CIF-SS Small Enrollment Division
Preview:
Camino Real League 2001-02--(Nov. 3, 2001)
| CAMINO REAL LEAGUE Cantwell Sacred Heart Don Bosco Mary Star St Anthony St Monica Verbum Dei |
Few small-enrollment leagues are as competitive as the Camino Real League. Verbum Dei is always loaded, and this year will be no different as they not only return several All-CIF and D-I college prospects, including Richard Chaney who has committed to Utah, but they also return legendary alum David Greenwood, who also led UCLA to national titles under coach John Wooden and also played a long and successful career in the NBA. St. Anthony is usually tough, but last year suffered a letdown following a 1999-2000 Southern Section V-AA title run, failing to make the playoffs in 2000-01. This year they pick up a returning transfer Ryan Hynes, a strong, tough young man who will help inside, and they also have David Rhoiney who has committed to Navy. St. Monica, another strong team for the past few years, graduated all five starters and gets a new coach as well, and both Mary Star and Don Bosco Tech also are looking to make some noise this year. Cantwell, well they are a mystery to us, a) because we don't have a roster, and b) because they haven't been to the playoffs in quite a while. At least we have schedules. We're not making any predictions, but clearly at this point, Verbum Dei is the defending league champ and it's their's to lose.
Update 11/27/01: The Long Beach Press Telegram's "Prep Sports" section (also a website) featured it's boys' basketball prep previews today and yesterday (11/26 & 11/27), and among the leagues and teams featured was a brief rundown by staff writers James Melroy and Ted Kian on the Camino Real League (which they called the "El Camino Real"). Here's the excerpt on the league which can be found as part of the story in the link above:
Defending champion Verbum Dei should have enough talent to repeat, but St. Anthony could be the interesting story of the league. Returning for the Saints are David Rhoiney, who has committed to Navy, and Ricky Redic, a 6-4 junior swingman who had a solid sophomore season. Mary Star graduated its leading scorer from last season in Jack Kalmeta. The Stars will depend on senior guard Chris Cosgrove and junior forward Chris Navarre for leadership.
| Camino Real League Rosters | Camino Real League Schedules |
| Verbum
Dei--10-0, 20-5 (1st) "Eagles" Verb returns David Greenwood as coach and this could be big because in his prior two complete seasons at the helm, Verbum Dei won two State Championships. Returning players should include: DeShalan Barber 6'-5" Sr. F/G Verb graduated only 2 seniors, but have lost a few
to transfer: Deon Marcus 6'-8" Sr. F (transferred to Lynwood) and James
Matthews-Muhammad 6'-8" Sr. C (transferred to LA Fremont). The big myster is
who else will show up or rise from the JV level. |
Verbum Dei Coach: David Greenwood N 28 @ Muir |
| St.
Monica--8-2, 19-7 (2nd) "Mariners" St. Monica gets a new coach too, Chris Quinn, but lost all five starters. The Mariners also have a great new basketball website, with complete rosters, stats, schedules, and other news and notes. Worth a read... This year's roster includes: Ben Agatep 5' 10" Sr. G Hampton Nunley is a special kind of player, not
especially tall, and kind of thin, but the coaching staff will ask him to do things above
and beyond the call of duty as the most experienced returning player. Hampton was All-CIF
2nd team (IV-A) last season as a sixth man on the team, so opposing coaches took
some notice. Others will have to step up though for St. Monica's to have the same kind of
succes. |
St Monica Coach: Chris Quinn N-26/D-1 @ Redondo Pac Shores Tourn |
| St. Anthony--6-5, 11-15 (3rd) We're not sure who sent us this information, but the roster for the 2001-02 year was anticipated to have the following players back in October: Troy Jefferson 5'8'' Fr. PG Since receiving this roster however, we've heard that Lauren Brown is looking to transfer to another school and that Ryan Hynes, who transferred back to St. Anthony's from up north has also since left. We haven't really been able to confirm what's going on at St. Anthony's but rumors are rampant that the team is in some kind of disarray. In any event, this should be a pretty solid team if everyone shows up. In addition to Brown and Hynes, Jarrell Williams and Chris Woodley are two transfer who come from LB Poly, and are reported to be very athletic. David Rhoiney committed to Navy over the summer, and Ricky Redic is a player looking to have a breakout season. We'll see who actually shows up for the Saints when the season begins.
|
St Anthony Coach: Joe Luyben N-26/D-1 @ Brethren Chr TournD 3-7 @ El Rancho Tourn 14 Chadwick 19 @ St Margaret’s 20 Trinity, Australia 26-29 St Anthony Tourn J 09 *St Monica 11 @ *Verbum Dei 16 @ *Mary Star 18 *Bosco Tech 23 *Cantwell Scrd Heart 25 @ *St Monica 30 *Verbum Dei F 01 *Mary Star 04 @ *Bosco Tech 06 @ *Cantwell Scrd Heart |
| Mary Star--5-6, 8-19 (4th)
"Stars" Mary Star is well-coached, but graduated Jack Kalmeta, their leading scorer last season. Still they return a lot of experienced players. We don't anticipate a league title, but they should do better and make the playoffs this year given the relative parity in the league after Verbum Dei. Chris Cosgrove 6'-1" Sr. G |
Mary Star Coach: Andrew Furuto N 30 Flintridge Prep |
| Don Bosco Tech--1-9, 4-18
(5th) Jake Martinez 6’0"
Sr. G Don Bosco Tech Tigers are coached
by David Martinez who begins his second year at the helm of the varsity program. Coach
Martinez is looking to improve on last year’s 5th place finish, and all
five starters return to help. The team features a core of experienced seniors supported by
some talented sophomores. Two time all-league Joaquin Espana (9 ppg) returns, as do
starters Jake Martinez, Jameson Balinget, Brian Womack, Cesar Gerardo, and Jack
Bautista. They might have a chance this year to make a run. |
Don Bosco Tech Coach: Dave Martinez N 29 South El Monte |
| Cantwell-Sacred Heart--1-9,
5-18 (6th) No roster information available. Didn't make the playoffs, so they are kind of a mystery. Update 11/27/01: The Whittier Daily News and their "Prep Sports" website featured a preview of the Del Rio League today written by Roger Murray, (the original article can be found at this link). What follows is the portion pertaining to Cantwell Sacred Heart: Last season: 5-18, 1-9, sixth. Other key returner: "First-year coach Deon Evans, a late hire to replace Alex Arredondo, had only 10 days to work with his team and was hesitant to evaluate players. 'Having just one game (in league), and having no film with which to see last year's team, we're really starting from scratch,' Evans said. 'We'll concentrate on shooting and working a whole lot on defense. We want to learn to play at our tempo, whatever that becomes, and try to realize our potential, whatever that might be.' " |
Cantwell Sacred Heart Coach: Alex Arredondo N 28 @ Orange |
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