Ocean View hosts Tournament of Champions

Mike Sciacca

One of the top boys’ basketball events in the southland, the

Tournament of Champions, opens Monday at Ocean View High.

The tournament features a star-studded group of 11 schools from

throughout the state, as well as the Laurinburg Institute of North

Carolina.

Ocean View, the host school, will return to Huntington Beach for

the tournament after competing this weekend at the Lone Star

Tournament in San Antonio.

“No beginning of the season is any tougher than that for any team

in Orange County,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said of his team’s

start to the 2004-05 schedule. “We also will play Villa Park in the

Nike Extravaganza and Capistrano Valley in the El Toro North-South

Shootout.”

The Tournament of Champions field consists of the following teams:

Pool A: Calabasas, Clovis West, Fontana; Pool B: J. Serra, Laguna

Hills, Muir, Ocean View; Pool C: Bishop Alemany, Etiwanda,

Laurinburg, Long Beach Poly.

Mater Dei won a thriller over Dominguez in last year’s tournament

final, and Ocean View claimed third-place with a win over Long Beach

Poly.

“Etiwanda will be favored this year with Clovis West picked for

the finals,” Harris said, when asked which teams would be considered

favorites for the tournament title.

Monday’s tournament schedule: Laguna Hills vs. Ocean View, 3:30

p.m.; Calabasas vs. Fontana, 5 p.m.; Bishop Alemany vs. Etiwanda,

6:30 p.m.; J. Serra vs. Muir, 8 p.m.

Games continue Tuesday through Sat., Dec. 11, at Ocean View.

In boys’ basketball action Monday, Jeff Delaunay and Matt Molino

each scored 26 points as Marina won its season opener by defeating

University of Irvine in overtime, 73-69.

In girls’ basketball action Monday, J.W. North pulled away from

Marina in the fourth quarter and went on to post a 65-56 victory in

opening-round play at the Woodbridge Tournament.

Allison Budzinski scored 13 points, Rachel Maulit scored 11 and

Erin Barney added 10 points for the Vikings, who were playing their

season opener.