Basketball Sees Playoff Action

It’s playoff time—and for the Bay League boys basketball teams who beat up on each other in a vain attempt to keep up with Peninsula’s unbeaten Panthers, that also means redemption time.            

Bring out the brooms. Mira Costa, Redondo, Peninsula, and Palos Verdes swept away their first-round opponents Wednesday night.

It was a display of consistent strength that vindicated the coaches’ opinion that this year’s league race was a dogfight.            

Veteran Mira Costa coach Henry Myar and his players were victims of the league’s ferocious competitiveness this season, but they never stopped competing despite their 2-8 finish in league.

The Mustangs lost their last five league games, all by five points or less, before going to San Bernardino and winning an II-AA opener, 62-54. Myar’s team is 10-17 overall.

“Absolutely, league was tough this year,” he said. “I think it says a lot that we won this game after so many close calls in league. You have to credit the kids. They refused to stop competing.”            

The Mustangs won the coin flip and will play their second-round game at home Friday night against Royal, which is 18-10 out of the Marmonte League.

Myar isn’t sure what will happen against Royal, but he is sure the Mustangs will be ready to compete, he said.            

“You know, we just had two of our best practices of the year after the last league game [a tough loss to Palos Verdes],” Myar said. “We gave them the weekend off and everyone just came out full of energy and ready to go on Monday.”            

A victory would put the Mustangs in the quarterfinals, a position they’ve never reached under Myar after finishing in the bottom half of the league standings.            

“It would be great for the kids and the school,” Myar said. “Heck, it would be great for me, too. It’s been a tough year.”            

One of the uncanniest scorers in the area, senior forward Elliott Ozer, leads the Mustangs. He had 25 points against San Bernardino. The team also has a powerhouse in the middle in Thomas Johnson, who had 11 points and four blocks.

Perhaps just as encouraging, two of Mira Costa’s younger players had strong games at San Bernardino. Sophomore guard Cole Feaster had 12 points, while 6-foot-5 junior forward Karl Acres came off the bench to score 10 points and grab eight rebounds.             

“It’s a long season,” Myar said. “If they’re ready to take the next step as young players, this is a great time to do it.”            

Voices of Wisdom

Redondo coach Tom Maier serves as dean of the Bay League boys basketball coaching fraternity. Palos Verdes’ Bob Varnell is one of the younger members.

Both men think the Bay League’s competitive season played a part in Wednesday’s four victories.

“The Bay League is definitely a scary league,” Varnell said. “We were 4-7 against Bay League teams this year and 7-0 against Pioneer teams. That’s not to denigrate the Pioneer teams. But it shows the Bay League is a tough league.”

The competitive Bay League race paid off Wednesday and could continue to pay dividends, Maier said.            

“Even though Peninsula went undefeated, there were several games they had to pull out in the end,” said Maier, whose Sea Hawks went to Katella for a 59-52 victory in CIF II-AA.

“It was very competitive in league, which I think has really paid off in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s not out of the question that some of us could keep winning.”            

The Bay League race and resulting first-round victory paid off with one highly unusual benefit for the Sea Hawks. The team (15-12, 6-4) will get a home game Friday night against second-seeded Mission Viejo. The game will be Redondo’s first game in a new gym, which will be used while the school remodels its spacious pavilion the team played in all season.             

“We’ve never played a game in there and we’re facing them Friday,” Maier said with a smile. “It seats 900 and it’s a beautiful high school gym. It’s only for one year while they work on the pavilion, but we have practiced in there. We’ll see how that goes.”      

Girls Preview      

The Bay League’s four girls basketball teams opened playoff action Thursday night. Winners continue on Saturday and then into next week.

Bay League champion Redondo (20-8, 10-0) opened at home in the school’s new 900-seat gym against Millikan, the Moore League’s fourth-place team in a Div. I-AA game. The Sea Hawks won, turning up the intensity in the third and fourth quarters, .

Mira Costa (18-9, 8-2), runner-up to Redondo, defeated Long Beach Jordan (16-9-1) in a 56-51 home game victory. The Mustangs’ Joelle Herron’s 10 fourth quarter shots helped the team advance in the playoffs.

Water Polo Disappointment

Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Redondo all lost their opening matches in the CIF playoffs this week. Mira Costa came the closest to winning, losing to Edison, 13-6, despite four goals by Marisa Purcell.

Coming up next: The best wrestlers from Peninsula, Redondo and Mira Costa compete for CIF individual honors this weekend. A look at how they did will be featured in the Bay League Notebook next week.