First-place Tars can clinch a playoff berth

Barry Faulkner

Though the Sea View League championship is the ultimate goal, the

Newport Harbor High boys basketball team can wrap up its seventh

straight trip to the CIF Southern Section Playoffs with a victory

Wednesday against last-place Irvine.

With just three league games left, Coach Larry Hirst’s squad

(14-8, 6-1 in league), also seeks a road win Friday at Laguna Hills

to set up a potential Sea View title showdown with Woodbridge,

currently 6-1 in league, Feb. 12 at Newport Harbor.

Meanwhile, Estancia and Costa Mesa (in the Golden West League), as

well as Corona del Mar (in the Pacific Coast League) are in

contention for guaranteed playoff spots.

Estancia (14-8, 4-4 in league), has gone from title contention to

fourth place by dropping three of its last four, including a

surprising 63-57 loss Thursday at Saddleback.

Coach Chris Sorce’s Eagles visit third-place Santa Ana (5-2 in

league) Tuesday, before visiting crosstown rival Costa Mesa Thursday.

The Eagles enter the week with a 1 1/2-game lead on the fifth-place

Mustangs (7-14, 2-5). Even with a loss to Santa Ana, which defeated

the Eagles, 64-62, in the first round, Estancia could retain fourth

place (good for a guaranteed postseason berth in the seven-team

circuit), by beating the Mustangs for a second time this season.

However, Mesa, which hosts second-place Orange Tuesday, could

remain in the playoff picture by beating the Eagles, and potentially

move past Estancia into fourth, should the Mustangs win twice and

Estancia lose a pair this week.

In addition to a potential playoff spot, the perpetual Bell trophy

is at stake when Mesa and Estancia collide. The Eagles won the first

meeting, 40-35, so Coach Bob Serven’s Mustangs must win by at least

five points to retail the Bell trophy they have owned the last two

seasons.

CdM (10-12, 3-3) enters Wednesday’s road game against Tesoro tied

with the Titans for third place in the PCL. Since Coach Ryan Curry’s

Sea Kings dropped the first meeting with Tesoro (a 48-45 verdict Jan.

17), they would need a victory to maintain realistic hopes of earning

one of the league’s three guaranteed playoff berths, behind Northwood

(6-0 in league) and University (5-1). Adding emphasis to Wednesday’s

game are CdM’s remaining league dates with Uni (Friday) and Northwood

(Feb. 13).

Tesoro, meanwhile, follows Wednesday’s showdown with games against

Northwood, Laguna Beach (0-6) and Calvary Chapel (1-5).

The Sea Kings have won two of their last three league games,

including a 63-48 triumph over visiting Laguna Beach Friday. CdM has

averaged 10 three-pointers its last three games, including a

season-high 14 in the Jan.24 win over Calvary Chapel.

Senior guard Kevin Mancillas has netted 15 three-pointers in the

three-game run, during which he has averaged 18.7 points. He had just

one single-game scoring output of more than 16 points the 19 games,

but has since gone for 23, 16 and 17, leading the Sea Kings in

scoring each time.

Sage Hill (8-11, 3-3), which hosts league-leading St. Margaret’s

Tuesday, is battling for third place in the Academy League.