1980-81: Patrick Henry Preseason Favorite for Third Title, But…
Moments from the season: 11/29/80 Nine players returned to the defending champion and preseason No. 1 Patrick Henry Patriots, including 1979-’80 San Diego Section player-of-the-year Steve Brown, fellow all-CIF selection Billy Washington, and Tom Dobyns, son of a 1957-58 Hoover standout. Five players also moved up from a 19-2 junior varsity. Coach Alan (Fritz) Ziegenfuss, […]
Read More1980-81: Twenty-Six Seconds Took Five Minutes
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 […]
Read More1979-80: Three-Division Realignment Okay, But…
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, […]
Read More1978-79: L.A. Teams Still Kings, But So is Kearny
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, […]
Read More1977-78: Disputed Call Ends Nash’s Great Career
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, […]
Read More1976-77: Madison Welcomed the Traveling Lillys
The arrival of San Diego County’s first 30-points-a-game scorer this year was via a curious journey, from Iceland to Pacific Beach, to Linda Vista, and to North Clairemont, where Marshall and Mitchell Lilly landed at Madison High. The twins, who spent the 1974-75 school year in the near-Arctic Circle country (see 1975-76: Patrick Henry, University […]
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