It will be interesting to see how the first Central Valley North-South All-Star basketball doubleheader flies Saturday night at Mission Oak High.

The girls/boys high school showcase at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. is the brainchild of Mission Oak girls coach Myron Epps, who "Wanted to develop another all-star game, but with a twist."

And the twist is this will match players from throughout the Central Section as opposed to typical county-based games from various sports.

North's boys and girls teams will be represented by players from Visalia to the section's north; South's teams will draw from Tulare to the section's south.

The night's feature duel will unfold in the boys, with the North's Grant Verhoeven of Central Valley Christian opposing the South's Tyrone Wallace of Bakersfield. And this promises to be the first of many for the Pac-12 Conference-bound pair -- Verhoeven to Stanford and Wallace to Cal.

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children and $3 for seniors.

The rosters:

BOYS
North: Grant Verhoeven, Central Valley Christian; Brantley Bynum, Cameron Peck, El Diamante; Will Nelson, Mt. Whitney; Justin Lea, Justin Barrels, Central; Ahmad Jones, Daniel Johnson, Hoover; Jordan Batts, Marques Nelson, Edison; Austin Peltzer, Golden West; Deshawn Snell, Kendal McCrary, Lemoore; Shaq Barker, Clovis North; Walter Orr, Bullard. Coach: Tim Caudillo, Hanford West.

South: Courtland Duckworth, Porterville; Dominic Avila, Jordan Maquinalez, Elijah Henningham, Western; Dmarhea Bradley, Mission Oak; William Stallworth, Tulare; Chris Sterling, Ruben Hill, Delano; Robert Johnson, East; Dante Cunningham, Granite Hills; Tyrone Wallace, Derrick Brown, Bakersfield; Kenyon Ross, Brock Martin, Ridgeview; Michael Marcus, Frontier. Coach: Joey Velasquez, Kennedy.

GIRLS
North: Taylor Errotabere, Riverdale; Jessica Newman, Clovis North; Dawn Alves, Laton; Priscilla Wright, Tanya Valdez, Redwood; Shelie Perkins, Madera; Heidi Johnson, Buchanan; Carlie Berteo, Immanuel; Bailey Osmer, Kaitlyn Reitz, Caruthers; Dariyel Martin, Hanford West; Alexandria Orlich, Clovis West. Coach: Jason Black, Redwood.

South: Claesy Tarver, Arvin; Alia Alvarez, Porterville; Vanessa Mancera, Kayla Polman, Independence; Paige Bennett, Tehachapi; Sydney Tobias, Exeter; Trina Torres, Corcoran; Karishm Bhakta, Tulare; Juliah Kim, Alyssa Shannon, Stockdale; Rosebrooke Hunt, Katie Davis, Frontier; Yoemma Esparza, Shafter; Khadi Johnson, Mission Oak. Coach: Dave Cateano, Mission Oak.

** Five bus loads of Bullard students and cheerleaders landed back in Fresno at 3 a.m. today. Good guess there were some major Zs being burned for a group that was tremendously supportive, standing wire-to-wire during the game, even when their beloved Knights were down by 27 in a game they would lose 85-66 to Mater Dei-Santa Ana for the Southern California Regional Division I boys championship.

** Key Mater Dei guards Elijah Brown and Jordan Strawberry are sons of Mike (Lakers coach) and Darryl (ex-major leaguer). It's the way of life at the eight-time state championship program. There's no questioning the coaching ability of the Monarchs' Gary McKnight, the state's winningest (925-83) of all time. But, as I overheard one Mater Dei fan to say last night, the superstars "land in his lap" annually.

** Not much of an exaggeration to say that was high school vs. college at Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mater Dei played USC's fight song throughout. Interesting, because it's not a reach, either, to say the Monarchs could give the Trojans (1-17 Pac-12, 6-25 overall) a game.

** Four days after toasting Long Beach Poly for 21 points in Bullard's miraculous 54-52 win, Knights junior guard Corey Silverstrom was shut out while playing only 15 minutes and 14 seconds against Mater Dei. He was sick vs. Poly; worse vs. the Monarchs. No justice.

** Also a rough night for Bullard senior guard Walter Orr, who scored but four points and fouled out while playing only 11:16. He's the one who shocked Poly with a turnaround, fadeaway 32-footer at the buzzer. And, for that, he will be remembered -- FOREVER!.

** Conversely, it was a marvelous getaway night for Knights senior Aaric Armstead. The one Bullard player who could, physically, hang with Mater Dei, he scored 33 points to close the season with 803 -- No. 1 in school history, according to Central Section historian Bob Barnett. Armstead played all but 59 seconds of last night's game, also collecting 13 rebounds, including six offensively -- a real, real difficult thing to do against the Monarchs' tall, gifted frontline. Now it's college decision time for Armstead, who has several options.

** Numbers are adding up nicely for Bullard coach Tony Amundsen. He went 65-50, with two league championships in four seasons at Central, the last in 2003-04. And he's 92-35 in four seasons at Bullard, with three league titles and two section crowns. So that's 157-85 total (.649), and we continue to wonder how the Knights' administration will hold onto him.

** The six games here in the first SoCal Regional finals at Ontario Saturday (D-I, II and III in boys and girls) drew a paid attendance of only 5,712, which couldn't have pleased CIF officials. That was no fault of Bullard, whose following of around 700 at no worse matched Mater Dei's. And consider: The venue was 264 miles from Bullard's campus; 40 from Mater Dei's. Since the regionals resumed in 1982 after a 58-year hiatus, 18 of the previous 30 regionals had been played in the Long Beach or Los Angeles Sports Arenas, though the most recent two were at USC's Galen Center.

9:10 p.m.: It's over. Every fan gone in disbelief. Walter Orr's turnaround, 40-foot swish at the buzzer gives Bullard 54-52 win over nation's 14th-ranked Long Beach Poly. It's state No. 1 Mater Dei-Santa next for the Knights for SoCal Regional title Saturday at 8 p.m. at Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena.

7:40 p.m.: Joshua Munzon's 30-foot bank at halftime buzzer gives Poly its only lead, 31-30. Corey Silverstrom, battling fly symptoms, has 11 points for Bullard, whose biggest lead was 20-13 in the second quarter. Knights have forced 13 turnovers.

6:46 p.m.: Bullard fans have stuffed three-quarters of the gym's north bleachers. This will be a turnaway crowd. And, hey, got any candles? Venue is dimly lit, to be kind.

6:35 p.m.: Four Bullard rooters busses of students have arrived. That was cutting it a bit tight for 7 p.m. tip-off. School administration wouldn't allow them to leave until noon. Understandable -- sorta. Can never -- EVER trust -- Highway 405 traffic, Not from 2 p.m. until, well, forever.

6:20 p.m.: I'm told five Bullard rooters busses of cheerleaders and students weren't allowed to leave school until noon. Cutting it too tight, given Highway 405 traffic, particularly around LAX. They're not here yet, but getting close.

6:12 p.m.: I arrived a couple hours ago and drove directly to Long Beach Poly High, which is 2 miles east of Cabrillo High, where Bullard and Poly will tip off in 45 minutes in the semifinals of the Southern California boys basketball regionals.

The aura of Poly athletics screams off the faded front gold wall of the school on Atlantic Avenue:

"Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Home of Scholars & Champions."

"School of the Century."

That award was bestowed by the California Coaches Association.

A month after saying he was torn on the idea of continuing to coach Hanford High's girls basketball team, Tom Parrish on Thursday virtually guaranteed he'll return next season.

But the architect of a seven-year Bullpups dynasty -- 174-41, with five consecutive Central Section titles -- did say he'll only do so on the condition he can be relieved of his typical summer travel commitments with the team.

And he'd prefer that responsibility be assumed by his assistant, Dennis Sargeant.

"That would give me a chance to get away [from coaching] for five or six months," Parrish says. "For me to coach a couple more years, that's what needs to happen. So that's where I'm headed."

Saturday, Hanford (25-4) is headed to its most difficult assignment of the season -- a Southern California Regional 6 p.m. Division I semifinal against the state's fourth-ranked Long Beach Poly (29-3) at Jordan High of Long Beach.

That will be the first game of a doubleheader, with Poly's boys following with a D-I semi against Lutheran-Orange. The games were shifted out of Poly's gym because the Jordan venue is larger.

The Bullpups advanced with a 77-48 home-court rout of Fairfax-Los Angeles as junior center Bayli McClard delivered 20 points and seven rebounds, and junior guard Gabby Gomez added 13.

Perennial state power Poly, meanwhile, crushed Carson 81-19.

The Central Section will have more than 20 boys and girls basketball teams playing tonight in the opening of the Southern California Regionals.

But I only see two teams -- Memorial's boys in D-II and Hanford's girls in D-I -- that are considered reasonable favorites. Three boys teams -- Bullard (D-I), Central Valley Christian (D-IV) and Fresno Christian (D-V) also have good shots.

Simply, this isn't a strong year for section basketball teams to push deep into the regionals.

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Here's how it's playing out for Bee All-Star Player of the Year and Coach of the Year candidates:

BOYS

Player of the Year: Two months ago, I saw 5 or 6 legitimate candidates. But, hey, let's be real: Can there really be a more ideal body of work and talent than CVC's Grant Verhoeven?

Coach of the Year: Tony Amundsen's repeat section D-I title at a program that had gone 15 years without one -- and had but two all time -- will be difficult to beat. But SJM's Pat Geil, CVC's Blake Van Der Schaaf and Fresno Christian's Josh Justin are in the game.

GIRLS

Player of the Year: Hanford's Bayli McClard is about as good a lock as Verhoeven.

Coach of the Year: Very, very difficult to look past Hanford's Tom Parrish -- again. Never known a section coach -- in boys or girls, in any sport -- who inspired more out of his/her players. But CVC's Michele McNiece deserves strong consideration. Monache's Herb Abiog and Memorial's Miguel Nieves are long shots.

DAY 2 ON SATURDAY

9:28 p.m.: Final Bullard 69, Bullard 55 for school's 4th title after breaking 15-year drought last year with 54-51 win over Clovis West.

9:06 p.m.: It's a sprint to the finish. CW leads 46-45 entering 4th. Bullard has never led.

8:16 p.m.: Clovis West outpushing, outrunning, outdefending a pushing, fast, great defensive team in Bullard. Golden Eagles lead 19-9 after 1st.

7:40 p.m.: Now the REAL biggie -- No. 6 Clovis West vs. No. 1 and defending champion Bullard for D-I boys title.

7:23 p.m.: Hanford, the alleged No. 2 seed, whips No. 1 Stockdale 65-49 for 5th-straight section title and 97th win in row vs. section foes as Bullpups fans roar, "Who's No. 1, Who's No. 1, Who's No. 1?"

7:13 p.m.: Bayli McClard 19 points and Kayla Luis 18 as Hanford nears 5th-straight section title, leading Stockdale 56-42 w/ 3:19 remaining. And, of course, Bullpups were shockingly seeded 2nd to the Mustangs, remember.

6:54 p.m.: Fourth 3 of night by section golf champion Kayla Luis gives Hanford 41-29 lead over Stockdale late in 3rd quarter.

6:18 p.m.: Hanford's girls, down 10-6 after 1st quarter, now leading Stockdale 12-10. Bullpups have won a section-record 96 consecutive games vs. section competition. Last section loss: 62-50 to Yosemite here at Selland for D-III title on March 3, 2007.

5:28 p.m.: 2 more D-I biggies up next -- No. 2 Hanford vs. No. 1 Stockdale girls and No. 6 CW vs. No. 1 Bullard in boys. Buckle up. Hanford's girls are ticked off at seed and have won 96 straight vs. section competition.

5:27 p.m.: MW misses lob to Nelson, Ridgeview's Brock Martin feeds Javier Kirksey, who banks 30-footer at buzzer for stunning 43-40 win! That's Kirksey driving against Mt. Whitney's Will Nelson in Mark Crosse's photo at right.

5:02 p.m.: Joseph Henry's rebound bucket closes 13-0 Ridgeview run to end the 3rd as Wolf Pack takes stunning 34-33 lead.

5:00 p.m.: MW 3-year star Will Nelson goes to bench w/ 3 fouls and Ridgeview immediately launches 11-0 run, hacking deficit to 33-32 w/ 55.3 left in 3rd.

3:46 p.m.: Final numbers for Erica McCall -- at right in photo by Mark Crosse, blocking a shot by Independence's Kayla Polman: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Independence junior guard Erin Cantrell: 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 12 rebounds and 3 steals.

3:35 p.m.: Vanessa Mancera swishes 2 free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining, and Khiylah Dean steals and makes another free throw -- wiping away tears after getting hammered -- with 4.3 tics to go as No. 2 Independence wins 1st section girls basketball title in school history with a 49-46 upset of No. 1 Ridgeview in D-III.

2:42 p.m.: McCall not Verhoeven-like, but dominant nonetheless: 13 pts, 7 reb as Ridgeview leads Independence 27-21 at half.

2:09 p.m.: Independence vs. Ridgeview and 6-3 national recruit Erica McCall (a junior) playing now for girls D-III title. No. 1 Ridgeview up 10-6 late in 1st.

Buchanan High's Elise Krieghoff will play soccer tonight -- her No. 1 love -- but she's understandably torn.

The Bee's leading Player of the Year candidate in soccer, the Cal Poly-bound standout leads the second-seeded and nationally 10th-ranked Bears to Bakersfield, where they'll oppose No. 1 Stockdale for the Central Section Division I championship at 6 p.m.

One hour later, Buchanan's fifth-seeded basketball team -- for which Krieghoff has also been an impact player for this season -- will play at No. 4 Clovis West in the D-I quarterfinals.

"It's been a difficult choice," she said this morning. "I would like to be there for my basketball teammates, but it is not often you get to play in a Valley championship. I want to be in Bakersfield.

"I obviously was hoping the soccer game would be at a different time than the basketball game, but I was not able to control that."

This means:

** The Bears' soccer team keeps a four-year player with around 100 career goals.

** But their basketball team plays Tri-River Athletic Conference-rival Clovis West minus the player who scored a team-high 14 points in a 54-52 loss to the Golden Eagles two weeks ago.

Fullcourt press into the quarterfinals of Central Section boys/girls basketball playoffs. Boys tonight, girls tomorrow.

** Horrific times for Corcoran's otherwise uplifting girls basketball program. Fourth-seeded Panthers will return to their home court with heavy hearts for the second time in three nights tomorrow in a Division III game with No. 5 Golden Valley after their freshman basketball coach Crystal Ireta died Wednesday morning as a result of an automobile accident last Friday.

** When No. 6 Bullard's girls visit No. 3 Edison Friday night they'll be playing for the fourth time, the Tigers having won two of the first three. They split in the County/Metro Athletic Conference, which Edison won.

A couple fastbreaks and slam dunks for Central Section boys and girls basketball playoffs:

** Red flagging flapping atop boys Division III top seed Mt. Whitney. Four days after the Pioneers struggled in 58-55 win Redwood (10-15, WYL last-place team), they had to find another gear in 2nd half at home Tuesday to defeat 16th-seeded Roosevelt 59-46. They'll host No. 9 Dinuba Thursday night.

** Bullard senior wing Aaric Armstead has become the school's single-season record-holder with 650 points. Last Thursday, in an 80-25 rout of Madera, he scored 13 to pass former Bee Player of the Year DeAndre Maxwell (644, 1991).

** A modified division realignment recommendation by Central Section commissioner Jim Crichlow, if approved by the Board of Managers, would help correct a flawed system that punishes overachievers and rewards underachievers. See column in tomorrow's Bee.

** Crichlow and three assistants will determine seeding for the section boys and girls playoffs Saturday. They'll begin at about 8:30 a.m., and hope to finish at 2 p.m. Bullard (boys) and Hanford (girls) are Division I locks. Playoffs will begin next week and close with the eighth running of the two-day section finals at Selland Arena March 2-3.

** Monache's boys basketball team has forfeited eight East Yosemite League wins because of ineligible player, reports The Porterville Recorder. The unnamed player violated a CIF rule by participating in an organized weekend league since Jan. 7.