Referees’ whistles echoed throughout the Bonita Vista gymnasium.

From a 1/14/81 the account of a Metropolitan League game by Linda Murphy of The San Diego Union:

Seven-foot, one-inch Bonita Vista center Larry Irwin was fouled by Chula Vista’s Louie Romero as Irvin went up for a rebound.  Bonita Vista led, 65-61, with 26 seconds remaining in the game but the unranked Barons had seen a 13-point, third-quarter lead shrink against the No. 6 Spartans.

The foul was Romero’s fifth but he also picked up a technical foul for beefing too loudly to the game official.  Irwin converted both ends of the one-and-one and Jon Freeman drained the technical free throw. Bonita Vista led, 68-61.

Twenty-six seconds still remained.

Chula Vista’s Terry Fields almost immediately was assessed a technical foul for guarding too closely when Bonita attempted to inbound the ball following the free throws.

Fields picked up another technical when he “bounced the ball in the direction of the official.”

The clock did not move.

Jon Freeman then converted a free throw for the first technical and then made two more for the second technical.  Bonita’s lead was 71-61.

There still were 26 seconds remaining.

The clock began to run with the Barons riding out the final ticks.

A referee’s whistle tooted again.

Freeman, who took game scoring honors with 25 points, including 13 from the free-throw line, added two more points following a late, intentional foul.

Final score, Bonita Vista (11-4) 73, Chula Vista (11-3) 61.

 

The San Diego Section’s decision this school year to realign into three divisions, 3-A, 2-A, 1-A, based on enrollment and breaking from the 19-year, large school-small school arrangement, seemed like a good idea, but allocation of playoff berths left some good teams holding a bag of basketballs.

The 3-A group included teams from the Eastern, Palomar, and Grossmont Leagues.  Metropolitan, Avocado, and Western League teams were 2-A.  The 1-A setup was of the two-division Southern Prep loop.

A playoff season of 16 teams, the rule since the 24-team, one-week playoff was abandoned after the 1974-75 season, took place over 10 days.

The Eastern, Grossmont, Avocado, and Metropolitan leagues each received three playoff invitations.  The Western and Palomar leagues received two.

So Orange Glen, with a 21-4 record and, at one point the No. 1 team in the County with a 15-0 record, was out after tying for second place in the Palomar with Torrey Pines and losing a vote for a playoff invitation to the Falcons.

And Hoover, 20-5 overall and third in the Western League, needed to buy a ticket to get to the postseason.

Not to mention Madison, fourth in the Eastern but possessing a record of 19-7.

Teams from leagues with 3 playoff qualifiers, such as Santana, 15-9, Hilltop, 16-10, and Kearny, 15-10, were in.

The Metropolitan broke a tie for third with a playoff, Hilltop advancing over Marian, 49-43. The Avocado insisted on a playoff to determine playoff seeding, Oceanside defeating Carlsbad, 65-52.

The biggest loser was Orange Glen, which was voted out despite equaling Torrey Pines’ 8-4 league record.  That the Patriots had lost leading scorer Sean Salisbury for the last six games with an ankle injury may have played into the Palomar’s vote.

A 16-team playoff was more tidy and efficient than the 24-team setup five seasons before, but tell that to Orange Glen and Hoover…and Madison.

A few moments from almost 700 games, early December through early March:

12/2/79

Brian Caradonna scored 33 points, including 11×11 free throws as Santana got the season underway with a 73-48 victory over St. Augustine.

Four-year starter Tommy Williams, moving up among career leaders, posted 35 for Serra in an 84-50 win over Granite Hills. Williams would finish with 1,843 over four seasons, second to the 1,982 of Bonita Vista’s Paul Halupa, who negotiated the record in three seasons.

12/9/79

Mt. Carmel rolled on El Camino, 116-48, and moved into a tie for 10^th place all time for highest single-game points.  The Sundevils led, 45-19, at the half, smelled blood in the water, and scored 71 points in the second half, finishing with a 37-12, fourth-quarter flourish. Twelve Sundevils got on the scoreboard.

Thirteen Chula Vista players scored and the Spartans opened with a 30-1 first quarter in a 101-43 victory over Mar Vista.

12/13/79

Grossmont was assessed a technical foul for using too many time outs, resulting in a tech free throw by Brian Caradonna after Pat Gaffney’s two FT’s, all in the last minute of a 39-36 Santana victory.

12/17/79

Fallbrook trailed, 61-56, with 22 seconds to play, then forced three San Pasqual turnovers that led to four points and then a steal and layup by Joe Silva with two seconds left pushed the Warriors past the Eagles, 62-61.

12/20/79

Brian Carradona was 17×18 at the free throw line and scored 25 points in Santana’s 54-47 win over Mount Miguel.

1/11/80

Diego Smith, all of 5 feet, according to Steve Brand of The San Diego Union, scored 20 points on 4 field goals and 12×14 FT’s for Morse in a 56-52 win over Kearny.

1/14/80

Leading, 50-37, at the end of three quarters, San Marcos couldn’t handle a full-court press, turned the ball over 14 times in the 4^th quarter, and lost to Escondido, 61-60.  Ron Rackley’s two free throws with 10 seconds left secured for the Cougars.

Sean Salisbury scored 30 points and Orange Glen, lagging, 10-7, after one quarter, outscored Fallbrook 68-40 in the next three to win, 78-40 for its 15^th straight without defeat. Twenty-eight of Salisbury’s points came in the last three quarters.

Five days after fouling out and scoring six points, Morse’s Tony Rasheed got 16 of his 20 in the second half and buried a 15-footer with 4 seconds remaining to edge Madison, 68-66.

1/18/80

Alonzo Robinson  scored 30 points, all on 15 field goals, in Carlsbad’s 84-72 win versus El Camino.

1/22/80

Orange Glen lost its first game, 77-61 as Torrey Pines shot 52 per cent from the field and 84 per cent from the free-throw line.  Torrey outscored the Patriots, 63-41, in the last 24 minutes.

1/25/80

Officials ruled a jump ball after a struggle for possession under the basket between Mt. Carmel’s Andy Jedynak and Orange Glen’s Mark Weinberg.

Weinberg won the jump, tipping the ball to midcourt, where the Patriots’ Sean Salisbury retrieved and fired a wild shot that caromed off the basket.  Game over. Mt. Carmel won, 65-64.

Orange Glen, now 15-2, tumbled to fourth in the weekly poll.  Mt. Carmel moved to 6-0 in the Palomar League and 12-4 overall.  Patrick Henry, Sweetwater, and Monte Vista were 1-2-3.

1/28/80

Three North County clubs led in scoring:  Mt. Carmel, 74.5; Torrey, Pines, 73.6, and Orange Glen, 71.4.

1/29/80

Basketball science:  “When other players are taller you have to think position,” Crawford’s 6-foot, 3-inch center Jaffa Solomon told Steve Brand.  “If you get position by screening out, you can outrebound the bigger player.”  Hoover’s 6-5 Loren Goodwin and 6-4 Dan Wiedenhoff served as examples.  Solomon led Crawford to a 55-47 victory with 22 points and 17 rebounds.

Chula Vista’s John Heller was 7×7 from the field in fourth quarter and scored all of his 16 points in an 86-67 win over Montgomery.

2/1/80

5-9 sophomore Blake Armbrust’s first start was almost memorable.  He led all starters with 23 points but Hilltop lost to Chula Vista, 68-67.

Madison coach John Hannon’s earned his 300^th victory in 18 prep seasons with a 70-56 victory over Point Loma.  Hannon opened the Madison program in 1962-63.

Serra was 17×21 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and outscored Crawford, 27-7, from line in a 61-53 victory. Tommy Williams had 12 charity points and 16 points total, all in the fourth quarter.

2/5/80

Tommy Williams became the eighth player to score at least 50 points in Serra’s 75-55 win over St. Augustine.  Williams was 20×23 from the field and 10×12 from the line.

Fifty points in a game:

SEASON	NAME	TEAM	OPPONENT	POINTS	SCORE
1976-77	Mitchell Lilly	Madison	San Diego	61	117-80
1957-58	Tom Shaules	St. Augustine	Crawford	60	102-38
1968-69	Rob Petrie	Julian	Mountain Empire	60	115-76
1957-58	Shaules		La Jolla	53	105-34
1967-68	Todd Harper	Santana	Granite Hills	53	90-62
1973-74	Dave (Score) Moore	San Marcos	Imperial	51	78-42
1969-70	Bill Walton	Helix	Pasadena	50	110-68
1976-77	Lilly		Torrey Pines	50	86-75
1978-79	Michael Pitts	Sweetwater	Hilltop	50	90-64
1979-80	Tommy Williams	Serra	St. Augustine	50	75-55

2/8/80

Darren Lee, a transfer from Point Loma, converted 20 of 27 shots from the field and scored 45 in Sweetwater’s 85-75 triumph against Chula Vista.

2/11/80

Steve Brand wrote of two major injuries that cut short seasons.  University’s 6-foot-9 Hans Wichary, the County’s scoring leader with a 26.5 average, was out with a fractured wrist, and Orange Glen’s Sean Salisbury was sidelined with stretched ankle ligaments.

Patrick Henry’s Steve Brown, son of a former San Diego State player and civil rights leader in San Diego, missed five games with mononucleosis.  Brown, who averaged 16.2 points, came back to help Henry win the 3-A title.

2/13/80

Torrey Pines and Mt. Carmel were in a flatfooted tie, 66-66, in the final 3 quarters, but the Sundevils’ 23-7 first quarter was the difference in an 89-73 win. Torrey, trailing, 39-13, with 4:08 left in the half, made a run, outscoring Mt. Carmel, 27-10, to trail, 49-40, with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

San Dieguito’s Keith Kartz, Carlsbad’s Glen Kozlowski, Hilltop’s Bryan Wagner, and Orange Glen’s Sean Salisbury, basketball players all, went on to play in the National Football League.

2/15/80

Marian ended Sweetwater’s 15-game Metropolitan League winning streak, 69-66, in double overtime. The Crusaders’ Gregg Welch scored five free therows in the second extra session.

2/22/80

Vista’s Bud Larsen dunked in pregame warmups and was assessed a technical foul.  Orange Glen’s Russ Riley  scored the first of his 21 points with a technical free throw before the game started.  Orange Glen won, 77-63.

PLAYOFFS

QUARTERFINALS

3-A

Mt. Carmel, 56, Kearny 53 (15-11). Palomar champs Sundevils made it 2 out of 3 over Kearny after trailing by six in fourth quarter.

Monte Vista 75, Torrey Pines 54 (17-9).  Falcons were averaging 72.6 points.

Morse 57, Helix 52, OT (18-8). Tony Rasheed scored 22 points, including pivotal, three-point play in overtime.

Patrick Henry 68, Santana 40 (15-10).

2-A

Lincoln 76, Hilltop 70 (17-11). Jared Stutts (23) and Billy Johnson (21) led the Hive.

Crawford 54, San Pasqual 48 (14-8). Colts twice made both ends of 1×1 free throws and were 10×12 from the line in the final quarter.

Sweetwater 92, Carlsbad 82 (14-10). Red Devils, leading 65-43, at one point, strolled behind Darren Lee’s 35 points and sophomore Aaron Combs’ 28 rebounds.

Oceanside 59, Bonita Vista 48 (17-6).

SEMIFINALS

3-A

Morse 57, Mt. Carmel 56 (20-5). Morse’s five-foot-six Dale Fox buried a 25-footer with 4 seconds left.

Patrick Henry 52, Monte Vista 37 (24-4). Patriots recovered from Kiwanis Tournament championship loss to Monarchs.

2-A

Sweetwater 47, Crawford 45 (21-7). Darren Lee’s 14-foot basket with 4 seconds remaining moved Red Devils past pesky Colts.

Lincoln 69, Oceanside 60 (16-6). Jared Stutts’ 22 points and 17 rebounds were key as Hornets made 29-11 run that overcame 18-4 Pirates burst that had Lincoln trailing, 49-40.

1-A

Parker 55. Julian 49.

Army-Navy 54, Borrego Springs 37.

FINALS

3-A

Patrick Henry (25-3) 70, Morse 63 (17-7). Patriots evened season series at 2 wins apiece with help from Morse coach Ron Davis, hit with two technicals after a Tigers foul when trailing, 58-56, with 1:49 remaining.  Free throws by Ernie Wright, Jr., and Steve Brown pushed Henry’s lead to four and then Wright, son of a former Chargers standout, added two technical free throws for a 62-56 advantage.

Morse had momentum, coming from 13 points down in the final quarter until Davis was whistled.  Henry drained 16 free throws in the last eight minutes and was 22×36 in the game.  Morse was 13×22 and played the last 6:27 without Tony Rasheed, who fouled out with 23 points and seven rebounds.

2-A

Sweetwater 68 (25-3), Lincoln 62 (17-9). Red Devils won first title and climaxed a three-year, 73-15 run.

1-A

Army-Navy (15-4) 30, Francis Parker 27 (16-10)  Warriors played without injured high scorer Ernie Bond but held Parker, which made its fifth straight trip to finals, to seven points in second half.

TOURNAMENTS

Mt. Helix:  Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 66, Santana 40. Brian Caradonna scored 23 for Sultans.

Hilltop:  Hoover 48, Mt. Miguel 33.  Cardinals’ 20-9 fourth quarter dispatched Matadors.

Francis Parker:  Cal Lutheran was scoreless in first and 4^th quarters, beaten by Parker, 69-7 in opener.  Lancers went on to claim title in own event, 40-31 over Army-Navy.

Jimmy Mitchell:  Mark Lebsock’s basket with 15 seconds left gave Orange Glen (12-0) a 67-66 win over Burbank Burroughs.

POST-CHRISTMAS

Kiwanis—The 33^rd event, 32 teams in Unlimited and Limited Divisions, moved to after Christmas for the first time.  Morse’s Tony Rasheed’s 40 points helped the Tigers knock off unbeaten Mt. Carmel, 86-68. Monte Vista won Unlimited, 53-46, over Henry.  Hoover beat Chula Vista, 56-55 in overtime, for Limited.

 Chino—Coronado got to the semifinals in 38^th tournament, which began in 1939-40 and featured San Diego-area teams every year since. Islanders lost to Pomona, 48-42. Escondido lost 2 games but San Pasqual got to consolation semifinals before losing to Bonita, 76-74, in overtime.  Coronado won third place, 69-54 over Pomona Ganesha.

Carpinteria—San Marcos opened with a 70-55 win over Ventura St. Bonaventure but lost in  the semifinals, 72-50, to Santa Ynez.

Santana—Patrick Henry 57, Sweetwater 55. Steve Brown’s two free throws with 5 seconds left was difference.

Baron-Optimist—Madison outscored Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, 50-14, during a span of 14:34 from the second to the fourth quarter and won the championship, 73-48.

Point Loma Classic—Mission Bay 32, Point Loma 29.

Scoring leaders:

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Darren Lee	Sweetwater	28	600	21.4 (3)
Tommy Williams	Serra	25	553	22.1 (2)
Steve Haupt	Mira Mesa	25	512	20.5 (4)
Bob Capener	Torrey Pines	26	512	19.7 (6)
Kevin Nelson	Poway	25	483	19.3 (9)
Bob March	Hilltop	25	462	17.1
Brian Caradonna	Santana	24	449	18.7 (10)
Jim Eischen	St. Augustine	23	447	19.43 (7)
Tony Rasheed	Morse	23	446	19.39 (8)
Ray Floyd	Madison	26	443	17.0
Hans Wichary	University	16	424	26.5 (1)
Alonzo Robinson	Carlsbad	25	424	17.0
Ray Hill	Valhalla	24	417	17.4
Larry Anderson	Torrey Pines	26	414	15.9
Eric Erickson	La Jolla	24	394	16.4
Steve Leisingring	Granite Hills	25	393	15.
Sean Salisbury	Orange Glen	19	390	20.1 (5)
Billy Johnson	Lincoln	22	388	17.6
Billy Beane	Mt. Carmel	25	386	15.4

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Kerrville High defeated South San West, 55-51, in a 10-overtime game featuring a pair of Texas squads.  The first, second, third, fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth overtimes were scoreless.  The teams deadlocked at 43 in regulation and at 49 after the fifth overtime.

CENTURY CLUB

TEAM	OPPONENT	SCORE
Mt. Carmel	El Camino	116-48
Sweetwater	Mar Vista	112-58
Sweetwater	Mar Vista	105-57
Chula Vista	Mar Vista	101-43

 

The best of San Diego almost always does not measure up to the best of Southern California.

It’s the law of geography and population.

There were a little less than 2 million persons in the County this year, compared with more than 8 million in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and most of Los Angeles County, which comprise the bulk of entries from the Southern Section, against which teams from the landlocked border city always have been compared.

The comparison was stark this season.

Morse coach Ron Davis, bulwarked by three starters from a 26-4 team in 1977-78, including 6-foot, 8-inch Cliff Levingston, a consensus, preseason all-America, may have thought he had a club that would match up with the strong teams from the North.

Morse entered the powerhouse San Dimas tournament days before the mid-December Kiwanis tournament and scored a date with Los Angeles Verbum Dei two days before Christmas at Mesa College.

“If we’re playing for the championship Saturday we’ll keep our top eight kids…and send the remainder down to play in the opener of the Kiwanis Tournament,” Davis told writer Steve Brand before the Tigers took on Pasadena in the San Dimas opener.

Davis probably was answering a “what if” question from Brand, but his response seemed to indicate that the coach liked his chances.

Morse was quickly consigned to the consolation bracket, a 91-69 loser to Pasadena.  They came home in time for all hands  on board for the Kiwanis after the Tigers were beaten the next day by Downey, 67-48.

A turnout of more than 1,500 at the height of the Christmas shopping period saw Davis’ team strive against  Verbum Dei, trailing by seven at halftime but falling back and losing, 63-47.

At least the Tigers had played against the very best from the L.A. area.

Verbum Dei whipped Long Beach Poly, 67-54, for the Southern Section 4-A playoff championship and finished 28-1. Downey, 26-2, was the 3-A champion.  Pasadena, the two-time defending 4-A titlist, was 22-4 but eliminated in the 4-A quarterfinals.

WE’RE NO. 1

Morse, followed by Sweetwater, Kearny Helix, and Lincoln comprised the top five in the preseason The San Diego Union poll, but there was no doubt among the voters.  Morse had 96 points, Sweetwater 94, with Kearny back at 67, Helix at 60, and Lincoln at 48.

Things changed at the finish line.

It wasn’t Morse or Sweetwater standing on the mountain top after the 16-team playoff that was more than one week but less than two weeks (10 days).

Kearny, seeded fourth, made its way through the rounds and upset top-seeded Sweetwater, 57-50, in the finals.  No. 1 Sweetwater had beaten No. 2 Morse, 48-46, in a semifinals contest that was billed as being “for the championship”.

The win over the Morse, on 6-foot, 11 ½ Michael Pitts’ 18-foot jump shot with one second remaining,  gave the Red Devils a 2-1 edge in a competitive season series with the Tigers.

The National City club defeated the Skyline District crew, 51-50, in the Kiwanis Tournament final and Morse prevailed a few weeks later, 62-51, in a Saturday evening game at Southwestern College.

Kearny’s title was its second in four seasons under coach Tim Short and the third of the decade, following the undefeated 1973-74 squad coached by Wayne Colborne. “This,” said Short, “was more satisfying than the (1975-76) victory.  That year we were expected to win.  I didn’t have the slightest idea (this year) we would go this far.”

TALL LEGACY

Pitts, whose quick first step and turnaround jump shot was almost unstoppable and who was named San Diego Section player of the year, scored 878 points, second highest in County history to Bill Walton’s 958, and his 28.1 average was fourth behind Mitchell Lilly’s 31.9, Walton’s 29.1, and Paul Halupa’s 28.7.

Pitts also became the seventh player to score at least 50 points in a game, negotiating that figure in a 90-64, playoff victory over Hilltop.

Pitts originally broke Jim Finnerty’s school record of 37 in 1964-65 by scoring 40 points against Elk Grove in the Rancho Cordova tournament near Sacramento, and then 42 points in a 72-59 win over Hilltop, and 46 in a 90-58 win over Marian.

Pitts was selected in the seventh round of the 1984 National Basketball Association draft by the San Antonio Spurs after four seasons at the University of California at Berkeley.  He spent two preseasons with the Spurs and then three seasons with professional teams in France and Spain.

In 2016 his alma mater selected Pitts for the Pete Newell award, named after the legendary Bears coach and honoring a former basketball player who distinguished himself with career success.

Pitts worked three decades helping troubled youth and was superintendent of a 100-bed facility for delinquent, adolescent youngsters in nearby Contra Costa County.

Sweetwater retired Pitts’ jersey number 44 in 2011.

NBA BOUND

Levingston played three seasons for a nationally ranked Wichita State program and the school retired his No. 54 jersey.

The product of San Diego’s Skyline District was Detroit’s first choice and the ninth player taken in the 1982 NBA draft.

Levingston played 11 years with three teams in the NBA, earning two championship rings with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.  He finished a 13-season professional career with a team from Greece in the European League.

Levingston was an assistant coach for one season with the Harlem Globetrotters, sandwiched around several years as a head coach of multiple teams in Midwest professional leagues.

Season leading scorers:

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Michael Pitts	Sweetwater	31	876	28.3 (1)
Ron Edwards	Lincoln	28	627	22.4 (2)
Jerome Weatherspoon	Mount Miguel	27	570	21.1 (3)
Tom Adema	St. Augustine	27	563	20.9 (4)
Dan Frahm	San Marcos	27	553	20.5 (5)
Joe Scheuer	El Capitan	27	540	20.0 (6)
Nick Cucinella	San Pasqual	27	536	19.9 (7)
Hans Wichary	University	27	536	19.9 (7)
Mike Rebelo	Serra	27	527	19.5 (9)
Cliff Levingston	Morse	29	526	18.1
Sean Salisbury	Orange Glen	28	498	17.8
Bill Burgess	Valhalla	26	477	18.3 (10)
Steve Haupt	Mira Mesa	28	473	16.9
Ray Floyd	Madison	27	453	16.8
Mike Wills	Helix	25	450	18.0
Dave Freeman	Bonita Vista	25	450	18.0
Ed Rigney	Fallbrook	25	448	17.9
Tommy Williams	Serra	27	447	16.6
Paul Huyser	Monte Vista	27	438	16.2
Joe Smalls	Mount Miguel	27	432	16.0
Brad DeGroote	Point Loma	26	428	16.5
Keith Wilson	Southwest	25	426	17.0
Bob March	Hilltop	26	421	16.2

Antoine (Ace) Eason, Oceanside, scored 409 points, averaged 16.9.  Christian’s Greg Ward averaged 20 points.

SWEET SUCCESS

Gary Zarecky was halfway through his long tenure as coach at Sweetwater, where he lifted the Red Devils from the depths, beginning with a 6-19 record in 1972-73 followed by a deep dive to 1-23, after which his program began to rise, 11-15 in 1974-75, followed by 19-12, 15-12, 21-8, and this season’s 27-4.

CLOCK STRIKES…?

There was a question whether Hoover had enough time left in the game to launch a shot after Lincoln’s James Brown went up through a crowd to dunk and give Lincoln a 45-43 lead.

No one knew the answer.

There wasn’t any time showing on Hoover’s 1950s era scoreboard, because there wasn’t anything on the scoreboard.  Blank.

Only the individual timer knew and he was keeping time on a windup clock. Both teams looked to the timer as game officials raced to the scorer’s table.

The decision belatedly was that time had run out just after the Lincoln basket.

KIWANIS DOWNSIZED

Thirty-two teams entered the 32^nd annual Kiwanis Tournament, down from 40 last year and from 47 two years ago, with the small-school Classified Division eliminated.  The usual Imperial Valley contingent, Calexico, El Centro Central, and Brawley passed, as San Diego teams had done recently with the El Centro Elks event.

While not in El Centro, San Diego schools were everywhere else.

Seventeen December events, some before, during, or after the Kiwanis, were on the calendar, including four-team, double doubleheaders that erroneously were called “classics”.

Mt. Helix. Ron Edwards scored 18 points as Lincoln topped Chino 47-39, after the visitors upset Helix, 46-45 in semifinals, converting 22×30 free throws in second half.

Jaycees-Hilltop. Fallbrook defeated Hoover, 72-71, in overtime, preceded by one of the season’s stunners.

Fallbrook trailed Mount Miguel, 55-39 at halftime of their first-round game and scored 58 points in the second half to win, 97-88.  Mark Catalanello’s 30 points were equaled by the 30 of Mount Miguel’s Joe Smalls, but the Fallbrook player scored 23 in second half.

Parker.  Christian outlasted Army-Navy, 30-28, in somnambulant exercise.

San Dimas.  See Morse, above.

Ojai:  Parker topped Carpinteria Cate, 46-43, and host Villanova Prep, 39-32, on the same day.

Jim Mitchell Mustang Optimist:  Fallbrook 65, Orange Glen 60, in the second oldest event in the area, dating to 1960-61.  The name of the former San Dieguito star killed in Viet Nam was added to the tournament  in the 1968-69 season.

Las Vegas Bonanza:  Mount Miguel was beaten by Los Angeles Daniel Murphy, 84-71, for sixth place.  Murphy, taking advantage of five technical fouls, outscored Mount Miguel, 32-12, in the third quarter to take a 72-48 lead. Point Loma was eliminated by San Jose Gunderson, 58-48.

Kiwanis:  Sweetwater won the Unlimited Division, 51-50, over Morse. Michael Pitts scored 18, points and had 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Cliff Levingston had 12 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocks for the Tigers.

El Capitan won the limited, 57-56, over Mt. Carmel.

Baron-Optimist.  Huntington Beach 60, Crawford 47.

University: Downey 76, Hoover 52.

Rancho Cordova:  Sweetwater sustained its first loss, 52-50, to Sacramento John F. Kennedy.  The Red Devils then went on to the consolation championship, 78-55 over Elk Grove and 80-50 over South Lake Tahoe.

Santana. Patrick Henry 83, Mt. Carmel 65.

Point Loma: The host Pointers and Mission Bay shared first with two victories each in the round-robin event.

Chino: Coronado became the first team from San Diego to win the tournament since Chula Vista in 1967. The Islanders defeated Pomona Ganesha, 64-56, Temple City, 53-47, top seed Cerritos, 60-59, on Ed Furey’s basket with three seconds left, and Pomona, 54-53, in overtime.

Other area winners in the 40-year event were Hoover in 1940, ’41, and ’46, and Chula Vista in 1958 and ’65. Escondido, Monte Vista, and San Pasqual also took part this season.

Granite Hills: Castle Park 55, Granite Hills 53.

Coachella Valley: Indio 52, Vista 51, OT.

Carpinteria: San Marcos outscored Los Angeles Pater Noster, 65-55, for the consolation championship.

CALLING…ANYONE

Neil Meyer, coach of tiny Cal Lutheran, a La Mesa high school with 75 students, was strapped for players.  He issued a help wanted call, gender not important.

Meyer welcomed two females, forward-center Sherry Martin and guard Lisa Rausch, a 5-foot, 2-inch freshman.

“Lisa is a very good player, and if she continues could be a very good women’s college player,” Meyer said to Linda Murphy of the Union.  “Sherry, at 5-9, shot well in P.E. class.  I use her for length.”

Title IX was passed in 1974 but girls basketball had not been implemented in the San Diego Section.

CENTURY CLUB

Mt. Carmel 102, El Cajon Valley 65.

Sweetwater 102, Southwest 72.

Christian 107, Julian 40.

Sweetwater 102, Chula Vista 57.

Christian 113-45 Julian.

PLAYOFFS

2-A

FIRST ROUND

Santana 58, Helix 55 (17-9).  Wayne Welker’s two free throws with  :08 remaining clinched for the Sultans.

San Pasqual 68, Oceanside 58. (16-9). Oceanside went the first 12 minutes before scoring a field goal.

Sweetwater 90, Hilltop 64 (15-12).  Michael Pitts scored 19 of his 50 points in a 32-16 fourth quarter.

Morse 80, Hoover 53 (17-11).  Tigers’ scoring balance:  Cliff Levingston 18, Jeff Turk 18, Keith Magee 16, Tony Rasheed 13.

Coronado 45, Bonita Vista 41 (18-10).

El Capitan 42, Monte Vista 37 (21-8).  The losing Monarchs missed all 11 field-goal attempts in the first quarter.

Orange Glen 57, Fallbrook 56 (21-5).  Rob Murray’s basket with 30 seconds left gave the Patriots, who led by 11 at halftime, a come-from-behind victory.

Kearny 60, Lincoln 55 (25-3).  The Komets, fourth in the Evening Tribune final top 10 to Lincoln’s second, ended the host Hornets’ 15-game winning streak.

QUARTERFINALS

Morse 89, Orange Glen 63 (21-7). The Tigers shot 64 per cent from the field in a 40-22 first half.

Sweetwater 64, El Capitan 52 (20-7).

Kearny 54, San Pasqual 33 (18-10).

Santana 39, Coronado 37, OT (23-5). The Islanders led, 35-33, with eight seconds left in regulation play but Wayne Welker scored on a 12-footer to send the game into overtime.

SEMIFINALS

Sweetwater 48, Morse 46.

Kearny 62, Santana 45.  Four Komets, Ken King, Ron Kirkpatrick, David Buttles, and Darryl Stokes (17) scored at least 10 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Kearny (27-4) 57, Sweetwater 50 (27-4).

THIRD PLACE

Morse (24-6) 43, Santana (19-9) 37.

1-A

SEMIFINALS

Christian 79, La Jolla Country Day 63.

Francis Parker 65, Borrego Springs 37.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Christian 57, Francis Parker 45.   Parker’s Matt Crosbie led all scorers with 30 points.

JUMP SHOTS

Jerome Weatherspoon, The San Diego Union football player of the year, drained 16 field goals that covered all of his 32 points in a 85-73 win over Granite Hills…Cliff Levingston scored 30 points and Morse, trailing, 33-32, at halftime, drilled San Diego, 89-59, including a 34-14 fourth quarter… Christian’s Greg Ward set a school record with 43 points in a 113-45 win over Julian…averaging 26 points in his last six games, including 36 against Escondido, San Marcos’ Dan Frahm rose to fifth among scoring leaders, finishing with a 19.8 average…Morse’s Cliff Levingston made his final regular season game one to remember: 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 rejections as Morse reached a season high in points in a 98-84 win over Madison…the game was one to remember also for 52 personal fouls being called and nine players leaving with five personal fouls…Michael Pitts came down with 38 rebounds in a 79-53 victory over San Diego and was announced as having broken Bill Walton’s record of 34 for Helix in 1969-70…Pitts, however, also was credited with 38 rebounds in a 73-66 win over Bonita Vista…Joe Scheuer scored 49 points in two El Capitan overtime wins, 53-52 over Grossmont and 77-76 over Helix…Scheuer tied the school record by converting 17 consecutive free throws and had a stretch of 41×42 free throws…Morse almost blew a 19-point lead but the Tigers held on to beat Kearny, 60-58, to end the Komets’ 37-game, home-court winning streak…Sweetwater almost ran the table in the 18-game Metropolitan League schedule but runner-up Coronado (16-2) upset the Red Devils at the Islanders’ Carrothers Gym, 54-53, when Ray Pepper drained 2 free throws in a 1-and-1 situation with 12 seconds left to give the hosts a three-point lead…old school:  Crawford outstalled St. Augustine, 20-19…longest game, two overtimes, Point Loma 73, San Diego 71; Coronado 56, Hilltop 54; Oceanside 60, Escondido 58, and El Capitan 77, Helix 76….

 

 

 

Originally published June 9, 2019.

Gordon Nash retired, taking with him a legacy of great teams and great players, and a sour finish.

Nash’s coaching record of 259 wins against 69 losses for a won-loss of .790 was forged over 11 seasons in which Helix won two San Diego Section championships, appeared in five title games, was runner-up three times, and third once.

The Scots were in the finals again this year, but a referee’s decision in a 58-57 loss to Torrey Pines provoked a belch of acid reflux from one of  the most successful mentors in San Diego Section history.

“The glass slipper fit for Torrey Pines but for years to come Helix High basketball fans will swear the officials supplied the shoe horn,” wrote Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.

It appeared for a moment that Helix had sent Nash out victorious with a last-second basket by sophomore Larry Brooks.

The Scots celebrated, as did many in the Sports Arena crowd of 8,199.

But referee Jack Miyamoto emphatically signaled no shot had been taken (because) time had run out before Brooks put the ball in the air.

“There was no question, the game was over,” Miyamato told reporters.  “There was appreciable time between the horn and the gun, but the ball wasn’t even up yet”.

“The horn at the Sports Arena was not very loud,” said Brand.  “There also was an official at the scorer’s table with a starter’s pistol, which sounded almost simultaneously and which was the official time.”

“We should have won; there is no question about it,” said Nash.  “The ball obviously was in the air.  All they had to do was listen to the gun.”

Nash said that he spoke with four coaches who “told me the ball was in the air before the game ended.”

“It was never in doubt; time had run out,” not surprisingly stated Torrey Pines coach Clete Adelman.

Remembered Brand:  “I think Miyamoto got it right.”

NASH AND WALTON

Nash, who succeeded Bob Speidel in 1967-68, was 21-10 in his first season and reached the CIF finals, but it was in the next two years with 6-foot, 11-inch Bill Walton scoring, rebounding, and defending that Helix became a program of almost national import.

The Highlanders were 29-2 in 1968-69 and 33-0 in 1969-70, including a record, 49-game winning streak and a home winning streak of 40 games.

Other than a 10-15 slump in 1974-75, Helix’ decade-plus record never was poorer than 19-11 and Nash’s last two teams, although beaten in the finals, were 55-4.

“I’m not dissatisfied with coaching,” Nash, 45, told Nick Canepa of the Evening Tribune. “It’s just that when you reach a certain stage in life people have certain things they want to do.  We’ve had a lot of success.  I just think the time is right…to step down and let someone else have that opportunity.”

Nash, the fourth head coach in Helix’ 27 seasons, didn’t elaborate but remained a biology teacher at Helix.  Nash also credited his two predecessors, Bob Divine (1953-60), who campaigned for years for an on-site gymnasium and who “got the La Mesa Recreation Department to set up good basketball recreation leagues,” and Bob Speidel (1960-67), who coached the 1963-64 championship team.

WINNING (minimum 75 games)

NAME	SCHOOL	YEARS	WON-LOST	PERCENTAGE
John Kovac	Coronado	1953-54-1955-56	63-13	.829
Gordon Nash	Helix	1967-68-1977-78	259-69	.790
Charlie Hampton	Hoover	1952-53-1962-63	222-65	.774
Larry Armbrust	Chula Vista	1963-64-1967-68	103-31	.768
Rickey Wilson	Hoover	1940-41-1945-46	80-25	.762
Merrill Douglas	San Diego	1940-41-1942-43-1946-47-1955-56	236-76	.756

TORREY TURNS TERRIFIC

“Massive underdog Torrey Pines completed a magic sweep through the CIF basketball playoffs many felt the team didn’t even deserve to be in,” wrote Steve Brand.

A fourth-year program that had growing pains of 3-17 and 6-18 before rising to 16-10 in its third season, the Falcons, strengthened with the arrival of Don Capener, a 6-foot, 4-inch transfer from San Rafael who scored almost 21 points game, averaged more than 70 points, and had a 21-3 regular-season record.

The Falcons were not getting much respect, coming from the historically weak North County and rolling on the puny Avocado East, whose Fallbrook (14-10), San Dieguito (14-12). El Camino (10-17), Oceanside (13-12), Vista (7-16), and Carlsbad (10-16) were a combined 68-83 in the regular season.

Torrey was 10-2 in the league, including losses of 34-32 to Oceanside and 66-61 to Fallbrook, and had to fight before getting past El Camino, 62-61.

Given little credence was the Del Mar quintet’s 15-1 record in non-league contests. The Falcons were 10^th in the final, regular-season Evening Tribune poll. They would face and defeat three teams above them in the one-week, one-bracket tournament of 16 teams, No 1 Helix, No. 4 Morse, and No. 7 Sweetwater.

PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND
Sweetwater 68, Bonita Vista (19-10) 61.
Torrey Pines 77, Orange Glen (13-11) 55.
Escondido 66, Fallbrook (14-11) 53.
Helix 53, Santana (16-10) 44.
Kearny 59, Lincoln (21-4) 56.
Morse 59, St. Augustine (17-12) 56.
Monte Vista 59, Mount Miguel (22-6) 51.
Marian 61, Montgomery (17-11) 53.

QUARTERFINALS
Helix 57, Kearny (19-9) 47.
Torrey Pines 69, Sweetwater (21-8) 67.
Marian 56, Escondido (14-14) 50.
Morse 53, Monte Vista (22-7) 47.

SEMIFINALS
Helix 40, Marian (25-4) 37.
Torrey Pines 65, Morse (25-4) 57.

CHAMPIONSHIP
Torrey Pines (25-3) 58, Helix (28-2) 57.

THIRD PLACE
Morse (26-4) 64, Marian (25-5) 60.

CLASS 1A
Christian (18-8) 42, Francis Parker (17-7), 41.

KIWANIS TOURNAMENT

In its 31^st year, the annual carnival continued to feel its age.  Forty teams, down from 47 a year ago, opened play at four area sites. Visitors included El Centro Central, Brawley, and Calexico.

Twelve different tournaments provided indirect or direct competition for the venerable mainstay, while redoubtables University and Bonita Vista also felt the pinch.

—Mt. Helix: Host Helix topped Sweetwater, 61-59, for the second annual title as the Highlanders’ 6-9 1/2 Mark Snow and Sweetwater’s 6-10 Michael Pitts each scored 28 points.

—Hilltop-Chula Vista:  Mount Miguel beat Hilltop, 67-60.

—Francis Parker:  Christian defeated Julian, 50-44.

—Apple Mountain: Host Julian played Eagle Mountain for championship.

—Jimmy Mitchell Mustang Optimist: Don Capener’s 26 points moved Torrey Pines past host San Dieguito, 75-50.

—University:  Fourteen teams, lower than usual 16, including defending champion Huntington Beach, played at one site, the University of San Diego gym.  Downey defeated Lincoln, 58-56, and Huntington Beach claimed third place, 77-76 over Kearny in two overtimes.

—Baron-Optimist, 11 teams, down from usual 16:  Morse defeated host Bonita Vista, 90-53.

—Eagles Classic at Granite Hills: Four teams. Second-year Mira Mesa, featuring brothers Chris and Steve Haupt, edged Castle Park, 57-55.

—Chino:  San Diego squads had participated since the first tournament in 1939-40.  Escondido and Coronado quickly went into and then out of the consolation bracket. Mt. Carmel made the consolation semifinals before bowing Cerritos, 84-71.

—Grossmont-Santana: Bellflower defeated Grossmont, 66-50.

—Tracy:  Mount Miguel earned fifth place, 87-73, over Livermore.

—Rancho Las Vegas:  Vista was 0-2, losing to Las Vegas Western, 72-64, and Palos Verdes Miraleste, 71-53.

—Kiwanis:  Helix defeated Monte Vista, 65-49 for the Unlimited Division title as Mark Snow scored 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.  Mira Mesa topped La Jolla, 55-37, in the Limited Division, and Marian won the eight-team Classified, 60-57, over Lincoln.

TECHNICAL ISSUE

—Santana led Burbank, 41-40, with three seconds to go in the Santana-Grossmont Tournament.

—The visitors heaved a length-of-the-court pass and drew a questionable foul.  Santana coach Bart Hare protested, mildly, according to writer Steve Brand.

—Because Santana had not committed enough personal fouls to warrant a one-and-one free throw situation, Burbank got the ball out at halfcourt.

—The Bulldogs’ inbound pass from halfcourt hit the backboard and a Santana player hugged the rebound.

—So far, so good.  No problem? Santana wins?  Wait a minute.

—A whistle blew in the moment between the ball hitting the backboard and being retrieved by the Sultans player.

—One official, according to Hare’s account, said the throw was an illegal attempt and awarded the ball to Santana.

—The other official huddled with his partner and said the ball was not intentionally thrown at the backboard, so there was no infraction.

—Burbank was awarded the ball again.

—Hare went Code Red.

—The Santana coach was hit with a technical foul, then another, then another, then another, and finally with a fifth, for not leaving the bench area after the second.  If this was baseball, Hare would have earned a platinum sombrero or the  “Olympic Rings”.

—Burbank then drained a 20-foot shot at the buzzer to win, 42-41.

BART EXPLAINS BLOWUP

“There are only five reversible calls in basketball and that isn’t one of them,” Hare declared to Steve Brand the next day.  “It wasn’t a judgement call.  The rules say whatever the call, even if it’s wrong, must be upheld.

“We should have had the ball out of bounds.”

The coach had a postscript:

“What really hurts is they’ve cracked down on the coaches this year but they haven’t upgraded the officiating. The guy who called that one was a ten-year veteran.”

SHARPER HARPER

Santana’s Tod Harper became the sixth player in County history to score at least 50 points in one game with 53 in the Sultans’ 90-62 win over Granite Hills.

Harper broke the Grossmont League scoring record of 47, set by Granite Hills’ Tim Doerr in 1968-69.  Harper also scored 41 in another game, which was the school record, set in 1962-63 by Bob Lundgren.

Madison’s Mitchell Lilly and St. Augustine’s Tom Shaules (table below) are the only players to score 50 or more twice.

HALF CENTURY

NAME	TEAM	YEAR	POINTS	OPPONENT	SCORE
Mitchell Lilly	Madison	1976-77	61	San Diego	117-80
Tom Shaules	St. Augustine	1957-58	60	Crawford	102-38
Rob Petrie	Julian	1968-69	60	Mountain Empire	115-76
Shaules		1957-58	53	La Jolla	105-34
Todd Harper	Santana	1977-78	53	Granite Hills	90-62
Dave Moore	San Marcos	1973-74	51	Imperial	78-42
Bill Walton	Helix	1969-70	50	Pasadena	110-68
Lilly		1976-77	50	Torrey Pines	86-75

SUNDEVILS’ PECCADILLOES

All 12 Mt. Carmel varsity players were suspended for two weeks by principal David Stine for breaking “athletic department rules”.

The players were cited after their participation in the post-Christmas Chino Tournament. No report on any action involving coach John Marincovich.

“The commitment to the varsity program will be fulfilled by other members of the program, junior varsity and freshman players,” said Stine, who said no CIF violation was involved.

“We wanted a significant punishment but one that was fair to the players as well,” said the boss.

Mt. Carmel, 9-4 and league favorite entering Avocado East play, was competitive but lost four consecutive games during the varsity hiatus, 48-44 to Orange Glen, 47-41 to San Marcos, 65-59 to El Camino, and 49-47 to Poway.

The losses left the Sundevils 0-4 in the league and 9-8 overall. Then came a remarkable turnaround, nine wins in a row to close the season 18-8, third in the Avo East behind Escondido and Orange Glen, but out of the playoffs.

DOUBLE TAKE

Marian’s Phil Bryant turned in one whistle for another.

Bryant coached the Crusaders’ football team to a 7-3 record and second place in the Metropolitan League and then, because of a staff situation, moved over and coached basketball.

Led by 6-foot, 9-inch, 240-pound Mighty Joe Evans, the Crusaders reached the section semifinals and finished with a 25-5 record.

Marian was 17-1 in Metropolitan play and clinched the league title with a 55-48, final-night win over Sweetwater.

TAKE A CHAIR

Four of Morse’s starting five could do that when coach Ron Davis employed his “rocking chair offense.”

While the starters stood on the sideline, teammate Keith Magee would dribble forward and backward (forward so as not to be penalized with a five-second call).

Magee went into the rocking chair with 1:55 remaining and Morse tied with Kearny, 47-47.

Then, with three seconds left, Magee drove toward the basket and attempted a field goal, but the Komets’ Darryl Stokes blocked the shot. The ball rebounded directly to Morse’s Jeff Turk, who hurriedly fired and made a buzzer-beating basket for a 49-47 win.

SCORING LEADERS

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Don Saemenes	Castle Park	26	652	25.5 (1)
Joe Evans	Marian	30	632	21.1 (4)
Todd Harper	Santana	25	616	23.7 (2)
Jim Freeman	Bonita Vista	29	592	20.4 (6)
Michael Pitts	Sweetwater	29	580	20.0 (9)
Don Capener	Torrey Pines	28	579	20.7 (5)
Curtis McQueen	Mount Miguel	27	568	21.5 (3)
Mark Snow	Helix	30	568	18.9
Richard Walker	Point Loma	26	523	20.1 (8)
Rusty Whitmarsh	Monte Vista	29	513	17.7
Clyde Smith	Mar Vista	25	483	19.3
Robert Moore	San Diego	23	464	20.2 (7)
Tommy Williams	Serra	26	460	17.7
Steve Haupt	Mira Mesa	26	451	17.3
Greg Engler	San Dieguito	26	447	17.2
Bob Dean	La Jolla	23	441	19.2
Reggie Younger	Mira Mesa	26	431	16.6
Dave Sullivan	El Capitan	24	415	17.3
Vernon Van Buren	Clairemont	27	411	15.2
Mike Doucet	Mt. Carmel	21	410	19.5 (10)
John Baumgardner	Kearny	28	408	14.6
Cuchinella	San Pasqual	25	396	15.8
Todd Flores	University	23	393	17.1
Marcus Allen	Lincoln	22	392	17.8
Catalano	Fallbrook	25	370	14.8
Dokie Williams	El Camino	27	369	13.7
Mandry	Escondido	28	368	13.1

JUMP SHOTS—Lincoln’s football all-America, Marcus Allen, made third team all-CIF with a 17.8 average and reportedly had scored 63 points in a Summer League game…University’s Todd Flores sat on the bench for the first three minutes against Serra and then scored a school-record 40 points in an 89-69 win…Crawford stalled almost all of the last 4:30, setting up a shot, then missed, but blanked St. Augustine in overtime to win, 41-37…it took Oceanside 4 overtimes, but the Pirates shut out San Marcos, 8-0, in the final three-minute session to win, 56-48…Sweetwater’s Michael Pitts was reported to have 38 rebounds and 18 points in a 73-66 win over Bonita Vista, after Pitts scored 30 points and had 29 rebounds in an 83-44 rout of Southwest….Sweetwater was led by the 6-10 Pitts and 5-6 James Davis…Kearny’s 43-41 win over Morse, the Tigers’ first Eastern League loss after a 9-0 start, was the Komets’ 99^th win in their last 100 home games…the last loss at home was in 1975 to Crawford, 57-50, which snapped a 50-game streak…after a 49-47 win over Santana, Helix coach Gordon Nash was succinct:  “I didn’t see anything good out there. Nothing.”…St. Augustine won a Western League playoff for entry to the postseason with a 54-46 victory over La Jolla…Todd Harper scored 41 points, but Mount Miguel, with Jerome Weatherspoon scoring half of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, came from behind for a 79-77 victory over Santana…Helix’ first loss in the 28-2 season was 50-48 in overtime to Monte Vista….single game team season highs:  Mount Miguel, 102-72, versus Valhalla with Curtis McQueen leading with 42 points;  Julian 98, Mountain Empire 63; Morse 96, Madison 66; Torrey Pines 96, El Camino 61….

It was perhaps the finest track-and-field season in San Diego Section history.

There not only were a record seven gold medal winners (compared to five in 1974) in last week’s state championships in Clovis but area thinclads also had state best performances in five boys and girls events.

Kenon Christon was No. 1, not only in medals but in the 100 and 200-meter races, with best times of :10.30 and :20.55.  The Madison senior also was second with a 24-foot long jump.

Coronado’s Alysha Hickey was the leading high jumper with a clearance of 5 feet, 10 1/2 inches and long jumped 20 feet, 9 inches, although that mark was achieved with wind assistance over the allowable 2.0 meters.

University City’s Katriina Wright had the best 400 time, :53.93, and La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy led all 3,200-meter runners at 10:11.38.

Seventeen San Diego athletes’ best marks were achieved in the state meet and are noted below in bold talics.  Marks in parenthesis show where locals stand in the state’s top 25 in each event.

BOYS

EVENT	NAME	MARK	STATE	MARK	U.S.
100	Christon, Madison	:10.30 (1) :10.26w	Grubb, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame	:10.40	:10.13 :09.98w Boling, Strake Jesuit, Houston
	Steward, Orange Glen	:10.54 (6T)
200	Christon, Madison	:20.55 (1)	Grubb, Notre Dame Sherman Oaks	:20.93	:20.58, Boling. Miller, Bishop Dunne, Dallas, :20.52w
	Steward, Orange Glen	:21.45 (19T)
400	Parker, Helix	:47.91 (12)	Larrier, Elk Grove Monterey Trail	:46.49	:46.22, Robinson, Hazlewood West, Missouri
	Salzman, Calvin Christian	:48.25 (15)
	Lippert, La Costa Canyon	:48.31 (19)
800	Tellez-Velasquez, San Pasqual	1:52.52 (6)	Wingo, Valencia	1:51.71	1:50.24, Woods, E.C. Glass, Lynchburg, Va.
	Ali, Crawford	1:54.17 (25)
1600	G. Stanford, La Costa Canyon	4:12.92 (14)	Hibbert, El Monte Arroyo	4:07.25	4:05.28. Atwood, Central Valley, Veradale, Washington
	Ali, Crawford	4:13.00 (15)
	J. Stanford, La Costa Canyon	4:13.12 (16)
	Niednagel, La Costa Canyon	4:13.81 (21)
3200	Niednagel,  La Costa Canyon	9:01.76 (5)	Young, Newbury Park	8:40.0	Young
	Velasco, Mission Hills	9:07.27 (14)
110 High Hurdles	Sayles, Steele Canyon	:14.47w (17) :14.63	:13.31w :13.50	13:31w	Marshall
300 Intermediate Hurdles	Solomon, Grossmont	:37.88 (12)	Roberson, Upland	:36.32	:36.12, Matthews, Central, Pickering, Ohio
4×100 Relay	Madison	:41.88 (14)	Long Beach Poly	:40.87	:40.08, Fort Bend Marshall, Missouri City, Texas
4×400 Relay	Grossmont	3:19.19	Placentia Valencia	3:13.73	3:10.56, Strake Jesuit, Houston
High Jump	Brownell, San Dieguito	6-8 (9T)	Allen, Santa Barbara San Marcos	7-0	7-1 ¾, Marseille, Cardinal Gibbons, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
	Lugo, Canyon Crest	6-6 ½  (21)
Long Jump	Christon, Madison	24-0	Foster Clovis North	25-1 ½	26-6, Martin, Saginaw, Michigan
	Mitchell, Point Loma	23-5 (13T)
	Harris-Williams, Granite Hills	23 1 ½ (21T)
Triple Jump	Mitchell, Point Loma	48-6 (3)	Foster, Clovis North	49-9 1/2	51-10 1/2 Foote-Talley, Northwest, Germantown, Maryland
	Gibbs, Oceanside	47-4 ¾ (12)
	Cynkin, Torrey Pines	46-5 ¼ (20)
	Harris-Williams, Granite Hills	46-4 ¼ (21)
Shot Put	Boamah, Scripps Ranch	54-0	Viveros, Bakersfield, Liberty	71-3	71-3, Viveros
Discus	Boamah, Scripps Ranch	162-1	Elbettar, Newport Beach Newport Harbor	197-4	209-6 1/4 Lemmon, Fort Myers, Florida
Pole Vault	Rice, Rancho Bernardo	16-5 (2)	Wright, Lodi	16-8	17-6, Stone, Lawrence North, Indianapolis, Indiana
	Volpe, San Marcos	15-9 (10T)
	Clarke, El Camino	15-3 (18T)
	Elamparo, Rancho Bernardo	15-3 (18T)
	Jurisoo, Mt. Carmel	15-3 (18T)

GIRLS

EVENT	NAME	MARK	STATE	MARK	U.S.
100	Shaheed, Madison	:11.57w (3) :11.71	Nowling, Calabasas	:11.40w	:11.27, Davis, Oak Hall, Gainesville, Florida
	Rustkovich, Scripps Ranch	:11.87w (14T)
	Hickey, Coronado	:11.92 (25)
200	Shaheed, Madison	:24.16 (6)	Nowling	:23.64	:23.06, Davis
	Rustkovich, Scripps Ranch	:24.30 (13T)
	Wright, University City	:24.44 (18)
400	Wright, University City	:53.93 (1)	Monrroy, L.B. Millikan	:54.16	:52.06, Wilson, Godwin, Richmond, Virginia
	Cramer, The Bishop’s	:55.50 (19)
800	Riedman, La Costa Canyon	2:11.37 (10)	Wallenstrom, Kentfield, Marin Catholic	2:08.78	2:06.1, Mustin, North Canyon, Phoenix
	Farmer, Rancho Bernardo	2:13.15 (23)
1600	Fahy, La Costa Canyon	4:48.34  (18)	Duarte, Chino Hills	4:42.58	4:37.07,Parks, Antrim, Greencastle, Pennsylvania
3200	Fahy, La Costa Canyon	10:11.38 (1)	Lowe, Clovis Buchanan	10:12.78	9:53.30, Tuohy, Thiells, North Rockland, N.Y.
	Dorostkar,  Canyon Crest	10:26.15 (9)
	Wallace, Sage Creek	10:33.10 (16)
100 Hurdles	Redon, San Diego	:14.17w (6) :14.28	Shearer San Jose Silver Creek	:13.24w	:13.02, Hawkins, Centralia, Missouri
	James, San Diego	:14.44w (12)
	Vaught, Steele Canyon	:14.66w (24)
300 Hurdles	Edwards, San Pasqual	:43.95 (14)	Glenn, Long Beach Wilson	:41.01	:40.78, Wilson,  Godwin, Richmond, Virginia
300 Hurdles	Mayo, Grossmont	:44.32 (22)
	Occiano, Mission Hills	:44.34 (23)
4×100 Relay	Scripps Ranch	:46.51 (1)	Calabasas	:45.95	:44.24, DeSoto, Texas
	Canyon Crest	:47.80 (25)
4×400 Relay	Scripps Ranch	3:50.63 (10)	Eastvale Roosevelt	3:43.77	3:39.79, DeSoto, Texas
High Jump	Hickey, Coronado	5-10 ½ (1)	Harris, Bakersfield Golden Valley	5-10	5-11 ½, Bottellier, Palisades, Kinterville, Pennsylvania
	Scales, Madison	5-6 (12T)
	Roberts, Westview	5-6 (12T)
Long Jump	Hickey, Coronado	20-9w (1) 20-2	Harris, Upland	20-8 1/2	21-2 ¼w, 20-5 3/4 Bryant, Memorial, Houston
	Hardyway, Oceanside	19-0 ¾ (11)
	Scott, Gompers	19-0 ½ (12)
	Miller, San Pasqual	18-10 ½ (17T)
	Shaheed, Madison	18-10 (21T)
Triple Jump	Miller, San Pasqual	40-06w (3) 40-2	Shearer, San Jose Silver Creek	41-3 3/4	44-10, Moore, Lake Ridge, Mansfield, Texas
	Scott, Gompers Prep	39-5 ½ (14)
	Hardyway, Oceanside	39-0 ½ (20)
Shot Put	Tuatasi, West Hills	45-1 ½ (8)	Budwig, Fowler	49-2 3/4	50-1 ½, Hoekstre, Seaside, Oregon
	Lagoy, Rancho Bernardo	42-0 (19)
	McNairy, San Diego	41-9 ½ (21)
Discus	Cruz, Mission Hills	139-3 (23)	Budwig, Fowler	171-10	176-8, Meyer, Superior, Nebraska
	Tuatasi, West Hills	138-0 (25)
Pole Vault	Callahan, Torrey Pines	13-6 (2T)	Funk, Clovis West	13-9	14-8, Cunliffe, West, Seattle, Washington
	Thomson, Poway	13-3 (5)
	Cervantes, Poway	13-0 (8T)
	Grudman, Sage Creek	12-6 (13T)
	Ray, Rancho Bernardo	12-0 (23T)

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t just Kenan Christon’s powerful sweep in the 100 and 200 meters.  San Diego Section athletes earned an unprecedented 7 gold medals in the 101st state track finals at Clovis Buchanan High.

–Christon equaled the 100-meter meet record of :10.30, set  by Riley Washington of San Diego Southwest in 1992, and roared down the stretch in the 200 to win going away in :20.69.

Washington was the last section runner to finish first in the 100 and it hadn’t been since David Russell of Patrick Henry in 1977 that San Diego had a double winner in the sprints.

GIRLS WIN FIVE

–Scripps Ranch, running and passing the baton smartly, held off a challenge by host school Clovis Buchanan, to win the 400 meters in :46.51 for the first gold in the event by a local team since Crawford set a then-national record of :46.14 (converted to a metric :45.94) in 1977 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

–La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy, forcing the action early and wearing out her competition, set a County record at 10:11.38 in the 3200 meters and finished more than 6 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

–University City sophomore Katriina Wright raced to the outskirts of Monique Henderson territory, her :53.93 the first under 54 seconds since Henderson won 4 consecutive titles from 1998-2001 and set a national record of :50.74 in 2000.

–Rancho Bernardo’s Ashley Callahan led 5 san Diego vaulters into the final and cleared 13-4, four inches better than second place  Paige Sommers of Westlake.

–Alysha Hickey didn’t defend her 2018 long jump title, although her 19-10 1/2 was better than the 19-9 3/4 at which she won a year ago, but then eliminated the competition by clearing 5-8 and winning the high jump.

DIDN’T WIN, BUT…

The Scripps Ranch ladies were sixth in the 4×400 relay but their time of 3:50.3 is fourth fastest all-time in San Diego.

Rancho Bernardo’s Jacob Rice cleared the winning pole vault height of 16 feet, 5 inches, No. 5 all-time in San Diego, but had more misses than winner Samuel Wright of Lodi.

–San Pasqual’s Elise Miller became the ninth girl to reach 40 feet in the  triple jump and her 40-2  earned Miller a third place medal.

–Orange Glen’s Moray Stewart was fourth in  the 100 for the second year in a row and his :10.54 moved Steward into eighth place.

–La Costa Canyon junior Caleb Niednagel was fifth in the 3200 and his 9:01.76, ranks No. 12 all-time.

–Carlie Dorostar of Canyon Crest was sixth in the 3200 in 10:26.15 and elevated to No. 7 all-time.

–Helix junior Eric Parker was running with the pack coming off the final curve before finishing seventh in the 400, but his :47.91 put Parker into the section’s top 20.

Results of the first six finishers in each event:

Allowable wind, 2.0.

BOYS

4×100—Elk Grove Monterey Trail, :41.47. Clovis North, :41.49.  L.B. Poly, :41.56. Trabuco Hills, :41.61. Studio City Harvard Westlake, :41.71. Temecula Great Oak, :42.23.

1600—Strangio (Carmichael Jesuit), 4:08.07. Beattie (San Jose Bellarmine), 4:09.99.  Anderson (Larkspur Redwood), 4:10.26.  Grover (San Juan Capistrano JSerra), 4:10.60.  Middleton-Pearson (Dublin), 4:10.96.  Herold (San Juan Capistrano JSerra), 4:11.85.

110HH—Marshall (Stockton St. Mary’s), 13.31, wind 3.3. Foster (Clovis North), 13.71. Williams (Tracy West), 13.92.  Jimenez (Kingsburg), 14.03.  Wada-Law (Los Gatos :14.13.  Taylor (L.A. Cathedral), 14.34.

 400—Larrier (Elk Grove Monterey Trail), :46.73.  Borquez (Studio City Westlake), :46.83.  Strader (Santa Clarita West Ranch), :47.10.  Reynolds (Concord Clayton Valley), :47.31.  Wheeler (Elk Grove Monterey Trail), :47.45.  Steward (L.B. Poly), :47.79.  7. Parker (Helix), :47.91, section No. 20 all-time.

 100—Christon (Madison), 10.30, wind 1.2. Ties state meet record and Section record by Riley Washington, San Diego Southwest, 1992. Grubb (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame), :10.53. Mulholland (Loomis Del Oro), :10.53.  4. Steward (Orange Glen), 10.54, section No. 8 all-time. Luke (Bellflower St. John Bosco), :10.59.  Scruggs (Clovis North), :10.62.

 800—Wingo (Valencia), 1:51.71. Gordon (Carmichael Jesuit), 1:51.74. Ratkovich (L.A. Loyola), 1:52.22. Macquiddy (Campbell Westmont), 1:52.25. Zarate-Sanchez (Davis), 1:52.78.  Bryson (L.B. Wilson), 1:52.97.  10. Prince (ChulaVista High Tech), 1:54.71.

300IH—Roberson (Upland), :36.32. Rash (Riverside King), :36.41.  Marshall (Stockton St. Mary’s), :37.28.  Monti (Los Gatos), :37.39.  Wada-Law (Los Gatos), :37.62. Andrade (Visalia Redwood), :38.03.  7.  Solomon (Grossmont), 40.66.

 200—Christon (Madison), :20.69, wind 2.5.  Reynolds (Concord Clayton Valley), :20.99.  Grubb (Notre Dame Sherman Oaks), :21.11. Mulholland (Loomis Del Oro), :21.24. Floriolli (Fremont J.F. Kennedy), :21.44.  6. Steward (Orange Glen), :21.49.

3200—Young (Newbury Park), 8:47.27. Anderson (Larkspur Redwood), 8:53.28. Strangio (Carmichael Jesuit), 8:57.69.  Herold (Capistrano JSerra), 8:58.34.  Niednagel (La Costa Canyon), 9:01.76. Section No. 12 all-time. Bates (Santa Clarita West Ranch), 9:02.03.

 4×400 Relay—L.A. Loyola, 3:17.56.  L.B. Poly, 3:17.68. L.B. Wilson, 3:18.02.  Trabuco Hills, 3:18.22. Eastvale Roosevelt, 3:18.42.  Elk Grove Monterey Trail, 3:20.37.

 HIGH JUMP—Allen (Santa Barbara San Marcos), 6-11. Cash (Anaheim Canyon), 6-10. Wiseman (Huntington Beach), 6-9.  Chenworth (Boron), 6-9. Ruddell (Morro Bay), 6-9.  Garnett (Huntington Beach Edison), 6-7.  10. Brownell (San Dieguito), 6-5.

 LONG JUMP—Foster (Clovis North), 25-0, wind 2.3. Hunter (Trcy Kimball), 23-9 ¼, wind 4.2.  Kroeger (Yuba City River Valley), 23-6 ¼, wind, 1.5.  Chachere (Clovis West), 23-3, wind, 3.9. Aubert (Perris California Military), 23-0 ½), 2.0.  Matys (Aptos), 22-10 ¾, wind, 1.9.  9. Yokley (El Capitan), 22-1 ¾ wind 3.4.

 TRIPLE JUMP—Foster (Clovis North), 49-9 ½. McDaniel (Selma), 48-2 ¾.  Wei (South Pasadena), 48-0 ¼.  Agina (Sanger), 47-11.  Hemphill (Upland), 47-5 ¾.  Ruth (Menifee Heritage), 47-0 ½. 8.  Mitchell (Point Loma), 46-4 ½.  11. Gibbs (Oceanside), 44-6 ½.

SHOT PUT—Viveros (Bakersfield Liberty), 68-1 0 ½.  Elbettar (Newport Beach Newport Harbor), 62-4 ¾.  Rhyan (Capistrano San Juan Hills), 61-6 ½.  Sawyer (Los Alamitos), 61-2.  Lyons (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame), 61-1 ¼. Johnson (Clovis Buchanan), 59-3 ¾.

 DISCUS—Cruz (Newbury Park), 191-11. Johnson (Clovis Buchanan), 179-11.  Van Grouw (Clovis Buchanan), 177-09.  Viveros (Bakersfield Liberty), 176-09.  Lopez (Anaheim Canyon), 171-05.

 PV—Wright (Lodi), 16-5.  Rice (Rancho Bernardo), 16-5, section tie No. 5 all-time. Toney (Mountain View St. Francis), 16-1. Yonker (Temecula Great Oak), 15-9.  O’Brien (L.A. Loyola), 15-5.  Vanderlipe (Salinas Alvarez), 15-5.  8. Volpe (San Marcos), 14-11.  Clarke (El Camino), no height.  

 GIRLS

4X100 Relay—Scripps Ranch, :46.51, section No. 6 all-time. Clovis Buchanan, :46.75. L.B. Poly, :47.25.  Alta Loma Rancho Cucamonga, :47.25.  Eastvale Roosevelt, :47.28.  Carson, :47.44.

 1600—Duarte (Chino Hills), 4:42.58.  Lowe (Clovis Buchanan), 4:43.61. Suarez (Pasadena Mayfield), 4:45.0.  Barnett (San Jose Village Christian), 4:46.12.  Cortres (Temecula Great Oak), 4:49.71.  Petrson (Healdsburg), 4:51.86.  8. Farmer (Rancho Bernardo), 4:56.02.

 100H—Shearer (San Jose Silver Creek), 13.24, wind 2.9. Bowen (Stockton Edison), 13.54.  Atkinson (L.B. St. Anthony), 13.84. Shorter (Norco), 14.907. Johnson (Sacramento St. Francis), 14.10.  Renz (Bakersfield Liberty), 14.15). 9. Redon (San Diego), 15.12.

 400–Wright (University City), :53.93, section No. 3 all-time. Monrroy (L.B. Millikan), :54.25.  Pipion (Folsom Vista dela Lago), :54.46.  Babineaux (Lancaster Quartz Hill), :54.68.  Okonkwo (Murrieta Mesa), :54.83.   Memoly (Rancho Santa Margarita), :55.03.

 100—Nowling (Calabasas), :11.55, wind 1.6. Okoro (Pleasanton Amador Valley), :11.60.  Frost (Gardena Serra), :11.64.  Shaheed (Madison), :11.76. Martin (L.B. Poly), :11.76.  Green (Rancho Santa Margarita), :11.78.

 800—Wallenstrom (Kentfield Marin Catholic), 2:08.78. Tomkinton (Atherton Menlo), 2:09.41.  Stanziano (Concord), 2:10.07.  Fauria (Sacramento St. Francis), 2:10.49. Wilson (Westlake Village Oaks Christian), 2:10.87.  Harper (Weaverville Trinity), 2:10.98.

300IH—Glenn (L.B. Wilson), :41.71.  Shorter (Norco), :42.06.  Renz (Bakersfield Liberty), :42.24.  Grady (Upland), :43.01.  Jenkins (Riverside North), :43.04.  Bingham (El Dorado Oak Ridge), :43.39.

 200—Daniele (Clovis Buchanan), :23.73, wind 1.6.  Frost (Gardena Serra), :23.83.  Okoro (Pleasanton Amador Valley), :23.86.  Martin (L.B. Poly), :23.94.  Nowling (Calabasas), :23.98.  Shaheed (Madison), :24.17.

 3200—Fahy (La Costa Canyon), 10:11.38, section No. 1 all-time. Smith (Clovis Buchanan), 10:27.39.  Lowe (Clovis Buchanan), 10:18.87.  Chamberlin (Loomis Del Oro), 10:21.31. Peterson (Healdsburg), 10:23.85. 6. Doroskar (Canyon Crest), 10:26.15.

 HIGH JUMP—Hickey (Coronado), 5-8. Glenn (L.B. Wilson), 5-7. Plummer (Moorpark), 5-7. Lybbert (Davis), 5-6.  Kaufman (Studio City Harvard-Westlake), 5-5.  Harper (Fresno Central), 5-5.

 LJ—Harris (Upland), 20-8 ½, wind 1.3. Shearer (San Jose Silver Creek), 19-10 ¾, wind 1.4.  3. Hickey (Coronado), 19-10 ½, wind 2.2. McDonald (Calabasas), 19-9 ¾, wind 2.2.  Johnson (Rocklin Whitney), 19-6 ¾, wind 1.5.  Atkinson (L.B. St. Anthony), 19-4 ½, wind minus 2.0. 9. Miller (San Pasqual), 18-6 ¼, wind minus 0.8.

TRIPLE JUMP—Shearer (San Jose Silver Creek), 41.1, wind 2.7.  Abirached (Clovis Buchanan), 40-3 ¼, wind 2.0. Miller (San Pasqual), 40-2, wind 1.2. Dargan (Concord), 39-11 ½. Flowers (Burbank), 39-6.  Lyon (Irvine Woodbridge), 39-2 ¾.

SHOT PUT—Budwig (Fowler), 49-2 ¾.  Franklin (Santa Clarita Golden Valley), 48-0 ¾.  Watts (Pacifica Terra Nova), 45-4. Ramirez (Santa Clarita West Ranch), 44-0 ½.  Bender (Bakersfield Liberty), 43-8 ¾.  Crockrell (Calabasas), 43-8.

 DISCUS—Budwig (Fowler), 171-10.  Bender (Bakersfield Liberty), 168-06.  Ramirez (Santa Clarita West Ranch), 159-0.  Fuller (Santa Clara), 148-10. Liu (Eastvale Roosevelt), 148-2. Spear (Thousand Oaks), 147-3.

POLE VAULT—Callahan (Rancho Bernardo), 13-4. Sommers (Westlake Village Westlake), 13-0.  Thomson (Poway), 13-0.Kern (Concord Carondelet), 13-0. Funk (Clovis West), 12-8. Tie, Adamiec (Poway), Simon (San Anselmo Sir Francis Drake), 12-8.  8. Cervantes (Poway), 12-2.  10. Grudman (Sage Creek) 12-2.

4×400 Relay—L.B. Poly, 3:46.23.  Eastvale Roosevelt, 3:47.94.  Dana Hills, 3:48.29.  L.B. Wilson, 3:49.84. Berkeley St. Mary’s College, 3:49.84. 6. Scripps Ranch, 3:50.63.