PREP BASKETBALL / SUMMER TOURNAMENTS : Huntington Beach Could Get Another Shot at Mater Dei

The Mater Dei boys’ basketball team, led by guard Miles Simon, a 6-foot-4 senior who was The Times Orange County player of the year last season, begins a busy summer schedule by appearing in the county’s first three tournaments.

The Monarchs, 32-2 last season in winning their second consecutive Southern Section I-A title, play host along with Western High to a tournament beginning Thursday. They’ll then take part in the Newport Harbor Surf City tournament July 1-3 and the Nike tournament July 7-11.

Though Simon is Mater Dei’s only returning starter, he will be joined by 6-2 junior guard Clay McKnight, who made 41 of 82 shots from three-point range last season. Clay is the son of the Monarchs’ coach, Gary McKnight, who has a career record of 318-28 at the school.

Huntington Beach, 29-5 last season, also will play in the Newport Harbor Surf City tournament. The Oilers, led by 6-5 center Tony Gonzales--the only other junior on The Times all-county team--lost three games to Mater Dei last season, including the section I-A title game.

Others in the Newport Harbor tournament include Capistrano Valley, which advanced to the semifinals of the section Division I-AA playoffs last season and features standout senior sharp-shooter Todd Thornton; Corona del Mar, the defending section Division IV-AA champions, and Trabuco Hills, which reached the section II-A quarterfinals.

Huntington Beach also will compete in the July 8-10 Servite Summer Classic, where the Oilers could meet the Monarchs again, only this time they’re from Inglewood Morningside. These Monarchs, the defending section Division III-AA champions, missed a chance to repeat as State title by losing to Palo Alto in the Division III championship game.

Pairings for most of the summer tournaments (some schedules not available):

BOYS * Mater Dei Tournament

Dates: June 24-27

Location: Mater Dei and Western high schools

Championship game: 6:30 p.m., June 27, Western

First-round pairings: Thursday, June 24--At Mater Dei: 8 a.m.--Riverside Arlington vs. Western, 9:15--Capistrano Valley vs. Orange, 10:30--San Clemente vs. University, 11:45--Simi Valley vs. Mater Dei 2, 1 p.m.--Ocean View vs. Los Amigos, 2:15--Mission Viejo vs. Los Angeles Verbum Dei, 4 p.m.--Long Beach Wilson vs. Villa Park, 5:15--Pasadena vs. El Toro, 6:30--North Hollywood Campbell Hall vs. Riverside La Sierra, 7:45--Mater Dei vs. Cypress, 9--Lakewood vs. Tustin. At Western HS: 1:30 p.m.--Pasadena Muir vs. Santa Monica St. Monica, 3--Torrance Bishop Montgomery vs. Los Alamitos. Friday, June 25--At Mater Dei: 10:30 a.m.--Ontario vs. Santa Ana Valley. At Western: 10:30 a.m.--Palos Verdes Peninsula vs. Santa Monica, Noon--Oceanside El Camino vs. Esperanza.

* Newport Harbor Surf City Summer Tournament

Dates: July 1-3

Location: Newport Harbor High School

Championship game: 7:30 p.m., July 3, boys’ gym.

First-round pairings: In the boys’ gym: 2 p.m.--Edison vs. San Clemente, 3:40--Mater Dei vs. Temple City, 5:20--Estancia vs. Marina, 7--Newport Harbor vs. Servite. In the girls’ gym: 2 p.m.--Santa Margarita vs. El Toro, 3:40--Trabuco Hills vs. Fountain Valley, 5:20--Huntington Beach vs. Mission Viejo, 7--Corona del Mar vs. Capistrano Valley.

* Mater Dei-Nike Tournament

Dates: July 7-11

Location: Concordia University (formerly Christ College Irvine) and Mater Dei High School

Championship game: 5 p.m, July 11, Concordia

First-round pairings: At Concordia. Wednesday, July 7--9:30 a.m.--Los Amigos vs. Villa Park, 11--Santa Monica vs. Riverside Arlington, 12:30 p.m.--West Covina vs. Lakewood, 2--Los Angeles Verbum Dei vs. Riverside La Sierra, 3:30--Newport Harbor vs. Ontario, 5--Capistrano Valley vs. Esperanza, 6:30--Mater Dei vs. Orange, 8--Santa Margarita vs. Oceanside El Camino. Thursday, July 8--9:30 a.m.--Mater Dei 2 vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula, 11--Long Beach Wilson vs. El Toro, 12:30 p.m.-- Pasadena vs. University, 2--Torrance Bishop Montgomery vs. Cypress, 3:30--Mission Viejo vs. Century, 5--Santa Clara vs. Encinitas Torrey Pines, 6:30--Western vs. North Hollywood Campbell Hall, 8--Los Alamitos vs. Santa Ana Valley.

* Servite Summer Classic

Dates: July 8-10

Location: Servite High School

Championship game: 7:30 p.m., July 10

First-round pairings: 9 a.m.--Huntington Beach vs. Long Beach Millikan, 10:30--Oceanside El Camino vs. Irvine, noon--L.A. Fremont vs. Santa Monica St. Monica, 1:30 p.m.--Bellflower St. John Bosco vs. La Canada, 3--Long Beach Poly vs. Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 4:30--Servite vs. Pomona, 6--University of San Diego High vs. Inglewood Morningside, 7:30--Trabuco Hills vs. Compton Dominguez.

* Nike’s Great Western Shootout

Dates: July 13-16

Location: Ocean View High School

Championship game: 7:30 p.m, July 16

First-round pairings: Not available.

* Southern California Basketball Coaches Assn. Tournament

Dates: July 23-25

Location: Century and El Dorado high schools

First-round pairings: Not available.

* Western-Cypress Summer Finale

Dates: July 30-Aug. 1

Locations: Cypress and Western high schools

Championship game: 6 p.m., Aug. 1, Cypress

Participants: Alhambra, Century, Cypress, Downey, La Quinta, Pacifica, Paramount, Tustin, Sonora, Villa Park and Western, with spots available.

GIRLS

* Marina Firecracker Classic

Dates: July 9-11

Location: Marina High School.

Championship game: 3:30 p.m., July 11.

First-round pairings: 3 p.m.--Esperanza vs. Ocean View, 4:30--Newport Harbor vs. San Clemente, 6--University vs. Palm Desert, 7:30--Western vs. Marina.

* Estancia Tournament

Dates: June 25-28

Location: Estancia High School

Championship game: 8 p.m., June 28

First-round pairings: 11 a.m.--Mission Viejo vs. Tustin, 12:15 p.m. Irvine vs. Mater Dei, 1:30--Newport Harbor vs. Garden Grove, 2:45--Santa Fe Springs St. Paul vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula, 4:15--Woodbridge vs. Century, 5:30--University vs. Ocean View, 6:45--Corona del Mar vs. Marina, 8--Estancia vs. South Torrance.

* Newport Harbor Tournament

Dates: July 21-23

Location: Newport Harbor High School

Championship game: 7:30 p.m., July 23

Participants: El Dorado, Fountain Valley, Marina, Newport Harbor, Norco, Palm Desert, Tustin and Western.