Morningside High Takes Its Case to the Courts : Basketball preview: Monarchs have best player and plenty of depth as they stake claim to No. 1 ranking among South Bay high school teams.

By now, it’s clear what Bo knows.

But what about Bose?

Stais Boseman, Morningside High’s answer to Bo Jackson, certainly knows football. The sophomore quarterback-receiver led the Monarchs to the CIF-Southern Section semifinals Friday night against Temecula Valley, which won, 27-9.

Up next is basketball, Boseman’s best sport. He distinguished himself as Morningside’s sixth man last season, when many observers regarded him as the best freshman in Southern California.

Now, in an unusual role for a 10th grader, he is considered the leader of the deep and talented Monarchs, The Times’ top-ranked South Bay team.

“Stais Boseman is the best 10th grader I’ve ever seen,” Leuzinger Coach Phil Sherman said. “He’s the best player in the South Bay, hands down. There’s no senior better than him. He’s the next Bo Jackson.”

Morningside Coach Carl Franklin, beginning his 16th season, is less enthusiastic in his praise of the 6-foot-3 swingman. There are plenty of talented players on the team, he said. But even Franklin concedes Boseman possesses that rare ability to dominate.

“He can take over a game,” Franklin said. “He can make us play on a whole different level.”

Just what every coach in the area needed to hear, right?

Following is a rundown of the top 10 teams in the South Bay. Last season’s record is in parentheses:

1. Morningside (24-4)--The Monarchs’ development has been slowed because of the success of the football team. Boseman, 6-8 center Pauliasi Taulava and 6-4 forward Emil Moorehead, all starters who play football, were not with the team when it opened the season Wednesday against rival Inglewood.

Not to worry. A makeshift unit led by sophomore swingman Dwight Curry (19 points) was good enough to earn a 77-67 victory. Such is the team’s depth.

Arthur Savage, a 6-6 forward who averaged 11 points, is the only returning starter from a Morningside team that won its sixth league title in seven seasons and was the state’s No. 1-ranked Division III team until it was upset by Lompoc in the Southern Section quarterfinals. Other key players include 6-2 guard Shawn Forbin, 6-7 junior forward Keenan Jordan and 5-4 sophomore guard Sean Harris.

“We’ve got a good team,” Franklin said. “But it’s early. I don’t want to say how good. If we get through one tournament successfully, we can get some momentum behind us and be very, very good.”

2. Carson (19-9)--A month ago, Coach Richard Masson considered the Colts to be perhaps the best team in the South Bay. Today, he isn’t so confident.

Carson’s troubles started three weeks ago when 6-9 junior center Khary Stanley was diagnosed with a fracture in his lower back. He is out of action indefinitely, Masson said. Then last week, Derrick Smith, a potential starter at guard, suddenly moved with his family to Lynwood.

“That’s pretty much decimated us,” Masson said.

However, there are still plenty of reasons for optimism. One of them is 6-4 junior forward Rudy Washington, who started the season Wednesday by scoring 36 points on 14-for-18 shooting in a 87-75 victory over Locke. “He’s raised the level of his game in the last month,” Masson said of Washington, who averaged 10 points and helped Carson to the Pacific League title as a sophomore.

The Colts’ other returning starters are 6-4 center Justin Evans, formerly Justin Beery, and point guard Tyrone Smith. William Thomas, a 6-2 forward who transferred from Banning, is the top newcomer.

3. Leuzinger (14-10)--Talent, height and experience. The Olympians seemingly have it all. “We should be better than last year,” said Coach Phil Sherman, whose team tied for third in the competitive Bay League. “Our bench is not too deep, but we have five guys who started at one time or another.”

Heading the returning group is 6-8 center Frank Willis, who signed early with New Mexico. Willis had 21 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday in a 94-57 victory over Harvard of North Hollywood. “He’s our go-to guy,” Sherman said. Joining Willis in the front court are 6-5 forward Tyrone Merriweather, a good rebounder and inside scorer, and 6-2 forward Derrick Plum, who led the team with 23 points against Harvard and boasts a 40-inch vertical leap.

Guards Robert Northern and Troy Matthews are returning starters, but now they split time because of the addition of sophomore playmaker Antoine Lewis. A transfer from Detroit, Lewis had nine points and 14 assists in the opener. “He’s going to be one of the most exciting players in the South Bay,” Sherman said. “He could be our leading scorer.”

4. St. Bernard (14-12)--The Vikings should be strong inside with the return of 6-7 center Wyking Jones, 6-5 junior forward Chris Keldorf and 6-4 swingman Rick Famuyiwa. It’s in the backcourt where St. Bernard has problems.

In the season opener Wednesday, Jones scored 31 points, Keldorf rebounded in double figures and Famuyiwa had 12 points. But the Vikings’ inexperienced guards were exploited by a superior Long Beach Jordan team, which won easily, 93-77.

“We turned the ball over too much and gave up a lot of outside shots,” Coach Jim McClune said. “With our front line, I think we’ll be competitive with most teams we play. It comes down to the other eight kids.”

McClune said one of the pivotal newcomers is 6-5 junior Ian Patel. If he develops as a forward, it would allow McClune to play Famuyiwa at guard and perhaps solve the team’s backcourt woes. Junior Barry Harper, who is Jones’ half-brother, should develop into a solid point guard, McClune said.

5. Westchester (16-11)--Some of Coach Ed Azzam’s doubts about his youthful but talented team were erased Wednesday in a 74-72 victory over Cleveland of Reseda. “The kids showed they can play,” he said.

That’s bad news for the rest of the L.A. City Section, because Westchester was thought to be a season away from becoming a contender. The Comets have only one senior in the starting lineup--6-8 center LeRoi O’Brien.

“I don’t expect a lot of success early,” Azzam said. “But if we make the normal progression, we should be one of the better teams by the end of the season. I wouldn’t want to play us at the end of February.”

O’Brien, who signed early with Pepperdine, is the lone returning starter. He had 17 points and eight rebounds in the opener. Others being counted on to contribute include junior guard James Gray, 6-3 junior swingman Lorenzo Ball and 6-9 junior center Marty Cotwright. Maurice Robinson, a promising sophomore guard, recently transferred from Morningside.

6. Bishop Montgomery (15-8)--The Knights are coming off a breakthrough season. Under first-year Coach Doug Mitchell, they snapped a 38-game losing streak in the Angelus League, finished second to eventual State Division I champion Mater Dei and reached the CIF 4-A quarterfinals. That’s a tough act to follow, but Mitchell is optimistic.

“I think we’re ahead of where we were last year at this time,” he said. “We’re quicker and we have more depth. I think we have more weapons.”

Bishop Montgomery lost All-CIF guard Darrell Daniel and his 23-point scoring average to St. Mary’s College, but the backcourt appears in good shape. All-league guard Kirk Jones returns, although his progress has been slowed by chicken pox. Greg Jacabus and promising juniors Damon Jones and Marlon D’Oyen provide depth at guard.

The front court holds the key to the Knights’ season, Mitchell said. Joe Hadnot, a 6-3 forward, is a returning starter, but 6-4 forward John Zimmerman and 6-6 center Jason Van Sloten lack experience.

7. Mira Costa (15-9)--Coach Glenn Marx says the Mustangs should be the second-best team in the Ocean League behind powerful Morningside. “And I’m not saying we’re not capable of beating Morningside,” he said.

Marx’s confidence is fueled by the return of 6-8, 240-pound center Chris Davis, who averaged 10 points a game last season. Marx expects him to double that figure this season. “We might have the most dominating player in the South Bay,” he said. “We’ll be about as good as Davis is.”

Davis’ supporting cast is headed by 6-5 forward Kenny Simonds and several talented guards. One of the most talented, junior Tyrone Burks, is awaiting a doctor’s clearance to play after experiencing dizzy spells about a month ago. Simi Fonua, a 6-1, 205-pound forward coveted for his aggressive play, recently joined the team after playing football.

8. Rolling Hills (16-12)--Under Coach Cliff Warren, the Titans have made their mark by utilizing the three-point shot to its full potential. Rolling Hills set a CIF-Southern Section record with 234 three-point baskets last season, breaking its previous mark of 203 set in 1988-89.

Look for the Titans to do more runnin’ and gunnin’ this season, but with a new emphasis on full-court pressure defense. “I’ve never pressed before, but I want to play a faster style of game,” Warren said. “We’ll score a lot of points and we’ll give up a lot. I just hope we score more than we give up.”

Rolling Hills’ attack will revolve around the high-scoring duo of center Roger Hendrix and guard Chad Heitzler. Hendrix, a 6-6 senior who signed with Utah State, averaged 24 points on his way to All-South Bay honors last season. Heitzler, who averaged 16 points, is the team’s best three-point shooter. The third returning starter is junior point guard David Iwasaka.

9. Palos Verdes (12-15)--What had the appearance of a gloomy season might turn out to have a bright ending. All-league guard Julius Coleman has gotten two different medical opinions for a suspected heart problem, the latest one clearing him to play. He is now seeking a third opinion. If that diagnosis is favorable, his next step is to bring his case before the school board.

Moreover, 6-6 junior center Art Shell, son of the Raiders coach, appears to be rounding into shape after undergoing knee surgery last year and aggravating the knee during the summer. He played a substantial amount of time Thursday in an 88-85 overtime loss to Serra, scoring 11 points.

When returning guard Rich Radford and 6-2 swingman Brian Murphy come out from football, Palos Verdes could be well on its way to having an impressive team. Another reason for optimism, Coach John Mihaljevich said, has been the steady improvement of forward-center John Anthony, a 6-6 junior.

10. Serra (12-12)--The Cavaliers, ranked ninth in Division IV, are expected to challenge for the Camino Real League title behind junior guard Dan Carpenter, who scored a game-high 33 points in Thursday’s opener against Palos Verdes. Serra also returns 6-1 forward Alex Marcelin, who will be sidelined indefinitely because of an ankle injury suffered in football.

Best of the rest, in alphabetical order:

Banning (11-13) boasts one of the area’s premier scorers in 6-3 forward Jabari Anderson, an All-South Bay pick last season. Anderson, who averaged 22 points last season, opened the 1990-91 campaign Wednesday with 37 points in a 86-75 loss to Lynwood. Banning’s coach is Marc Paez, a former St. Bernard assistant who last season was the coach at Cleveland of Reseda.

Chadwick (19-9), rated ninth in the CIF Division V preseason rankings, has two starters back from last season’s playoff semifinalist team: 6-1 guards Chris Gordon and Evan Calbi. Gordon, a junior, averaged 12 points.

El Segundo (15-14) is rebuilding after graduating the top six players from last season’s CIF 2-A semifinalist team. Coach Rick Sabosky, who guided the Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the competitive Camino Real League last season, will rely on 6-4 forwards Chris Hansen and Travis Showalter.

Gardena (5-18) should be improved, largely because of the return of 6-5 All-South Bay swingman Robin Kirksey. In the Mohicans’ opener Wednesday, he scored 32 points in a 74-66 victory over Los Angeles.

Hawthorne (19-9) suffered severe graduation losses from last season’s team, but reportedly has potential to be successful again. Forward Shanta Cotwright returns after helping the Cougars to second place in the Bay League.

Inglewood (6-18) hopes to pick up the pieces after a disappointing 1989-90 season. Coach Art Bias, beginning his second tour of duty with the Sentinels, guided Inglewood to a strong showing in the summer and has a top-notch guard returning in 6-2 Jason Bowman, who averaged 17 points.

Narbonne (16-9), coming off one of its best seasons in recent history, will center its attack around 6-3 forward D’Mitri Rideout, an All-South Bay choice in 1990. Rideout, an excellent leaper, averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds last season and is again expected to be among the area’s top players.

Redondo (8-19) returns four starters, headed by All-Ocean League guard Jason Correa, who averaged 16 points a game last season. Others who figure prominently in Coach Steve Shaw’s plans are 6-5 junior David Cottey and point guard Ted Silva. Redondo should be improved, but will have its hands full in the competitive Ocean League.

San Pedro (8-14) is off to a 3-0 start following Thursday’s 70-68 victory over South Gate. The Pirates have a small, guard-dominated team, headed by returning All-Pacific League selection Devon Hamilton.

South Torrance (6-19) figures to challenge for the Pioneer League title because of the return of three starters--guards Danny Fernandez and Alan Hook and 6-5 center Jeff Machnij--and the addition of 6-5 sophomore forward Kyle MacIntosh.

Torrance (11-13) will have a tough time replacing the 34-point scoring average of two-time All-CIF guard Rick Robison. But the Tartars should make their presence felt in the Pioneer League behind 6-5 center Joe Zaletel, who averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds as a junior.