Southern Section Boys’ 3-A : Bonita Has Trygstad, Morningside Balance

The Southern Section 3-A championship game today between Morningside and Bonita figures to be a battle between two forces--the dominance of Bonita center Greg Trygstad versus the scoring balance of the Monarchs.

Trygstad, a 6-8 1/2 senior who is averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds a game this season in leading the Bearcats to the Hacienda League championship, will lead Bonita against the Monarchs in a 2:15 p.m. game at the Long Beach Arena.

Morningside (22-4) is paced by four players, each averaging in double figures--guards Leonard Jenkins and Darrell Gordon, forward Leon Gibson and center Elden Campbell.

“The strength of their team seems to be in their guards,” Bonita Coach John O’Neill said. “But that doesn’t really bother me. We’re not out to stop any one person. Basically, for five weeks we’ve been trying to give a team one shot (on each possession), and that’s it.”

Tygstad should match up well with the 6-8 Campbell on the boards, but the Bearcats still will have to worry about the outside shooting of Jenkins and Gordon.

Other top players for Bonita (25-4) are forward Robert Morthel and guard Clark Moses, a good ballhandler who is also a threat from the outside.

Bonita, riding a 17-game winning streak, won all four of its playoff games by a total of 13 points, including a 55-50 double-overtime win over top-seeded Pomona. Morningside enjoyed a bit easier route to the final but barely pulled out a 64-63 win over Damien in the semifinals.

If there is an advantage, it may be the size and experience of Morningside. The Monarchs played last year in the 4-A division, where they advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to St. Bernard. Morningside is accustomed to playing big games in front of big crowds, while smaller Bonita has only two players back from the team that advanced to the 3-A semifinals two years ago.

But this doesn’t seem to bother O’Neill. “These kids are just finding ways to win,” he said. “They’re not the most talented individuals we’ve had at this school, but as a team, they’re by far the best we’ve ever had. We’re just happy to be there.”