CIF SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS:Costa Mesa girls get No. 3 seed in IV-AA

LOS ALAMITOS — Only two Newport-Mesa high school girls’ basketball teams qualified for the postseason, but one coach strongly believes his can make a run at a CIF Southern Section championship.

That coach is Costa Mesa High’s Jim Weeks.

On the Sunday, his Mustangs received a No. 3 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA playoffs when the playoff pairings were announced at the Southern Section office in Los Alamitos.

“I think we got a chance because we’re such a deep team on both offense and defense,” said Weeks, who uses a 10-player rotation. “We’re finally all healthy after [battling] the flu and we’re playing really well.”

Costa Mesa (16-10), ranked No. 3 in the final Division IV-AA poll, is on fire, having won eight consecutive games.

Sage Hill School (12-12) is the other local program advancing in the division and the No. 14 seed is also peeking at the right time, having won six of its last seven games.

Both schools open first-round play at home Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with Costa Mesa playing Redlands Adventist Academy (10-14) and Sage Hill playing Hemet’s Baptist Christian (11-9).

With Costa Mesa, there’s playoff experience with Weeks on the sideline, compared to Lou Silverman in his first year as a varsity coach for the Lightning.

Weeks, in his 15th year with the Mustangs, likens this current team to the 1992-93 one that made a lot of noise in the postseason. That year, Costa Mesa won a CIF Southern Section Division III-A championship and the Southern California regional crown, to earn a berth in the state title game.

Weeks wasn’t the coach then, having decided to step away before that season after six years as coach to pursue his master’s degree. He returned in the 1998-99 season, and he’s kept Costa Mesa competitive.

“We’ve only missed the playoffs once in the last 18 years,” said Weeks, who led the Mustangs to a CIF Southern Section Division 3-A title in 1990 and a runner-up finish in 1991. “But this year feels different. Everyone is close and we can’t wait to get back on the court.”

Weeks was glad Costa Mesa didn’t have a first-round bye like the top two seeds, St. Mary’s Academy (25-5) and Arrowhead Christian (21-5).

Those two start the postseason Saturday, too long of a layoff for Weeks, who guided the Mustangs to the Orange Coast League crown, their first since 1998.

“Why wait around when you’re ready to go,” Weeks said. “It’s harder to get into a rhythm when you’re waiting.”

The Mustangs’ depth — with 5-foot-6 senior Jennifer Courtney and 6-0 junior Jasmine Werdel down low and junior point guard Michelle Figueroa distributing the ball to shooters like sophomores Miriah Malapira and Amy Gentling — should get them past Redlands Adventist, the fourth-place team out of the Victory League.

The league’s champion, Mesa Grande Academy of Calimesa (20-5), is the No. 8 seed. Calvary Chapel (21-6), which finished behind Costa Mesa in the Orange Coast, received a No. 4 seed, higher than Mesa Grande’s.

“We still have to go out there and respect everybody because anything can happen,” Weeks said. “If we continue to come out intense, we’ll be fine.”

Silverman expects the same kind of effort from Sage Hill when Baptist Christian, the third-place team out of the Victory League, visits.

He’s been getting it, allowing the Lightning to finish first in the Academy League for the third straight year. They shared the league crown with Whitney.

One player Silverman hoped would emerge in her sophomore year has. Forward Tierney Danner is averaging 13.3 points per game, and senior forward Kaitlin Tyre is averaging around double figures in points and rebounds.

“Our key players have played really well,” said Silverman, adding junior point guard Katie McKeon to the mix. “All the girls are playing hard and we’re looking forward to the playoffs.”

Sage Hill, then the No. 3 seed in Division IV-A, advanced to the semifinals last season.