CITY SECTION PREVIEW: SYLMAR DOING COACH'S TALKING SPARTANS ONE OF FAVORITES.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

Sylmar High girls' basketball coach Michelle Chevalier has growled on numerous occasions this season that her team has not received the respect it deserves but she hasn't protested too loudly.

Instead, she has allowed her team's performance do her lobbying. And the Spartans have made a compelling case.

Sylmar (19-6, 10-0) is the No. 3 seed in the City Section girls' playoffs, which begin tonight. The Spartans open against No. 14-seed Washington at 7 p.m. at home.

Of course, Chevalier believes her team deserved the No. 2 seed over Carson but she won't say anything. Once again, she plans to settle that argument on the court if and when the two teams meet in the semifinals.

``If we handle our business, we'll get to put all doubt to rest when we play Carson in the semis,'' Chevalier said.

Chevalier hopes the experience her team gathered through a tough nonleague schedule early in the season will make the road to that semifinal game less treacherous.

The Spartans will open the playoffs without star guard Mariama Wrighster, who is rehabilitating an injured ankle.

But the team still should have enough to beat Washington with senior guards Brittany Morris, who is averaging 16 points a game, and Janette Herrera, who is shooting 41 percent from 3-point distance.

Morris recently returned from a recruiting trip to San Jose State and is getting serious interest from Cornell.

If seeding holds, the Spartans would face No. 6 seed Crenshaw in the quarterfinals. Wrighster and her 13 points a game should be ready to go by then.

And while a victory over Carson in the semis would be sweet, a monumental challenge probably would follow: nationally ranked top seed Narbonne of Harbor City is the No. 1 team in the other bracket.

``We saw them (at the Nike Tournament of Champions) in Arizona and we'd definitely have to have all our people have great games because they are well-coached and very talented,'' Chevalier said. ``But if there's ever been a year to beat them, this would be the year.''

Two local teams could face Narbonne before the finals. Sunset Six League-champion Canoga Park (14-10, 10-0) received the No. 16 seed, also known in recent years as Narbonne's first victim, and will travel down to Harbor City for a game at 7 tonight.

In the semifinals, last years' City finalist Chatsworth could get a shot at dethroning Narbonne. Despite returning only one starter from last year, Chatsworth (18-6, 9-1) won the West Valley League and was seeded No. 5. They were hoping for a higher seed but that fell through when the Chancellors dropped their final regular-season game to Taft of Woodland Hills, the fourth-place team in the league. Chatsworth opens the playoffs tonight at home against No. 12 seed Fremont.

In the Invitational bracket, Sylmar's Valley Mission League runner-up Monroe of North Hills received top billing after being the whipping post for No. 1 and No. 2 seeds the past two years.

``It's really an odd feeling because you kind of feel like you've been snubbed but given a gift at the same time,'' said Monroe coach Ron Harris. ``I thought we'd get into the top bracket and be an 11 or 12 seed but we just kept falling off the board and ended up in the Invitational. I think they just forgot about us.''

Not that he's complaining. Two years years ago, Monroe was sent to play Narbonne in the first round and Narbonne went on to win the mythical national championship. And last year, Monroe was chosen for a drubbing at the hands of second-seeded Westchester.

In the second round, Monroe would face the winner of tonight's game between No. 8 Birmingham of Lake Balboa and No. 9 Reseda.

``This year should be fun,'' Monroe senior point guard Desiree Norihiro said. ``It's my senior year and I just wanted to play.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Senior guard Brittany Morris averages 16 points a game for Sylmar.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer