PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS : Edison Receives the Top Billing in Irvine

Edison, led by forward Brandon Jessie, the county’s top player, is the top-seeded team in the Irvine World News basketball tournament scheduled to begin Tuesday at three sites.

Games in the 16-team tournament will be played at University, Woodbridge and Irvine high schools. Irvine, runner-up in the tournament last year, is seeded second followed by Woodbridge and Peninsula.

Among the top players scheduled to compete are forwards Marcus Guild (San Clemente), Darren Crooks (Marina) and Matt Kordik (Esperanza); center Jermaine Galloway (Kennedy), and guards Darren Gravley (Laguna Beach), Brian Boothroyd (Irvine) and Todd Loewe (Woodbridge).

The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Christ College Irvine. Tuesday’s first-round pairings:

At University: 4:30 p.m.--Edison vs. San Clemente; 6--California vs. Peninsula; 7:30--University vs. Santa Ana.

At Irvine: 6 p.m.--Marina vs. San Pedro; 7:30--Irvine vs. Orange Lutheran.

At Woodbridge: 6 p.m.--Esperanza vs. Santa Ana Valley; 7:30--Westminster vs. Woodbridge.

Saddleback, undefeated in five games this season, is the favorite to win the Fullerton basketball tournament scheduled to begin Tuesday in Fullerton High’s gymnasium.

The eight-team tournament features some of the top teams in the north county, including Buena Park and Western.

Among the top players competing are guards Chris Jackson (Western) and Kelly Hambrick (La Mirada), and forwards Angel Barrios (Buena Park) and Jason Register (Saddleback).

The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday. The first-round pairings:

Tuesday: 6 p.m.--Western vs. La Mirada; 7:30--Buena Park vs. Cerritos.

Wednesday: 6 p.m.--Saddleback vs. Thousand Oaks; 7:30--Pacifica vs. Fullerton.

Troy and Century are co-favorites to win the Raider Classic scheduled to begin Tuesday in Sonora High’s gymnasium.

Among the top players scheduled to compete are forwards Ron Arristondo and Darvin Thompson (Century), Scott Williams (Southern California Christian) and Jim Falletta (Troy), and guard Jeff St. Clair (Sonora).

The championship game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Friday. The first-round pairings:

Tuesday: 5 p.m.--La Serna vs. Century; 7 p.m.--Costa Mesa vs. Sonora.

Wednesday: 5 p.m.--Southern California Christian vs. Santiago; 7 p.m.--Troy vs. Whittier.