2011 OV Baseball Preview Part 5: CIF-SS Division 3 Preview

 

Travis Sparks Jackson and OV look to be back on top this season

 

 

Another season, and five-part preview is in the wings as we look ahead to the 2011 OV baseball season, which will get underway on March 3rd when the Seahawks take on Irvine High School. As we look to 2011, we started with Part 1, a general 2010 review and 2011 preview with a look at the schedule and key notes. And Part 2, which covered Pitchers. Part 3 covered the position players will and Part 4 previewed the Golden West League.

I’m going to get right to it, there is no reason why OV shouldn’t be in the chase for another CIF Title. The competition in league is at a low, the challenges out of league are attainable, but challenges none-the-less, and this roster is the most talented since 2005.

Let’s be cautious though, the last time an Ocean View team had monstrous expectations this happened.

I am saying that expectations are a terrible burden for any team to carry. Considering everything else in High School Sports; family, grades, friends, practices, fatigue, injury, etc., the expectation that you have to win a [CIF] championship is something that is [extremely lofty].

Let’s go over pre-league tournaments first. OV’s first tournament is in a matter of days; the Newport Elk’s tournament boasts a talented “Foothill” Bracket, with the #1 ranked team (Ocean View) and #3 ranked team (Beckman). Here are the remaining brackets.

OV then participates in their annual double-header with El Dorado; I would be very happy to see OV be competitive in that matchup, winning aside.

OV then goes into league play for a little, followed by their early April break where they’ll participate in the OC Nissan Tournament. OV is slated to play Beckman again in the second round of play (if both teams win their first round matchups) and (again win permitting) can play #4 ranked Woodbridge in the Semi-Finals of the tournament. Pretty good field if you ask me.

The real question is how can OV keep the #1 seed. It really has three parts:

1. Preseason
2. League
3. OC Nissan Tournament

I’d be surprised if OV can win their first tournament as Borowski coached teams usually take true shape during League play. But, should they be in a “marquee” matchup (against Beckman or Woodbridge) they need to win it, pretty simple. Another rule of preseason tournaments is no early exits. This shouldn’t be a problem in both tournaments, but not qualifying for the playoff portion of the Newport Elks round-robin, and leaving before the 3rd round of the OC Nissan Tournament would be considered disappointing.

Winning league is also a “must-achieve” task. Not much explanation needed there.

Postseason outlook is a little too blurry as of now, but Bonita should be storming back to the finals with a vengeance this year.

2011 OV Baseball Preview Part 1: General

 

Can OV defend their CIF Title in 2011?

Another season, and a five-part preview is in the wings as we look ahead to the 2011 OV baseball season, which will get underway on February 26th when the Seahawks take on Valencia High School. As we look to 2011, we’ll start here with Part 1, a general 2010 review and 2011 preview with a look at the schedule and key notes. Part 2 will look at the pitchers and Part 3, the position players. Part 4 will preview the Golden West League and Part 5 will be a look at the country and where OV fits in the regional/postseason scene.

OV opened up last season with a record of 2-5. During that seven game stretch, OV went through 6 pitchers, 4 didn’t throw another pitch for the remainder of the season, and 7 different lineups. On the contrary, OV pitched three different pitchers, 2 lineups, and won a CIF Championship in the final 7 games. The Seahawks were probably the biggest surprise in the league, without a doubt.

The season began with a loss, as Troy defeated OV 9-4, the starting pitcher? Alex Knowles, and in relief for him? Andrew Medrano. OV defeated Carter 7-6 a day later, but then dropped two games to CDM and Pacifica and got outscored by 19 runs in those two games. OV turned things around with a victory over Irvine, but then got swept by El Dorado in their annual double header. In out of league play, as mentioned before, OV went 2-5, and averaged 9.43 Runs Against.

League play was a different story though, OV won 8 consecutive league games before finishing 13-2 in the Golden West League. OV finished the regular season with two 10+ run victories over Saddleback.

Postseason time came quickly for the Seahawks, earning the #8 overall seed in the bracket poised for a first round match up with La Quinta High School. The Aztecs boasted a pretty good starting pitcher in Michael Hill, but OV overcame 5 errors to top the Aztecs 3-1. OV advanced to the second round against Bell Gardens.

The Bell Gardens game started off shaky for the Seahawks, as Bell Gardens opened up the game with 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st, but OV never lost focus and came storming back to tie the game and then take the lead in the top of the 5th. OV scored another 4 runs in the top of the 6th, but Bell Gardens responded with a 2 run bottom of the 6th. OV was held off the scoreboard in the top of the 7th, and in one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, held off Bell Gardens for the final score of 9-8. Ocean View squeaked by… with the then 27-1, top seeded Beckman Patriots coming up next.

More after the jump:

Final OV 62, La Jolla 47

Very competitive matchup. My phone ran out of batteries so I couldn’t give in game updates. Ocean View plays on Thursday at OV!

By the way, Avery had 30 points… why couldn’t he do that Saturday! Oh well, we can still take state!

OV demolished by Foothill, fall in CIF Championship

In the most anticipated matchup of the season, the Seahawks had their worst, with no doubt about it, game of the season.

Foothill got off in a blaze immediately creating a double-digit margin for the Seahawks early in the first quarter. Foothill made their first 3 shots from beyond the arc, stretching their lead to 11-3. The game was out of hand for a long time, as you can see. OV had the game within 5 at one point, but after a steal, Anthony Brown missed a sure-fire dunk, and that marked the end of OV’s chances at coming back.

There are plenty of excuses out there, but this particular performance was one that Avery Johnson will hope to forget real soon. Avery had a grand total of 3 points until the final quarter, and to add to that, his team only hit 2 three pointers all game, while Foothill shot over 50% from long range. Not only did the team shoot terribly all together, OV put Foothill in the double bonus in the 3rd quarter, while Foothill had 2 team fouls going into the final quarter of play. But these are all stupid, and poor excuses for not being mentally prepared for this game.

It wasn’t as if this game was not emotionally investing: it is the CIF Championship. Ocean View came out flatter than any other single game, at any point in this season. Of course, Foothill didn’t help matters by coming out on fire. While OV is expected to receive an at-large bid for State Championships, it is still 100% possible for OV to win State, no matter how poorly they played last night, but is it 100% probable? Absolutely not. If Ocean View had just played their hearts out before the half, instead of waiting for someone else to get them going, I wouldn’t be depressed right now.

I am a firm believer in the “Florida Factor,” and that is, the higher you aim, the more likely you are to have an inaccurate shot. That is mostly just for sports (I’m not a pessimist), but basically I am saying that expectations are a terrible burden for any team to carry. Considering everything else in High School Sports; family, grades, friends, practices, fatigue, injury, etc., the expectation that you have to win a state championship is something that is so lofty that it makes no sense to consider at all. I wasn’t just thinking that Ocean View had these expectations in their minds when they were playing Foothill yesterday, I could see that they were feeling down on themselves, instead of just playing the game… like Foothill did in the Honda Center.

The good news is, Ocean View will get to play again, the bad news is, Ocean View is likely to not get another home game, so all things considered, I hope that you got a chance to see these guys play, even if they didn’t win last night. I say this because this team is special- the 2010 team is one that got Ocean View on the front pages again, it got them into people’s minds, it brought back tradition. The brackets will be released tomorrow, I’ll have coverage for you when I can get it to you.

GO HAWKS

Pumped? Too Pumped?

This is just awesome- courtesy of Avery Johnson (that’s his head by the way)

Getting ready for the game emotionally just got a whole lot harder, how am I supposed to top that?

10 Foolproof Reasons Why You Should Go on Saturday

First, the precedent for this was my discovery that Ocean View is trailing Foothill by over 100 fans on Facebook. How is that possible? I don’t even know where Foothill is! There are over 20 High Schools by the name of Foothill, all of them somewhere in California. Anyways, here are my 10 reasons as to why you should go out to the game (starting with 10, working up to the best reason I can offer you)

10. It’s the Honda Center

Home to the Anaheim Ducks, and the 2010 CIF-SS Championships

Ocean View has played in two prestigious venues in the past two years, Legendary Pauley Pavilion, and the dump that is Arco Arena. Honda Center has played host to more than just Stanley Cup Finals (Pretty exciting alone huh?) it has seen players such as Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Acie Law, Matt Barnes, Baron Davis, Kevin Love, just to name a few. This venue is a huge stage for any sport, so the pressure is definitely on the Hawks in this awesome arena.

9. Its Basketball

For amateur sports, this is basically it for the year, UCLA is pathetic, and USC exiled their basketball team. Mater Dei is before this game, so how can you possibly pass up the last CIF Matchup of the year?

8. “Fandemonium” or whatever Mater Dei Varsity, er- OC Varsity calls it

Ocean View and Foothill have two of the best student sections in Orange County. I can guarantee you that Ocean View has some tricks and pranks up their sleeve, and I’ll bet you that Foothill does as well.

7. It’s a 1 vs. 2 Seed Matchup

It is, quite simply, the best game that you can find. In Division 3, it is rare to find two teams in the top 10 in the county, but when two teams are in the top three and they just happen to play each other- not in some exhibition at Occidental College, but in the CIF Championship game in the best venue in all of Orange County.

6. Steve Fryer says so

I don’t have a problem with Steve, especially when he picks us all the time, but mostly blindly and because of two players, not six or seven. Anyways, here’s what he said;

It makes sense, and dollars and cents, to have the Foothill-Ocean View boys basketball game in the marquee position as the 8:15 p.m. game Saturday at the Honda Center for the CIF-Southern Section championships. That much-anticipated game might provide the highest ticket sales of any of the six games there Saturday,

Predictions for the boys and girls championship games involving county teams… boys 3AA, Ocean View over Foothill

The top 5, and more, after the jump (hit read more)

OV to face Foothill in the CIF Championship Game

In a short 7 days (March 6th), OV will look to grab its second consecutive CIF Championship at the Honda Center. Their opponent? Foothill, the #3 Team in all of Orange County. Can you say matchup of epic proportions?

A Wounded OV Presses On

After last night’s dogfight with La Habra, it is really hard to cope with the idea that there are teams that are good enough to beat Ocean View. The final score may reflect a “fairly” competitive game, but if I told you that it wasn’t a complete brawl (not physically, but metaphorically) I would be lying.

Ocean View students are bored with La Habra's starting lineups

The game started off like normal, OV got up to a double digit lead, and carried it into the half. OV dominated on the glass, but never shot particularly well. Then in the 3rd quarter, things got a little shaky; Ocean View went into the quarter up 13, but left the crucial 3rd quarter with a 7 point lead, and got outscored 21-15. After the game, Avery Johnson told me “Man, they could really shoot.” Oh man, was he right, La Habra knocked down basically everything that they threw up. At one point, La Habra’s 9-0 run aided them to a chance of a lifetime-

OV had the ball with about a minute left, and led by 2, Avery Johnson pro-hopped inside of the 3 point line and put the ball up and in off the glass to make it a four point game. That basket sealed the deal en-route to Ocean View’s second consecutive CIF-Semifinal Berth.

The biggest story was, of course, Billy Keller’s absence. I was informed by several players that Billy was ready to go, but the coaches decided to keep him out for the entire game for safety reasons. It was obvious that the depth was challenged, as every one of the starting 5 had symptoms of cramps, and were given medication for cramps in the second half. So, the huge comeback was part Ocean View’s bad luck with fluids, and part La Habra shooting the lights out.

OV will face Palm Springs on Friday at Mater Dei High School. No they are not playing Mater Dei. Palm Springs, 7:00 @ Mater Dei High School

CIF Round 3 (Elite 8): OV vs. La Habra

After last week’s road trip, OV is carrying plenty of momentum into this elite 8 matchup, it will be tough to knock them off this week. However, La Habra is a worthy (finally) opponent of Ocean View. The Highlanders are 17-12, and the Seahawks are an outstanding 25-3.

Surprising for an Elite 8 team, La Habra averages 56.5 PPG, while Ocean View has the upper hand easily with 76 PPG. On the boards, Ocean View also has the advantage with 36.3 RPG to La Habra’s 28.7 RPG. As for spreading the ball around, Ocean View averages 19.3 assists per game, while La Habra has 13.7 per game. The closest categories are on defense; Ocean View averages 11.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game, while La Habra is in a close trail with 10.6 steals per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.

Just taking a look at the stat rundown, Ocean View has every advantage possible, but La Habra is above the national average  in every category as well. All that means is that we are finally into the “tough teams,” in other words, the competition will be through 4 quarters from here on out.

Let’s break it down position by position:

Guards:

Ocean View is lead by superstars Anthony Brown and Avery Johnson, Brown leading the team with 17.2 PPG, and Johnson is leading the team with 4.9 APG, and 2.5 SPG. Billy Keller is still an integral part of the starting unit; if he isn’t 100 percent, it will be hard for Ocean View to separate from the Highlanders early in the game. Aaron Delgado is one of the most underrated parts of the offense, especially because of his team-mates, something tells me he’ll have a good game and that will be an important part of Ocean View’s offensive, and defensive arsenal. First off the bench is Steven Yoon, a huge part of the depth for Ocean View, and I have a felling that he’ll have a good game as well.

La Habra has a trio of important guards on their team: #3 Trent McShane, #23 Burresch Joshua, and #25 Ben Hall. The most important is Burresch Joshua- he averages 13.2 PPG and 2.2 Steals per game. He’s 6’0″, and is the most dynamic scorer for La Habra. Next is Ben Hall, Hall averages 8.4 PPG, but has practically no range for a guard, but being 6’0″ gives him a small excuse. Trent McShane averages 6.4 PPG, and is a pretty good rebounder with good size at 6’2″.

Forwards:

Ocean View has quite a few different combinations at forwards- the starters have the most traditional lineup though. Anthony Brown might be 6’5″, but he is really a guard. The only true post player is Ryan Okwudibonye, who has really impressed me in the past two rounds. Expect a good competition in the paint between Ryan and La Habra’s big man.

La Habra’s big man Marcus Wimberly is listed as a forward, but is extremely physical at 6’6″. He averages 5.4 RPG, but is a legitimate post threat on defense only, with a relatively small low post offensive arsenal. Much like Keauyon Fields from Apple Valley, the athletic type player should be a real challenge for Ocean View.

Predictions

Quite honestly, if Ocean View isn’t in the game mentally, they can easily fall to the Highlanders, but if they buckle down and separate early, they should be able to outrun the Highlanders in the fourth quarter. Notice how I didn’t say the second half, but the fourth quarter- this will be a competitive game, but Ocean View is just the better team.

Ocean View 71

La Habra 54

The game is at 7:00 pm, and don’t forget to wear white! We are going for a packed house!

CIF Round 2 (Sweet 16): OV @ Apple Valley

Well the first round jitters were in full force yesterday, so the Seahawks will look to inch closer to their 9 game “crusade” through Division 3. I spoke with Coach Tim Walsh about the Coin Flip to decide where this game would be played:

I messed up, it wasn’t a coin either, it was a computer with a button

While I really like going on these far road trips, which Ocean View is 2-0 on long road trips in the past two years during the post season, what happened to top seed advantage? First, Ocean View topped Paso Robles in 2008, then San Louis Obispo in 2009. Now, traveling up to Apple Valley almost seems like a routine for fans like me. In 2010, their opponent will be considerably less threatening than their last two though.

Louis Lopez - Max Preps

The Apple Valley Sun Devils (15-13) also inched their way into the playoffs, but still posted a 9-4 record in league. They are ranked 521st in the State. Ocean View (24-3) has not lost a game for a month and a half, and has yet to lose a home or away game. The Seahawks are currently ranked 17th in state.

Apple Valley is led by star senior 6’3″ forward (I’ll call him a forward because that is how he is listed) Keauyon Fields who is averaging 17.6 PPG. Fields is backed up by Daryon Mosley, a 5’10” Senior guard who averages 16 PPG. After that, the next best player averages 7.6 PPG, then it goes down to 4 PPG.

The first thing that jumps out at you for Apple Valley is their free throw shooting. At 60%, this game can easily slip away from the Devils if they are given the opportunity in lazy play from Ocean View.

If that’s not enough, their tallest impact player is three inches shorter than Avery, who is a 3. Ryan Okwudibonye will be a towering menace over their guys, most likely being able to rack up some high rebounding numbers en-route to a potential double-double. The better he performs, the better the chance Ocean View will have at advancing.

Predictions:

Ocean View will have to fail miserably on the offensive end to make this game close. Apple Valley might just set out that 2-3 Zone that has been effective in the past against the Hawks, but ultimately, it will be a matter of Ocean View’s length and athleticism that will propel Ocean View into the Elite 8.

Ocean View: 79

Apple Valley: 42