VA303

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Southern Section Playoffs: Division V-A
Final Game Preview--(March 3, 1998)

What: Division V-A Final

When: Thursday, March 5, 1998 5:30 p.m

Where: Bren Center UCI

Who: No. 1 Rolling Hills Prep (23-1) v. No. 2 Laguna Blanca

Rolling Hills Prep features sophomore forward B.J. Hart, who last Friday against Price scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the top-seeded Huskies, who are now 23-1. This marks the second year that Rolling Hills has appeared in the CIF championship game in five seasons. Senior guard Joey Perry scored 16 points and junior guard Chiumba Johnson had another 10 against Price.

Laguna Blanca High features seniors David Cochran, Chad Lewis and Jon Keith. In an interesting historical sidenote, the first team that Cochran, Lewis and Keitha ever faced as freshman members of the Laguna Blanca team was the squad they'll face in the finals, Rolling Hills. Rolling Hills won that game 65-32, and it was the last time they met. Laguna Blanca also features Brian Niehaus, a junior, who on Friday agaisnt Rio Hondo scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and converted on a 3-point play with 29 seconds left to secure the win on Friday. In last Friday's game Cochran scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Keith grabbed 12 rebounds.

Laguna Blanca has only had a boys basketball program for four years, and the guys who will go out in this final game (excluding the state tournament) will have been with it all four years. Laguna Blanca also features reserve Josh Ferguson and several other players we don't really know a lot about, such as Tamas, and Wilson.

We're not certain that we'll be able to be at this game, since potentially it conflicts with the start of the UCLA v. Arizona game, but if you're not going over to Pauley, then the Bren Events Center is the next most logical place to be, especially since this is the prelude game to the Compton v. Santa Margarita showdown at 7:30 on Thursday. Actually, the way UCLA has been playing, we may just skip Pauley and head on over to Irvine.

See you there.