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SoCal High School & Prep Report

Southern Section Playoffs: Division III-AA
Ocean View Defeats Barstow 59-47 For Title--(March 8, 1998)

Ocean View's Kevin Hanson scored 21 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked five shots and influenced several others to miss as Ocean View beat Barstow, 59-47, Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Division III-AA championship game at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. Ocean View, which is now 25-4 overall, tied a school record for most victories in a season. Barstow is now 25-4 with the loss. Both teams will advance to the CIF Southern California Division III Regionals of the State Championship playoff. The games will begin Tuesday, and we will have the bracketing later today.

The win on Saturday marked the first CIF sectional championship for the Seahawks and Coach Jim Harris. He's currently in his 20th year as Ocean View's only boys basketball coach. The win came largely because of center Hanson, a 6-foot-10 senior who was the biggest factor for the Seahawks . "We kept driving and driving," Barstow guard Charles Mann told the Orange County Register, "and he kept blocking and blocking." "Their big guy kept us in check," Barstow guard Chris Milano told the Register. "His arms must be 10-feet long." Hanson, who will play next season at the University of San Diego, was especially effective early and helped the Seahawks compile a 50-25 rebounding advantage.

The Seahawks put together a 15-0 run in the first quarter, in which Hanson had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks. The Seahawks never trailed in this game, and after blowing out to a 19-3 lead in the first five minutes, Barstow managed to score five more, and at the end of the quarter, Ocean View still led by 11, 19-8. But Barstow still managed to keep it tight, and in the second quarter, they outscored the Seahawks 13-9, and by the half, Ocean Vie's lead was just seven, 28-21.

Barstow made a run and things began to come a bit unglued for Ocean View during the second half. The Aztecs' pressing, semi-chaotic style disrupted Ocean View and created fastbreak chances for the Aztecs. "That's their style of game," Harris told the Register. "They're relentless. They never give up." Barstow's manic defensive pressure got to Seahawks junior point guard Tony Dow, who struggled throughout the game and finished with seven turnovers and two assists and made just 2 of 7 shots from the floor. "We just got out of control, sort of," Dow told the Orange County Register. In order to compensate for Hanson's shot blocking in the third quarter, The Barstow Aztecs tried to counter by scoring from the perimeter, but they weren't very effective, making just 6 of 21 three-point attempts. The Aztecs shot only 17 for 68 overall from the field. Not good enough to win a Southern Section Divison Championship. In the third, Ocean View outscored Barstow 18-6, to lead 46-27. And while the Aztecs made a furious run, scoring 20 fourth quarter points to Ocean View's 13, it still left a 12 point deficit 8 minutes later when the final buzzer sounded.

And besides the win for the Championship, Ocean View's Coach Harris had another reason to celebrate Saturday. Daughter Kim Harris coached Brethren Christian to victory in the girls Division IV-A final earlier in the day. Kim arrived at The Pond in the second half and sat in the front row across the court from the Ocean View bench. The Southern Section arranged to have her present her father with the coach's championship plaque. "A few minutes into our game," he said, "I heard that Kim won a championship. That had to be the biggest thrill." And he also shared the moment with son Jimmy Harris, an Ocean View assistant coach.

Congratulations to the 1997-98 CIF Southern Section Divsion III-AA Champions, Ocean View, and also our congratulations to the runner-up, Barstow's Aztecs. Now on to the State Regionals and ultimately the State Championship game at the Arco Arena in Sacramento. Stay tuned.