Prep column: Hoops humbug

Barry Faulkner

While the Bowl Championship Series debate rages on among college

football fans, Newport-Mesa boys coaches have been plagued by a different

stain of the BCS: the Basketball Casualty Syndrome.

Within the last week, Corona del Mar dropped a 33-point decision to

Buena Park, its second 30-point defeat of the season; Costa Mesa followed

a 38-point drubbing by Mater Dei with a 31-point loss Monday to Downey;

and Estancia, which received word that senior star Micah Young was lost

for the season with a torn ACL, fell to 1-3 when woeful Laguna Beach beat

the Eagles, 40-37.

Newport Harbor is off to a 5-2 start, but the Tars are dealing with

the absence of senior point guard Greg Perrine (torn ACL) and face a CIF

Southern Section Division II-AA playoff road blocked by, among others

Mater Dei, Villa Park and Centennial of Corona.

‘Tis the preseason, at least.

Newport Harbor, which rocked defending CIF I-AAA champion Upland last

week, seems to be playing well without Perrine, who is already taking in

games in his uniform and knee brace. Perrine, however, still needs to

jump through several rehabilitation hoops before Hirst will risk his

collegiate future on a swan song prep campaign.

If Perrine does not return, the best the Sailors can hope for is a

couple postseason wins.

The postseason was once considered a given for Coach Bob Serven’s

Mustangs, but if senior point guard David Conte continues his

disappearing act, it’s a playoff berth that just might go poof!

First-year CdM Coach Ryan Curry will continue to fight the good fight

and Estancia head man Chris Sorce won’t stop trying to find some

chemistry and offensive production.

But for now, at least, it’s looking more and more like a Blue

Christmas on the local hardwood.

Despite the lopsided licking Mater Dei dropped on the host Mustangs

Friday, any criticism leveled at Serven for scheduling the contest is

misguided.

There is much to be learned, especially for a suddenly promising

program, from the mighty Monarchs, who had all they could handle from the

Mustangs for the first 14 minutes.

And Mustang fans, who turned out in bunches, no doubt appreciate the

entertainment value of Mater Dei’s dunking display.

Estancia High football coach Jay Noonan said he has finalized plans to

open the Eagles’ 2003 and 2004 seasons in Hawaii.

Noonan said his Eagles will visit the Kauai High Red Raiders for

season openers and a five-day cultural experience, all for about $450 per

player.

The 2003 game is scheduled Aug. 29, and the 2004 contest is set for

Aug. 30.

Noonan’s team will prepare for next fall’s nonleague opener against

Magnolia by scrimmaging soon-to-be-former Pacific Coast League rival

Laguna Beach. The scrimmage could be the first competition played on the

Artists’ field turf, an artificial surface similar to ones currently in

use at college football stadiums at Nebraska and Washington. Laguna Coach

Dave Holland said the funding is still being secured but their is a

better than 50-50 chance it will be in place next fall.

The surface, believed to cost more than $750,000, would put an end to

complaints opposing coaches have had about the Artists’ field, which, as

one of few patches of grass available to school and community athletic

teams, is annually thrashed by overuse.

The Suburban League uprising in Division VI football this year --

Mayfair avenging its 28-0 regular-season defeat to La Mirada with a 22-9

triumph Friday -- could help keep the Sea View League in Division VI when

playoff groupings are implemented for the next four years.

Though Costa Mesa and Estancia will shift next fall to the Golden West

League, which currently resides in Division VI, Southern Section

officials should drop the Golden West configuration that no longer

includes Tustin, to Division IX.

Such a move, however, could be problematic, since there is no clear

choice among current Division IX leagues (the Freeway, Pacific Coast,

Garden Grove, Orange and Valle Vista) to be moved to Division VI.

The old Orange League, including powerful Brea, should never have been

moved from Division VI to Division IX during the last playoff grouping

cycle. But, with Brea shifting to the Century League next fall, an Orange

League coalition of Anaheim, Century, Magnolia, Santa Ana Valley, Savanna

and Western is, arguably a worse football league than the planned Golden

West alliance of Costa Mesa, Estancia, Ocean View, Orange, Saddleback,

Santa Ana and Westminster.

The aforementioned enrollment-based division breakdowns for the

Southern Section basketball playoffs have CdM, Estancia and Costa Mesa in

Division III-A in both boys and girls. There are 33 boys schools in the

division and 37 girls schools in the division.

Sage Hill’s boys and girls are in Division IV-A.

Linemen everywhere should take solace in the Corona del Mar High

football team’s choice for 2001 Most Valuable Player: senior offensive

tackle Steven Russell.