HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PREVIEWS : MARMONTE GIRLS : Stargazers Will Look Up to Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks

Marquee names are nothing new in Marmonte League girls’ basketball.

Marion Jones and Michelle Palmisano of Thousand Oaks, Delores Tuimoloau of Channel Islands, Nichole Victoria of Camarillo and practically last season’s entire Newbury Park lineup have given the league a deserved star-making reputation.

Nothing has changed. Not with Tawnee Cooper gracing the floor at Simi Valley this season. A senior who played as a sophomore at Royal and became the Ventura County player of the year last season after transferring to Simi Valley, Cooper is the class of the league.

“Tawnee plays all five positions for us,” Coach Dave Murphy said.

The 5-foot-9 Cooper, who has already signed with UC Santa Barbara, is a natural off-guard who penetrates well and has developed a dangerous outside shot. She is averaging 26.1 points and 10.1 rebounds.

Point guard Jamie Griffin, a three-year starter, is another strong player for Simi Valley, 24-5 last season and 12-2 this season.

Lack of height is the Pioneers’ weakness, which enabled Thousand Oaks to upset Simi Valley in a league game before the winter break.

The Lancers, 18-10 last season and 9-3 this season, will again have the services of Jenn Detmer, a 6-3 junior post player and prolific scorer.

“If we can get our guard play squared away, we’ll be all right,” Coach Chuck Brown said.

For any other league team to defeat Simi Valley or Thousand Oaks would be a significant upset, making their second league matchup of championship importance.

Newbury Park was 30-2 last season and a Southern Section champion, but only forward Amy Berman returns. Senior forward Melissa Shoden and swing player Amy Martin have stepped into key roles.

An improved team is Royal, 5-19 last season but with a large group of contributors. The Highlanders already have surpassed last season’s victory total behind seven players averaging between seven and 10 points.

TEAM BY TEAM

* AGOURA (1-22, 0-14)

The Chargers are improving despite having no seniors on the roster. They defeated Channel Islands in a league game before the winter break and are 3-7 overall. “We’re young, but we are getting better,” Coach Ollie Otis said. Meghan Skelly and Sarah Kane have joined Kristin DeSimone to give the Chargers scoring punch.

* CAMARILLO (7-18, 6-8)

Coach Diane Wilson-Graham was hired only 10 days before practice began and the Scorpions have struggled so far. Cindy Ball, Rhianna Rogers, Melissa Bonds and Katy Hansen have provided consistent scoring and rebounding, and Kristin Whorley has played well in a reserve role.

* CHANNEL ISLANDS (12-14, 6-8)

Channel Islands is reeling from the transfer of 6-foot post player Danielle Curtis to Oxnard and the firing of Coach Chris Nordquist, who was implicated in an NCAA academic fraud investigation when he was a men’s assistant at New Mexico State in 1994. The Raiders are winless, although Elanor Ecoffey, Liz Hernandez and Tawny Leightner have played well.

* NEWBURY PARK (30-2, 14-0)

No starters return from last season’s Southern Section championship team, but sixth-man Amy Berman has led the Panthers to a .500 record so far in a rebuilding season. Berman is an excellent three-point shooter and rugged rebounder. Senior forward Melissa Shoden and junior guard Amy Martin have gone from watching from the bench to playing key roles. Julie Zuckman, a senior who did not play last season, has been a pleasant surprise.

* ROYAL (5-19, 2-12)

Six sophomores make the Highlanders a team with a bright future. Senior Jennie Broadhurst averaged 12 points and four assists last season and is joined at guard by senior Irene Reyes, junior Sarah Parola and sophomores Alicia Weber, Jessica Sanders and Theresa Jacobi. Amber Shores, a 5-10 junior center, averaged 10 points last season.

* SIMI VALLEY (24-5, 12-2)

Besides the talent and experience of Tawnee Cooper and Jamie Griffin, Angela Mosesso, a 5-4 guard, is a returning starter who made 23 three-point shots last season. Seven Pioneers have played point guard, including Shannon Malia and Christina Mosesso. Kayla Hughes, a 6-foot senior center, is key to Simi Valley’s rebounding and defense.

* THOUSAND OAKS (18-10, 10-4)

Three-year starter Jenn Detmer, a 6-3 center, gives the Lancers the league’s most-dominant inside force, and she is surrounded by promising talent. Sophomores Courtney Miller and Lauren Jones are improving rapidly and 5-11 senior Michelle Stevenson adds maturity. Other senior starters include forward Nicole Woodruff and point guard Nicki LaSala.

* WESTLAKE (9-17, 6-8)

Behind the scoring and rebounding of Megan Carmola, Westlake has played well early this season. Carmola, a senior forward, has averaged 14 points and nine rebounds. Guard Kristi Valencia is a consistent player.