Showdown in the Sunset

Mike Sciacca, Independent

OK, so the first week’s preliminaries in the Sunset League girls

basketball race have been completed. Tonight, it’s time for showdown No.

1.

Edison and Esperanza, two of the preseason favorites to contend for the

2000 title, meet in the first of two important league games between the

two schools. Tipoff tonight is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the Chargers’ home

court.

If last year’s meetings between the two schools are any indication of

what fans should expect tonight, then all on hand will be in for a treat.

Twice last year, the Aztecs took Edison to the wire before falling. In

fact, the Chargers had to come from behind in the closing seconds in the

team’s second meeting to pull out a one-point win at Esperanza.

That triumph was instrumental in preserving what was to be a perfect

league finish (10-0) for the Chargers, who became the first Sunset team

in 12 years to survive the league schedule unscathed.

“It always seems to be a barnburner when Edison and Esperanza meet,”

Edison Coach Dave White said. “This is a huge game and right now, I feel

that these are the best two teams in the league. It’s not a do-or-die

situation (to win), because the teams play each other later this month,

but the winner stands a great chance of finishing the first round of

(league) play unbeaten and in first place.”

Edison played a tough nonleague schedule and entered Sunset play at just

7-7 overall. Inconsistency has plagued the Chargers at times throughout

the first part of the season, but over the course of the past four games

- all wins, including a key two-overtime upset of Mater Dei last

Saturday, the Chargers have begun to come into their own.

One of Edison’s seven losses this year came to Esperanza at the Santa

Barbara Tournament held in December.

Like Edison, Esperanza (12-4) also is riding a four-game win streak.

“This is an even matchup in terms that both teams are playing very

similar basketball right now,” White said. “Both teams are playing

extremely hard, and both are starting to realize their potential. I know

we’ve been a little bit more consistent lately, and that’s what’s helped

us these past four games.

“Both teams like to pressure, and the team that’s able to handle that

pressure, I believe, will be the one who wins.”

A young Esperanza squad is led by its only senior on the roster, forward

Kristin Peters.

Peters already is averaging 14.5 points per game, tops among the Aztecs,

but Esperanza’s sharpshooter thus far has been junior forward Bethany

Blair, who is shooting nearly 50-percent from the floor.

Peters and Blair will have their hands full with Michelle Zylstra,

Edison’s 5-foot-11 senior center. In 18 games, Zylstra is the Chargers’

leading scorer at 16 points per game. In addition, Zylstra, heading for

Northwestern University next fall, is one of the county’s top rebounders

with a 13.5 average.

Both Edison and Esperanza prepped for tonight’s showdown with easy wins

Tuesday. The Chargers, behind sophomore guard Bianca Ziemann’s game-high

20 points and 14 points from Ashleigh Noda, which included four,

three-point shots, ran away from host Los Alamitos, 64-38. The Aztecs,

meanwhile, used 18 points by Peters to rout visiting Huntington Beach,

66-32.

“It’s going to be a great game,” White said. “There’s a lot riding on the

outcome of this one, but this is just one game. There’s a lot of league

play still to go.”

In other Sunset League girls basketball tonight, rivals Huntington Beach

(9-6, 1-1) and Marina (13-5, 1-1) will meet at Marina, and Fountain

Valley (7-11, 0-2) entertains Los Alamitos (8-10, 0-2). Both games also

begin at 7 p.m.