League Race Appears Too Close to Predict

If ever there was a wide open title race, this year’s Santa Fe League is it.

Last season, Murphy ran away from the pack, finishing 11-1 in league play, three games ahead of second-place La Salle.

But the Nobles lost four starters to graduation and are expected to drop back in 1996.

“I don’t know much about the teams,” said Eli Essa, Bell-Jeff’s first-year coach. “But from what I’ve heard, there is no clear-cut favorite.”

La Salle, Cathedral, Mary Star, Bell-Jeff and Murphy have played well in nonleague games.

But only four teams from the league can qualify for the Southern Section playoffs, which should make for good competition.

Mary Star had a dismal season a year ago, finishing 7-14 and in sixth place at 3-9.

But the Stars return eight players, including five starters. They are off to a 7-2 start.

Senior guard Tommy Reyes (18 points a game) and 6-foot-5 center Joe Franklin (17 points) lead Mary Star’s fast-break attack.

La Salle, 14-10 last season and 8-4 in league play, welcomes back 6-6 center Steve Goldstein, one of the league’s most dominant post players.

Cathedral, 6-15 last season and fifth in league play at 3-8, has been the surprise of nonleague play.

Led by forward Edwin Alvarez, the Phantoms are 5-5 and defeated defending State Division V champion Montclair Prep earlier this season.

Salesian and St. Genevieve appear headed for a battle to avoid the basement.

Salesian was 2-9 in league play last season (8-14 overall) and lost three starters to graduation.

The Valiants have seven players on their roster with no varsity experience. Only three players return from last season’s team that finished 6-6 in league play (9-13 overall).

The Local Teams

BELL-JEFF

1994-95: 13-12, 7-5

The Guards’ strength lies in the quickness of their young players. They have been starting freshman Kent Dennis, sophomores Ruben Douglas and Elihu Cobb, and juniors Marco Flores and David Starling, a transfer from Syracuse, N.Y.

Douglas, Cobb and Flores were all starters last season, when Bell-Jeff reached the playoffs with a third-place finish.

Douglas, a 6-3 shooting guard listed in one national magazine as one of the top 50 sophomores in the nation, leads the team in scoring, averaging 21 points. Cobb, a 6-5 center, is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 68% from the field.

If the Guards have a weakness, it is a lack of depth. After the Guards started 6-1--they finished second in the Morro Bay tournament and won the championship of the Faith Baptist tournament--Essa was forced to go deep into his bench because of illnesses. Bell-Jeff lost three in a row.

The Guards rebounded with a 73-54 victory over St. Monica on Friday, tuning up for their league opener against St. Genevieve tonight.

ST. GENEVIEVE

1994-95: 9-13, 6-6

Like Essa, Darius Floyd is a first-year coach who inherits a young team.

But unlike Bell-Jeff, Floyd’s Valiants are inexperienced as well.

Guard Victor Reyes is the only returning player with significant experience. Guard Mark Padilla made the jump from the junior varsity last season but didn’t get much playing time. Forward Fernando Arboleda is the only other returning player for the Valiants.

Making the jump from the freshman team are guard Francis Silona and forward-center Manuel Ileto.

St. Genevieve also lacks height. Its tallest player is 6-2 Colin Fitchew.