SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Their Long, Winding Road to Title : Woodbridge’s Keefe and Bryan Have Gone Great Distances to Improve

Their quest for the Southern Section 2-A division boys’ basketball championship began last spring at Dominguez High School’s sparsely attended gymnasium in Compton.

It was here that Woodbridge High’s Adam Keefe and Vince Bryan refined their skills in the Slam ‘n Jam League for what they thought would be a promising 1986-87 season.

The work continued throughout the summer in the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station weight room, where Keefe and Bryan lifted five times a week. Then there were the endless league games, traveling all-star games and camps in the summer.

“My father and I once tried to figure out how many different gymnasiums I’ve played in over the years and we lost track after about 100,” Keefe said.

Bryan was playing in a traveling all-star game last summer at Arizona State in Tempe when Keefe arrived at halftime to join the team.

“He played a game in Las Vegas that morning, jumped on a plane and joined us at halftime in Arizona,” Bryan said.

Such is the gypsy basketball life of Keefe and Bryan, who will lead Woodbridge (24-5) into the 2-A championship game against Banning (23-6) at 12:15 today in the Sports Arena.

The title game will culminate a long playoff road for the Warriors in their initial 2-A season.

Woodbridge took a four-hour bus trip to Hancock College in Santa Maria for its quarterfinal game against Righetti. Then there was a two-hour trip to Apple Valley to play Victor Valley in the semifinals earlier this week. No big deal for Keefe or Bryan.

“We usually sleep a lot on the bus,” Keefe said.

Keefe was well-rested for the Warriors’ semifinal match against Victor Valley. He had 34 points and 21 rebounds in a 73-59 victory.

Keefe, a 6-foot 8-inch junior, has played exceptional in the postseason tournament. In four playoff games, he’s averaging 23 points and 17.8 rebounds and shooting 68% from the field.

Bryan, a 6-5 forward who will attend Brigham Young University in the fall, is averaging 18.3 points and 9.8 rebounds and shooting 59% from the field in the playoffs.

“You couldn’t ask much more from either of them,” said Bill Shannon, Woodbridge coach. “They’ve been super in the playoffs. Adam’s game against Victor Valley was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen by a high school player.”

But Keefe and Bryan agree that the improved play of guards David Townsend and Rob Lee has been instrumental in the Warriors’ success.

“I thought we would go all the way to the championship, especially after our first game against Central,” Bryan said. “Everything clicked in that game . . . that game was the glue that set the mold.”

Keefe was a seldom-used reserve as a freshman and watched the Warriors struggle to a 4-17 record. The Warriors improved to 21-7 in his sophomore season. This season, he is rated as one of the state’s best underclassmen.

“I have to agree with Vince that we’ve really come together in the playoffs,” Keefe said. “Our guards have played well. Some questioned whether our guards were good enough to get us to the finals, but we’re here.”

Keefe said he went to the beach only once last summer, opting to play pickup games or lift weights.

“I’ve never looked at it as work,” he said. “Most of it was enjoyment to me. I love playing basketball.”

Bryan said he began striving to earn a college scholarship three years ago when Italian foreign exchange student Marco Baldi lived with his family for a year. Baldi was a 6-10 center for the Warriors’ who earned a scholarship to St. John’s University.

“I saw all the letters he received from schools all over the country and decided to work as hard as I could to get a scholarship,” said Bryan, who signed with BYU after visiting Hawaii and Northern Arizona.

“The BYU coaches usually call about once a week to see how I’m doing or to wish me luck,” he said. “They told me to concentrate on my senior season and then we’ll talk about my future at BYU.

“We’re going into the title game with the right attitude. We’re not cocky, but we’re not intimidated by Banning. We’re going to have fun.”

FOUR-GAME PLAYOFF PERFORMANCES

ADAM KEEFE

OPPONENT FGA FGM PCT. PTS. REBS. Central 16 11 .687 24 13 Walnut 16 10 .625 22 14 Righetti 10 5 .500 12 23 Victor Valley 15 13 .866 34 21 Totals 57 39 .684 92 71

VINCE BRYAN

OPPONENT FGA FGM PCT. PTS. REBS. Central 9 6 .666 18 13 Walnut 18 11 .611 20 12 Righetti 12 6 .500 19 5 Victor Valley 10 6 .600 16 9 Totals 49 29 .591 73 39