IIIA227.htm

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Southern Section Playoffs: Tonight's
Division III-A Games--(February 27, 1998)

More Semifinals. My how time flies. The last two games before the finals. Both of these games get started at 7:30 pm, in about an hour and a half from when we're posting this, and both will be real "barn-burners". We'd probably go to the Chaminade game, but then we'd have to be in about different places at once. But you should go; don't miss these:

Division III-A Semifinals

Game 1: Chaminade v. Cabrillo at Simi Valley High

The Eagles (25-1) pounded Compton Centennial 69-39 Tuesday in the quarterfinals; Cabrillo upset Santa Paula on Wednesday. Chaminade Coach Jeff Young is impressed with the way his tema has managed the pressure of being the No. 1 seeded team in the region, and with being the overall No. 1 seed in the Division. Although Lompoc Cabrillo (14-11) has been inconsistent all season, the Conquistadores have shown consistency when it comes to beating Valley/Ventura County teams. Cabrillo beat Saugus and Thousand Oaks in tournament play and most recently eliminated Harvard-Westlake, 88-79, and Santa Paula, 86-77, from the playoffs. Tonight, Cabrillo will face the Eagles in a Division III-A semifinal at Simi Valley High. What makes this game most interesting is the matchup between 6-7 centers Jay Richardson of Cabrillo and Scott Borchart of Chaminade. Richardson, a senior who averages 20 points and 13 rebounds, scored 29 against fourth-seeded Santa Paula. Borchart, a freshman who averages 12.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, is coming off a 21-point, 13-rebound performance against Compton Centennial. Cabrillo, which hasn't won three consecutive games all season, has picked it up for the playoffs. All five starters have scored in double figures in each postseason game.

Game 2: Bishop Montgomery v. Estancia at Redondo Union

Estancia High will play tonight at 7:30 against semifinal host Bishop Montgomery in a game which will be held on the "nuetral" court of Redondo Union High. The second-seeded Knights (20-6) need this game to make it to the championship round. "One key will be whether or not we can rebound with them," said Estancia High Coach Rich Boyce, whose Eagles (19-9) have outrebounded their first two playoff victims by a combined 63-52 margin. "We have to go to the glass." Coach Doug Mitchell's Knights are excellent rebounders, and feature 6'-5" sophomore Brian Pruitl, who is averaging 17.2 rebounds per game. BM also starts 6'-5" junior Tony Booker and 6'-4" sharpshooter Marvin Perez (4.5 rebounds per game), while 6'-5", 220-pound senior Lamar Lawrence and 6'-4" junior Garrett Lee combine to average nearly 12 rebounds per game off the bench. Perez is the leading scorer at 14 points per game, followed by Pruitl (13.5 ppg), Booker (13.2), Lee (9.5) and Lawrence (7.5). Errick Craven (6.0 ppg) and DeVaughn Peace, both 6-0 freshmen, start in the backcourt for the Knights, who have advanced by knocking off St. Francis, 80-57, and familiar Estancia nemesis Morningside, 68-63. Estancia has reached the semis by topping Bassett, 74-60, and No. 3 seed San Dimas, 47-46, despite two subpar scoring efforts from 6-5 Air Force Academy-bound senior Sam Nelson. Nelson, the Pacific Coast League MVP and a second-team All-CIF Division III selection as a junior, entered the postseason averaging 23.7 ppg. He has, however, posted just 14 points in the playoffs, all against San Dimas. Estancia also includes starters James Dawkins (12.9 ppg), Brett Valbuena (8.7), Ryan Simpson (7.2) and Peter Andersen (4.0). Tonight's winner will advance to the March 7 title game at the Arrowhead Pond against either top-seeded Chaminade (25-1) or unseeded Cabrillo (14-11).