BOYS' BASKETBALL; FRANTIC FINISH TWO LEAGUE RACES ARE UP FOR GRABS.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

A pair of key games Friday should determine the fate of a few teams in the Marmonte and Tri-Valley Leagues.

In the Marmonte, first place is Simi Valley's to lose, and barring a total collapse by the Pioneers (20-2, 8-0), the rest of the league will wage battle for the remaining playoff spots.

Heading in Wednesday's games, Thousand Oaks had a loose grip on second place, leading third-place Moorpark by one game. If both teams came through Wednesday with wins, it sets up a critical showdown between the two at Thousand Oaks on Friday.

For Moorpark, the key will be getting Todd Tomlinson going offensively, controlling the boards and somehow keeping Lancers scorers Kyle Kegley and Tim Chevalier in check.

In the earlier meeting between the teams, Thousand Oaks jumped out to a 29-9 lead in the first quarter then cruised to an easy win on the road.

Kegley, and explosive scorer, had six 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. He's averaging 19.3 points. The Lancers other top scorer - guard Tim Chevalier - is averaging 14 points.

``Before we had a chance to make an adjustment, even though we called a couple of timeouts, they were way out in front,'' Moorpark coach Tim Bednar said. ``We played them even the rest of the way and got it down to eight or nine at one point, but once you get behind by 20 points, it's such an uphill climb.''

Moorpark desperately needs the game, but it will be difficult on the road.

``It's a big game, there's no doubt,'' Bednar said. ``But for us, every league game at this point is important. We control our own destiny and if we can win three of our next four games, that will guarantee us something pretty nice in league.''

However, should Moorpark falter, its future rests in the hands of others. The Musketeers' only hope would be some upsets over the next week.

``And it's not very fun having to depend on other teams to help,'' Bednar said.

In the Tri-Valley League, Oak Park will take a giant step toward winning the league crown with a win at second-place St. Bonaventure Friday. The Eagles beat the Seraphs earlier this year, using a 13-0 run at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters.

St. Bonaventure had drawn to within one just prior to the surge.

Oak Park has a size advantage inside, using 6-7 Zach Smith and 6-4 forwards Jeremy Murphy and Jason Adams to control the paint.

``They have effective perimeter players who complement their inside game,'' St. Bonaventure coach Gil Kim said. ``And when they shoot and miss, they go to the glass and get it.''

--Shot in the arm: Moorpark's Tomlinson is one of the top shooters in the region, but teams are constructing their defenses around stopping him and that's affected his ability to get shots.

Tomlinson is a wispy 6-footer who excels on the perimeter, but he's not the type of guard who can overpower defenders to the basket.

``He's not 6-5, he can't go inside or shoot over somebody,'' Bednar said. ``He's definitely a guy that needs to be open to get his shots, and it's easier to defend that than a guy in the post or a 6-foot-6 player.''

Bednar said Tomlinson's teammates have a responsibility to help him get shots.

``Other guys have to step up and work to get him the ball,'' Bednar said.

Moorpark has been getting solid contributions from forward Jared Tavasolian, Brian Moser and Jeff Illions.

``We need to be prepared to play from the outset, because (Thousand Oaks) was ready to go and we weren't the last game,'' Bednar said. ``That will be a key for us, being ready to play mentally and physically from the beginning.''

--Still standing: There was a time Newbury Park wondered if it would have enough players to field a team. Now the Panthers (10-8, 3-4) are in the hunt for a playoff spot.

In January, Panthers coach Steve Johnson had to suspend four players, including three starters, for a rules infraction when the team was in Las Vegas for a tournament. Newbury Park moved players from the junior varsity team to the varsity to fill holes, and turned bench players into starters to round out a starting five.

At that point, simply finishing the season without getting embarrassed was the goal.

``I wasn't really thinking too far ahead when we made those changes, I was thinking about getting the new guys integrated with the holdovers and trying to get us to a point where we'd be competitive,'' Newbury Park coach Steve Johnson said. ``Now the season's almost over and here we are focused on getting into the playoffs, and that's something our guys are proud of.''

Newbury Park is in the mix with Royal, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark for the last three playoff spots. The Panthers have a top post player in Will Svitek, and John Harris has been a key down the stretch with his outside shooting.

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Photo: (color) Jared Tavasolian and his Moorpark teammates are still in the hunt for the title.

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News