LEAGUE PREVIEWS : GIRLS : A Fearsome Foursome : There Is a Sharp Drop of Talent in the Valley Area After Louisville, Alemany, Kennedy and Simi Valley

Call them The Super Four. Or The Only Four That Matter.

This season, the girls varsity basketball teams at Louisville, Alemany, Kennedy and Simi Valley--the order is debatable--are again expected to dominate in the Valley.

“Yeah, I guess there just isn’t competition after us,” said Alemany Coach Melissa Melton, straining to be modest. “But teams all over the Valley are getting better.”

Merely getting better may not be enough, though. The four top teams, not coincidentally, all have at least one player rated among the best in the Valley, if not the state.

Their toughest games might be against one other. Even before Louisville and Alemany meet in league games, both face Kennedy early in the season. And all three will play in the Simi Valley tournament.

“The Alemany games are always big,” O’Hara says. “I don’t care how well we’ve done or how many league titles we have won. No one is going to take us lightly. We’re going to be good, Alemany is going to be good.”

But then so will Kennedy and Simi Valley.

“We’ll find out who’s best,” Raub says. “We all play each other. And it should be interesting.”

But not suspenseful.

LOUISVILLE

The Royals, 25-5, 14-0 in the San Fernando Valley League last season, have two excellent players in Andrea Knapp, who was a Times All-Valley choice, and Lynn Flanigan.

Knapp, who already has signed with Cal, averaged 22.5 points and 11.2 rebounds last season.

“She’s the best shooter on the team,” Louisville Coach Brian O’Hara said of his 6-1 1/2 player. “She drives to the basket and shoots from 20 feet. She’s just unstoppable. And she’s proven it in all-star camps.”

So has Flanigan, an agile 5-8 guard who specializes in defense. After averaging 14.5 points and 6.2 rebounds with 72 steals and 96 assists a season ago, she signed with Loyola Marymount.

ALEMANY

Returning from a team that went 16-7, 12-2 in the San Fernando Valley League are starters and Times All-Valley players Jennifer Kroll and Jenny Beubis. Kroll averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds a game last season. Beubis averaged 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

“I think Louisville has the edge, because they have five or six seniors that have played together,” Melton said. “But the kids I have are good kids. It’ll be interesting when we play.”

KENNEDY

Lost to graduation is all-everything Stacy Parson, but Diane DeCree, a Times’ All-Valley selection, and Tisha Rush will do plenty to help extend Kennedy’s league win streak, which rests at 80 games.

DeCree, who has signed with Texas A&M;, was last season’s City Section defensive player of the year and averaged 20.1 points and 17.8 rebounds.

Rush, a reserve, was all-league with 7.8 points and 2.3 steals a game.

Senior Yolanda Lewis is “the best point guard around,” Kennedy Coach Craig Raub said. “No one knows much about her, but she’s exceptionally quick. Once she fits into our team concept, she’s going to be great.

“This year’s team has a solid six players. What we need to do is mix well.”

SIMI VALLEY

The Pioneers, 20-5, 12-0 in the Marmonte League, are led by Julie Arlotto, a senior forward and Times’ All-Valley selection who averaged 11.5 points and 8.7 rebounds. Other top players include four returning lettermen.

Simi Valley Coach Dave Murphy said it won’t be tough to determine who’s the best.

“All four teams play a demanding pre-league schedule,” he said. “It’s going to be tough.”