The pressure to stay perfect can be excruciating. Just ask the New England Patriots.

On Wednesday night in the Tom Harmon Gym at Simi Valley High, the Pioneer boys' basketball team faced its penultimate test in the program's quest for an undefeated Marmonte League season.

Standing between Simi Valley and a league title was Thousand Oaks, a team that had lost only once in league competition, a 7267 setback to the Pioneers on Jan. 11.

The way things started, with Thousand Oaks staking itself to a 17-10 first-quarter lead thanks, in part, to sloppy ball handling and ill-advised shots by the Pioneers, it appeared as if SVHS would finally succumb to the pressure of Marmonte League perfection.

But like the true champions they would eventually become, the Pioneers battled back, ratcheted up their defensive pressure and starting burying shots.

The end result was a 66-56 come-from-behind victory that gave Simi Valley (24-1 overall, 13-0 in league) its first league title since the 1999-2000 season.

Photos by JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS- Legendary UCLA men's coach John Wooden, above left, sits courtside as the Simi Valley High boys' basketball team defeats Thousand Oaks 66-56 Wednesday night to win the Marmonte League championship. SVHS point guard Lorne Jackson, above, blows by T.O.'s James Whalen. "I felt the pressure, but I didn't really sense that the players felt it," said a relieved SVHS head coach Christian Aurand, moments after receiving the customary icewater shower outside his team's locker room.

"We've had a strong tradition around here for a long time, and that tradition is something our guys feel each year when they come in. I think our guys embrace that pressure, and this year they've had a great season regardless of it."

In victory, senior point guard Lorne Jackson scored 20 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out seven assists and added five steals.

Jackson's all-around effort helped Simi Valley establish a new school record for league wins in a season. On five previous occasions, SVHS had won 12 league games in a single year.

"It feels really good," Jackson said. "Those are a few of the goals we set at the beginning of the season, and it's great that we could actually achieve them."

Senior forward Michael Meza also had 20 points on the night, while junior guard Brad Lewis added 13 points. Sophomore guard Danny Cox chipped in with eight points and a hardnosed effort on defense.

Aurand, whose nine-year coaching record at Simi Valley improved to 188-68, said capturing a league title was a total team effort. He credited players such as Cox, senior guard Spencer Feist, sophomore guard/forward Grant Keller and junior guard/forward Paul Williams for their outstanding contributions on the defensive end of the floor.

"They do a lot of the legwork in our pressure scheme," Aurand said. "They wear guys out and force bad decisions. Then we have other guys that can rotate in and steal the ball."

As if the SVHS players didn't have enough motivation going into the showdown with Thousand Oaks (18-7 overall, 11-2 in league), seeing legendary college basketball coach John Wooden sitting courtside only helped fuel their collective fire.

"We all knew Coach Wooden was here," Lewis said. "It was very important to us that we played a good game in front of him."

The Pioneers can become the first team to go undefeated in league since 2002 when they travel to Royal High tonight to take on the last-place Highlanders.

Jackson, the program's all-time leader in career steals, said the team was thrilled with the league title, but added that they still need to take care of business tonight against their crosstown rival.

"Even though Royal doesn't have any league wins, it's still a big rivalry game," Jackson said. "Their seniors definitely want to end their careers with a win against us. I'm sure they want to spoil our celebration as best they can. We have to come to play."

Tonight's tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Marmonte standings