SIMI IS TEAM TO BEAT IN MARMONTE; NEWBURY CLOSE BEHIND; T.O., AGOURA LOOK BIG.Byline: Jim Inghram Daily News Staff Writer Predicting who will capture the boys basketball title in the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. is the easy part. The order in which the rest of the teams will follow is something else entirely. With several starters returning and the transfer of Ian Boys, SimiValley is not only one of the best teams in the area but a top-10 selection in the state preseason poll by Student Sports Magazine. ``We have very good size and we're big and strong,'' Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. coach Dean Bradshaw said. ``We're a young team, but we have a lot of experience.'' Last year Simi Valley started two freshmen and two sophomores and made it to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section I-AA playoffs, losing to eventual champion Long Beach Poly. Back for the Pioneers are juniors Rafael Berumen (6-9) and Kurt Mjoen (6-4) and sophomores Branduinn Fullove (6-4) and Brett Michel (6-6). The four combined to average 60.9 points and 25.3 rebounds a game. Berumen, one of the state's top juniors, led in both categories with 23.3 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. ``On paper, with all of the returning players and that transfer,'' Newbury Park coach Steve Johnson Steve Johnson is the name of:
Newbury Park is the team considered closest in terms of talent to the Pioneers and might have the height up front to contend. ``Newbury Park is close to Simi,'' Camarillo coach Mike Prewitt said. ``They have a great team and will battle it out with Simi. After those two, there's a lot of parity. Whatever teams put things together the quickest will be in a good spot for the playoffs.'' The Panthers, who finished 19-9 overall and 11-3 in league, return league player of the year Daniel Bobik (6-foot-6) - who has committed to BYU BYU Brigham Young University BYU Bayou BYU Bob's Your Uncle BYU Bayreuth, Germany - Bindlacher Berg (Airport Code) BYU Beyond Your Understanding - and have four other players 6-foot-5 or taller. ``We have the depth up front,'' Johnson said, ``but I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if we have the experience. We have the same number of bug guys, but ours aren't as bulky. We're kind of spindly spin·dly adj. spin·dli·er, spin·dli·est Slender and elongated, especially in a way that suggests weakness. spindly Adjective [-dlier, -dliest .'' Two other teams with height up front are Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. and Agoura. The Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. have 6-foot-8 center Chris Fidyk and 6-foot-6 Bas Van Rhee. Van Rhee is an exchange student from the Netherlands. The Chargers have 6-foot-6 Marcus Helfman and 6-foot-7 Brandon Meyer. Helfman is such a good athlete that he is being recruited by several schools as a tight end. He also played extensively at quarterback for Agoura. Said Agoura coach Bill Sanchez: ``We hope to be as competitive as in years past. Making it to the playoffs for the 11th consecutive year is our goal.'' It's a rebuilding year for the Lancers, but first-year coach Rich Endres hopes his team's up-tempo style will create problems for its opponents. ``We'll be tenacious te·na·cious adj. 1. Clinging to another object or surface; adhesive. 2. Holding together firmly; cohesive. tenacious viscid; adhesive. ,'' he said. ``We'll have to be. We'll try and generate some offense with our defense.'' The other teams in the league will be unable to match up in the front court. Channel Islands doesn't have a player over 6-foot-2. Camarillo's tallest is 6-foot-5. Westlake is short three of its better players until the football season ends. ``It's always that way,'' Westlake coach Gary Grayson said. ``We're used to it, it's something we'll deal with and try to get the other players worked in a quickly as we can.'' PLAYERS TO WATCH Frontcourt front·court n. Basketball 1. The half of the court having the basket at which the offensive team shoots. 2. The forwards and center on a team. Also called frontline. : Bas van Rhee (6-6, Thousand Oaks), Chris Fidyk (6-8, Thousand Oaks), Jason Dixon (6-2, Thousand Oaks), Paul Blair Paul Blair is the name of:
Backcourt: Kelonie Dixon (5-6, Thousand Oaks), O.J. Thomas (5-11, Channel Islands), Branduinn Fullove (6-4, Simi Valley), Jeff Stuteville (6-1, Camarillo), D.J. Nakaba (6-0, Camarillo) Daniel Bobik (6-6, Newbury Park), Brian Bobik (6-2, Newbury Park), Luther Staine (5-11, Newbury Park), Garrett Lepisto (6-3, Agoura), Joey Cuppari (6-1, Westlake). CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Sophomores Brett Michel, left, and Branduinn Fullove are part of a talented, deep Simi Valley team favored to win the Marmonte League. Michael Owen
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