Monarchs Stand Well Above the Rest

Only one of the 14 Orange County teams in the Southern Section Division I-A boys’ basketball playoffs will likely be left standing when the champion is crowned March 3 at the Pond.

And no, it probably won’t be Anaheim (11-15), though Colonist Coach Bob Hawking has done a nice job in his first year.

More likely, it will be Mater Dei. The top-seeded Monarchs (24-2) are so good that they could probably reach the semifinals with their second team. Mater Dei is a heavy favorite to win its third consecutive section title and ninth in 10 years.

Elsewhere, things are more even. Here’s a breakdown of the brackets:

Division I-AAA--Capistrano Valley is the only county team capable of doing much damage in a bracket that includes Upland, Rialto Eisenhower and Long Beach Poly. But the Cougars (23-3) aren’t at full strength because of two injuries that occurred last week. Starting guard Matt Sweany suffered a broken wrist and key reserve Patrick Lefler suffered a severely sprained ankle. Both are out for the duration of the playoffs. “The kids are going to have to step up,” Capistrano Valley Coach Brian Mulligan said. “I’m certainly happy with this year, but I’d prefer to go into the playoffs with all of our guns blazing.” . . . No one was surprised that Los Alamitos did not receive a seeding despite finishing 10-0 in the Sunset League. The Griffins went 8-6 in nonleague play, and the Sunset League was the weakest it has been in years. Los Alamitos Coach Russ May notes that his team did play a tough nonleague schedule that included El Toro and hopes the experience will help prepare the Griffins for a playoff run. If Los Alamitos (18-6) wins its first-round game against Lawndale Leuzinger (13-13), a team known for scoring lots of points, it would likely meet Capistrano Valley in the second round.

Division I-AA--El Toro Coach Todd Dixon calls this bracket the weakest in Division I. But he acknowledged his top-seeded Chargers (23-3) must receive balanced scoring from their interior and perimeter players to make it to the finals at the Pond. In the few games in which El Toro has struggled, the Chargers have lofted way too many three-pointers. When things are going well, big man Matt Green wreaks havoc in the paint and wing players Ashkan Nazeri and Chris Parish choose their outside shots wisely. El Toro probably won’t face a challenge until the quarterfinals, where it could meet University (15-10). . . . Marina’s regular-season finale against Esperanza, in which the Vikings pulled out a one-point victory after trailing by five down the stretch, could help prepare it for another frantic finish in the playoffs. Problem is, Marina (11-16) drew third-seeded Crescenta Valley (19-6) in the first round and will do well just to keep the game within striking distance in the fourth quarter. . . . University could break the section record for three-pointers in a season, but the Trojans likely would need to advance to the second round. With 276 three-pointers, University is quickly approaching the record of 294 set by Chadwick during the 1993-94 season. Jason Garey has made 128 three-pointers, three fewer than the county record of 131 set by former Mater Dei player Clay McKnight in 1995. . . . Aliso Niguel is an excellent candidate to pull off an upset special against second-seeded Glendora (22-4) in the second round if the Wolverines (15-12) can get past host Montebello (14-12) in Round 1. Remember, Aliso Niguel defeated Ocean View and Newport Harbor earlier in the season.

Division I-A--There are a couple of teams in this bracket capable of tripping Mater Dei in the final two rounds. Third-seeded Villa Park (21-4), which lost to Mater Dei by 18 points in January, might be able to give the Monarchs a run in a rematch. But Spartan Coach Kevin Reynolds, whose team hosts Palm Springs (13-12) in the first round, isn’t willing to look that far ahead. “The first opponent is the toughest because they have the most time to prepare for you,” Reynolds said. “You can’t worry about any other stumbling blocks until you get past the first round.” . . . Fourth-seeded Woodbridge (21-4) is in the playoffs as a seeded team for the first time since 1997, when the Warriors won the Division II-AA title behind the play of Chris Burgess. While Woodbridge lacks a player of Burgess’ caliber, it does feature quality depth and a starting five that can match up with just about anyone.

Division II-AA--Santa Margarita Coach Jerry DeBusk thought his second-seeded Eagles (23-4) did not deserve a nod over third-seeded Inglewood (21-5), the team that knocked Santa Margarita out of the playoffs last season. DeBusk pointed out that his team has lost two of its last four games, though those losses were to Mater Dei and Corona Centennial, the second-seeded team in Division I-A. “We’ve played good people,” DeBusk said, “and I hope that helps us.” The Eagles’ primary weakness is a lack of size, meaning that 6-foot-8 Adam Tancredi will have to play like a 7-footer once Santa Margarita gets past the early rounds. . . . Brea Olinda enters the playoffs as the Orange League champion for the third consecutive year under Coach Bob Terry, but Terry said this year’s Wildcats may be his weakest edition. Brea starts three sophomores along with seniors Ryan Moore and Landon Lewis, and the inexperience could prove costly late in a close game. The Wildcats (19-7) host Laguna Hills (16-10) in the first round. . . . Sonora is the dark horse of the bracket. The Raiders (24-3) have won 12 in a row and could give fourth-seeded Cathedral City (22-5) a run if both teams advance to the quarterfinals.

Division II-A--Magnolia’s late-season slide--the Sentinels (13-13) lost their last four games--might have been costly. The team’s prize for winning its first-round game against visiting Temple City (13-11) would be a date with Josh Childress and top-seeded Lakewood Mayfair (22-2), which received a first-round bye. . . . Pacifica enters the playoffs with the worst record (5-21) but the most positive outlook. The Mariners thought they were left for dead last week after forfeiting 10 victories for using an ineligible player. But Garden Grove League principals voted the Mariners into the playoffs after reviewing the situation, injecting a large dose of optimism. Said Pacifica Coach David Friedman: “We will live to fight another day.”

Division III-AA--Costa Mesa, which would like to build on its first league championship, already has posted a victory of sorts by receiving a first-round bye. The Mustangs (17-9) will stay the course as far as their game plan, Coach Bob Serven said, but they must improve their rebounding to stick around long. “We’re not very big,” Serven said, “but we’re playing some pretty good basketball right now.” . . . Corona del Mar (11-16) will play in a scene right out of “Hoosiers” when it travels to play Gabrielino (10-16) Wednesday in a junior high gym that seats about 600.

Division IV-AA--Fourth-seeded Orange Lutheran enters the playoffs after losing the Olympic League title in the last game of the regular season, but Lancer Coach Shawn Cassidy figures the defeat could serve as motivation. Unlike last season, when Orange Lutheran featured nine seniors, the Lancers have seven juniors this time around and are led by point guard Darrell Jenkins and forward Marc Troyer. . . . Don’t criticize Northwood (19-7) if it displays some jitters in its first playoff appearance in its first year of varsity competition. The Timberwolves have had a fine year no matter the outcome of their first-round game against host Pasadena Marshall (13-8).

Division IV-A--Second-seeded Calvary Chapel (19-5), the Olympic League champion, is the only county team in the 10-team bracket. And the Eagles have a great chance to advance to the championship, where they would likely need all the luck they could get against Isaiah Fox and top-seeded Santa Monica Crossroads, the defending division champion.

Division V-AA--St. Margaret’s (14-10), Capistrano Valley Christian (11-9) and Fairmont (12-7)--the three county schools in the 53-team bracket--are all longshots to advance to the third round.

Division V-A--Acaciawood (14-5), fresh off its eight-point upset of Tarbut V’Torah (20-2), has high hopes to stick around for a couple of rounds. Tarbut also has a shot at advancing deep, but top-seeded Los Angeles Price (24-3) should rout all comers.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOP 10

Final Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll

*--*

Pos. School League Rec Pts 1. Mater Dei (1) Serra 24-2 60 2. Santa Margarita (2) Serra 21-4 51 3. Capistrano Valley (3) South Coast 23-3 49 4. El Toro (4) South Coast 23-3 42 5. Woodbridge (5) Sea View 22-4 36 6. Villa Park (6) Century 21-5 29 7. Ocean View (7) Golden West 20-6 26 8. Sonora (8) Freeway 24-3 14 9. El Dorado (10) Empire 22-4 13 10. Loara (9) Empire 20-6 8

*--*

*Last week’s ranking in parentheses

Other: Los Alamitos (18-6)