orange county report friday

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Friday Game Highlights: Orange
County Scores and News--(February 1, 1998)

We've managed to collect the news, scores and highlights from Friday night's games in the various Southern Section leagues from Orange County, including the Century League, Express, Empire, Freeway, Golden West, Orange, and more. As with our Southern Section LA & Ventura report, we would normally have broken this up into separate articles, but it's arranged conveniently enough, in a single long article organized by league, alphabetically. Just scroll down until you find the team and game you're looking for. We may not have all the details you're seeking, but then hey, a little bit is better than nothing, right? And if we missed a few, we apologize.

CENTURY LEAGUE

Villa Park 60, Canyon Anaheim 56

Coach Kevin Reynolds of Villa Park has taken issue all season with the county Top 10 basketball poll. And his Spartans didn't like reading predictions in the newspaper that Canyon would have an easy time in the Century League.

At the very least, unranked Villa Park's 60-56 overtime victory at home against the 10th-ranked Comanches might finally turn some heads with poll voters. It was the second time Villa Park (15-7, 5-1) has defeated Canyon this season, (15-7, 2-4), which began 13-3 but has stumbled in league play. Junior guard Alex Will scored 18 points, 12 of those on three-pointers, and had seven points in overtime for Villa Park. Center Alan Verzani had 21 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots. Canyon's Ali Goodman (23 points, seven rebounds) and Andrew Gaulden (11 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots) battling Verzani under the basket.

"I don't think the Century League gets that much respect," Reynolds said. "Canyon is the best 2-4 team in Orange County. "And I'll tell you this, hearing that Canyon would cakewalk through this league was the motivation our guys needed." The teams combined to make 42 of 110 field goal tries, there were 29 turnovers and for most of the first half it looked like neither team wanted to take charge. The Spartans led, 41-35, at the end of the third quarter and later Villa Park looked like it had this one in hand after taking a 49-41 fourth-quarter lead on a three-point basket by Will with 3 minutes 48 seconds left. But the Spartans made several poor shot selections, turned the ball over several times and Canyon rebounded. Brad Evan's tip-in beat the buzzer and the game went into overtime tied, 51-51.

"We have had trouble holding leads all season," Reynolds said. "It's the kiss of death for us." Will's 10-foot baseline jumper put Villa Park in front, 57-55,with 48 seconds left. Then he hit two free throws 35 seconds.

El Modena 49, Santa Ana Valley 47

Nick Soderstrom hit a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining in the game for El Modena.

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Kennedy 55, Katella 54

Rickey Crowder drove the lane and passed to Andre Banks who made the game-winning basket at the buzzer, giving host Kennedy a 55-54 upset over ninth-ranked Katella in an Empire League boys' basketball game Friday. The Fighting Irish were down by nine entering the final quarter, but Tony Jimmerson helped them rally by scoring 13 of his 15 points. Jimmerson also had 12 rebounds to lead Kennedy (12-10, 3-3). Robert Abercrombie scored 30 points for Katella (19-3, 4-2).

Loara 51, Century 46

Herbert Gracia scored 20 points for Loara (17-5, 4-2), which led 30-20 at the half. Mike Zepeda led
Century (16-6, 3-3) with 15 points.

EXPRESS LEAGUE

Heritage Christian 66, Whittier Pioneer Baptist 59 (OT)

Down by 10 points in the fourth quarter, junior reserve Josiah Regalado scored eight points, to get Heritage Christian (8-9, 4-2) back in the game. Sophomore Bryan Hancock hit two free throws with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the score. In overtime, sophomore Todd Warner made two three-pointers to put the game away for Heritage Christian, which remains tied for second in league with Walnut Southlands. Warner, who finished
with six three-pointers, had 31 points and 15 rebounds.

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Troy 66, Fullerton 41

Jerry Inzunza scored 21 of his game-high 30 points by halftime to lead the fifth-ranked Warriors (16-3, 6-0) to a victory over the visiting Indians (10-15, 2-4). Ari Barendrecht paced Fullerton with 18 points.

Sonora 70, Sunny Hills 57

Jerry Berokoff scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead No. 3 Sonora (18-4, 5-1) over the visiting Lancers (3-3 in league). Ben Okunrinboye scored 17 points for the Lancers.

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE

Ocean View 64, Saddleback 37

Matt Kiemle made 6 of 7 shots from the field and scored a team-high 12 points to lead second-ranked Ocean View (16-4, 6-0) over visiting Saddleback (2-4 in league). Garid Beeler contributed with 11 points for Ocean View.

Servite 78, Westminister 37

Steve Shea and Matt Ponsford each scored 15 points to lead the Friars over the Lions.

OLYMPIC LEAGUE

Whittier Christian 40, Brethren Christian 36

Jon Stoa led visiting Whittier Christian (13-9, 4-2) with 17 points and Josh Streeter added 10. Justin Miller and Kevin Thomas led the Lancers (4-17, 0-6) with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Thomas also grabbed a team-high 18 rebounds and Miller had 10. Point guard Lee Mamaradlo added seven rebounds.

Calvary Chapel 79, Valley Christian 53

Joe Ortiz and Brett Young combined for 50 points for the Eagles (16-6, 6-0) in a victory over the Crusaders (9-9, 2-4)

ORANGE LEAGUE

Magnolia 88, Brea Olinda 81

When Magnolia stormed onto Brea Olinda's court 16 days ago and came out a 79-70 winner, many figured the Sentinels had caught the Wildcats on an off-night. But Magnolia's 88-81 victory Friday night was certainly no fluke and it not only gave the Sentinels (19-3, 6-0) a sweep of the season series but put them on track for their first Orange League boys' basketball title since 1994.

"As far as I'm concerned, they have won the league," said Brea Olinda Coach Gene Lloyd, whose Wildcats (18-4, 4-2) have won the last three league championships. Sentinel Coach Al Walin knows there are still four league games remaining, but he was still in the mood to celebrate his team's 12th consecutive victory.

"I'll certainly take the two-game cushion," he said. "These kids have met every challenge they've faced so far this year." Magnolia's flashy forward Eric McGhee led his team with 24 points, but he was hardly a solo act. All five Sentinel starters--McGhee, Paul Cabico, Zamiro Bennem, Asi Faoa and Anthony Zaragosa--scored in double figures. Faoa, who got into early foul trouble, scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, and Zaragosa had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. That was good enough to counter the 18 points and 19 rebounds by Wildcat center Jeff Mason and 24 points by forward Rick Carlson.

"They proved they are a more balanced team than we are and that they are not a one-man team," Lloyd said.

Savanna 72, Anaheim 56

Will King scored 28 points and Craig Smith added 14 to lead Savanna (10-12, 4-2). Tru Nguyen led Anaheim with 21 points.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Laguna Hills 57, Estancia 51

Josh Pearson hit three five-pointers to lead visiting Laguna Hills (4-2 in league) with 26 points.

University 69, Laguna Beach 55

University (12-8, 4-2) led by two after three quarters, then outscored host Laguna Beach, 21-9, in the fourth. Jeff Groendal's three-pointer with three minutes remaining put the Trojans up by nine.

Aliso Niguel 73, Costa Mesa 40

It was as though the Aliso Niguel High boys basketball team was living on Easy Street Friday night: easy lay-ins punctuated pretty pass plays, and the two equated to an easy 73-40 Pacific Coast League victory over visiting Costa Mesa.

The Wolverines also used their superior height advantage and strong inside game to square their league record at 3-3 -- two of those wins coming at the expense of Mesa.

It was as though the Mustangs (0-6) took a step backward from their impressive performance in last Friday's seven-point loss to Laguna Beach.

"We probably were a little bit flat and out of sync for not playing in a week," Mesa Coach Erich Allen said. "Both teams were flat at the start, to tell you the truth, and both were looking for something or someone to ignite something." For Aliso, that "someone" was sixth man Nate Hair, who came off the bench with 1:56 left in the opening quarter to score the Wolverines' final five points of the period to help the host team take a 12-10 lead. Hair also netted a three-point shot to begin the second quarter, but that quarter belonged to 6-5 forward J.J. Sola, who sparked Aliso by scoring 10 of his 12-first half points in the period as the Wolverines opened up a 27-19 halftime lead.

Mesa still was in the game at that point, but the Wolverines got their running game in high gear at the outset of the second half, using a 19-5 run to bolt to a 46-24 lead. Aliso led 54-31 after three, and its lead ballooned to as much as 36 in the fourth quarter.

"The first couple of minutes after the half have been a thorn in our side this season," Allen said. "We always seem to get out of the second-half gate very slow, and it happened again tonight. Aliso's run at the start of the half was the exact opposite of what we wanted to happen." Nathan Jones led the Mustangs with 10 oints, while Sola led all scorers with 21 points and Hair finished with 14.

SEAVIEW LEAGUE

Santa Margarita 45, Irvine 36

Jake Rohe scored 13 points and Ryan Forehan-Kelly added nine for visiting No. 1 county-ranked Santa Margarita, which led, 22-19, at halftime. Chris Ferguson scored a game-high 15 points for Irvine (13-9, 2-4). Santa Margarita improves to 21-0, 6-0.

El Toro 69, Newport Harbor 61

Mark Wulfemeyer led visiting El Toro with 24 points. Jayson Richards added 15 for the Chargers (4-2). Matt Jameson led the Sailors (15-8, 3-3) with 19 points. Once they saw blood, it ignited an imperative fourth-quarter fire for Newport Harbor High's Sailors Friday night. But their big rally was doused by the home clock and a pretty good El Toro boys basketball team. With nowhere to go but up after getting whacked for three quarters, the Sailors got off the floor in the final period and began throwing punches from beyond the three-point line, but they still lost a crucial Sea View League decision, 69-61.

"We just ran out of time," said Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst, whose squad pulled to within five points in the final minute, after getting buried by 18 in the third quarter. The loss for the Sailors (14-8, 3-3 in league) drops them into third place, while El Toro (15-7, 4-2) pushed its way into second alone.

Junior guard Gary Robinson opened the fourth quarter by netting the first of four three-pointers for Newport Harbor in the period, then it got bloody for senior Scott Archbold on the ensuing trip down the floor. Although Archbold was called for blocking in the key, sending El Toro's Mark Wulfemeyer (24 points) to the stripe, he left the game with a sizable gash on his cheek. "For a few minutes there, Arch getting hurt kind of fired us up, but at the end it hurt us because we didn't have his athleticism," Hirst said. "He got a shoulder (below) his eye, and I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure it'll require at least eight stitches. "(The comeback) almost made up for the other 21 lackluster minutes." Archbold, taken to Hoag Hospital before the game ended, finished with 11 points, all in the first half. Team scoring leader Matt Jameson (19 points) and reserve swingman Alan Limon (11) also reached double figures.

Wulfemeyer, 10 of 14 from the free-throw line, point guard Jayson Richards (15), Justin Butler (14) and 6-foot-4 senior Nick Robertson (11) scored in high numbers for El Toro, which was consistent in scoring between 16 and 19 points every quarter. The Chargers, who outscored Newport Harbor in the third quarter, 16-5, experienced two nine-point leads before the roof caved in on the hosts. After Dustin Illingworth's free throw early in the third pulled the Tars to within 38-32, El Toro smoked Newport the rest of the way, 14-2, to build a commanding 52-34 lead by third quarter's end. A totally different Sailor team was on the floor in the fourth quarter, taking chunks away at a time. "We didn't really make any adjustments (in the fourth)," Hirst said. "We just asked our guys to challenge themselves, and asked them how important this game is." Though Archbold never returned, Jameson and Limon carried the load in the fourth. Losing by 18 is hard to overcome, but when Jameson made two free throws with 1:59 left in the game, it brought Newport Harbor to within striking distance, 60-51.

Next, Hirst's defense forced a five-second inbound violation, El Toro's sixth turnover of the frame. The Chargers had only three turnovers in three quarters prior. After Jameson's three and a couple more free throws later, the Tars crept to within 62-56, then Limon's three-pointer with 0:49 on the clock made it a five-point game for the first time since early in the second. Being fouling out, Jameson got a great bounce from the rim and scored for the Sailors to make it 66-61 with 0:22 left. But the Sailors were forced to foul and El Toro wouldn't let them catch up.

Woodbridge 60, Corona del Mar 52

Tied at 38-38 early in the fourth, Scott Barlow and Charles Scott each hit a three-pointer to give Woodbridge (11-11, 2-4) a six-point lead. Clark scored 11 of his 24 points in the final quarter and finished with nine rebounds. With as many players dressed in street clothes on the bench as uniformed bodies, Corona del Mar High's boys basketball team took on the endeavor of pulling off another upset over Woodbridge, which it had done earlier season.

But when Alex Jekeli hit the wood in the first quarter so hard he was sent to the hospital, the Warriors were able to squeeze out a 60-52 Sea View League win on their own floor. The Sea Kings (5-17, 1-5 in league) had four players on the bench due to injuries, including starters Cameron Conover (back) and Ryan Franke (ankle). But just four minutes into the game, Jekeli, a 6-foot-9 center, took an alley-oop sort of pass from Ben Shaffer and dropped it in to the basket. But a Woodbridge defender seemed to scoot Jekeli from behind while he was in the air sending the senior crashing to the floor. Already having scored four of the Sea Kings' six points, he was helped from the floor and taken to the hospital to get stitches on his chin. "That hurt us. They didn't have a way to defend us inside," CdM Coach Paul Orris said.

After the Warriors (11-11, 2-4) moved to a 21-10 lead early in the second quarter, the visitors turned their man-to-man defense up a notch and were within striking distance after an 8-0 run that was highlighted by a Geoff Hunt three-pointer. Down by three with seconds left in the half, Shaffer was fouled by Woodbridge's 6-5 Charles Clark. In the battle for the ball, but after the whistle had blown, Clark ripped the ball from Shaffer, sending the Sea King to the floor and rousing boos from the CdM crowd. With zeros on the scoreboard, Shaffer sank both his free throws to move CdM within 27-26 while the Warriors walked under the basket he was shooting at, en route to their locker room.

After senior guard Ryan Cooper opened the third quarter with a three-point goal to knot the score at 38-38, the Warriors threw a variety of full-court trap defenses at the Sea Kings and began to pull away with clutch shots. "There in the fourth quarter, we had two defensive plays in a row and they scored both times," Orris said. "With about 6 1/2 minutes to go, it was anyone's ballgame, but it went from one or two down to six or seven and we lost a little focus." The pair of defensive letdowns to which Orris refers actually resulted in six points. The first came when Woodbridge's junior Scott Barlow shook loose on the right wing to drain a three. Just 15 seconds later, Clark nailed a trey and the score was 44-38. In the final period, the hosts were also able to capitalize on their grace at the charity stripe. Woodbridge hit 11 of 14 free-throw attempts in the last quarter.

Clark and Barlow also stepped up in last stanza. Clark buried 11 of his game-high 26 points, while Barlow hit a three and sank a pair of free throws. He ended the game with 22. CdM was paced by junior Alshuler's 15 points. He also pulled down eight rebounds. Cooper and Nick Gabriel each had seven points, as well.

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

Capistrano Valley 66, Mater Dei 57

Mike Stoell scored 23 points and Josh Garrett had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Cougars (15-6, 4-2) at the Bren Center. Mater Dei is 12-7, 3-3.

Capistrano Valley's boys basketball team became the third South Coast League team to beat Mater Dei this season when it scored a 66-57 victory Friday night at the Bren Center at UC Irvine. The Cougars (15-6, 4-2) used a strong third quarter to open up a lead they never gave up. Guard Mike Stowell led Capistrano Valley with 23 points. Center Josh Garrett added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Mater Dei (12-7, 3-3), the league's five-time defending champion, was paced by Mike Bayer's 17 points.

Mater Dei trailed by eight points after three periods, but cut Capistrano Valley's lead to five in the fourth quarter. The Cougars took control of the game in the third period. Capistrano Valley opened the second half with a 14-3 run to take a 44-34 advantage. It led 48-40 going into the fourth period. Stowell sparked the Cougars run with nine points as Capistrano Valley outscored Mater Dei, 18-9. The junior made 3 of 4 shots from the field during the run. Mater Dei led, 31-30, at halftime behind Cedric Bozeman's seven points. The freshman scored all his points in the second period and had the Monarchs' first five points to break a 14-14 tie after one. The Monarchs didn't shoot well (11 of 31) from the field, but only committed one turnover in the half. Capistrano Valley, meanwhile, had nine turnovers. Mater Dei led by eight points in the second period. But the Cougars closed the half with an 8-1 run. Stowell scored 11 points in the first half. The Cougars came out strong on the boards in the first half, outrebounding Mater Dei, 23-14.

Dana Hills 63, San Clemente 60

Tim McKee scored 20 points and Larry Page added 17 for Dana Hills (12-10, 5-1). Joe Tatala scored a team-high 12 points for San Clemente (11-10, 2-4).

Trabuco Hills 64, Mission Viejo 61

Joe Reid led Mission Viejo with 21 points. Francis Ireifej and Jerry Bolton added 14 apiece, with Bolton leading the team in rebounds with 14. Ryan Webster scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Mustangs (13-9, 4-2) to victory over the host Diablos (6-15, 0-6).

Sunset League

Fountain Valley 51, Marina 47

Bryan Moreau blocked a shot with eight seconds left to keep Fountain Valley (12-9, 4-2) ahead. Scott Omae hit two free-throws with five seconds left for the Barons. Omae finished with 10 points.