-time, according to Laguna Beach athletic historian Frank Aronoff. The worst loss was a 113-45 shellacking by Huntington Beach on Feb. 25, 1955. . . . Northwood, a first-year program, won its first varsity tournament this week when it took the La Habra tournament title. Sophomore Drew Terry was selected tournament MVP. . . . Foothill guard Chad Bigler made perhaps the biggest statement of the opening week when he scored 41 points in a victory over Bolsa Grande. . . . Laguna Hills Coach Dave Brown gets his chance for victory No. 500 Wednesday, when the Hawks host Dana Hills at 7 p.m. Brown is in his 12th season at Laguna Hills after spending 21 at Fountain Valley.

LOOKING AHEAD

The game of the week is Wednesday when No. 3 Santa Margarita travels to face Woodbridge in Irvine.

Top-ranked Mater Dei and No. 4 Ocean View likely will meet in the Tournament of Champions title game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Ocean View.

Championship games in the Aztec Classic, Darren Oliver tournament, Bill Reynolds Classic and Los Alamitos tournament will be played Saturday at various sites.

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If you have an item or idea for the high school boys’ basketball report, you can call us at (714) 966-7826 or e-mail us at ben.bolch@latimes.com