Simco-led Estancia is hopeful

Rick Devereux

Even though Jason Simco is entering his first season as the Estancia

High boys basketball coach, he is no stranger to the players or the

program.

Simco, a former two-time All-Pacific Coast League guard for the

Eagles who graduated in 2000, was the junior varsity coach the past

two years and was the freshman coach three years ago. He has coached

13 of the 14 players on the varsity roster. Senior Carlos Pinto is

the lone exception, since Pinto has been on the varsity since his

freshman year.

Pinto was the Eagles’ leading scorer the past two years. He

averaged 13.5 points as a sophomore and 17.6 points last season, when

he led Estancia to a 13-14 record, a fourth-place finish in the

Golden West League, and a CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoff

berth. He has 966 career points, scoring in all but three contests in

which he has played.

“I want to put [Pinto] at every position,” Simco said. “He gets

the job done. I think he’s the best offensive player in the league.”

Pinto, a two-time first-team all-league honoree, has led Estancia

with 86 three-pointers in the last two years.

As prolific as Pinto is at scoring, Simco believes the 6-foot-4

veteran needs to improve his defense in order to be a true all-around

player.

“He and I talk after every practice,” Simco said. “We watch the

tape of the practice and look at what he needs to do to improve. He’s

a very hard worker.”

Simco would like Pinto to add vocal leadership to his ample

talents.

“He is more of a leader by example,” Simco said. “He has no

problem getting after kids he is good friends with. I wish there was

a more consistent vocal leader on the court and I think it needs to

come from Carlos.”

Other returning players include seniors Ray Verrette and Hugo

Escobedo, as well as juniors Shaun Markley, Mike McDaniels and Dallas

Kopp.

Escobedo and Markley, who averaged 6.2 and 3.1 points per game,

respectively, will battle for the point guard duties, as will Jose

Molina, last year’s junior varsity Most Valuable Player.

McDaniels will challenge for the shooting guard spot after

averaging 7.7 points per game, third on the team. His 32

three-pointers were second-best on the squad.

Simco, the program’s fifth coach in six seasons, is very

enthusiastic about Verrette, a 5-11 guard who averaged 2.5 points as

a junior.

“Ray was the MVP of our summer team,” Simco said. “He has got an

old-school mentality. He has been working as hard as anyone out

there.”

Kopp, a member of Estancia’s CIF Division III boys volleyball

champion in the spring, has been impressive during off-season

workouts, after averaging 2.5 points in 25 games last season.

“[Kopp] has been playing extremely well this summer,” Simco said.

“He runs the floor like a cheetah but he’s big enough [at 6-5] to be

able to post people up. He is blossoming but I’d like to see him

become more of a scoring threat.”

Simco said Kopp will also be used at a forward spot, as will

Escobedo and senior Tom Fryslie.

Pinto, while able to play multiple positions, will start the year

as the power forward. Simco said Rafael Montillo, a 6-2, 195-pound

junior will also play power forward.

Senior Danny Argumedo is the tallest player on the team at 6-6 and

will play center.

“I think we are incredibly deep,” Simco said. “There isn’t a lot

of difference between the No. 1 guy and the No. 14 guy. Our biggest

issue will be to have a consistent lineup.”

Simco believes this team can be the 17th Estancia squad in the

last 18 seasons to make the CIF playoffs (the lone absence came in

1999-2000).

The Eagles open in the La Quinta tournament Dec. 6 against Irvine.

“We need a winning attitude,” he said. “We need that killer

instinct that’s there when you put the pedal to the medal and knock

[an opponent] out late in the game.”