Playoff berths at stake

Barry Faulkner

The outright Sea View League boys basketball championship would be

ample reward, but with a victory Wednesday at 7 p.m. against visiting

Woodbridge High, Newport Harbor would accomplish a first in the

program’s 73 varsity seasons.

Coach Larry Hirst’s Sailors (16-8, 8-1 in league) would earn their

second straight outright Sea View crown with a victory, an

unprecedented feat. The Sailors defended their Sunset League title in

1957, but the 1956 squad had shared the championship.

Meanwhile, the other four Newport-Mesa boys teams enter the final

week of the regular season with plenty at stake.

Estancia (16-8, 6-4 in the Golden West League) clinched a

guaranteed berth into the CIF Southern Section Playoffs with a 55-39

win at crosstown rival Costa Mesa Thursday. But the Eagles could

finish anywhere from second to fourth, depending on how things shake

out.

Corona del Mar (11-13, 4-4 in the Pacific Coast League), is,

realistically, playing for the six-team league’s third and final

guaranteed playoff spot, a pursuit that could include a third-place

playoff game Friday against Tesoro.

Sage Hill School (9-12, 4-4 in the Academy League) may very well

be headed for a repeat of last year’s third-place playoff with

Brethren Christian, which would also take place Friday, if things go

as planned in Academy action Tuesday and Thursday.

Costa Mesa, with wins in its three Golden West League games this

week, could rise into the top four, which would mean a guaranteed a

berth in the seven-team Golden West League. However, Coach Bob

Serven’s Mustangs (8-15, 3-6) have no margin for error. Three Mesa

wins would also satisfy the 11-victory minimum requirement for

at-large consideration.

For Newport Harbor, Wednesday’s showdown, the Sailors’ lone game

of the week, is a repeat of last year’s league and regular-season

finale against the Warriors. Newport Harbor won that game, 54-40, at

Woodbridge to claim the program’s first outright league crown since

1985.

This year’s task appears daunting, as the Warriors (20-5, 8-1) are

ranked No. 6 in Orange County, No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division

II-AA, the same division Newport will compete in. Coach John

Halagan’s squad has won six straight and 12 of its last 13. Its only

blemish during that run is a 73-64 league loss Jan. 22 at Foothill.

What’s more, Woodbridge pulled away for a 57-36 win over the

Sailors, Jan. 24 at Woodbridge. Newport, however, trailed only 22-21

at halftime of that game, after taking a 13-11 first-quarter lead.

The Sailors made just 1 of 10 third-quarter field-goal attempts and

shot 20.8% from the field in the final two periods. Since that game,

the Sailors have lost sophomore part-time starter Brett Perrine, who

tore his right ACL in a Jan. 31 league win at Aliso Niguel.

The Tars will be led by 6-foot-9 senior center Nedim Pajevic, who

is averaging 15.9 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.

Pajevic had 13 points and 10 boards in the first meeting, when

Woodbridge’s 6-10 junior center Chris Burgess and 6-6 senior forward

Chris Boldig combined for 27 points, including 20 in the second half,

and 13 rebounds.

Estancia enters the week in third place, one-half game behind

second-place Orange (6-3 in league) and one-half game ahead of Santa

Ana (5-4). The Eagles host Orange tonight, bent on avenging a 74-51

drubbing at Orange Jan. 17.

With a victory tonight, combined with an upset of visiting league

champion Ocean View Friday (the Eagles have the league bye

Wednesday), Estancia would end up no worse than tied for second.

Santa Ana visits Saddleback tonight, Costa Mesa Wednesday and is

home against Orange Friday.

Orange is at last-place Westminster Wednesday.

CdM enters the week one game up on Tesoro. The Sea Kings host

fifth-place Calvary Chapel Tuesday, then visit first-place Northwood

Thursday. Northwood can clinch the league crown Tuesday with a win at

second-place University.

If form holds, the Sea Kings would split. That, combined with

Tesoro wins over last-place Laguna Beach Tuesday and at Calvary

Chapel Thursday, would force a playoff between CdM and Tesoro, Friday

at a neutral site, for the league’s third guaranteed berth.

Sage Hill is one game up on Brethren Christian, but will likely

need a sweep of second-place Whitney (Tuesday) and last-place Oxford

Academy (Thursday) to hold off Brethren, which finishes with Oxford

and fifth-place Capistrano Valley Christian.