No one could replace Bill Walton, so Ralph Drollinger just succeeded him.
The 7-foot Drollinger, an inch taller than the legendary Walton, played at Grossmont, arch rival of Walton’s Helix.
Drollinger posted San Diego County’s second highest, one-season scoring total, 878 points, to Walton’s 958.
Drollinger won a San Diego Section championship, to Walton’s two.
Drollinger attended UCLA and won two national collegiate championships, to Walton’s three.
Drollinger’s senior season at Grossmont concluded with a 29-3 record, to Walton’s 33-0 and 49-game winning streak in his last two seasons.
Walton is remembered as one of collegiate basketball’s all-time great players. Drollinger is remembered as a steady contributor, whose career ended with a strong, off-the-bench performance in the NCAA championship game at the San Diego International Sports Arena.
Drollinger, one of only six players employed in Bruins coach John Wooden’s last game, played defense and kept the Kentucky Wildcats off balance with a powerful, 13-rebound performance in a 87-82 UCLA victory.
HIGHLANDERS IN WAY
Post-Walton, Helix had a “down” year with a 21-9 record in 1970-71 but not surprisingly Bill Finley of the Evening Tribune declared the Highlanders No. 1 in his preseason poll, a tribute in part to coach Gordon Nash and his teams’ 109-21 (.846) record in Nash’s four years.
Helix also benefitted from the arrival of Crawford transfer Wilbert Olinde, a 6-foot-5 junior who averaged 18.3 points and whose 568 points would be fifth highest in the County.
The Scots posted a 24-7 record and made it to the finals again, but they came up short in three meetings with the Foothillers, who won the two Grossmont League matchups, 59-56 and 80-60, and the championship encounter, 58-56.
The Highlanders, who trailed by as much as 11 points, led the title game, 56-55, with 16 seconds remaining, but Helix’ 6-foot-9 Gary Ely fouled Drollinger.
“I had to make those foul shots,” understated Drollinger, who scored 34 points and had 12 rebounds. “We’d been working so hard. It really would have been a letdown if I hadn’t made ‘em.”
A basketball version of Honest Abe Lincoln, Drollinger questioned the official’s call on Ely, declaring, “I can’t remember him actually fouling me.”
Wilbert Olinde missed a short jump shot on the ensuing final possession and thought he was fouled by Tom Foulds. “I thought he hit me on the way up,” said Olinde. “I thought they’d called it. I thought I heard a whistle.”
It was a bitter loss for Helix, arguably having created the best athletic program in the area.
Grossmont, however, became the first school in the 12 years of the San Diego Section to win a football and basketball championship in the same school year.
RIVALRY
Helix led the all-time series with Grossmont, 27-16, entering this season and had never lost three in a row or been beaten so convincingly by the Foothillers as they were in the 20-point loss in the second round of Grossmont League play.
Drollinger had 34 points, 12 rebounds, blocked five shots, and altered the trajectory on several others.
“I’ve never been so high for a game,” Drollinger told Jack Williams of the Evening Tribune. “I don’t think I played my best game, but if I say that people will probably think I’m really high on myself or something.”
Helix became frustrated and was assessed three technical fouls. “The Highlanders couldn’t play their game,” wrote Jack Williams, “and when that became apparent early their poise went out the window.”
SCORING
The trend to higher scores and higher averages topped 1970-71 performances but fell short of the Walton-paced 1969-70 season.
There was one player this season with more than 700 points, four over 600, and 14 over 500. Those numbers compared with five over 700, 11 over 600, and 15 over 500 in 1969-70 and one over 600 and seven over 500 in 1970-71.
Ten players averaged 20.1 points a game or better, compared to four in 1970-71, and 10 in 1969-70, when 10 averaged at least 23.0 and 20 averaged at least 20.0.
An all-time high of 31 players scored at least 400 points this season, compared to 28 in 1969-70 and 29 in 1970-71.
John Fairchild of San Dieguito scored 428 points and was the only player with at least 400 in 1960-61, the first year of the San Diego Section.
1971-72 leaders:
| Ralph Drollinger | Grossmont | 32 | 878 | 27.4 (1) |
| Marty Mayer | Clairemont | 30 | 628 | 20.9 (7) |
| Steve Copp | Hilltop | 28 | 625 | 22.3 (5) |
| Geoff Hinkle | Santana | 24 | 616 | 25.7 (2) |
| Wilbert Olinde | Helix | 31 | 568 | 18.3 |
| Mark Dobransky | Mount Miguel | 25 | 565 | 22.6 (4) |
| Dan Schmidt | El Capitan | 27 | 564 | 20.9 (7) |
| Dana Blalock | San Dieguito | 24 | 554 | 23.1 (3) |
| Mike Liedike | Chula Vista | 27 | 549 | 20.3 (9) |
| Tom Lines | Bonita Vista | 31 | 549 | 17.7 |
| Steve Seidler | Point Loma | 23 | 505 | 22.0 (6) |
| Zeke Sanchez | Morse | 27 | 503 | 18.6 |
| Geno Dente | Coronado | 27 | 497 | 18.4 |
| James Robinson | San Diego | 30 | 493 | 16.4 |
| Bob Russell | Mission Bay | 25 | 483 | 19.3 |
| Bob McIver | St. Augustine | 24 | 482 | 20.1(10) |
| Rock Lee | Madison | 31 | 481 | 15.5 |
| Jim March | Bonita Vista | 31 | 475 | 15.3 |
| David Ross | El Capitan | 25 | 474 | 19.0 |
| John Hurlburt | El Cajon Valley | 25 | 474 | 19.0 |
| Stan Rosendahl | Bonita Vista | 31 | 470 | 15.2 |
| Pete Weichert | Mar Vista | 28 | 468 | 16.7 |
| Genero Hukins | Montgomery | 27 | 462 | 17.1 |
| Ron Coppess | Orange Glen | 25 | 454 | 18.2 |
| Sam Pecktol | Castle Park | 25 | 449 | 18.0 |
| Willard Scott | San Diego | 28 | 448 | 16.0 |
| Williams | Escondido | 23 | 426 | 18.5 |
| Mark Schenewerk | Mar Vista | 28 | 420 | 15.0 |
| Claudie Henry | Hoover | 24 | 419 | 17.5 |
| Lou Faust | University | 29 | 414 | 14.3 |
| Henry Arviso | Santana | 26 | 402 | 15.5 |
| Bruce Coldwell | Madison | 29 | 401 | 13.8 |
| Carl Zemlick | Monte Vista | 26 | 400 | 15.4 |
John Oakes of Borrego Springs had a reported 23-point average but final averages and results for all games for small schools players, including Ramona’s John Schneider and Christian’s Dan Kirby, who reportedly averaged 19 points, were omitted by newspapers.
TRIPLE FIGURES
The 100-point game was becoming less of a rarity.
Teams passed the century mark nine times in 1968-69, including six by Helix. It happened twice in 1970-71, and 11 times this season:
El Capitan 105, Sweetwater 44.
Madison 102, El Cajon Valley 43.
Bonita Vista 114, Vista 50.
Ramona 104, Mountain Empire 43.
Christian 113, Borrego Springs 59.
Bonita Vista 102, Montgomery 57.
Hilltop 101, Coronado 68.
Hilltop 116, Castle Park 63.
Ramona 101, Borrego Springs 46.
Helix 115, Granite Hills 65.
Bonita Vista 113, Madison 56.
CLOSE, BUT NOT
Coached by Bill Foley, a star at Chula Vista in the late ‘fifties, the Bonita Vista Barons almost ran the table.
An early-season, 77-74 loss to Madison was their only defeat and their 26-1 record was better than any of other three playoffs semifinalists. The Chula Vistans were averaging 84 points a game.
Helix knocked out the Barons, 59-57, in a taut defensive struggle that went a playoff record two overtimes before Helix’ Jim Aunan hit an eight-foot runner six seconds before a third extra session.
“I can replay the game one hundred times and find a hundred different ways we could have won,” said Foley.
The Bonita coach picked Grossmont to win the next night. “Ralph Drollinger can control the tempo of the game and the boards by himself.”
DO WE HAVE TO?
John Hannon, coach of the 24-6 Warhawks, found himself coaching in the third place game for the fourth time in six years after the 74-63 loss to Grossmont in the semifinals. “It’s getting a little old,” said Hannon.
Hannon’s team did not seem interested. Foley was determined not to have his team lose twice before the big crowd at the Sports Arena.
“We were rated number one by some people and we’d look awfully bad if we turned out to be number four,” said Foley.
The Barons (29-2) got after it early and ran the Warhawks off the floor, 113-56.
Bonita Vista led, 45-3, with 6:15 remaining in the first half and at one point scored 34 consecutive points.
John Hannon said he let the team decide whether it wanted to play to win or whether it preferred letting every one play. “They voted to let everyone play,” said Hannon, who used various combinations of players and never included the five who had won 24 games including 77-74 over Bonita Vista in the Baron-Optimist Tournament.
NEW PLAYOFF FORMAT
CIF bosses loosened their rules on the playoffs, which still were one week in duration but allowed for a Wednesday day off for the four teams that would go to the semifinals.
The previous, four-games-in-four-days was under fire from coaches, some claiming it was nothing more than an endurance test. “We had to do something,” said CIF honcho Don Clarkson.
DREADED ADMINISTRATIVE GLITCH
In a long history of CIF and school administrative goofs, this was a whopper, circumstances of which are reprinted in part from the Evening Tribune Feb. 23, 1972:
“Last night’s second-round game between Hilltop and Madison was supposed to be played at Grossmont College.
“It wasn’t.
“As several hundred prospective customers learned when they arrived at an empty gym, the site had been changed.
“Not Sunday or Monday…but roughly seven hours before the game.
“It seems county commissioner Don Clarkson, whose job it is to coordinate the playoffs, neglected to reserve the facility.
“He made a tentative reservation…but he never filed a facilities request,” said a Grossmont College spokesman.
“Clarkson said he didn’t know such a form was required.
“The Evening Tribune was told last night that Clarkson had been informed in writing of the procedure 14 months ago.
“Hilltop and Madison were not aware of the problem until midmorning yesterday.
“Hilltop vice principal William Darton drove to the college…and learned on arrival the gym was unavailable.
“…the two schools began searching for what Clarkson termed ‘a large, neutral gym.’”
“They settled on Castle Park High, one of the smaller gyms in the County and one eight blocks away from Hilltop.
Madison coach John Hannon was incensed and Hilltop, which rented booster buses for the trip to Grossmont, wasn’t delighted by the move…
“Clarkson blamed ‘a mix-up in communication’ for the problem.”
Madison won, 61-49.
KIWANIS TOURNAMENT
–Forty-four teams participated in the 25th annual event, oldest and largest in the state.
–El Capitan (15-12) broke the single-game scoring record of 104 by Newhall Hart in 1954-55 with a 105-44 win over Sweetwater (1-23).
–Helix won the Unlimited Division championship, 60-53, over San Diego (17-12), which led, 49-47, with 3:41 remaining.
–Poway (22-3) upset undefeated (7-0) Hilltop (23-5 overall), 76-71 for the Limited Division title. “I was over confident,” said Hilltop coach Paul Pruitt. “The kids were, too.”
–Bonita Vista topped Coronado (14-13), 88-63, for the Classified crown.
UNIVERSITY
–All games in the 16-team event were played at the University of San Diego. Mission Bay (10-17) and Lincoln (22-7) squared off in the first game at 8 a.m. on Day I, the Buccaneers winning, 53-51, on John Vales’ basket at the buzzer.
–Ralph Drollinger scored 34 points, but University (20-8) edged Grossmont, 57-53, and followed with a 58-52 win over Clairemont (22-9) for the championship.
–Drollinger’ 130 points in 4 games bettered the record of 121 by Kearny’s Wilburn Strong in 1968-69.
EL CENTRO ELKS
–Las Vegas Rancho edged Morse (14-13), 61-59, in the Unlimited Division and Calipatria outscored Coronado, 55-51, for the Limited title.
CHINO
–After an 82-60 win over Duarte, San Dieguito (12-12) dropped a 79-53 decision to Covina South Hills and 58-56 to Claremont in the fifth place semifinals. Escondido (4-20) and Chula Vista (12-14) went out in the early rounds.
NEWPORT HARBOR
Oceanside (15-10) led, 19-8, after one quarter but then was ushered into the consolation bracket by Las Vegas Clark, 84-63. The Pirates recovered to win the consolation crown, 69-58 over Gardena and 65-62 over Las Vegas Western.
COVINA
Poway upset Los Angeles Fairfax, 67-56, in the first round, but lost to Pasadena Muir, 57-55, the following day.
BARON-OPTIMIST
–The host Barons opened with a 37-8 first quarter against Vista (4-19) and went on to set a team record in the 114-50 triumph. They had scored 98 in 1970-71 vs. Mar Vista.
–A Bonita Vista-Helix final was short circuited when San Diego upset Helix, 74-72. Madison then knocked off the 9-0 Barons, 77-74, for the championship.
FOULED
Ramona (17-8) defeated Christian (19-5), 71-66, for the Class A title at La Jolla High, where whistles could be heard all the way to Bird Rock.
There were 54 personal fouls called, with six players, three on each team, fouling out. A total of 73 free throws were attempted. Ramona converted 19×35 and Christian 18×38.
John Schneider led the winners with 27 points, Don Kirby with 23 for the losers.
LET’S STALL
San Diego (17-12) was scoreless in the third quarter and beat Crawford (2-19), 30-28. Crawford, which held the ball in the first half, outscored the Cavers, 2-0, in that quarter after San Diego did not shoot the last 6:39.
THEY’RE FREE
Geoff Hinkle of Santana (12-14) had games in which he scored 17, 15, 14, and 14 from the free throw line. “He’s so darned quick with his shot you’ve got to play him tight and then he drives by you and you’re grabbing for him,” said Grossmont coach Jack Shawcroft.
JUMP SHOTS
The 6,724 persons who attended the championship game at the Sports Arena bettered the record of 6,479 at the 1970-71 final…a crowd of 5,870 in the round of four semifinals on Friday night brought the two-night total to 12,594…Drollinger’s 41 points in a 70-51 win over La Jolla tied the school record, set by Bill Biggs in 1962-63…Grossmont took a 20-8, first-quarter lead in its 59-56 win over Helix that ended the Highlanders’ 40-game home streak, which stretched to 1968-69…Morse, 1 for 18 from the field in the second quarter, was 13×13 in free throws in the fourth quarter and upended Lincoln, 62-57…”If it hadn’t been for Mike Liedike we’d have blown ‘em out,” said Grossmont coach Jack Shawcroft of the Foothillers’ 61-55 win over Chula Vista (12-15)…Liedike’s 28 points, 8 rebounds, five blocks and 13×25 shooting from the field couldn’t overcome the 27 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 11×17 shooting by Drollinger….
BTW, the Hilltop player in the Mike Haworth photo is Lancer Dale Tussing.
Thank you, Dale. We’ll add your identification to the caption.
You’re right Dale, I was watching from the bench.
Paul L
Rick….
Since I went to a small private school, the Union Tribune didn’t provide much coverage for us. I believe, and trust me, my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be, I averaged a little under 20 points per game, but my school, Christian High School, led the county in scoring average. Oh, and my name is Dan, not Don. Thanks for all of your hard work.
Dan Kirby
’72 graduate of Christian High School
And Steve Copp is head of the orthopedic department at Scripps!
Don…er, Dan, I’ll correctly list your name in the 1971-1972 narrative. There were players like you from small schools who did not get deserved attention. Some times their school coach or correspondent didn’t report the results to the newspapers, but in many cases the newspapers just didn’t consider the small schools, or did not have enough space, or energy to take the time. Thanks for writing and I’ll make a note that you reportedly averaged 19 points.
Rick Missed You At That REBEL vs AZTEC Game A Week Ago – Catch You Next Year! I Was A Sophomore When Hilltop Played Madison at Castle Park in That Playoff Game & Never Knew About That Game Being Played At Grossmont JC!
Back Then Playing at The Sports Arena In The Final Four Was A Big Deal & We Got Beat by Madison in A Tight Game In That Packed Gym – Copp Still Blames Me For Losing That Game – I Had A Great First Half but Evidently Not So In The Second Half! That Madison Team Was Huge – Wished They’d Have Had That Game ay Southwestern Where My Dad Was The Coach! Anyway Rick – Love The 70’s Shout Out & Just Wanted To Say Thank You👍🏀
Thanks for writing, Mike. Was it you or your brother who played at Marian? Your coach at Hilltop, Paul Pruitt, had a terrific run there. He was, I would say, a dour individual.
Dour may be too strong an adjective, but he was a guy who didn’t suffer fools, from my intertaction with him.
I would have been at game but was in Connecticut for my grandson’s 16th birthday. I’ll be at Utah State game Saturday.
Big George Went To Marian! My Dad Pulled Me Out Of Parochial School In The 8th Grade Or I Would Have Played On Those Real Strong Marian Teams In 73 & 74 & I Think We Could Have Done Some Damage Those Years! Pruitt Left After My Sophomore Year At Hilltop- By The Way Got To Say Hello To Steve Copp At That Game – He Looks Good👍
Hiya Rick,
I played for Hilltop on 72 team, Mike indeed was a terrific player.
I think George played at Marian. You mentioned Paul Pruitt, he indeed was a good coach, as his record speaks of.
A little boorish I believe. But loved by all who played for him.
I would describe Paul Pruitt as dour or taciturn. Excellent coach.
Mike Milke…one of the best athletes ever! I was grateful to know him back when.
He was part of a legendary South Bay family of basketball success: brother George and father George (Bud) Milke.
Rick, you need to correct the first name on scoring leaders table to Ralph instead of Steve.
Thank you. Will do. I must have been thinking about Steve Copp. Again, thank you.