IIIAA303.htm

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Southern Section Playoffs: Division III-AA
Finals Preview--(March 3, 1998)

Wow, down to the last game in this Division. It will feature Ocean View agaisnt Barstow. Ocean View beat Pomona 71-58, and Barstow beat La Canada Blair to set up this final matchup between one team which was ranked No. 1 (Barstow) in Division III-AA most of the season, and another which was ranked No. 1 for most of the year in Division III-A (Ocean View) but which has moved up for the playoffs. Again, this is another example of the seeding committee making the right choices, as it sets up No. 1 overall seed Barstow against No. 2 overall seed Ocean View.

Division III-AA Finals

Ocean View (24-4) v. Barstow (25-3)

When: March 7, 1998; 1 pm

Where: Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim

Ocean View won its last game against Pomona 71-58 to make it to the finals. Ocean View was led in that game by Garid Beeler who scored 18 points, including four threes and eight rebounds. Ocean View point guard Tony Dow is always dangerous, and on Friday he finished with 20 points and six assists, while Kevin Hanson added another 11 points. Ocean View can be a very impressive team, going on huge scoring runs. On Friday against Pomona, Hanson, a 6'-10" center and Dow sparked a 25-5 run which set up the win. Hanson and Ocean View's swarming rebounding attack can sometimes be just devastating, as it was when Ocean View defeated Tustin, then the No. 10 ranked team in all of Orange County, holding Tustin to just 19 points in the entire game, on 1 for 25 shooting from the field. Any team that can hold the opposing team to just one field goal is pretty impressive. Ocean View also features Casey Lawson, who can hit from outside sometimes seemingly at will, and David Hatch. Ocean View this year had four McDonald's High School All-American nominees: Kevin Hanson, David Hatch, Matt Kiemle and Jason Martini. The team is pretty loaded, and their 24-4 record proves it.

Barstow is led by James Hernandez, Willie Mann and Steve Miano, all of whom are capable of hitting long threes when the shots are needed and playing very aggressive defense. Barstow also features a bunch of other guys we don't know anything about, with names such as Santillanes, Bach, Shivers, Alcantara, Alvin Yarber (or maybe Yarker), and Benevidez. Barstow is 25-3, and in the last issued CIF poll (from February 9), Barstow was ranked the No. 1 team in Division III-AA. Of course, Ocean View was also ranked No. 1 in the same poll, but in Division III-A, and they must have petitioned to move up in the playoffs.

This will be a great game so don't miss it. See you at the Pond.