CdM is aiming higher

Barry Faulkner

Though its roster includes eight returning players, the Corona del

Mar High girls basketball team enters the Pacific Coast League season

with only slightly more knowledge of its opposition than first-year

coach James Barkalow possesses.

Estancia, which shared the league crown last season with

University, is now a member of the Golden West League, as is Costa

Mesa, which tied for third with Northwood last season. Furthermore,

Tesoro, which played a junior varsity league schedule last season, is

making its varsity debut in the six-team league that welcomes highly

regarded Calvary Chapel. Uni, Northwood and Laguna Beach join CdM as

PCL holdovers.

The virtual PCL makeover, which includes the presence of only two

returning all-league players (both second-team selections from

Northwood), figures to give the Sea Kings (5-9) a chance to improve

upon their 2-8 league campaign of a year ago, when they missed the

playoffs. And Barkalow is eager to amplify such aspirations.

“I’m optimistic about our PCL chances and I’m totally ecstatic

about how the girls have improved this season,” Barkalow said before

Saturday’s 58-26 nonleague loss to El Toro. “I’ve scouted University,

Laguna Beach and Tesoro, but I haven’t seen Calvary Chapel or

Northwood. But, from what I’ve been told by other coaches, (Calvary

and Northwood) are the only teams we should really have trouble

with.”

Barkalow’s optimism centers around a talented and experienced cast

that includes senior starters Kelliann Klein, Jackie McCoy and

Madison Otterbein. Junior Lauren Snell is also a varsity veteran, as

are senior Aryn Dimas and junior Colleen Marks, who have, at various

times, rounded out the starting unit.

“There’s no substitute for experience and those four seniors have

been with the program four years,” Barkalow said. “I think they know

what it will take to be successful.”

Klein has had the most success, thus far. The 5-foot-8

sharpshooter leads the team with 12.9 points per game and she has

connected on a team-best 23 three-pointers.

“She can shoot it and she has the green light any time,” Barkalow

said. “She shoots it from everywhere.”

The 5-8 McCoy is averaging 6.7 points, while the 5-11 Otterbein

has chipped in 6.6 per contest.

McCoy missed the final 19 games of her junior season with an

injury, after earning first-team all-league recognition as a

sophomore.

Otterbein put together what Barkalow termed the most complete game

of the season by a CdM player with a 16-point output in a 48-46

tournament win Dec. 30 over Santiago. Otterbein, McCoy and Klein all

made the all-tournament team at the Santiago Cavalier Classic, in

which CdM lost to El Modena, 57-43, in the title game.

Snell is contributing 5.9 points per game for the Sea Kings, who

open with what is believed to be the two weakest PCL teams this week.

CdM visits perennial cellar dweller Laguna Beach Tuesday at 7

p.m., then hosts Tesoro Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Sea Kings should get a little better idea of how they’ll stack

up in Week 2, as they visit University Jan. 21, then are on the road

again against Calvary Chapel. CdM completes the first round of league

Jan. 28 against visiting Northwood.

Calvary Chapel (8-7), ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section

Division IV-AA, could be the early PCL favorite. The Eagles were

tri-champions in the Olympic League last season and are keyed by four

senior standouts. Rochelle Crawford, a 5-7 guard (13.7 ppg), 5-7

guard Dani Bacon (10.1 ppg), 5-6 guard Ruby Viloria (8.5 ppg) and

5-11 forward Angel Hunter (5.3 ppg and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per

game) have been leading the way for Coach Bob Moore.

University (4-11) has been led by 5-6 sophomore Kristin Garey

(11.7 ppg with 28 three-pointers), 5-8 junior Amanda Sutter (11.7

points and eight rebounds per outing), 5-7 Jr. Monique Newsome (9.9

ppg) and 6-0 freshman center Cherry Howlett (3.2 ppg and 9.1 rpg).

Northwood (7-7) boasts the only two returning all-leaguers in 5-10

junior forward Holly Miles and 5-11 sophomore Lindsay Macias, both of

whom were second-team honorees a year ago.

Miles is averaging 10 ppg and 5.1 rpg, while Macias is

contributing 8.2 ppg. Stacy Edmonson, a 5-4 junior guard, is

averaging 8.1 ppg.