Prep basketball: Conte in All-Star Game

COSTA MESA - Costa Mesa High senior David Conte will close out his

distinguished prep career tonight as a member of the South in the Orange

County All-Star Basketball Game, which tips off at 8 at Orange Coast

College.

Conte, a 5-foot-10 point guard bound for Cal State Los Angeles, is the

lone local player listed on the roster for the South, which will be

coached by Mission Viejo High’s Jeff Cunningham.

Conte earned Co-Most Valuable Player honors in the Pacific Coast

League this past season, helping the Mustangs to an 18-9 record and a

berth in the CIF Southern Section III-A playoffs. The 18 wins tied a

school single-season record established by the 1965-66 Mustangs. Conte

helped Mesa win a share of the Pacific Coast League championship as a

junior, the only league crown in the program’s history.

Conte averaged 21.5 points as a senior for Coach Bob Serven’s Mesa

squad, scoring at least 20 points 16 times, including a career-high 43

against Marina in a December tournament game. Conte, adept at breaking

down defenses with the dribble, as well as shooting from three-point

range, had additional single-game outputs of 39, 35, 32 and 30 points in

his final varsity campaign.

Conte is also the sole representative from the PCL, while Patrick

Hadden of Woodbridge represents the Sea View League.

The South, for which Newport Harbor senior Tony Melum was original

selected to compete, lists 10 players on its roster, two fewer than the

allotted amount.

The North boys, coached by Jeff Russell from Cypress High, is

represented by seven league MVPs, including Brice Prather (Villa Park),

Clay Carmody (Sunny Hills), David Patten (El Dorado), Bryce Sheldon

(Loara) Mark Lotman (Los Alamitos), Erik Geisler (Brea Olinda) and Turmel

Woods (Savanna).

The top girls players in the county will square off in a 5 p.m.

contest, also at Orange Coast.

Tony Matsen (Orange Lutheran) will guide the North girls, while the

South girls will be coached by Jim Martin (Laguna Hills).

The game, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa, provides

proceeds to several Orange County charities.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students 18 and under.

-- by Barry Faulkner