Sailors, Eagles travel the CIF trails tonight
Barry Faulkner
If Newport Harbor High is to make good on any long-range plans for
its postseason, the Sailors will need to be mindful of host Buena’s
perimeter shooters in a CIF Southern Section Division II-AA
first-round boys basketball playoff game tonight at 7:30.
Meanwhile, Estancia gets the task of upsetting top-seeded Bishop
Montgomery, which begins its quest for a fourth straight section
crown in a Division III-A second-round clash tonight at 7:30 on the
Knights’ floor.
Sage Hill School, a second-year varsity program that won its first
CIF contest Wednesday, will play on Saturday against Los
Angeles-based Yeshiva in Division IV-A second-round contest.
The game is set for Marymount High with an 8 o’clock start
Saturday. Yeshiva is 17-4 and the Liberty League champions.
Newport Harbor (16-9), making its seventh straight trip to the
postseason, won eight of its last 10 games to finish second in the
Sea View League. The Sailors, however, are shorthanded, having lost
junior starter Andre Pinesett, as well as sophomore part-time starter
Brett Perrine to knee injuries the last two weeks. Coach Larry
Hirst’s Tars have also played the whole season without 6-8 junior
Jamie Diefenbach, who tore his ACL in fall workouts.
The Sailors, however, do have 6-9 senior center Nedim Pajevic, who
finished the regular season averaging 15.5 points and nearly 14
rebounds per game.
Brett Lowenthal, a 6-6 junior, averages eight points, while senior
guards Chase Cameron (7.6 ppg) and Chad Rorden (6.7 ppg) have also
been consistent stalwarts for the Sailors.
Buena (16-9), which tied for second in the Channel League,
finished the regular season with a school single-game record 14
three-pointers in an 85-65 win over San Marcos.
Hylas Smith, a 6-1 senior guard, is the Bulldogs’ leading scorer
(15.3 ppg), but Thomas Young, a 6-3 junior guard, has scored 44
points the last two games, including six three-pointers against San
Marcos.
Buena, which also counts upon 5-11 senior guard Dechone Smith and
6-3 senior swing man Eric Gray, could have trouble matching up with
Pajevic. The tallest Bulldog is 6-5 senior J.D. Probasco, who is
listed a 290 pounds.
Estancia, which handled first-round host Gabrielino, 61-36,
Wednesday, will attempt to halt Bishop Montgomery’s 22-game winning
streak. The Knights (25-1) are champions of the Del Rey League and
have captured nine league titles the last 13 seasons. They won the
section Division III-A crown last season, after claiming the top
prize in Division III-AA the previous two years, both of which also
included CIF State Division III championships.
The Knights are led by 6-6 senior forward Fred Washington (21.4
ppg), whom Estancia Coach Chris Sorce identified as a state player of
the year candidate.
“Well, we’ll get a chance to see how we stack up against the No. 1
team in our division after having played the No. 2 team (Golden West
League rival Ocean View),” Sorce said. “We weren’t too far off
against No. 2 (losing, 62-50, in the regular-season finale and
dropping a 60-49 verdict Jan. 24) and I think we could play the
Lakers right now and not be afraid. Sometimes, you just have to rise
up and be road warriors. Stranger things have happened. After the
pairings came out at the CIF office (Sunday), a lot of coaches
offered suggestions on what might work against Bishop Montgomery. A
lot of people out there want to see (the Knights) get beat, so they
won’t have to play them. Who knows, the team to beat them just may be
us.”
Estancia is led by 6-4 junior forward Carlos Pinto (13.9 ppg), as
well as 6-8 senior center Joey Lindquist (12.5 ppg) and senior guards
Zack Novak (8.4 ppg) and Matt Cachola (7.4). That foursome will have
a tough act to follow, after collectively shooting 78.6% from the
field (22 of 28) at Gabrielino. Lindquist made all nine of his
field-goal attempts in the first-round romp, but figures to have much
more athletic defenders tonight.
Bishop Montgomery’s only loss was a 61-48 setback against Los
Angeles City Section power Fairfax.
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