Oak Park boys ready for basketball season

Special to The Acorn


The Oak Park boys’ basketball team may be young in experience with the graduation of the Smiths —Grant and Nick—and Monte McNair, but second-year head coach Ed Chevalier is optimistic for the Eagles this season.


Oak Park, 3-1 after taking fifth place in the 18th annual Simi Valley Tipoff Classic last week, played the Agoura Chargers on Tuesday and will host the Moorpark High Musketeers on Mon., Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. before the holiday break.


"We’re pretty young in experience as far as this year is concerned," Chevalier said. "The football guys just came out. The cross country guys just came out. Our effort has been good. We play hard.


"I think though—as far as some of the finer points like shooting the ball consistently and making free throws—we’re still a little bit away because we haven’t had our whole team together since last summer. What I’m happy about is that the effort is there and we get a lot done in practice. So, so far, so good."


Chevalier said that Pete Winningham (a 5-foot-10 senior guard) has emerged as the leader in games and in practices. He’s a returning starter along with Ryan Klein (a 6-5 junior forward).


"Those two guys are definitely our on-court leaders," the coach said. "I think as the season goes along, they will be looked to more for off-court leadership."


Senior center Mike Testan (6-3), injured most of the last season, has provided the strength that Chevalier anticipated.


Junior forward Casey Webb (6-0) "plays hard and is pretty fearless," the coach said, adding, "I think he’s going to be somebody who is going to provide some important moments for us."


Danny McKeegan (a 6-1 senior forward) brings of experience along with senior guard Kyle Daley (5-10) who, Chevalier said, "has had a good spring.


"One of the things I do feel about this team is that we have a fair amount of depth. We have four sophomores on the team, three from last year’s JV team."


That quartet is comprised of Ryan Buckley (5-11 guard), Jeremy Davis (5-9 guard), Gavin Ketchum (6-3 center) up from junior varsity and Blake Wildt (6-4 forward) up from the frosh-soph team.


"It’s really a growing-up period for those guys," the coach said. "Every day they are learning something, but they are getting better."


Chevalier is also counting on Todd Bettisworth (a 5-10 junior guard) and senior center Ross Kezelman (6-2).


The Tri-Valley League still has the familiar five teams for basketball, which means that Oaks Christian High School, part of the league for football, isn’t Tri-Valley in basketball.


As the coach sees it, Carpenteria is going to be a much-improved team and St. Bonaventure returns quite a few players from last year. "These are the teams that are immediately better than last year," Chevalier said. "Fillmore and Bishop Diego, they always have an opportunity to surprise you. It’s a league that this year will probably be as strong as last year with different teams a little bit stronger than others."


The Eagles have gone from Division IV to Division III in the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs.


"If we play well enough for the playoffs, it’s going to be a greater challenge for us and we’re all aware of that," Chevalier said. "I think that there’s maybe a greater sense of urgency that we do things a little better than last year because we have a year under our belt. The kids are working hard enough that they want to make their own mark for Oak Park."


In the Tipoff Classic the Eagles opened by beating the Royal Highlanders, 60-41, as Winningham scored 20 points and Davis and Klein hit for 11 each.


In the second game, Oak Park lost to Moorpark, 57-43. Winningham scored 16 points and Testan added 10 points.


The Eagles bounced back to beat the West Valley League’s El Camino Conquistadors of Woodland Hills, 48-30, when Winningham scored 21 points.


Oak Park’s 64-57 win over the Littlerock Lobos of the Golden League—with 25 points by Winningham—gave the Eagles fifth place in the tournament.





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