Boys basketball: Mesa seeks record

Barry Faulkner

POMONA - Costa Mesa High is battling history as much as host Pomona

in tonight’s CIF Southern Section Division III-A boys basketball playoff

opener at Pomona High.

Coach Bob Serven’s Mustangs (18-9) are one win away from breaking the

school single-season victory record they share with the 1965-66 squad.

Further, the Mustangs are aiming for the school’s first playoff win

since the 1961-62 team went 3-1 in the playoffs. That’s 39 years without

a postseason triumph, including seven straight playoff-opening defeats,

two of which have come in consecutive seasons under Serven.

“Our kids are disappointed, which is good,” Serven said after last

year’s 64-44 second-round setback to visiting La Canada (the Mustangs

received a first-round bye).

Serven said he would not hesitate to use the long stretch without a

playoff win, as well as the chance to make history with 19 victories this

year, as motivation for his players.

“We were league (co-champs) last year (another program first), but

league titles don’t come around every year,” Serven said.

It’s the second time around this year for these two teams. Pomona

(19-7) fell to Mesa, 63-43, in the third-place game of the Loara

Tournament Dec. 1.

Serven is quick to point out, however, that victory came while Pomona

was without 6-foot-5 senior center Odell Howard.

Costa Mesa seniors Chad Vakili and David Conte scored 23 and 22

points, respectively, in that win, while 5-10 senior Damarian Woods was

the lone Red Devil in double figures with 10.

Conte, bound for Cal State Los Angeles, is averaging 21.5 points per

game, while Vakili chips in 18.6 per contest.

The veteran duo has consistently carried the load for the Mustangs,

who also rely upon junior Danny Krikorian (8.7 ppg), senior Carlos Jaime

(6.3 ppg) and senior Nolan Clark (5.3 ppg).

“If we’re shooting well, we’re a dangerous team,” said Serven, whose

squad won seven of its last eight regular-season games to claim third in

the Pacific Coast League.

“We’re playing pretty well right now. I think our kids expect to be in

the playoffs now, which wasn’t always the case at Costa Mesa. Now, we

just have to work hard to try and make good things happen.”

Tonight’s winner will advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinals, most likely

against top-seeded Centennial of Compton (25-0).