Seahawks seek second Southern Section title in three years

Mike Sciacca, Independent

When the CIF Southern Section Division II-A playoff pairings were

announced two weeks ago, Artesia and Ocean View were designated the top

two seeds in the division.

Rightfully so, seeing as how each waltzed through the regular season and

into the postseason, where both the Pioneers and Seahawks have proceeded

to prove the Southern Section office right by advancing to the division’s

championship game.

Second-seeded Ocean View (29-2) will battle top-seeded Artesia (29-2) for

all the II-A marbles today (12:30 p.m.) at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim.

The Pioneers will be looking to win consecutive Southern Section titles,

having won the I-AA crown last year. The Seahawks, meanwhile, will be out

to capture their second title in three years, having won the III-AA

championship in 1998.

Ocean View, which was eliminated in the semifinal round last year,

defeated defending II-A champion Mayfair Tuesday to earn a date with

Artesia.

This battle of basketball royalty pits two perennial powers with much in

common, the 29 victories each team possesses, aside.

“I think we’re both very sound, fundamentally strong teams,” Ocean View

Coach Jim Harris said prior to Thursday’s practice session. “Both teams

have had sensational seasons, but only one can walk away with that

trophy.”

Just reaching the championship game would suit any school just fine, but

Harris says a team must stay focused if wants to win the tournament.

His Seahawks, whose 29 victories so far are a single-season record for

the school (eclipsing the ’98 champions by three games), should have no

problems staying focused against an Artesia squad that many have had

handed the title to even before the playoffs began.

“They’re a seasoned team, well prepared, well coached, and well

respected,” Harris said. “They (Artesia) get a lot of attention, and

rightfully so, but we, by no means, are any slouches. We have a pretty

good basketball team on our hands.”

Harris is right.

In running away with yet another Golden West League championship, Ocean

View ripped Rancho Alamitos (84-50) in its postseason opener, survived a

close call on the road against a tough Burroughs/Ridgecrest team (59-55),

outlasted a talented Magnolia squad (52-41), then, in perhaps its most

impressive playoff victory, went on the road to defeat third-seeded

Mayfair, 71-56, before a hostile crowd at Bellflower High.

“I attribute that win to our perseverance,” Harris said of the Magnolia

triumph. “I thought we played well throughout that game, save for a

three-minute stretch of the second quarter. Our guys came through,

especially Marques (Crane) and Torrin (Beeler).”

Crane scored 11 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and

Beeler finished with 19. But, it was the Seahawks’ ability to contain

Mayfair big man Josh Childress, who scored just eight points in the game

-- and two just after the intermission, after the Monsoons had taken a

five-point halftime lead.

“That was the big key right there,” Harris said. “Childress is a great

player, but Torin (Beeler) and Ryan Westbrook just did an outstanding job

on defense throughout the game, but especially in that second half.”

But the Seahawks will need to be able to shut down more than one player

if they hope to derail Artesia, which, under the guidance of Coach Wayne

Merino, has won four division titles (‘90, ‘91, ‘95, ‘99) and finished

runner-up on three occasions (‘92, ‘93, ‘97) during a dominating run in

the 1990s.

The Pioneers are still dominant in the year 2000, having belted its

Suburban League rivals en route to the league title before steam rolling

its four playoff opponents.

Artesia, in fact, has not let a team within 34 points during the

postseason. Victims include Savanna (102-54), Bloomington (104-45),

Laguna Hills (94-53), and John Muir (70-36). Both of the Pioneers’ losses

this year came at the hands of Dominguez, which has won five consecutive

Southern Section titles and will be out for No. 6 Saturday when the Dons

take on Brea Olinda in the II-AA title game immediately following the

Artesia-Ocean View matchup.

There is no one standout among Artesia’s starting lineup, only five solid

players who are deeply talented, starting at the outside with shooting

guard Ryan Reyes and point guard Andre Hazel, and moving to the inside

with small forward John Stefansson, power forward Jack Martinez, and

center Amaury Fernandez.

With Artesia’s talent from top to bottom, many so-called prep basketball

experts have already conceded the title to the Pioneers.

Not so fast, though, says Harris.

“Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I think we’ll be all right Saturday,”

Harris added. “We’re 29-2 and a darned talented team. We’re going to The

Pond to play for a championship, and nothing less. We feel we have a good

shot at winning this thing. That’s our intention.”

We’ll see sometime around 2 p.m. today.