Chasing the Seahawks

Patrick Laverty

The one certainty heading into the Golden West League boys basketball

season, which begins tonight, is the league favorite.

There is little question regarding the top team in the circuit,

Ocean View, which has an excellent shot to run through league play

undefeated.

The real race in the league might be for second place and, judging

from the December performances of the other six teams, Costa Mesa and

Estancia both have a shot to finish near Ocean View at the top of the

league standings.

The Mustangs (8-5) and Eagles (8-6) are the only league teams

other than Ocean View (9-4) to have a winning record going into

tonight’s openers.

Estancia, led by junior Carlos Pinto, a three-year varsity

starter, might have been considered the favorite for second place,

but Friday’s 36-point road loss to Corona del Mar uncovered some

holes in the Eagles’ attack.

“We need to be able to play on the road,” Estancia Coach Russell

King said. “We’re going to need to be able to play our game.”

Costa Mesa, which has just one senior, 6-foot-6 Marko Stankovic,

who receives significant playing time, should challenge for one of

the seven-team league’s top three spots.

“We just have to keep playing the same way we’ve been playing,”

Mustangs Coach Bob Serven said. “We won’t try to change a whole

bunch.”

Estancia and Costa Mesa will both be chasing Ocean View, which

easily played the most difficult preleague schedule among Golden West

entries. Among the Seahawks’ losses, were defeats at the hands of

Mater Dei and Dominguez. Ocean View has beaten traditional powers

such as Ayala, Long Beach Jordan, Long Beach Poly and Cajon.

Ocean View is led by 6-4 senior Matt Sargeant, who is averaging

19.3 points and has committed to Princeton. But the Seahawks also

receive significant contributions from 6-3 senior Greg Okwudibonye

(15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game), 6-6 senior Bear Wurtz (8.9

ppg, 5.9 rpg) and 6-9 freshman Clint Amberry (8.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg).

Serven knows what it will take for someone to knock off the

Seahawks.

“You probably have to play a perfect game and Ocean View has to

have an off game,” Serven said.

After the Seahawks, the consensus is that Costa Mesa, Estancia and

Santa Ana will duke it out for second, third and fourth.

The Mustangs, who begin league play at Saddleback tonight at 7,

have been led by sophomore shooting guard Scott Knox (18.4 ppg and 43

three-pointers) and junior forward Jeff Waldron (13.3 ppg, 13.8 rpg).

While Knox leads all Newport-Mesa players in three-pointers, any

defensive concentration on him could leave others open for a team

averaging 6.3 three-pointers per game.

“We have three or four three-point threats,” Serven said. “You can

take away one of them, but I don’t think you can take them all away.”

Waldron, a 6-3 power forward, has shown an ability to knock down

the long ball with 14 three-pointers in his last six games. Sophomore

Tony Krikorian (5.8 ppg) has 17 three-pointers this season and

sophomore point guard Brian Molina, who has played much of the season

with a nagging thigh injury but is now at 90% according to Serven, is

also a threat from beyond the arc.

Stankovic provides much-needed height for the Mustangs and is

averaging 6.7 points and 7 rebounds. Junior Brandon Aleson, the

team’s sixth man, effectively ends the rotation for Mesa.

“The key is staying out of foul trouble,” Serven said. “We’ve

developed a good style of play. We’re only allowing 45 points per

game, which is the best in my five years at the school. We’ve made a

conscientious effort to defend better and have a better understanding

of the system.”

Estancia has quickly adapted to the system of its first-year

coach, but will be tested right away when it opens at home against

Ocean View tonight at 7.

Pinto is averaging nearly 21 points for the Eagles, who finished

fourth last year. But as he excels, he only draws more attention from

opposing defenses.

“We definitely know teams are going to try to shut him down and

try not to let him get the ball,” King said.

The Eagles will attempt to run a number of special plays to get

Pinto the ball, but can also put him at point guard and allow him to

bring the ball upcourt. He is still likely to see double teams though

and his teammates will be forced to step up if Estancia is to compete

for a guaranteed CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

“We have guys who have to play with confidence and can knock down

shots,” King said.

Senior Scott Sankey, a 6-5 center, is Estancia’s second-leading

scorer (10.9 ppg) and is also the Eagles’ leader on the glass.

Sophomore Mike McDaniels (9.1 ppg) has shown an ability to knock down

the outside shot. Sophomore guard Scott Markley (3.4 ppg), senior

Jose Viramontes (3 ppg) and junior Hugo Escobedo (4.5 ppg) will also

be counted on to step up, particularly against the smaller, quicker

teams in the league.

Santa Ana, Saddleback, Orange and Westminster would all qualify

for that category, as none have a player taller than 6-3. The Saints

are likely to cause the most problems for the top teams with a

five-guard lineup that can knock down the three-pointer, similar to

the CdM team that destroyed Estancia.

“They’re quick and they’ve got a bunch of shooters,” King said.

“They are one team we might not match up [well] against.”

Saddleback, which has already lost to Santa Ana and Westminster

this season, as well as Orange and Westminster are expected to finish

below the top four, but could cause trouble, particularly on their

home floors.

If Costa Mesa and Estancia avoid such trouble, it could come down

to the Battle for the Bell and both Serven and King agree that would

be an even matchup. The Mustangs host the rivalry Jan. 16, while

Estancia is home against Mesa Feb. 9.

“Us and Estancia, that’s a tossup,” Serven said.

“It’s an even matchup,” King said. “They’ve got a great outside

shooter in Knox and Krikorian can knock down some threes. Knox is

like our Pinto and Kirkorian is like our McDaniels. They’ve got a big

guy, Stankovic, that can match up with Sankey. So it should be pretty

even.”