Boys’ Basketball: CdM earns No. 2 seed

Getting a No. 2 seed doesn’t always mean you have a chance at finishing No. 1. Just ask Corona del Mar High Coach Ryan Schachter.

Two days after his Sea Kings earned a No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 3A boys’ basketball playoffs, Schachter didn’t sound too optimistic on Tuesday about his team winning its first section title since his first season eight years ago. The seed is the highest a Schachter-led CdM team has received in the postseason.

“Being a No. 2 seed, you would like to think you have a good shot to go all the way,” Schachter said, “but ultimately the kids got to play the game and execute.

“We struggle to score. If you struggle to score in the playoffs, it will be [over] for you.”

The Sea Kings open the postseason on Wednesday at home against Bellflower at 7 p.m. They are one of five area programs in the postseason, along with Sage Hill, a No. 12 seed in Division 5AA, Newport Harbor is in Division 2AA, and Estancia and Costa Mesa each received at-large berths in Division 4AA.

Out of the local teams, CdM (20-6) has the best chance to make a run at a section crown. The Sea Kings became serious contenders on Friday, when the top three teams in last week’s Division 3A poll, Los Angeles Cathedral, Mission Hills Alemany and Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart, got selected for the Open Division playoffs.

“I was very pleased to see those teams go to the Open Division and those teams belong in the Open Division,” Schachter said. “Those [private] schools, they don’t do things like we do. They’re actively trying to recruit players. I feel the CIF put this [Open Division] together because it can’t stop the transfers and recruiting. For [public school] teams like us, our kids live in our area and all these kids are from this area.”

The Sea Kings enter the postseason having won 11 straight, 10 of those in Pacific Coast League play. They are up against Bellflower (9-17), a sixth-place team from the Suburban League.

Bo St. Geme, Kevin Fults, Ryan Stone, Sam Kobrine, Ryan Moss and Matt Ctvrtlik lead CdM. Last season, the No. 4-seeded Sea Kings were upset in the second round at home, losing to Palm Desert, 55-43.

The Sea Kings are the only local team opening the playoffs at home. The other four are on the road in the first round.

Sage Hill (18-6) faces Loma Linda Academy (16-7) in Division 5AA on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Sage Hill placed third in the Academy League and Loma Linda Academy (16-7) finished runner-up in the Ambassador League.

Costa Mesa and Estancia tied for last place in the Orange Coast League and they still managed to qualify for the Division 4AA playoffs. The Mustangs (9-17) meet No. 4 Westlake Village Oaks Christian (14-10), which finished third in the Marmonte League, while Estancia (9-17) gets No. 16 Pomona (15-10), the Miramonte League champion. Both games tip off on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Newport Harbor (11-17) is the lone area team starting the playoffs on Friday at 6 p.m. The Sailors, the third-place team from the Sunset League, play No. 10 Redlands (20-7), the Citrus Belt League champion. Joey Faris, Nate Harding and Charlie Stassel sparked Newport Harbor’s third straight playoff appearance.

“We’re really excited this year,” said Newport Harbor Coach Bob Torribio, referring to not facing a No. 2 seed in the first round like last season, when the Sailors lost at Foothill, 82-55. “This year we got a better draw and have a chance [to win our first playoff game in two seasons].

“I like the way we’re playing. We went 1-4 in the second half of league, but we played four really good games.”

The Sailors, like the rest of the four schools in Newport-Mesa, are on ski week. If it were up to Torribio, he preferred his team start the playoffs on Wednesday rather than on Friday.

Mike Molina, Costa Mesa’s coach, is happy to be back in the playoffs. The 24-year-old has led his alma mater to the postseason in each of his two seasons in charge. Mason Tufuga, a 6-foot-5 center, is the Mustangs’ best threat, and Calvin Ko and Nabeel Salameh are coming into their own. All three are juniors, getting a taste in the playoffs can only help them.

“The last two years we’ve gotten really tough draws,” said Molina, whose team lost in the opening round at home to No. 8 Studio City Harvard-Westlake, 64-48, last season.

The Mustangs’ last playoff victory came during the 2004-05 season. Two members from that team, Brian Molina and Tony Krikorian, are on Mike Molina’s staff. The postseason win was Costa Mesa’s first since 1962-63. That 42-year playoff winless drought used to be the longest one in the area.

Estancia won in the first round last season at Indio, 55-49, under-then coach Agustin Heredia. Xavier Castellano, in his debut season with the boys, has the Eagles one win away from matching last season’s win total of 10. Reaching that number will be difficult as Castellano has two starters in Gunnar Johnston and Chad Barris out with ankle injuries.

Sage Hill, which set a single-season record for victories with 18, is appearing in the postseason for the third straight time under Coach Jeff Beeler. Tyler Hague and Krishan Tarsadia lead Sage Hill, which is looking for its first postseason win in five seasons.

“If we win [at Loma Linda Academy] that means [No. 5] St. Joseph of Santa Maria will have to come down from the Central Coast and drive a tough distance on a Friday, [if St. Joseph beats Gardena Pacific Lutheran in the first round],” said Beeler, whose team last held a home playoff game in 2009-10. “It gives these guys an opportunity to get to the quarterfinals, which has never happened. If anybody can do it, this is the team that can.”