SoCal High School & Prep Preview

High School Mini-Preview: O.C. Century League-
Santa Ana Valley--(November 27, 1997)

Ok, here's the last of the Century League Mini-Previews. If you thought we didn't have much to say about some of the other teams in the Century League, you ain't seen nothin' yet. We really don't have much on Santa Ana Valley, but as the saying goes, sometimes some news is better than no news. Oh, wait that's no news and bad news. Or something like that. Oh, well, here's the news. Sort of.

We can't pick this team to finish much better than 4th in the league, but then what do we know anyway. Somebody tell us why we're wrong. Please.

Santa Ana Valley finished last year, like El Modena, with a 4-6 record in Century League competition. Their overall record though was slightly worse than El Modena's with one less win and one more loss, at 11-14. Will they get better this year? Well, we haven't heard or read anything that convinces us they will.

They are coached by Kevin Stipp, who is in his third year as the varsity head coach. Unlike some of the other teams in the league, Stipp has no returning starters and only two who played on the varsity from last year have returned. Those two are Koa Bartlett (6'-0" So. G) and Richard Oliver (6'-3" So. SG/SF). Coming up from the JV from last year, Stipp will give the rock to Jason Law (5'-11" Sr. PG/SG), who was the leading scorer on the jv last season. Another player who Stipp will place a lot of confidence in is Ralph Solis (6'-0" Sr. G), who was one of the more effective scorers and defenders who has played JV for the last two seasons. Looks like a bunch of new guys and most of last year's jv team will be moved up. Santa Ana isn't saying if they have any really big men, but from the silence we have to presume that they don't, so they will have to depend upon a running game, with speed and quickness at the expense of size. Gee, who just tried that tonight against UNC? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Or as Stipp told the LA Times Orange County Edition, "We must play hard every night to be competitive and we will rely on an up-tempo style."

Yes you will, coach.

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