DIVISION V-A

Defending champion: San Bernardino Christian.

Top teams: Camarillo Cornerstone Christian (13-1), Los Angeles Pilgrim (12-7), Pico Rivera Mesrobian (9-4), Santa Maria Valley Christian (no record available).

Top players: Karri Becker (Cornerstone Christian), Karen Breshears (Cornerstone Christian), Christa Larsen (Heritage Christian), Bekah Ramirez (Heritage Christian), Becky Rendon (Liberty Christian), Julie Siefert (Cornerstone Christian), Hazmik Tahamian (Mesrobian), Julie Tamia (Cornerstone Christian), Lynlee Vacarro (Liberty Christian).

Dark horse: Liberty Christian (15-9). The Minutemen come in as a wild-card team, a shock to many, since they finished second in the Academy Leage. But that could be because of their sporadic play of late. They lost league games they shouldn’t have to Fairmont and Connelly, but they also have a 54-47 victory over fourth-seeded Pilgrim. If Coach Rudy Sass can get his team to pull together, Liberty Christian could surprise. If the Minutemen beat Heritage Christian, which they should, they must then face second-seeded Mesrobian, a team that beat them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Notes: Cornerstone Christian has only one loss this season, its first game, to Moorpark. Cornerstone Christian has four players averaging in double figures--Breshears (13.8), Tamai (13.6), Becker (12.1), Siefert (11.0). Last year, Cornerstone Christian suffered a second-round playoff loss to this year’s second-seeded team, Valley Christian. Cornerstone Christian is looking for revenge and should be able to take it, all the way to the final. . . . Gateway Christian could give Pilgrim more than it bargained for in the quarterfinals. Gateway lost in last year’s quarterfinals to San Bernadino Christian, the section champion. . . . Heritage Christian (10-12) has the unfortunate task of facing an underrated Liberty Christian team.