Sailors open Sea View title defense

Barry Faulkner

The “sunset” that concluded the preleague season for the Newport

Harbor High boys basketball team became more of a blackout, as the

Sailors lost three straight to Sunset League representatives Marina,

Los Alamitos and Edison.

But, at least metaphorically, a new dawn breaks tonight at 7, when

Coach Larry Hirst’s squad begins defense of its Sea View League title

against visiting Foothill.

Last year’s league crown, the program’s first since 1990 and its

first outright league championship since 1985, ended a string of four

straight runner-up finishes. But based on preleague performances, the

Sailors (8-7) might be hard-pressed to challenge perennial favorite

Woodbridge.

The Warriors (9-4), ranked No. 9 in Orange County, open as the

team to beat, while Foothill joins the Sailors as the only other

league school to open league with a record better than .500.

Newport defeated Foothill, 47-39, in a Dec. 21 tournament contest,

but Coach Tom McCluskey’s Knights will be well prepared for their Sea

View debut, after years in the Century League.

Newport, ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division II-AA

(where Woodbridge also resides, but is not among the top 10) has

struggled in recent years with Laguna Hills, dropping two of the last

six meetings. That stretch includes one game that went the Sailors’

way on a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds. But

Laguna Hills lost veteran head man Dave Brown to retirement, no doubt

allowing Hirst and his squad a little more breathing room, as it

approaches this year’s contests against the Hawks.

Woodbridge is led by 6-foot-10 junior center David Burgess (15.4

points per game), the circuit’s only first-team all-league returner,

and senior guard Mike Nicholl (10.8 ppg and 21 three-pointers heading

into this week).

Foothill junior Brandt Bangs, the son of Woodbridge girls varsity

coach Eric Bangs, paces Knights’ scorers at 12.9 ppg and he had 26

three-pointers before Wednesday’s nonleague game against Tustin.

Senior Brett Bigler (11.5 ppg) is another stalwart from Foothill.

Karter Stone, a 6-5 junior in his third varsity season, is

averaging 15.8 ppg for Laguna Hills, which is receiving 12.2 ppg from

6-6 junior Brock Tillotson.

Aliso Niguel has three players averaging in double figures, as

Terence Green (12.7), Michael Roll (11.7) and Luis Tejada (11.1 ppg,

with 19 three-pointers), will force defenders to cover a lot of

ground against the Wolverines.

Barring unforeseen change, Irvine, with a preleague campaign that

included a 68-16 tournament loss to Santa Ana Valley, will continue

to rest in the basement.

Newport is led by 6-8 senior Nedim Pajevic (14.5 ppg), who was

second-team all-league as a junior. Senior guard Chase Cameron (6.9

ppg) is another returning starter from last season’s title team,

while 6-6 junior Brett Lowenthal, a transfer from Torrey Pines, has

provided scoring punch (7.4 ppg), including a team-high 10

three-pointers.

Senior Chad Rorden (5.7 ppg), junior Andre Pinesett (4.9 ppg) and

sophomore Brett Perrine (4.1 ppg) should also help determine the

Sailors’ Sea View fate.

The Tars follow up Friday’s opener with league dates against Aliso

Niguel (Wednesday at home) and at Irvine (Dec. 17), then host Laguna

Hills (Jan. 22), before visiting Woodbridge (Jan. 24) to complete the

first round. The second Woodbridge-Harbor meeting, which concludes

the regular season, is scheduled Feb. 12.