Boys baskteball: Unhealthy start

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High Coach Larry Hirst would love to

be worrying about Santa Fe, which visits tonight for a first-round CIF

Southern Section Division I-A boys basketball playoff game at 7:30.

Instead, he’s figuring ways to best field a representative team, with

illness ravaging his roster.

Scoring leaders Tony Melum, a 6-foot-6 junior averaging a

Newport-Mesa-District-leading 18.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, and

Aaron Yarnal, a senior averaging 15.5 points, have joined the list of

those besieged by a high fever and vomiting in recent days.

Hirst said starter Erik Peterson, key reserve Steve Young and reserve

Jordan Spigner have also been stricken with the malady that also plagued

junior starting point guard Greg Perrine, as well as backups Chase

Cameron and Jamie Diefenbach, last week.

“It has been the trickle-down effect,” said Hirst, who is making plans

to play his healthy reserves more than normal against the Chiefs (15-9),

who finished tied for second in the Del Rio League.

The Sailors (19-6) wound up second in the Sea View League to qualify

for their fifth straight postseason appearance. The Sailors have won

first-round games the last two years and are trying to win a third

straight postseason opener for only the second time in the school’s 71

varsity seasons.

Santa Fe is led by three scorers who average in double figures. John

Temidara, a 6-3 senior, averages 14.2 points and 10 rebounds. Mike

Garcia, a 6-4 senior, chips in 11.9 points and 5.5 boards, while Robert

Ruiz, a 6-0 junior, contributes 10.3 points per contest.

Tonight’s winner will meet either Pacific (18-6) or Riverside Poly

(16-10) in Tuesday’s second round.

The Chiefs only game against Orange County competition this season was

a 63-30 loss to Fullerton.

-- by Barry Faulkner