Seahawks fall to Wolverines

Mike Sciacca

Everything seemed in place for the Ocean View High boys’ basketball

team.

Playing their third consecutive home game in CIF Southern Section

Division III-A playoff competition, the Seahawks needed only to

defeat visiting Harvard-Westlake last Friday in a semifinal game to

reach Saturday’s division championship game at the Arrowhead Pond of

Anaheim.

But what Ocean View had going against it was injuries sustained by

two of its key players, and that’s all a sharp-shooting, disciplined

Harvard-Westlake team needed to gain the upper hand.

Taking advantage of injuries to Seahawks’ leading scorer Matt

Sargeant and guard Casey Ortiz, the Wolverines pulled away to a 73-51

victory at Marina High to set up a Saturday title showdown with

Centennial High of Corona.

Sargeant, who came into the game with a 20-point scoring average,

went down with a calf strain at the outset of the fourth quarter --

an injury that has plagued the junior throughout the season.

Ortiz, meanwhile, was injured when he broke the bone of the top of

his shooting (left) hand in the opening quarter.

Sargeant still managed to score 22 points and Ortiz, in his final

game, finished with five, three coming when he hit a three-point shot

late in the game.

“He seemed to hit that shot on sheer will,” Ocean View co-coach

Jimmy Harris said.

Ocean View had taken a 20-18 first quarter lead but the Wolverines

outscored the Seahawks, 17-7, in the second quarter, to forge a 35-27

halftime advantage.

Harvard-Westlake opened up a 13-point lead after three quarters,

then outscored the Seahawks, 18-9, in the final period.

“Havard-Westlake did a great job playing their game,” Harris said.

“They have great role players and, obviously, our injuries had us a

bit short-handed.”

Greg Okwudibonye also hit double figures for Ocean View with 12

points.

Playing their final games for the Seahawks, seniors Jeff Wilson

scored six points and Alan Kreymer and Albert Truong each scored two

points.

The loss ended a terrific season for five-time Golden West League

champion Ocean View, which closed out its 2002-03 campaign with a

27-4 record.

The Seahawks were the No. 2 seed in the postseason playoffs.

Harvard-Westlake, now 24-7, had won its three previous playoff

games by 35, 42 and 40 points.

Ocean View reached the semifinal round by ripping Bishop Amat,

68-44. Sargeant’s 20 points paced the Seahawks, and Okwudibonye

scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds.

“I thought this season was a great journey,” Harris said. “It’s

sad to see it end but in retrospect it’s nice to see where we began

the journey and were we ended, which was the semifinals. This was a

great group of kids to work with.”

In girls’ CIF basketball, Marina was downed by visiting Canyon

Springs, 47-43, in a second round Division I-A contest. Sarah McLeod

and Rachel Maulit each scored 12 points to lead the Vikings.

In boys’ CIF soccer, Marina advanced in Division I play by virtue

of a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over visiting Damien last Friday.

Anthony Ordonez scored the game’s only goal and Keith Hayward

recorded five saves as Marina downed the division’s No. 2 seed to set

up a Tuesday semifinal match with Santa Margarita.

Marina also defeated Quartz Hill, 3-1, in a second round match. J.

T. Searles scored a hat trick to lead the Vikings to the road

triumph.

In girls’ CIF soccer, defending Division II champion Edison had

its season ended by El Toro, which scored a 5-1 victory in a Division

I second round match.

Christina Graham scored the lone goal for the Chargers.