PREP BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS : Mater Dei Favored to Win Tough Newport Harbor-Costa Mesa Event

Mater Dei High School, with three returning starters, is favored to win the Newport Harbor-Costa Mesa basketball tournament, which begins today at two sites.

Guard Jason Quinn, the most valuable player in the Angelus League as a junior, returns for Mater Dei, along with center Derek Stone and guard Andy Karich.

The 12-team tournament features three teams--Irvine, Saddleback and Trabuco Hills--that reached a Southern Section championship game. Seven of the participants qualified for postseason play last year.

Among the other top players scheduled to compete are Charlie Andres (Mater Dei), Mustapha Abdi (Huntington Beach), Jimmy Galbert (Saddleback), John Molle (Irvine), Beau Hossler (Trabuco Hills) and Greg Everett (El Toro).

The championship game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Costa Mesa’s gymnasium.

The first-round pairings:

At Costa Mesa: 6 p.m.--Costa Mesa vs. Huntington Beach; Mater Dei vs. La Quinta.

At Newport Harbor: 6 p.m.--Glenn vs. Saddleback; Long Beach Jordan vs. Newport Harbor.

Anaheim High School, featuring all-Orange League guard Danny Castro, is the favorite to win the Orange Lutheran basketball tournament, which starts today at Orange Lutheran High.

The eight-team field includes four teams--Anaheim, Villa Park, Anaheim and Orange--that compete in higher divisions than host Orange Lutheran.

Among the top players are John Trevino (Laguna Beach), Greg Cole (Anaheim), Daryl Cole (Orange Lutheran), Luke Aucoin (Orange Lutheran) and Carlos Duran (Orange).

The championship game will be played at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

The first-round pairings:

3 p.m.--Laguna Beach vs. Southern California Christian; 4:45--Villa Park vs. Miraleste; 6:30--Anaheim vs. Orange; 8:15--Santiago vs. Orange Lutheran.

Western High School, which has the talented backcourt of Sam Sabbara and Tom Barraza, is favored in the 24th Garden Grove basketball tournament, which begins Monday at Garden Grove High.

Estancia, the defending tournament champion, will compete in the same bracket with Western. Estancia guard Augustine Heredia returns from a team that won 21 games.

Other top players include Tes Whitlock (Loara), Pat Nelson (Laguna Hills), Richard Harvey (Buena Park) and Joe Squyres (Garden Grove).

The championship game is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The first-round pairings:

Monday: 5:45 p.m.--Laguna Hills vs. Magnolia; 7:30--Western vs. Bolsa Grande. Tuesday: 5:45 p.m.--Loara vs. Estancia; 7:30--Buena Park vs. Garden Grove.

Sunny Hills High School, despite having only two seniors on its roster, is the favorite in the 15th Santa Ana Elks basketball tournament that begins Monday at Santa Ana High.

Sunny Hills center Brett Mitchelson, a 6-foot-7 junior, is the tallest player in the six-team tournament. Other top players include Edgar Diaz (St. Paul), Jared Rice (Cypress), Chauncy Woolridge (Santa Ana) and Oscar Wilson (Santa Ana).

The championship game is scheduled at 8 p.m. next Friday at Santa Ana.

The first-round pairings:

Monday: 6:15 p.m.--Tustin vs. Cypress; Sunny Hills bye. Tuesday: 6:15 p.m.--Westminster vs. St. Paul; Santa Ana bye.

Canyon High School, with three returning starters, is the top-seeded team in the Valencia basketball tournament, beginning Monday at two sites.

Forward Kevin Wilborn and guard Addi Barkhordar, both juniors, are expected to lead Canyon. The Comanches will be without center Charlie Saunders, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Defending champion El Modena is the second-seeded team and Servite is seeded third. Among the top players are Jeff Leedom (El Modena), Matt Cordik (Esperanza), Steve Marusich (Servite), Greg Farlow (Sonora) and David Green (Rancho Alamitos).

The championship game is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.

The first-round pairings:

At Valencia: 6 p.m.--Katella vs. El Monte; 7:30--Valencia vs. La Habra.

At Esperanza: 6 p.m.--Rancho Alamitos vs. Troy; 7:30--Esperanza vs. Sonora.

Note: El Modena, Servite and Canyon have first-round byes.

Lynwood High School, featuring high-scoring Earnest Killum, is favored to win the Laguna Beach basketball tournament, beginning Monday at Laguna Beach High.

Killum averaged 29.8 points a game as a junior and is among the top players in the state. Other top teams in the 16-team tournament include Brea-Olinda, Corona del Mar, Savanna and Compton.

The 16-team tournament features Keith Walker (Brea-Olinda), Charles Levy (Lynwood), Darnell Patterson (Compton), Randy Schulze (Pacifica), Eric Preuss (Savanna) and Jeff Jackson (Corona del Mar).

The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. .

The first-round pairings:

Monday: 3 p.m.--Pacifica vs. Lynwood; 4:30--Fountain Valley vs. Fallbrook; 6--Whittier vs. Serra; 7:30--Brea-Olinda vs. San Clemente.

Tuesday: 3 p.m.--St. John Bosco vs. Warren; 4:30--Compton vs. Torrance; 6--Savanna vs. Corona del Mar; 7:30--Laguna Beach vs. Chino.