The Acorn’s 2006 Basketball Playoff Preview

Girls

Westlake Warriors

Marmonte League No. 2 Season record: 16-10, 10-4 league

Division IIAA Impact player: Lindsay Williams

First-round opponent: Santa

Barbara, Channel League No. 3

Outlook: The Warriors have won seven of eight games entering the postseason, including a big win in the regular-season finale against Moorpark. Westlake’s only loss during that stretch was to Marmonte League champion Newbury Park.

Williams, a junior center, can be dominant at times. She’ll need to be on top of her game for Westlake to advance.

Guards Emma Grossman and Kathryn Scardino are also critical to the team’s success.

Their draw: Santa Barbara was a .500 team this season. Westlake should find a way to advance. A long road trip to Chino Hills could await in the second round. If WHS advances to the quarterfinals, top-seeded Troy should be waiting in the wings.

Oak Park Eagles

Tri-Valley League No. 1 Season record: 17-8, 10-0 league

Division IIIA

Impact player: Julie Shiebler First-round opponent: Immaculate

Heart, Sunshine League No. 4

Outlook: Shiebler was the Tri-Valley’s leading scorer with 18.4 points a game. She outdistanced the league’s second-leading scorer by nearly three points. Shiebler also lead the Tri-Valley in assists with 3.7 per contest.

Guards Nicole Shaver and Amanda Ruland will be vital, as will Cassandra Lee, a 6-foot transfer student from Sweden.

Their draw: The Eagles should breeze by Immaculate Heart (9-14) at home tonight and advance to play the winner of the Notre Dame Sherman Oaks/ Duarte matchup Saturday. Like Westlake, Oak Park could also face the top seed in its division, Bishop Amat, in the quarterfinals. (See page 42A for OPHS boys.)

Viewpoint Patriots

Liberty League No. 3

Season record: 12-9, 6-6 league

Division IVA First-round opponent: Flintridge

Prep, Prep League No. 1

Their draw: Traveling to Flintridge Prep won’t be easy for the Lady Patriots. Flintridge went 12-0 in its league and won 19 games overall during the regular season. They’re currently on a 12game winning streak.

If Viewpoint pulls the upset, they’ll face either Fairmont Prep or Woodcrest Christian Saturday in the second round.

Oaks Christian Lions

Frontier League No. 1 Season record: 17-8, 7-0 league

Division IVAA Impact player: Michelle Clark

Second-round opponent:

Paraclete or Bishop Union

Outlook: OCHS is seeded No. 2 in its division and enters the playoffs as a legitimate threat to win a CIF championship.

The Lions are led by Clark, the Frontier’s leading scorer (16.6 ppg), and sophomore guard Chelsea Carlisle (16 ppg). Danielle Chupp and Jennifer Sterling are key contributors as well.

Their draw: Oaks Christian received a first-round bye and won’t play until Saturday night at home against the winner of Paraclete/ Bishop Union. The division’s top seed, Marlborough, is on the opposite end of the bracket. That’s excellent news for OCHS.

Boys

Calabasas Coyotes

Marmonte League No. 1 (Tie) Season record: 20-6, 12-2 league

Division IIA

Impact player: Ryan Delgizzi First-round opponent: Foothill or

Inglewood

Outlook: Last Friday’s loss to Agoura should give the Coyotes all the motivation they need for the postseason. The defeat cost CHS the outright Marmonte League title, a championship they ended up splitting with Thousand Oaks.

The Calabasas defense has been outstanding all season, allowing an average of just 46.7 points per game. The offense, however, needs to pick up the pace if CHS is going to contend.

Their draw: The Coyotes get a first-round home game Friday night. CHS went undefeated at home in league play this year.

It’s likely that University, the Pacific Coast League’s No. 2, will be on tap for Tuesday’s second round should Calabasas advance.

Westlake Warriors

Marmonte League No. 3 Season record: 16-9, 9-5 league

Division IIAA

Impact player: Nick Slezak First-round opponent: Loyola,

Mission League No. 1 (Tie)

Outlook: The Warriors’ steady play got them the Marmonte’s third seed. But it was a Feb. 1 win on the road against rival Thousand Oaks that may have given Westlake the confidence it needs to compete in the postseason.

For WHS to be effective, players like Slezak, Matt Pino, Allen Scott and Erik Schneider all must contribute.

Their draw: Getting past Loyola Friday on the road will be a tall task. Loyola went 20-5 during the regular season and has reeled off nine straight wins.

Agoura Chargers

Marmonte League wild card Season record: 14-12, 6-8 league

Division IIA Impact player: Conner Faught Wild-card opponent: South

Torrance

Outlook: Agoura will likely go as far as Faught, the Marmonte’s leading scorer, and senior forward Justin Nouri take them.

Their draw: The Chargers hosted South Torrance last night. Scores were not available prior to press time. The winner of last night’s game plays at Pacifica of Garden Grove Friday night.

Oaks Christian Lions

Frontier League No. 1 Season record: 15-10, 8-0 league

Division IVAA Impact player: Matt Hornbuckle

Second-round opponent:

La Salle or Kern Valley

Outlook: Hornbuckle led the team with 16 points per game. He’ll likely have to shoulder much of the Lions’ offensive load.

Watch out for sophomore center Matt Johnson. He’s 6-foot-6 and averaged 3.4 blocks per game during the regular season. Their draw: A first-round bye and home game in the second round Friday night is a nice setup for OCHS. The prospect of playing top seeded Campbell Hall in the quarterfinals is less attractive.

Viewpoint Patriots

Liberty League No. 1 (Tie) Season record: 15-10, 10-2 league

Division IVA Impact Player: Matt Talamantes

First-round opponent: New

Roads, Harbor League No. 2

Outlook: The Liberty League co-champions are led by Talamantes, a junior guard that averaged 21 points per game. He was the Liberty’s leading scorer.

Their draw: The winner of Friday’s game at Viewpoint plays Valley Torah or Los Pinos Tuesday.