SMALL WONDERS

By MARTIN HENDERSON

Jan. 30, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Monique Kettler admits it. She wonders what it might be like to play against some of the best players in Orange County, in some of the biggest games in Orange County.

Instead, Kettler plays at St. Margaret’s. She might put up 50 points, her team will probably win, and she will continue to wonder, “What if?”

Kettler and another small-school player from the Academy League, Bethany Thom of Capistrano Valley Christian, represent the best of the big-time players at Orange County’s smaller schools.

Kettler, a 6-foot-2 senior center, leads Orange County in scoring with a 28.2 average and is second in rebounding at 15.1. Thom, a junior point guard, is averaging 22.4 points and 4.4 assists.

“I know a lot of girls that go to bigger schools,” said Kettler, who is also a middle blocker on the Tartans’ volleyball team. “It would be nice in some ways to play at a larger school because then you get the exposure and the higher competition, but St. Margaret’s is most beneficial to me because I could play more than one sport. That’s why I went there, rather than a big school.”

If Kettler had not gone to St. Margaret’s, she would have attended Dana Hills. Instead of playing three sports, including basketball and softball, she said, “I probably wouldn’t have started playing volleyball.” She has accepted a volleyball scholarship to Portland.

Her basketball coach, Robert Edwards, said if Kettler had gone to a public school, “I still think she would average over 20 points a game.”

She scored 47 against Connelly and 51 against Fairmont in a 70-58 victory in which she also had 26 rebounds.

“She comes along once every 10 years,” Edwards said. “What would be neat would be to see her play in an all-star game because I firmly believe she would hold her own and be right up there with the other players.”

While it would be interesting to see how Kettler, or Thom, might do against tougher opponents than the ones St. Margaret’s or Capistrano Valley Christian usually face, there is a slippery slope that exists for their coaches.

“We also have to do what’s best for the team, as far as playing time, confidence and competing at the level they are going to be playing at,” said Ivana Kovacic, Capistrano Valley Christian’s coach. “It’s more than just exposing the player.”

Neither St. Margaret’s, with an enrollment of 232, nor Capistrano Valley Christian, with 202, is ranked in the top 10 in the Southern Section Division V-AA poll.

Both teams have played only one public school, Laguna Beach, which has 597 students. Capistrano Valley Christian won, 55-37, and St. Margaret’s lost, 51-45. St. Margaret’s beat Capistrano Valley Christian, 70-58, a couple weeks ago. Kettler scored 20 and Thom had 17. In a rarity, Kettler was outscored by a teammate, Mara Balak, who had 28.

“It’s a little frustrating at times because I’m a taller player, and a lot of times triple- or double-teamed, and sometimes it’s hard for my teammates to get the ball to me,” Kettler said. “Other times, I’m getting so beat up under there. But I kind of like it in some ways because it challenges me. Everyone’s out to get me, so I really have to fight hard.”

Same with Thom, who was co-most valuable player of the Academy League last season with Kettler. Thom wanted to attend Laguna Hills, but her parents insisted on a private-school education.

“I don’t think I’d stand out as much or score as much, but I would like to see how I would have compared at the higher competition,” said Thom, who has played on club teams with Laguna Hills’ Megan Aaker and Huntington Beach’s Amy Sanders and Kelsey Ball.

“But being at a small school has taught me a lot, like being a leader, and pushed me to work harder by myself.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

MONIQUE KETTLER

ST. MARGARET’S

Year: Senior

Height/Pos.: 6-2, center

Numbers: Averaging 28.2 points, 15.1 rebounds.

Notable: Single-game highs of 51 points 26 rebounds.

BETHANY THOM

CAPISTRANO VALLEY CHR.

Year: Junior

Height/Pos.: 5-7 1/2, guard