Mater Dei to Get Its Dream Gym

Rising 53 feet high in the Santa Ana sunset is the crown jewel of high school gymnasiums.

Set to open this August at Mater Dei High is an $18.2-million facility that will seat 3,200 and contain three college-size basketball courts, two Jumbotron screens with instant-replay capability, locker rooms, a wrestling room, coaches’ offices, a training and rehabilitation room and a weight room.

“For high school, it’s fabulous,” Mater Dei boys’ basketball Coach Gary McKnight said. “To have a gym that seats over 3,000 is unheard of.”

And don’t think the Monarchs are going to have any problems filling the seats next season, not with the return of Duke-bound Taylor King and Arizona-bound 7-foot-1 center Alex Jacobson, plus the 6-8 Wear twins, Travis and David.

It will be McKnight’s 25th season as coach, and there was a time he thought he wouldn’t be around to see the gym built. Fund-raising began in 1998, and more than $15 million has been raised. The gym’s naming right will go to a private donor.

Mater Dei’s basketball success long ago forced the Monarchs to abandon their tiny current gym that has seating on only one side. Home games have been played at local high schools and colleges to accommodate their large fan base.

Beginning this fall, the Monarchs will have a real home-court advantage. The girls’ volleyball team will be the first to use the gym. On Jan. 2, 2007, McKnight’s Monarchs have tentatively scheduled their home basketball opener against Fountain Valley.

The pride and excitement McKnight has for the gym can be seen as he stares contently at the construction crews working diligently to finish the huge project. Good weather has kept everything on schedule.

Once completed, the gym will be part of a 66,041-square foot Athletic and Aquatics Complex that includes a new 12-lane swimming pool, an artificial turf baseball stadium, artificial turf football practice field and all-weather track.

The only regret McKnight has is that this season’s group of seniors won’t get the opportunity to play in the new gym.

“The underclassmen are excited,” he said.

Parents are already plotting how to obtain the best seats.

And McKnight can’t wait to see himself on the Jumbotron.

“They said I look 10 pounds skinnier, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

About the only worry is who’s going to make the decision when to show a controversial replay on the big screen.

All high schools would love to have such a dilemma.

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There are still three weeks left in the basketball season, but it’s not too early to speculate on the most intriguing question for next season.

What schools will Auri Allen and Dwayne Polee Jr. end up attending in the fall?

Allen, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, is a mystery. He played for Los Angeles Verbum Dei as a freshman, then disappeared from the organized basketball scene. He has been taking independent study courses and working out with a private instructor, Wayne Slappy.

“He’s doing quite well,” Slappy said this month.

There have been Allen sightings as he checks out potential schools. People who are eager to see what kind of player he has become will soon get a peek when club competition gets underway next month.

The 6-6 Polee is the most highly touted eighth-grader in the Southland and the son of the former Los Angeles Manual Arts guard who ranks as one of the greatest players in City Section history.

His father said a decision should be made by this summer so his son can play for a high school team.

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John Aguirre, a former football coach at Carson and Los Angeles Garfield, has been hired as an administrator in the City Section athletics office.

He’s expected to be given the assignment of overseeing City football in the fall. He was serving as dean of students at Carson and is known for his integrity and being able to deal with all kinds of people.

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Last September, when Ngundu Katuala showed up at Etiwanda to play basketball as a freshman, he was 12 years old and stood 6-5.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Coach Dave Kleckner said.

Born on Oct. 3, 1992, in France, Katuala said he skipped two grades and moved to the Southland more than a year ago.

Katuala played junior varsity this season before being promoted to the varsity for the playoffs. He said he could grow to 6-11.

“If this kid keeps growing, he could be something else,” Kleckner said.

With Katuala, plus three freshmen who played varsity and talented sophomore Marvin Jones, Etiwanda projects as a state title contender.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimescom.