Girls basketball preview: Mustangs charged up again

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - Just about every girls basketball season, you can

count on Costa Mesa High being somewhere in the mix, battling for a

league title or, at worst, a playoff spot.

For 11 straight years, Costa Mesa has played in the CIF Southern

Section playoffs. And, it seems, for 11 straight years, the Mustangs have

tussled with the best and flirted with greatness.

While some point to the 2000-01 Mustangs and peg them for fourth place

in the highly competitive Pacific Coast League, Coach Jim Weeks’ squad

should never be counted out.

“We’ve had two really good years,” said Weeks, who returned in 1998-99

for his second stint as Mesa’s head coach, following a six-campaign term

from 1986 to ’92.

“We missed going to the (Division III) state championship game by a

basket two years ago and last year, we lost to the state champion (Bishop

Montgomery). It took the best team in the state to beat us (in the CIF

Division III-AA quarterfinals).”

Costa Mesa was third in the PCL last year behind champion Corona del

Mar and Estancia, yet still owns the perpetual Lady Bell Trophy,

contested for annually by Mesa and Estancia.

“With University and us three (aforementioned Newport-Mesa District

teams), there will be four teams fighting every night in league,” Weeks

said. “When you play one of those three teams, you’d better come ready to

play, because if you’re not, you’ll lose. We probably figure to come in

fourth. I think Corona del Mar is the easy favorite.

“We don’t want to come in fourth, but we hope to give it our best shot

and make a change somewhere.”

While it’s true the Mustangs (18-11 in 1999-00) return eight players

and three starters, Weeks said CdM, Estancia and University all have

about as many returning players. Weeks feels it’s a wash until proved

otherwise on the hardwood.

“We’ve got a lot to shoot for,” Weeks said. “We’ve always been

competitive and we’ve always been in a position to be the champions.

That’s all you can ask. It’s tough to be in a 2-20 season. Those are

tough teams to have to coach and be a part of. It’s a lot of fun when

every game’s important and you’re going out for something more than

pride. Pride’s nice, but it’s nice to play for something more.”

The Mustangs hope to play for more than pride with senior point guard

Nancy Hatsushi, an All-CIF Division III selection as a sophomore, at the

controls.

“I can count on Nancy every night to get the others to play with her

at a high level,” Weeks said of Hatsushi, who was injured a portion of

last season and was “relegated” to second-team All-PCL honors by the

coaches.

The inside defense of graduated center Autumn Smith will be missed,

but the Mustangs believe 5-foot-11 senior Maria Lazos, who backed up

Smith, will hold her own.

Jenny Earnest also graduated, leaving two big holes Weeks has had to

fill.

While senior guard Leigh Marshall and 5-11 junior forward Christine

Caron join Hatsushi as returning first-stringers, the fifth starting spot

this season will be handed out to shooting guard Barbara Trejo, a senior

who averaged 12-13 minutes a game last season off the bench.

“She’s one of our two quickest players,” Weeks said. “Her speed is

something we can take advantage of and her shooting’s getting more

consistent. Our defense kind of revolves around Barbara.”

Marshall (3.6 points per game last year) and Caron, who has good size

and three-point shooting range, were role players last season.

Three others, senior guards Miranda Cooper and Pauline Le, as well as

5-9 senior center/forward Laura Muniz, also return from last year.

Among the top newcomers are juniors Jasmine Grewal, Eileen Bello,

Lauren Carich and Crystina Poncher, as well as senior guard Quyen Trinh.

But the best of the first-year bunch should be 5-11 sophomore Rhondi

Naff, the junior varsity team’s MVP last year who will rotate with

Marshall at three guard.

“Rhondi’s got great potential,” Weeks said. “She could be one of the

best players this school has ever had.”

Naff plays outstanding defense and has a solid inside and outside game

offensively, Weeks said. “I’m not putting any limits on her,” he added.

COSTA MESA girls basketball

10 Crystina Poncher 5-3 Jr.

11 Jasmine Grewal 5-8 Jr.

13 Eileen Bello 5-3 Jr.

14 Christine Caron 5-11 Jr.

20 Quyen Trinh 5-3 Sr.

21 Miranda Cooper 5-3 Sr.

24 Nancy Hatsushi 5-4 Sr.

25 Pauline Le 5-4 Sr.

31 Barbara Trejo 5-3 Sr.

32 Laura Muniz 5-9 Sr.

33 Leigh Marshall 5-6 Sr.

35 Lauren Carich 5-10 Jr.

44 Maria Lazos 5-11 Sr.

55 Rhondi Naff 5-11 So.

Coach: Jim Weeks