Boys preseason Top 10

Check out the first rankings of the season.

OCVarsity.com

1. Mater Dei: The Monarchs have three starters back from last year's 33-4, state-championship team � David and Travis Wear, and Andy Brown. Blake Arnet is a dependable point guard, and Jamaal Trice is an athletic off guard. There is the usual depth, too, led by guard Gary Franklin.

2. Santa Margarita: The Eagles (21-6 last year) will battle Mater Dei for the Trinity League title, as well as county supremacy. Senior guard Zack Zaragoza was All-County second team last year. Returnees on last year's All County third team were Jaime Serna, who signed with UC Santa Barbara, and Klay Thompson, who signed with Washington State.

3. Los Alamitos: Last year's county coach of the year Russ May brings back forward Corbin Moore, who was All-Sunset League last year as the Griffins won the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A championship. Clark Evans, the football team's quarterback, is a junior who will help give the Griffins (27-5) a strong inside presence.

4. El Toro: The Chargers (24-4) should be good inside, where they will be led by 6-foot-6 senior Andre Murillo, and outside, where Jonathan Bastos is among a group of skilled guards. El Toro had an outstanding junior varsity team last season, and much of the varsity roster will be made up of players from that undefeated unit.

5. Corona del Mar: Stefan Kaluz returns for his senior year, after being selected All-County second team and Division III-A player of the year as a junior when he led the Sea Kings (22-8) to the CIF-Southern Section Division III-A championship. Also returning is Joe Eberhard, a 6-5 guard-forward who averaged 10 points and seven rebounds, and was All-Division III-A first team.

6. JSerra: The Lions (16-12) have the potential to finish higher than this in the final county rankings in February. Chris Gabriel, a 6-11 senior who signed with New Mexico State, gives JSerra a top post player. Demitrius Walker, a 6-3 junior guard who transferred from Fontana, Casey James, a 6-2 sophomore guard, and Alec Williams, a 6-6 junior forward, solidify the lineup.

7. Ocean View: Brandon Ishimoto played most of the 2006-07 season with a broken left hand (he's right-handed), but that did not keep him from making All-County third team as a junior. Also returning for the Seahawks (21-8) are 6-6 senior Takeshi Clifford and 6-2 sophomore Avery Johnson, both of whom were All-Golden West League last season.

8. Canyon: Senior guard Jerime Anderson was All-County and All-Division I-A first team last year when he averaged 18 points and led the Comanches (20-8) to the Century League championship. He will pilot a young team that includes Danny Baeza and Braden Pries, both 6-1 junior guards.

9. Mission Viejo: The Diablos (22-6) will miss 2006-07 South Coast League player of the year and All-County first-team guard Perry Webster, who graduated. But they have a good group of returnees that includes 6-2 senior guard Grant Heineken and 6-4 senior guard Ryan Spurlock, both all-league first-team selections last season. Warren Reuland, who did not play last season because of a knee injury, could be a key senior contributor.

10. Villa Park: The Spartans (20-7) are very young, with only one senior on the roster. They likely will start three juniors and two sophomores all season, and they have to find players to take up the scoring slack left by the departure of Drew Viney (now at Oregon). But it is a talented group, especially 6-8 sophomores Mike Atwater and Clint Bozner.