Buena Loosens Up in the Tight Games

What was an Achilles’ heel last season could be a source of strength this year for the Buena High boys’ basketball team.

The Bulldogs (7-3), who open Channel League play against cross-town rival Ventura (6-5) at Ventura College at 7:30 tonight, lost seven games by three points or fewer last season, including four in overtime.

They have won four games by three points or fewer this season.

The Bulldogs defeated Agoura, 60-57, in the championship game of the Ventura tournament last week after beating Calabasas, 64-61, in the semifinals and Bakersfield Centennial, 60-58, in the first round.

“Last year, we played those games with the attitude of playing not to lose,” 15th-year Buena Coach Glen Hannah said. “It was like they had a lot of experience so they felt like there were games they were expected to win and that caused pressure.

“We don’t have that much returning experience this year so they’ve played to win in tight situations.”

Junior shooting guard Ryan Fay, senior point guard T.J. Stafford and junior center Ian Boys have led Buena this season.

Fay, the brother of Lance Fay, Southern Section Division I co-player of the year for Buena during the 1991-92 season, is averaging 14.1 points a game.

Stafford, the team leader with 6.3 assists, and Boys, leading rebounder at 8.6 per game, are both averaging 13.4 points to give the Bulldogs the kind of balance they lacked last season.

“Ceneca Shaw was a great player for [Buena] last year,” first-year Hueneme Coach Tom McCollum said. “But sometimes when you have a situation like that, the other players have a tendency to sit around and wait for him to make things happen. . . .

“This year, they don’t have a great player so a lot of different kids are making the big plays.”

An ability to win close games could prove very valuable to Buena this season because many Channel League coaches are predicting the tightest race in years.

It has been seven seasons since a team won a league title with more than two losses--in 14 games--but Oxnard Coach Henry Lobo said four or five losses could do the trick this season.

“If one team gets hot, and is able to win several games in a row, they could run away with it,” Lobo said. “But I don’t see that happening. I think it’s going to be tight from start to finish.”

Santa Barbara (5-7) has won two of the last three league titles, but McCollum says Dos Pueblos (6-6), Oxnard (6-3) and Rio Mesa (6-3) are on the Dons’ level this year.

Ventura Coach Dan Larson, whose Cougars are 6-5 after advancing to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division II-A playoffs last season, tabs Rio Mesa to win because the Spartans have four returning starters.

But Rio Mesa Coach Steve Wolf says that Dos Pueblos, Buena and Santa Barbara should all be favored over the Spartans.

“There could be three, four or five teams battling for the title,” Wolf said. “No one is going to run away with it. I can’t see anyone going undefeated or 13-1.”

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Senior point guard Farhaad Azimi, who passed for 1,161 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 440 and seven touchdowns as Rio Mesa’s quarterback, is one of four returning starters for the Spartans. Guard Christian Gallagher averaged 10.3 points for Ventura as a junior and is averaging 17 this season.

* THE PROMISING: Oxnard’s 6-foot-6 forward Jacob Rogers and guard Damian Tafoya are sophomores who have played major roles in the Yellowjackets’ success this season. Junior Matt Ramirez and 6-2 sophomore Robert Luna are co-captains for inexperienced Hueneme (3-6).

* FAST FACTS: No team has won consecutive Channel League titles during the 1990s, and Ventura (1992-93) and Buena (1991-92) are the only Ventura County teams to win a title during that time.