The real season

Mike Sciacca

One year ago, the Huntington Beach High girls’ basketball team was

nowhere on the radar of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. Not even a

blip.

Boy, what a difference a year can make.

Since going 5-20 overall and winless in Sunset League play during

the 2003-04 season, the Oilers have, to put it in basketball terms,

rebounded quite well a season later. They finished fifth in the

Sunset standings, but more importantly, won 16 games and qualified

for a CIF playoff berth.

“It’s just great for the girls, for their confidence, learning and

maturing,” Huntington Beach coach Russ McClurg said. “What a

difference between this season and last. It’s just been a great

year.”

Huntington (16-11) will travel to North Torrance High Saturday

night for its opening round game in the Division II-AA playoffs. The

host Saxons (17-9) won the Pioneer League championship.

“It’s going to be a big test for us on the road, but we’re excited

to get this chance,” McClurg said. “By getting this chance, I hope

the momentum carries on to next year.”

Huntington was one of seven local prep basketball teams to either

earn an automatic or at-large berth into the divisional playoffs.

Marina, which had a whirlwind finish to the regular season, which

culminated with the Lady Vikings earning a share of the Sunset League

title with Esperanza, will play its Division I-A first-round game

Saturday (7:30 p.m.), hosting the winner of Tuesday’s wild card game

between Mt. Baldy League No. 3 Ontario and South Coast League

at-large entry Trabuco Hills.

“We’re definitely playing well right now,” Marina coach Butch

Fredlow said. “We’ve had success with a very balanced roster.”

Three juniors -- Rachael Maulit, Allison Budzinski and Erin Barney

-- each are averaging nine points per game.

Edison, which finished in third-place, opens playoff action

tonight at La Quinta of La Quinta, in another Division II-AA matchup.

The Blackhawks were the runners-up in the Desert Valley League.

Ocean View begins its quest for a Division III-AA title Saturday

by hosting Western. The Seahawks bring the Golden West League’s No. 2

seed into the meeting, while Western is an at-large entry from the

Orange League.

In boys’ basketball, three local teams qualified for the big

dance.

Tonight, co-Sunset League champion Edison takes on Cathedral City

in a first-round Division II-AA game. The Chargers are 20-7 overall;

the Lions, the No. 3 team out of the Desert Valley League, are 15-10

overall.

Edison won its first league crown since winning the league in

1992.

“Naturally, the kids are pretty excited about winning a

championship, but this is a really good group of kids who are now

focused on the playoffs,” Edison coach Rick Boyce said. “Cathedral

City is a very athletic team with a tough inside game and good

outside shooters. We’ll be ready to go Thursday.”

Friday’s first-round action finds Marina (11-16, Sunset League

at-large) at Corona (12-13, Mountain View League at-large) in

Division I-A, and Ocean View (16-10, Golden West No. 3) traveling to

Mountain View (8-13, Mission Valley No. 3) in Division III-AA.

Marina, which reached the Division I-A title game at the Anaheim

Pond last year, qualified for the playoffs this year by winning 11

games. A school needed to reach the 11-victory plateau to be

considered for an at-large bid.

“We lost a lot of really close games this year, so hopefully, that

will prepare us for the playoffs,” said Marina coach Roger Holmes,

whose Vikings eliminated El Toro, this year’s No. 1 seed, in last

year’s playoffs.

This year, Marina lost four league games by a total of six points

and eight of the Vikings’ 16 losses were by four points or less.

The Southern Section office released playoff pairings Monday for

the boys’ and girls’ soccer and girls’ water polo playoffs.

In girls’ soccer first-round play Friday, Sunset League runner-up

Edison will host Irvine, the Sea View League’s No. 3 entry, in a

Division I match and Ocean View (Golden West League No. 3) will play

at Kennedy (Empire League No. 1) in a Division III match.

In Division I boys’ soccer first-round action Saturday, Sunset

League runner-up Huntington Beach will play at Baseline League

runner-up Upland, and Edison, an at-large entry from the Sunset

League, will play at Almont champion Montebello.

In girls’ water polo first-round action today, it will be a battle

of the beaches as Huntington Beach, which finished third in the

Sunset League, travels to Newport Harbor to take on the Sea View

League champion Sailors.