STILL H.W.'S WORLD; GIRLS TEAM SHOULD KEEP HARVARD ON TOP.Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer At the end of practice, each member of the Harvard-Westlake High girls' basketball team looks at what came before and imagines what lies ahead. They point to the wall that displays the two banners commemorating com·mem·o·rate tr.v. com·mem·o·rat·ed, com·mem·o·rat·ing, com·mem·o·rates 1. To honor the memory of with a ceremony. See Synonyms at observe. 2. To serve as a memorial to. the back-to-back state championships won by the Wolverines boys. ``That's a reminder,'' Harvard-Westlake coach Brian Taylor Brian Taylor (born April 10, 1962), is a former Australian rules footballer and now AFL commentator. Playing career The moustachioued Taylor, known as "Barge", "Bristle" or "BT", began his VFL career with Richmond in 1980, and had the misfortune of being a full-forward at said of the daily ritual. ``We want some day to have the girls have the same kind of impact.'' That might not be too far in the future. In his second year, Taylor has a returning group that could challenge any team in the area. ``I'm optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op ,'' he said, ``but cautiously.'' Cautious optimism is rampant this time of year among high school basketball coaches. Teams began formal practices last week and the season is less than a week away. Everybody is 0-0. At Harvard-Westlake, Taylor has a talented group of sophomores that should contend for a Southern Section title in March and possibly a state title next year. ``The theme for the year is success,'' he said. ``We have to improve upon our performance of last year.'' The Wolverines were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the section Division III-A playoffs by Fullerton Rosary rosary [rose garden], prayer of Roman Catholics, in which beads are used as counters. The term, applied also to the beads, is extended to Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist prayers that use beads. . Both guards return, Brooke Porter as a second-team Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. pick and Corrie Roberts as last year's leading scorer. The 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. features Omelogo Udeze, an All-Mission League player and team captain, Rolake Bambose, a good shot-blocker and rebounder, and transfer L'Tanya Robnett, who started as a freshman at Palmdale last year. While Harvard-Westlake is favored to win the Mission League, Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. is looking at a possible state-finals berth. The Falcons are ranked No. 5 in the state and 10th in the West by Cal-Hi Sports and return high-scoring Michelle Greco. Greco, who led the region with a 24.6-points-per-game average last season, is on Cal-Hi's preseason All-State first team and headed to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . Crescenta Valley coach Damian Scribner is apprehensive about the Falcons' high state ranking. ``It does put on a lot of expectations,'' Scribner said. ``The true test will be when we step on the court on Dec. 2. I'd love to start off No. 5 and finish No. 1.'' The top boys' team in the region should be 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. , which returns its top three scorers, including center Rafael Berumen (23.3 ppg). Branduinn Fullove and Brett Michel both averaged 16.2 points last year. And with the addition of transfer Ian Boys, the Pioneers should live up to their preseason No. 10 state ranking. ``We're more experienced, our guys are bigger, they've matured and become better players,'' Pioneers coach Dean Bradshaw said. Harvard-Westlake boys' coach Greg Hilliard finds himself in an unfamiliar position. For the first time in three years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Wolverines won't be among the league's elite teams. The two-time defending state Division III champions lost standout big men Jason and Jarron Collins Jarron Collins (born December 2, 1978 in Northridge, California) is a professional American basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. Collins is a notable graduate of Harvard-Westlake School and Stanford University. , twins who went to Stanford. ``We're not in the role of a favorite,'' Hilliard said. ``We will not have to go into each game thinking about how to avoid not winning by 30. We'll be anything but dominant.'' The Collinses are gone, but Hilliard does return point guard Victor Munoz, who was seventh in the region with 6.5 assists per game last year. At Chaminade, boys' coach Jeff Young
Jeff Young is an American guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band senses that his team has to be considered the favorite to unseat Harvard-Westlake as the Mission League champion. The Eagles have four returning all-league players, including two first-teamers. Chaminade advanced to the Southern Section Division III-A semifinals last year, losing to Morningside. ``(The Wolverines) don't have the (Collinses) anymore, which makes them less threatening,'' Young said. ``I'm really optimistic.'' Scott Long, an All-Southern Section forward who signed a national letter of intent to play for Navy, gets most of the attention for Chaminade, a team with a collective 3.5 grade-point average. Bell-Jeff might not have the area's best team, but the Guards undoubtedly have the best player: Ruben Douglas Ruben Enrique Douglas (born October 30, 1979 in Pasadena, California, U.S.) is a Panamaian-American professional basketball player currently with Pamesa Valencia of the ACB, the premier professional basketball league in Spain. . Douglas, a senior guard who signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Arizona (body, education) University of Arizona - The University was founded in 1885 as a Land Grant institution with a three-fold mission of teaching, research and public service. , averaged 26.6 points and 5.2 assists last year. His scoring could even increase this season because the Guards had three starters move out of the area. ``I think it's nice that we have a star-quality player,'' Bell-Jeff coach Eli Essa said of Douglas, whom Cal-Hi considers a preseason second-team All-State player. ``He is a building block for us, a foundation.'' Kent Dennis, Bell-Jeff's second-leading scorer at 18 per game, transferred to Cleveland. But Mike West, who averaged 10 rebounds, returns to form a nucleus with Douglas. ``He's going to be one of the premier players in our division,'' Essa said of West. Another coach who opens the season with a young team is Melissa Hearlihy at Alemany. Hearlihy, who was fired in the spring only to be brought back in the summer, only has four returning players from a team that lost in the Division III-AA final to Muir last season. ``We're not going to be as big as we have in the past,'' Hearlihy said, ``but we'll be athletic.'' Kelli Kobayashi, a senior point guard, is a four-year starter who should break the school record for assists. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO The Harvard-Westlake boys won two state titles, but Brian Taylor believes his girls could make a run. Phil McCarten / Daily News |
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