2025-26 Basketball Week 4: Santa Fe Christian Holds No. 1
The so-called “Maffei Madness” San Diego Section poll, conducted by the very sane John Maffei of the Union-Tribune:
First-place votes in parenthesis. Previous ranking in italics. Cal-Hi Sports rankings are by Mark Tennis, the newsletter’s publisher, with contribution from statewide correspondents. Max Preps essentially relies on individual school representatives.
TEAM
RECORD
POINTS
PREVIOUS
MAXPREPS.COM
CAL-HI SPORTS
1. Santa Fe Christian
19-2 (14)
174
1
17 (18)
29 (28)
2. Victory Christian
16-4 (3)
162
2
34 (38)
NR (Not Ranked)
3. Francis Parker
12-9
143
3
67 (78)
30 (On Bubble)
4. San Marcos
16-5
114
(7)
57 (72)
NR
5. Cathedral
14-8
89
5
101 (100)
NR
6.Mission Bay
14-8
72
(4)
84
NR
7. Olympian
17-4
68
(8)
72
NR
8.Mira Mesa
16-6
51
(9)
83
NR
9. Torrey Pines
11-10
49
(10)
129 (144)
NR
10. La Costa Canyon
16-6
48
(6)
78
NR
Others receiving votes: Montgomery (16-5, 10 points), St. Augustine (11-11, 7), Poway (15-7, 3) Army-Navy (15-7, 1), Calexico (16-4, 1), Christian (14-8, 1) 3) Brawley (14-4, 1), Madison (14-5, 1), VOTING PANEL (18) John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-Time Hoops),
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance contributors).
Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section honchos).
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference). Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson (San Diego Section Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, John (Coach) Kentera, Adam Paul, Tom Ronco, Eric Williams (freelance contributors).
2025-26 Basketball Week 3: Ramona Sharpshooter Lights Up Scoreboard
Tayden Bryant of Ramona set a school record of 51 points in a 77-43, Valley League victory over San Pasqual last week.
Fifty points was once an extremely rare accomplishment.
There have been many games of 50 points or more by an individual player since St. Augustine’s Tom Shaules scored 60 in the 1957-58 season against Crawford, years before the three-point field goal came into play.
The innumerable number of games and points and lack of sustained record keeping, or reporting, in earlier years make basketball a most challenging sport when it comes to posting stats of the “most”.
The table, which begins decades after the game came to San Diego, lists an evolution of individual high scoring. Additions, corrections welcomed:
YEAR
NAME
TEAM
POINTS
OPPONENT
SCORE
1939-40
Bud Ingle
Coronado
35
La Jolla
57-16
1943-44
Ivan Robinson
San Diego
38
Kearny
70-25
1950-51
Paul Lockridge
Fallbrook
47
Brown Military
90-31
1956-57
Tom Shaules
St. Augustine
49
Helix
86-72
1957-58
Shaules
60
Crawford
102-38
1969-70
Rob Petrie
Julian
Mountain Empire
115-76
1976-77
Mitchell Lilly
Madison
61
San Diego
118-84
1989-90
Tony Clark
Christian
64
La Jolla Country Day
103-65
2004-05
Tyrone Shelley
Crawford
76
Burlington Central, Canada
138-29
2019-20
Mikey Williams
San Ysidro
77
Kearny
116-42
The so-called “Maffei Madness” San Diego Section poll conducted by the very sane John Maffei of the Union-Tribune:
First-place votes in parenthesis. Previous ranking (if changed) in italics. Cal-Hi Sports rankings are by Mark Tennis, the newsletter’s publisher, with contribution from his statewide correspondents. Max Preps essentially relies on individual school representatives.
TEAM
RECORD
POINTS
PREVIOUS
MAXPREPS.COM
CAL-HI SPORTS
1. Santa Fe Christian
18-2 (11)
170
1
18 (12)
28 (Not Ranked)
2. Victory Christian
16-4 (4)
160
2
38 (47)
Not Ranked
3. Francis Parker
10-9
135
(5)
78 (99)
On Bubble
4. Mission Bay
13-7
116
(3)
68 (84)
NR
5. Cathedral
13-7
95
(4)
99 (100)
NR
6. La Costa Canyon
16-5
83
(9)
61 (71)
NR
7. San Marcos
13-5
81
(8)
72 (94)
NR
8. Olympian
16-4
51
(10)
86 (83)
NR
9. Mira Mesa
15-5
36
(Not Ranked)
82
NR
10. Torrey Pines
9-10
22
(6)
159 (144)
NR
Others receiving votes: Madison (14-5, 18 points), Montgomery (14-5, 6), Brawley (14-4, 1), Pacific Ridge (16-4, 1), Rancho Buena Vista (11-10, 1). VOTING PANEL (18) John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-Time Hoops),
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance contributors).
Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section honchos).
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference). Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson (San Diego Section Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, John (Coach) Kentera, Adam Paul, Tom Ronco, Eric Williams (freelance contributors).
2025-26 Basketball Week 2: Santa Fe Christian Dominates
First-place votes in parenthesis. Previous ranking (if changed) in italics. Cal-Hi Sports rankings are by Mark Tennis, the newsletter’s publisher, with contribution from his statewide correspondents. Max Preps essentially relies on individual school representatives.
VOTING PANEL (18) John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-Time Hoops),
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance contributors).
Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section honchos).
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference). Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson (San Diego Section Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, John (Coach) Kentera, Adam Paul, Tom Ronco, Eric Williams (freelance contributors).
Hoover’s playoff advance was halted at the foul line.
Merrill Douglas ended a great run at San Diego High.
Lincoln showed that patience had virtue.
—John Kovac was a football coach who happened to come along at the right basketball time at Coronado.
The dour Kovac without prompting often recalled that he coached future NFL stars Lenny Moore and Roosevelt Grier when Kovac guided the Penn State freshmen team.
Relocating to San Diego’s trans-bay community in the early ‘fifties, Kovac still saw football in his future but found himself directing the Islanders’ basketball program, with stunning success.
Kovac’s teams posted a three-season, 63-13 record with players who weren’t very tall but had roadrunner speed and swarmed on defense.
Despite starters Charlie Love, Willie Dickey, and Roger Nix returning from the 21-4 squad in ’54-55, Kovac’s preseason appraisal was loaded with typical coach speak:
“We will be very short and not nearly as fast or sharp as last year. We hope we’re not in for a long year.”
Coronado raced through the Avocado League schedule, finishing 12-0 and winning by an average score of 65-40. They were 27-1 overall, losing only to Hoover, 49-45, in an early December game.
Love, Dickey, Nix, Jon Crawford, Steve Solier, and Dennis (Swede) Grimaud, none taller than Nix’s 6-feet, 1 inch, were the principals as the Islanders won their last 25 and the CIF Southern Section Southern Group (small schools) championship.
As one of the top seeds, the Islanders had a first-round bye in the playoffs and then blew out Tustin, 75-55, with a 28-13 fourth quarter on the neutral Sweetwater floor as Herman Wright led all scorers with 25 points. Charlie Love added 16, and Roger Nix 15.
They sweated out a 55-50, semifinals victory over San Jacinto, after having built a 34-19 halftime lead at neutral Hemet High and then seeing top scorer Roger Nix foul out midway through the second half.
(“Neutral” courts, as mandated by the CIF, meant that host teams usually played at venues close to home. Hemet was less than three-and-a-half miles from the Tigers’ facility.)
Nix and his teammates then surprised and silenced most of the 2,300 persons in attendance at Azusa College with a 60-54, championship game victory over Azusa Citrus and high scoring Billy Kilmer.
Winning on the road was the sweetener. Citrus had beaten Coronado, 63-58, in the finals the year before as the visiting team at Point Loma High.
Kovac left Coronado and moved to Hoover as an assistant football coach in 1956.
Two years later the transplanted Pennsylvanian joined the staff at San Diego Junior College and became the Knights’ head coach in 1961. Kovac started the new Mesa College program and posted a 30-14-2 record from 1964-68.
Coronado coach John Kovac probably could have fielded a track team with this fast-breaking five of (from left) Charlie Love, Roger Nix, Herman Wright, Jon Crawford, and Steve Solier.
CARDINALS HAVE HUGE RESUME
Hoover won the postseason Beverly Hills Tournament title in 1944-45 when there were no CIF playoffs because of World War II. The East San Diego squad had not gotten that far before or since.
Three days prior to their win over Coronado, the Cardinals came from behind in the fourth quarter for a 41-39 win at Long Beach Poly, giving them victories over two of the three eventual Southern Section champions in less than a week.
Poly won the Central Group (large) playoff championship, defeating Montebello, 74-63, after the Oilers had beaten Hoover, 69-57, in the semifinals.
Hoover was 11-1 in the City Prep League and opened the postseason with a 63-52 win at Point Loma over Newport Beach Newport Harbor, which had knocked out Helix, 66-60, in the first round.
Charlie Hampton, in fourth season as coach, had 25-game winners with this group.
Next was a quarterfinals test at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa against nearby Redondo Beach Redondo Union.
Hoover led, 54-47, with 2:45 remaining. Redondo went into a press. Rex Hughes, who had 28 points and 15 rebounds, scored with 46 seconds left to forge a tie at 54.
The Seahawks stole a pass as Hoover attempted to get the ball down court after Hughes’ basket. Traveling was called on Redondo. Hoover inbounded again, Walt Baranski to Larry Elliot, who passed crosscourt, where Bill Landry drained a 15-foot jump shot with 15 seconds remaining for a 56-54 win.
The Cardinals were eliminated in the semifinals before an overflow crowd at Long Beach City College by Montebello and jump-shooting Jerry Pimm, whose lovely floaters and 28 points kept the Cardinals at a distance and in foul trouble.
Pimm found the range firing behind screens as Hoover’s man-to-man defenders, trying to keep up with Pimm, constantly bumped into one of Pimm’s teammates, usually center Bill Doner.
HOOVER’S EDGE IN FIELD GOALS
The Cardinals outscored the Oilers, 46-40, from the field, but the winner had an 18-point advantage at the free throw line, converting 29 of 39 attempts, 10 by Pimm, and 13 by Doner. Hoover was 11×23.
Larry Elliot, Hoover’s all-City forward and second-team all-Southern California selection, scored 22 points, 14 in the second half, but Elliot fouled out, as did guards Bill Landry and Walt Baranski.
Landry actually held Pimm scoreless for the game’s first seven minutes, but acquired three personals during that time.
Hoover defeated Glendale Hoover, 57-53, the following evening for third place and a final, 25-5 record.
David Washington, rebounding against Chula Vista, and Bob Mendoza (37) were veterans enjoying success at Lincoln.
HORNETS STEP UP
Lincoln, 2-18 and 6-16 with virtually the same squad in its first two seasons, reaped the fruits of their sometimes painful development, which originated with games on the Hornets’ outdoor, asphalt court and in Municipal Gym.
Coach Don Smith’s club, with City League player of the year and three-year starter Bob Mendoza leading the way, were 10-2 in the league and 20-4 overall.
A 62-46 loss to Hoover in the first round of play was erased with a 56-43 victory before a packed house in Lincoln’s new gymnasium in the second round of CPL play.
The Hornets’ foray into the playoffs started with a 62-54 win over Grossmont.
The postseason ended quickly and with finality in a 71-52 loss to Long Beach Poly, led by the Southern California player of the year, 6-foot, 7-inch Jim Hannah.
Two busloads of Lincoln students arrived at Long Beach Jordan at halftime of the second-round contest. Poly led, 36-23.
The seemingly awestruck Hornets were outnumbered everywhere. Poly had more cheerleaders than Lincoln had players and the Jackrabbits’ bench was a long, green and gold line.
“We were like a bunch of elementary school kids (in that environment),” said Hornets guard Brad Griffith.
DOUGLAS MOVES ON
—Merrill Douglas, who succeeded Bill Schutte as head coach in 1940-41, stepped down at San Diego High and moved across Russ Boulevard to San Diego Junior College.
Douglas, who missed three seasons serving in the military in World War II, guided teams that averaged 19 wins and posted a 236-76 (.756) record in 12 seasons.
The San Diego Junior College Knights won the Metropolitan Conference championship in Douglas’ first season. He also served as the school’s athletics director and took the same position when Mesa College opened in 1964.
Olympians teams and high schools eventually would play football and compete in track and field and soccer in the Merrill Douglas Stadium on campus.
DAVEY, DAVEY…?
No, not Davey Crockett, but La Jolla had a couple sharpshooters by the same name. Clyde Crockett led City Prep League scores with 209 points in 12 games, a 17.4 average. Crockett’s younger brother, Doug, had 94 points and a 7.8 average.
Mission Bay’s Leroy Brandt (15.2) was runner-up to Clyde in league scoring, followed by Jim Gilchrist (14.0) of San Diego, Lincoln’s Bob Mendoza (13.6), Willie West (13.2) of San Diego, Bill Landry (11.7) and Larry Elliot (11.3) of Hoover, and Brad Griffith (10.8) of Lincoln.
Helix’ Gael Barsotti led Metropolitan League scorers with an 18.4 average in eight games. Chula Vista’s Bill Collins (15.8), Helix’ Ronnie Mulder (15.4), and Grossmont’s Lowell Raper (12.5) followed.
Doug (left) and Clyde Crockett carried La Jolla banner.
Prep writers of the day did not list scoring beyond league play and Avocado and Southern League scorers, such as Coronado’s Roger Nix and others, were not listed at all.
NORMANS DEFEND
Beverly Hills defeated Hoover, 45-42, for its second consecutive Kiwanis Tournament Unlimited Division title.
San Diego, waiting on several players still playing football, surprised Inglewood Morningside, 51-46, in the first round. Months later Morningside scored a 64-62 win over Beverly Hills for the CIF Northern Group (small schools) playoff title.
Mar Vista’s Larry Boyd, who earned all-Southern California second-team honors in 1954-55, scored 99 points in four games to break the Kiwanis scoring record of 96, set the year before by Morningside’s John Arrillaga.
Boyd scored 25, but the Mariners couldn’t overcome the 19 each by Jon Crawford and Willie Dickey, who led Coronado to a 53-49 triumph in the Limited final.
ABOVE THE TREE LINE
Helix reportedly had 14 players on varsity and JV, standing at least 6-3. The varsity measured 6-6 Bill Turpin, 6-5 Ronnie Mulder, and 6-5 Mel Robinson.
Tallest Metro Leaguer was Grossmont’s Lee Carick, a 6-9 reserve center.
Andy Dunn, a reserve forward at Point Loma, and Lincoln backup center Bill Beatty stood highest in the City League, each at 6-5.
JUMP SHOTS
Julian was ousted from the playoffs for the smallest schools, 78-43, by Brea-Olinda…Grossmont won a coin flip with Helix to determine playoff pairings after the teams tied for the Metropolitan League title…Lincoln topped the Foothillers at Hoover behind 20 points by Bob Mendoza and 14 by Brad Griffith…Helix led Newport Harbor, 17-12, after one quarter at Garden Grove High, but Ronnie Mulder was sidelined for long periods with 4 fouls…Lincoln’s first victory over San Diego in football or basketball was a 55-53 thriller in which the Hornets overcame a six-point San Diego lead in the fourth quarter…Mendoza’s two free throws, after a layup by Griffith, put Lincoln in front, 54-51, in the final minute…San Diego coach Merrill Douglas surprised Lincoln in the league opener with a zone defense that stymied the Hornets, 35-30…late-arriving football stars Willie West (guard) and Deron Johnson (center) were starters for the Cavemen…Escondido made 29 of 44 free throw attempts in a 65-59 win over Vista…the Cougars and Panthers committed 46 fouls in the 32-minute game …Coronado set an Avocado League points record in an 81-55 victory over Escondido…Helix posted the highest total in the Metropolitan League in a 79-50 conquest of Sweetwater…Coronado’s starters played all but two minutes in a 71-32 rout of Escondido…La Jolla’s George Graham set a City League Class B record with 33 points in a 68-46 win over Kearny…San Diego’s sophomore team, paced by Edward Lee Johnson’s 17.2 average, was 20-0…Vista played in the post-Christmas Banning tournament and Helix was in the Fillmore event…Chula Vista topped Bell Gardens, 50-46, for the consolation title at Chino….
2025-26 Basketball Week 1: John Maffei Madness
We bided our time for several weeks before tuning in to the Union-Tribune writer’s 2025-26 season weekly poll, which he began weeks earlier. That explains our Week 1 designation for winter Maffei Madness.
So far, other than a few intersectional victories along the way, it’s been a relatively quiet season in the San Diego Section.
Two small private schools, Santa Fe Christian in Solana Beach and Victory Christian in Chula Vista, are holding sway; traditional big shots Mission Bay and Cathedral have represented, but Torrey Pines and St. Augustine are treading water.
Things should change in the next several weeks. The season is at about the halfway juncture. League play now is paramount, along with the occasional weekend “classics”.
Cal-Hi Sports, which publishes a top 50 in football, so far has scaled basketball down to 30, without a single San Diego Section team in the mix. Santa Fe, Mission Bay, and Francis Parker are on Cal-Hi’s bubble.
First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Cal-Hi Sports rankings are by Mark Tennis, the newsletter’s publisher, with contribution from his statewide correspondents. Max Preps essentially relies on various school representatives.
VOTING PANEL (18) John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-Time Hoops),
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance contributors).
Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section honchos).
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference). Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson (San Diego Section Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, John (Coach) Kentera, Adam Paul, Tom Ronco, Eric Williams (freelance contributors).
1935 Baseball: Slow Beginning Didn’t Stop Hilltoppers From 10th Championship
Coach Mike Morrow’s team started with an uneven, 2-3-1 record and needed a tie-breaking playoff win over Long Beach Poly for the Coast League championship and berth in the Southern Section playoffs.
Vance Randolph, sidelined a few games because of illness, was the Hilltoppers’ most-valuable player, with a .521 season batting average and pitched the 8-2 victory over undefeated (12-0) Santa Maria that clinched the school’s 10th Southern Section title.
Morrow’s team was 15-8-1 overall and 13-4 against high school squads.
3/1/35
An alumni team, comprised of several professional players leaving for spring training, was scheduled to meet the San Diego High varsity tomorrow in a third annual benefit contest.
Proceeds would be used to help send the Hillers to Pomona for the annual 20-30 Rotary Club Invitational and demonstrations in base running, throwing, and fungo hitting was to add to the game activity.
Among those scheduled to play for the alumni included Athos Sada, Al McNeely and brothers Chet and Swede Smith.
—The Hoover varsity had 13 base hits to 5 and defeated the “Yannigans”, 12-7, in an intrasquad game. The team name was slang for rookie or reserve players.
Future Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams (top row, middle), and catcher-third baseman Roy Engle, top, third from right, led Hoover Cardinals.
3/2/35
Heavy rain soaked the City Stadium field and forced cancelation of the alumni-varsity contest.
3/3/35
Julius Skinner gave up one hit and doubled in the winning runs in the ninth inning of a 3-1 victory over the Hilltoppers’ Yannigans.
3/6/35
The destroyer escort U.S.S. Dobbin team won its 48th consecutive game, 3-1 in seven innings over San Diego High. Hillers starter Vance Randolph took the loss, having given up two runs in the top of the seventh.
3/8/35
Heavy rain the night before washed out the Hoover-vs.-Alumni game at Hoover, canceling a planned “Dad’s Day” for fathers of Cardinals players.
3/12/35
Frank Galindo’s triple scored Bing Williams in the eighth inning and San Diego and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot battled to a 1-1 tie after nine innings on the Leathernecks’ diamond.
—First baseman Ted Williams had five base hits and Hoover had 17 overall in a 17-3 win over the Naval Hospital squad.
3/13/35
Ted Williams relieved starter Morris Hurst after MCRD erupted for eight runs in the first inning. Williams kept it close but the Leathernecks beat the guests, 12-11.
3/14/35
Bill Skelley and Julius Skinner limited the U.S.S. Milwaukee team to two hits as the San Diego won, 11-1, in City Stadium.
3/16/35
Ted Williams hit two home runs and a double and pitched the last three innings in relief of starter Ralph Twiss as Hoover scored a 6-2 victory over the Santa Ana Saints at Hoover.
—The Alumni defeated San Diego, 12-5, the graduates bunching seven hits and a couple Hilltoppers errors against starter Vance Randolph and relief pitcher Bill Skelley.
3/20/35
The Texas Liquor House team had 14 base hits against pitchers Morris Hurst and Ted Williams and defeated Hoover, 10-8, at Golden Hill Playground.
3/21/35
Charlie Strada allowed one hit and St. Augustine won, 4-0, at Sweetwater.
3/23/35
Winning pitcher Bill Skelley tripled in three runs in the top of the ninth inning and San Diego, outhit, 17-12, scored another run in the 10th to defeat the USC Trojans’ Freshmen, 12-11. By agreement, San Diego was visiting team in the City Stadium encounter.
—Third baseman Roy Engle doubled and tripled and Woody Helm and Morris Hurst added three hits each as Hoover took a 10-1 victory at Long Beach Wilson.
Standouts (from left) were Bill Skelley, San Diego High; Ted Williams, Hoover; Vance Randolph, San Diego, and Woody Helm, Hoover.
3/26/35
Hosts Ralph Twiss and Ted Williams gave up three hits and Hoover scored a 3-2 victory over the combined San Diego State Varsity and Freshmen squads.
—The Hoover junior varsity and the Grossmont varsity struggled to a 0-0 tie at Grossmont, days after the teams deadlocked, 4-4, at Hoover. San Diego High’s JV outlasted the Coronado varsity, 9-7, at Golden Hill Playground.
3/27/35
Hoover outhit host Sweetwater, 7-6, and made the hits count in a 7-2 nonleague win. The U.S. Coast Guard vessel Bonham squad struck for 18 hits in a 16-5 win at Coronado.
3/28/35
San Diego opened Coast League play with a 4-2 victory at Santa Ana. Frank Galindo homered off Saints ace Willie (Emperor) Jones, but the Hillers trailed, 2-1, before launching five hits in a three-run rally in the eighth inning, ignited by a single by Bill Skelley, who pitched the distance, allowing four hits.
—Coronado outscored St. Augustine, 11-6.
3/30/35 Dick Sawaya’s two-run home run was not enough as the visiting San Diego Hillers dropped a 4-3 decision to the USC Freshmen at Bovard Field on the Trojans’ campus.
4/1/35
Charlie Strada’s four-hit pitching was enough for St. Augustine, 2-1 winner over the Naval Hospital team at Golden Hill Playground.
—Escondido defeated the visiting San Diego High junior varsity, 8-1, behind Orville Hoffmann’s four-hit pitching.
—Ted Williams went the distance on the pitching mound and went the distance at bat, socking two home runs in the Cardinals’ 11-3 win over the Marine Corps team on the Leathernecks’ diamond.
4/4/35
Art Rinder pitched a one-hitter and St. Augustine topped Coronado, 10-1, at Golden Hill playground.
—Marshall Pierson’s Texaco Servicemen dropped an 8-3 decision at Hoover.
4/5/35
Charlie Strada stopped the San Diego Junior Varsity, 4-2, and St. Augustine improved its record to 5-1-1 at University Heights playground.
—Grossmont led Oceanside, 2-1, in the seventh inning, when the Pirates took advantage of wildness and errors and beat the visiting Foothillers, 9-2.
Battery for Grossmont was from a famous San Diego sports family. Bill Nettles started on the mound and twin brother Wayne caught.
—Sweetwater topped Coronado, 5-4, as Jack Brink hurled an 11-inning complete game.
4/6/35
Ralph Twiss allowed one hit, a sixth-inning single, and struck out 13 as visiting Hoover walloped Covina, 15-0. Ted Williams hit for the cycle with a 5-for-5 day of two singles, double, triple, and home run.
The Cardinals’ Morris Siraton also had three singles and two doubles, and Sheldon Fouts homered. The Cardinals struck for 19 base hits against two Colts pitchers.
—Seven runs in the fourth inning held up for a 14-10, Coast League victory by Long Beach Poly over San Diego in the City Stadium.
The Hillers answered with six runs in the bottom of the inning but were victimized by six errors.
—Escondido took visitor Holtville, 7-1 and 9-6, in a doubleheader as the Hoffmann cousins, Karl and Orville, doubled up on the Vikings with complete game pitching.
4/9/35
Bill Ondler hit two doubles and Hoover outscored a team from the USS Detroit, 9-7.
4/10/35
Workhorse Charlie Strada tripled in two runs in the third inning and stopped Sweetwater on three hits in St. Augustine’s 3-1 win at University Heights.
4/11/35
Les Cassie’s double was the pivotal blow as the Hoover JV beat the Oceanside varsity, 5-4.
—Vance Randolph, sidelined with illness several weeks, returned to pitch and San Diego, with Bill Skelley relieving Randolph, scored a 14-6 win with a 22-hit attack over a team known as the All-Stars in the City Stadium.
—La Jolla, outhit, 11-6, outscored Sweetwater, 11-10, in a Metropolitan League game on the Vikings’ field. Monte Soule, touched for 11 hits, struck out 12 Red Devils in the victory.
—Bill Nettles went all the way on the mound and Grossmont scored three runs in the eighth inning and three in the ninth to outscore Metro defending champion Escondido, 6-5.
—Ted Williams had four hits and struck out 16 and Hoover defeated visiting Glendale, 10-5.
4/12/35
Bill Skelley scattered 11 hits and his home run in the seventh inning put San Diego ahead, 6-4 in the eventual 7-4 ictory over Glendale in City Stadium.
—Army-Navy’s Hugh Kittle struck out 17 Coronado Islanders and gave up one hit in a 1-0, Metro League victory on the Warriors’ diamond in Pacific Beach.
—Hoover won at San Bernardino, 7-1, as Ted Williams homered and singled and Tommy Johnson had two hits and scored four runs.
POMONA 20-30 ROTARY CLUB TOURNAMENT
4/18/35
A five-run fourth inning doomed San Diego in a loss to Fullerton, 7-6, sending the Hillers into the consolation bracket in an event they were champions in 1933 and ’34.
—Hoover defeated Whittier, St. Augustine topped Puente, 12-4, and Escondido defeated Sweetwater, 11-2, in other first-round games, all played to seven innings.
4/19/35
San Diego gained the Consolation Bracket finals with victories over Brea-Olinda, 9-3, in the morning and Glendale Hoover, 6-2 in the afternoon. Escondido advanced to the semifinal game by eliminating Montebello, 6-4, and Glendale, 2-1.
The Hilltoppers and Cougars were the only San Diego County teams remaining. Long Beach Poly committed six errors but did not allow a hit and bounced St. Augustine, guilty of seven errors, 6-1. Glendale ushered out Hoover, 3-2, and Sweetwater fell to Covina, 6-3.
4/20/35
San Diego won a consolation semifinal in the morning, 6-1 over Whittier, and conked Calexico, 15-0, in the afternoon final as sophomore Bill Skelley hurled a four-hitter. Gus Angelous and R.C. Moore hit home runs in the 14-hit attack.
Escondido was eliminated in the championship semifinals, 2-1, in eight innings by Pasadena Muir Technical. Long Beach Poly then edged Muir, 2-1, for the title.
—Back home, Hoover came up short again, 7-1, to the U.S.S. Whitney at Central Playground.
4/24/35
Third baseman Roy Engle starred in the field and at the plate as Hoover won the opener of the three-game “Civil War” series, 3-1, in seven innings after a 10 a.m. start in City Stadium before San Diego High’s student assembly and assorted baseball fans.
4/25/35
San Diego High evened the series before a Hoover crowd of assembled Cardinals students, 9-5.
Ted Williams, the winning pitcher two days before, was the losing pitcher as the rivalry series evened at one game apiece.Roy Engle doubled and tripled for Hoover and Williams hit a home run.
The Cardinals’ four-run outburst overcame a 1-0 San Diego lead in the third inning, but the Hilltoppers scored three in the fourth and five in the sixth.
Del Ballenger had four singles in four at bats in Hoover’s 12-hit attack. Frank Galindo had two of the Hillers’ nine hits.
San Diego had five hits in the five-run sixth, including doubles by Bill Skelley, R.C. Moore, and Jim Harris.
4/26/35
Bill Skelley’s two-hit pitching included 12 strikeouts and Johnny Bareno contributed a single and double and San Diego coasted, 7-0, at Pasadena.
—Sweetwater stepped out of the Metropolitan League again and sent St. Augustine back to its North Park campus, 7-1, a day following the Red Devils’ 10-3 win over the Hoover JV.
—Meanwhile, Oceanside (2-0) took undisputed possession of first place in the Metro, 4-0 over visiting La Jolla (2-1) behind Johnny Ortega’s two-hitter.
—Bill Nettles gave up six hits and hurled Grossmont (2-1) to a 10-5 win at Army-Navy (1-2) and Karl Hoffmann pitched Escondido (1-1) to a 3-1 victory at Coronado.
4/30/35
Ted Williams allowed five hits and Hoover defeated San Diego, 6-2, to claim the best-of-three series for the city championship. Williams, Roy Engle, and Woody Helm each had two hits.
5/3/35
Ted Williams homered and Ralph Twiss struck out 13 as Hoover won a nonleague game at La Jolla, 13-3.
—Karl Hofmann socked two home runs and Escondido, despite 12 strikeouts by Hugh Kittle, Hoffmann’s rival pitcher, won at Army-Navy, 10-5.
—Grossmont improved to 3-1 and was in first place in the Metropolitan League with a 6-4 win over visiting Coronado.
—The longest trip for any team other than San Diego or Hoover was Sweetwater’s 88-mile roundtrip jaunt to Oceanside, where the Red Devils scored a 7-3 victory.
—San Diego wrapped the Coast League race with a 6-2 win at Alhambra, giving the Hilltoppers a first-place tie with Long Beach Poly, each with a 4-1 record.
5/4/35
Charlie Strada scattered eight hits and the visiting Saints surprised at Hoover, 6-2, aided by a first-inning grand slam home run by Francis Drummy.
5/6/35
Bing Williams’ three-run home run in the first inning was enough for San Diego, behind Bill Skelley’s pitching, to claim a 7-2 victory in a playoff for the Coast League championship at Long Beach Poly.
5/9/35
CIF commissioner Seth Van Patten, wanting to continue the interest of anything that included Hoover and San Diego, scheduled a Southern California playoff Saturday between the freelance Cardinals and Coast loop champion Hilltoppers.
5/10/35
Grossmont’s fourth straight Metropolitan League win, 4-1 over La Jolla behind Bill Nettles’ seven-hit pitching, left the Foothillers in first place.
—Karl Hoffmann went 13 innings on the mound and Escondido outlasted traveling Sweetwater, 2-1. Oceanside beat Army-Navy, 9-2, and St. Augustine, behind Charlie Strada’s three-hitter, won a nonleague game at Coronado, 3-2.
5/11/35
Union reporter Harry P. Hache declared that a crowd of more than 2,000 persons were in City Stadium and saw San Diego score seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and won the Southern Section playoff with Hoover, 14-11.
The Cardinals outhit San Diego, 18-17. R.C. Moore homered for the Hilltoppers and Ted Williams for the Hoover.
5/16/35
Jim Harris’ grand slam home run in the fifth inning and Bill Skelley’s six-hit pitching were enough for San Diego to win a quarterfinals playoff, 9-4, at Placentia Valencia.
—Grossmont claimed a tie for the Metropolitan League championship with a 6-4 victory in 10 innings at Sweetwater. Bill Nettles went the distance for the Foothillers, giving up five hits.
—Army-Navy took a bye from league action and defeated St. Augustine, 5-0, sending ace Charlie Strada to his first loss, as Hugh Kittle struck out 19 Saints.
–Oceanside and Oceanside, which were to meet later in the week, kept alive their hopes for a tie with Grossmont. The Pirates took advantage of 11 errors to score a 16-3 victory at Coronado and Escondido blanked La Jolla, 5-0, on the road.
5/24/35
Oceanside pushed over runs in the eighth and ninth innings to defeat defending champion Escondido, 2-0, and earn a tie for the Metropolitan League title with Grossmont, both with 5-1 records.
Escondido finished with a 4-2 record. La Jolla, Coronado, and Sweetwater each was 2-4 and Army-Navy, 1-5.
Monte Soule struck out 18 Coronado batters but 10 errors torpedoed Soule and the Vikings, who made one base hit against the Islanders’ Jack Brink.
6/1/35
Vance Randolph, moving from shortstop to the mound, relieving Bill Skelley in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out, retired the side and San Diego beat Colton, 5-2, in a Southern Section semifinal game in City Stadium.
6/8/35
Vance Randolph pitched and slugged San Diego to an 8-2 win over visiting and undefeated (12-0) Santa Maria, earning the Hilltoppers their 10th Southern Section championhship since 1917.
Randolph also tripled in two runs in the first inning, doubled in two more in the seventh and stole home in the inning.
