Team’s Balanced Scoring Gives McCorkle the Edge

MISSION VIEJO — As the leading scorer of Capistrano Valley High School’s Southern Section 5-A champion boys’ basketball team last year, Scott McCorkle figured to lead the Cougars again this season.

Opponents braced to stop McCorkle, a 6-foot-5 forward who signed a letter of intent in November to attend Syracuse in the fall.

“He’s had two people running at him in every game we’ve played,” Coach Mark Thornton said.

Even so, McCorkle, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, is averaging 27 points a game, three points above his regular-season average last year.

He had 25 points and nine rebounds in a 74-52 victory over Dana Hills Wednesday. And he had 26 points as the Cougars defeated El Toro, 74-51, Saturday and moved into a tie with Mission Viejo for first place in the South Coast League.

But Thornton said the key to the Cougars’ success is balance. And not just balance between McCorkle and his neighbor, point guard Chris Kostoff, who had 20 points and nine assists against Dana Hills and 26 points and nine assists against El Toro.

Earlier this month, after a 64-47 loss to Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in Orange County, in which McCorkle and Kostoff scored 41 points, Thornton decided the Cougars were depending too much on the pair. In one practice, Thornton prohibited McCorkle and Kostoff from shooting, and in games, he told the rest of the team to take more shots.

“We wanted to try to get some of the other kids involved in the offense and we have accomplished that,” Thornton said.

McCorkle said his teammates’ willingness to take more shots gives him and Kostoff more opportunities.

“It opens up a lot of things for me and Chris because they have to guard the other guys too now,” McCorkle said.

TOP PERFORMERS

Kevin Carlson scored 33 points in Katella’s 80-71 victory over Cypress Friday. Carlson also scored 20 in a 70-53 loss to Esperanza Wednesday.

Orange goalkeeper Tres Martin had two shutouts--his sixth and seventh of the season--as the Panthers won two Pacific Coast League soccer matches. Martin had 12 saves in Orange’s 2-0 victory over Laguna Hills Friday.

Savanna wrestler Tony Okada pinned Richard Martinez of Covina to win the 132-pound division in the Five Counties Tournament at Fountain Valley Saturday.

Robbie Shelton of Western had 30 points and 18 rebounds as he led his team to a 67-48 victory over Anaheim Friday. He had 27 points and eight rebounds in Western’s 63-51 loss to Brea-Olinda Wednesday.

Scott McCorkle

Capistrano Valley High

* Position: Forward

* Height, Weight, Class: 6-5, 215, Senior

* Last Week: McCorkle scored 51 points in two South Coast League victories.

* Season: McCorkle is averaging 27.2 points and 8.1 rebounds.