Camarillo reloads roster
With only one returning varsity player, Scorpions remain a force in PVL title chase
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT- Camarillo's Josh Creighton drives toward the basket during Wednesday's workout at ACHS. The Scorpions are the defending Pacific View League champs.

The Camarillo High boys' basketball team was tough to beat a year ago. ACHS coasted to a Pacific View League championship with a 9-1 record before losing in the CIFSouthern Section Division II-A semifinals to Centennial High.

This season the Scorpions are trying to repeat as league champs, only they're doing it with a completely different roster.

The top five scorers from 2006-07, including Pacific View League Player of the Year, Dan Rasp, have graduated. Only one ACHS player, senior center Josh Creighton, returned from last year's squad.

"The first day of practice last summer was kind of weird," Creighton said. "I walked into the gym, looked around and was like, 'Wow, where did everyone go?'"

Head coach Mike Prewitt said he's never had more turnaround on a team, but he still believes the squad hasn't missed a beat.

Steve Planteberg

"Inexperience is our biggest factor right now," Prewitt said. "We played 31 games over the summer to try and get more experience, but on the court this season, it still shows."

Although Creighton has a new supporting cast, the rest of the squad is very familiar with each other, having played together on the JV team. The JV squad, like the varsity, also won the Pacific View League title a year ago.

"Our team is basically last year's JV team plus (Creighton)," sophomore Spencer Mitchel said. "It's just most of this team has had to make that transition of playing on the next level."

With Camarillo's top two big men, Rasp and Gordon Galloway, having graduated, Creighton has moved into the starting lineup at the center position. Prewitt said he's been impressed with the senior this year.

"Creighton is strictly playing the five position for us this year," Prewitt said. "He plays a lot bigger than he is. He's listed at 6foot-3, but he's a clever 6-foot-3. Defensively, he is now fundamentally solid. He's learned a lot from watching those guys (Rasp and Galloway) last year."

Starting at the forward positions is senior Steve Planteberg and junior Thomas Reilly. The starting guards will be junior T.C. Miyamoto, who Prewitt called a very athletic player, and Mitchel, who will handle the point-guard duties.

"Mitchel is a very smart player that's thinking about the game all the time," Prewitt said. "He's like a coach out on the floor. He's not quite used to the varsity game, but he's slowly gaining experience."

Seniors Brandon Choe, Kyle Griese, Sean Kinne, Armon Anderson, Cameron Torti and Andy Yingling, along with sophomore Matt Kitagawa, are contributing off the bench.

Prewitt said a couple of recent road trips helped bring the team closer together.

"The road trip we made to Arroyo Grande was a nice bonding experience for us," Prewitt said. "One of the reasons why we go on those long road trips is to have fun but also come together as a team. The players learned a lot about each other that they didn't know before, and now the squad seems to hang out together outside the court as well."

The Scorpions entered Thursday night's game with a 64 overall record. The team's biggest win to date was a 7774 victory Tuesday at home against Ventura High.

"The Ventura win was a big one for us," Creighton said. "It's always good to win the close games, but that win gave us confidence, too. That same Ventura team beat one of our league rivals, Oxnard High, pretty easily. So if we beat a team that beat Oxnard, I figure we have a good chance to win our league."

Prewitt said Oxnard and Channel Islands should be the Scorpions' biggest competition, but he's confident his team can repeat as league champs.

"We have a good situation here," Prewitt said. "The boys are a good group, and it's a fun atmosphere to coach in. Every day this team is gaining experience and learning more. Hopefully that can help us in the long run."

For Creighton, nothing would be better than to leave ACHS with another league title.

"Since I've been at Camarillo, winning league titles is all I know," Creighton said. "I won the title on the freshman team, the JV team my sophomore year and last year on the varsity squad. I'd love to win another one this season."

The Scorpions' first league game is Jan. 9 at Oxnard High.