Pioneers ready to take the next step
Boys' basketball team strong at every position
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FULL SEASON- After getting off to a fast start a year ago, the Simi Valley boys' basketball team let a league title slip away late. This year, seniors such as guard Spencer Feist are eager to finish the job.

Lorne Jackson already has the season and career steals records for the Simi Valley High boys' basketball team. And Jackson still has one more season left with the Pioneers.

A senior point guard with Division I schools knocking on his door, Jackson hopes to lead Simi Valley to its first Marmonte League title since 1999.

Jackson will have plenty of help along the way as the Pioneers boast speed, experience and chemistry.

"Guys like each other and they play hard," said ninth-year head coach Christian Aurand. "The guys really worked on building chemistry, and that's something that's really improved."

There's no sugarcoating the goals for this year's squad. Aurand and his players want to contend for a Marmonte title but must get by Thousand Oaks and Westlake, who finished first and second respectively in league action in 2006-07.

Without discounting the other teams, Aurand also said Newbury Park and Moorpark can give teams fits.

"We want to win league and try to go undefeated in league. That's our main goal," said Jackson, who has 182 career steals, six more than former Pioneer and UC Santa Barbara star Branduinn Fullove.

After going 21-7 overall and 10-4 in the Marmonte last season, Jackson said the Pioneers should be as exciting as ever.

"People should expect us to be a very fun team to watch," the point guard said.

The 6foot2, 180pound senior and Michael Meza, a 6foot5, 200-pound senior forward, are returning first-team All-Ventura County players.

Senior guard Spencer Feist brings two and a half years of varsity experience. Sophomore Grant Keller started as a freshman, while fellow second-year player Danny Cox also played varsity ball during his first season.

Juniors Paul Williams and Nick Kahui Bruen will fight for time at guard, while Royal High transfer Brad Lewis, who had to play on the junior varsity team last season, is a solid 3-point shooter.

"It's been pretty easy to make the transition to varsity because all the players get along well," Lewis said. "We played against varsity every day at practice last year. It was JV against varsity every day. . . . The whole team's really good and excited that we have a chance to win league."

The other players on the roster who hope to contribute are Moustafa Sharawy, Brad Gandel, Gavin Feist, Ryan Guillory, Langston Jackson, Tyler Trapani and Robert Stephens.

Lorne Jackson, who said he worked on his shooting in the offseason, was second on the team in scoring 16.6 points per game and led Simi Valley with 5.8 assists per game.

The sensational senior's 112 steals in 2006-07 amounted to four swipes per game.

Meza led the Pioneers by averaging 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The versatile senior figures to be on the receiving end of many Jackson assists. Meza said the cohesiveness of the team makes it special.

"We work out together; we train together; we practice together; we go out after practice together," Meza said. "We mesh together well."

The Pioneers participated in a three-way scrimmage with Hart and Pacifica high schools in Oxnard on Monday. They open the season against Santa Paula on Tuesday at home at 7:30 p.m. during the first round of the Simi Valley Tip-off Classic.

The Pioneers begin Marmonte League action Tues., Dec. 18 at Calabasas.

After starting last year 18-3 overall and 8-0 in the Marmonte, the Pioneers will try to maintain positive momentum from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

"It's going to be a very tough year again," Aurand said. "If you're not ready to play, you will get beat.

"We're very disappointed we didn't finish out last year and win a league title. . . . We want to go out and try to win a Marmonte League championship this year. That's our goal."