IVAA303

SoCal High School & Prep Report

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

Here's the Division IV-AA final preview, and it features two teams we haven't seen much this year, St. Joseph's from Santa Maria and Santa Ana's Calvary Chapel, both fine teams. Look for Joe Ortiz, CC's strong, quick and high-scoring guard to matchup against SJ's Matt Cova. We wouldn't dare predict a winner in this one. You'll have to go yourself to find out. Only drawback is that this game is also scheduled to be played at the same time as the LA City Section 4-A Finals. So you're on you're own for this one, because we've already made a committment to be at the Sports Arena. Not that we wouldn't be in two places at once, it's just that we know we'll get a full report on this game from our friends at St. Joe's and Calvary Chapel.

Division IV-AA Finals

Santa Maria St. Joseph (20-8) v. Calvary Chapel (23-6)

When: Friday, March 6, 1998; 8:00 pm

Where: Bren Events Center, UC Irvine

We don't really have much first hand information about St. Joseph's, and we want to thank our friend George Groce for most of what we know about this team. Junior point guard Matt Cova can be a deep scoring threat, slashing, driving and taking his man off the dribble, and also hitting outside. In Friday's game against Twentynine Palms, he scored a game-high 31 points. St. Joseph also features senior forward Mike Hoffman, who on Friday had 19 points, and junior forward Jason Williams who had 14 points for the Knights. St. Joseph is a team which can heat up from outside, and on Friday they hit 7 threes, five from Cova and one each from Hoffman and Draper.

For Calvary Chapel, Joe Ortiz is playing tremendous ball going into the final game. On Friday he became one of only six players in Orange County history to score more than 2,000 career points, leading his team to a 79-70 semifinal victory over Pasadena Marshall. Ortiz, a senior, got his 2,001st point with 40 seconds left in the game on the second of two free throws, and he led all scorers with 32 points. Calvary also features Brett Young, a 6'-4" junior forward who is playing very well lately too. Calvary has some other fine players: Jake Fabozzi (5'-8" Sr. G), who doesn't score a lot, but who creates for others; Pat Dinnie, a 6'-1" senior; and Tim Baker, a 6'-2" senior forward transfer from Capistrano Valley Christian. On December 3, in our preview of Calvary Chapel, we wrote:

"Last season Calvary Chapel lost to Crossroads in the Division IV-A CIF Finals 50-41. Look for them to be there again this year."

Guess we were half right. :-)