Prep column: Monarch transfers go public

Barry Faulkner

The Mater Dei High boys basketball machine occasionally spits out a

few spare parts and a pair of Newport-Mesa schools should be the

beneficiaries this season.

Corona del Mar High sophomore Poncho Seaborn and Newport Harbor

sophomore Andre Pinesett have returned to the public-school arena after

spending their freshman season at the Santa Ana parochial power.

Both have already experienced Southern Section and CIF State

championships, after being called up for the postseason by Mater Dei last

year.

According to early reports, both will make an immediate impact this

year and should fuel even more optimism for the future success of their

respective programs.

One local coach predicted Seaborn would lead the Sea Kings to a

top-three finish in the Pacific Coast League, while Pinesett, who

attended junior high at Corona del Mar before playing for the Monarchs,

opened the season Tuesday as the Sailors’ starting point guard, in place

of injured senior Greg Perrine.

The 6-foot-3 Seaborn, whom CdM Coach Ryan Curry said lived in the CdM

attendance area while he attended Mater Dei, is a name with which I’m

unfamiliar.

Pinesett, however, has already made Daily Pilot headlines as the

Newport Beach Little League’s version of Barry Bonds.

Now 6-foot, 187 pounds, Pinesett, who turned 16 last week, bashed 14

homers to lead the NBLL as an 11-year-old, then crushed eight in eight

regular-season games the following year en route to Daily Pilot Little

League Dream Team recognition. Pinesett also won a home run contest at a

Hall of Fame Tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y. in the summer of 1998.

A pair of Mater Dei “bounce backs” helped Estancia High win PCL titles

in 1995, ’96 and ’97.

Dane Plock, who spent his freshman year at Mater Dei, was a two-time

All-Newport-Mesa District performer who earned district and PCL Player of

the Year honors as a senior in 1996. The talented point guard, whose

career later fizzled at Cal State Fullerton, led the Eagles to

back-to-back PCL crowns in his two varsity seasons.

Selwyn Mansell, played at Estancia in 1996-97 after three seasons at

Mater Dei and helped the Sam Nelson-led Eagles win the PCL. Mansell, who

went on to play at Air Force, was all-district and all-league in his lone

varsity season at Estancia.

Former Mater Dei player Patrick Hadden, a senior guard at Woodbridge,

is the primary reason the Warriors are expected to battle Newport Harbor

for the Sea View crown this season.

Chris Burgess, who along with Adam Keefe are the best two players

Woodbridge has produced, also played his freshman year at Mater Dei.

While Pinesett could provide perhaps an even bigger lift to the

Sailors’ baseball program, newly hired coach Joel Desguin said Tuesday he

had yet to meet the former little league slugger.

The Costa Mesa High boys basketball team’s season-opening waxing of

Servite, another Orange County parochial school, was an impressive sight

to behold Monday.

Mesa seniors Chad Vakili (a career-high 30) and David Conte (24)

combined to outscore the Friars in a 77-49 Loara Tournament triumph. Both

Mustangs figure to join Newport Harbor senior Tony Melum and Estancia

senior Micah Young as the most prolific Newport-Mesa scorers this season.

Don’t look now but another Sea View League showdown for the CIF

Southern Section Division VI football title has become a very real

possibility after Laguna Hills knocked off top-seeded El Modena, 31-24,

in overtime in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The Hawks (7-5), who led visiting Newport Harbor, 10-0, before

squandering some scoring chances in a 20-10 setback Oct. 26, visit No.

4-seeded Mayfair (9-3) for a 7 p.m. semifinal Friday at Bellflower High.

The No. 3-seeded Sailors (10-1-1) will meet unseeded La Mirada (10-1)

Saturday at the Matadores’ stadium for the chance to advance to their

sixth CIF title game in the last 10 seasons.

If both Sea View teams win this week, and I predict as much, it will

be the fourth straight section title showdown between league rivals. It

will also clinch a 10th straight division champion from the Sea View, the

last nine being the circuit’s champion.

Newport, this year’s Sea View title holder, battled Irvine the last

two seasons, after Woodbridge edged Santa Margarita in 1998.

Sea View teams also squared off in the division final in 1996 (Santa

Margarita over Newport) and ’92 (Irvine over Newport).