Originally posted Dec. 11, 2019.

Eighty-three teams, 47 boys squads and 36 girls teams, all had their “hoop dreams” (a so-named, popular movie of the day) as they embarked on what would become a postseason of 114 games, ending with a state championship by the Division V Christian girls.

BOYS PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

D-I

Poway 80, Morse 61 (11-17).

San Dieguito 58, San Diego 41 (9-15).

“It was like a plexiglass lid,” San Diego coach Dennis Kane remarked of the basket at which the Cavers’ were firing in the Mustangs’ 17-4, third-quarter run.

QUARTERFINALS

Rancho Buena Vista 72, Poway 64 (13-15).

Rancho Bernardo 72, San Dieguito 63 (14-15).

Fallbrook 68, Orange Glen 46 (18-9).

Vista 75, Chula Vista 63 (17-10).

SEMIFINALS

Rancho Buena Vista 51, Fallbrook 46 (20-8).

Vista 92, Rancho Bernardo 84 (19-9). 

Trailing, 27-13, late in the first quarter, the Panthers went on a 29-9 run to take a 42-36 lead.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Rancho Buena Vista 57, Vista 49 (18-11).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

L.A. Fairfax (L.A. City) 52, Rancho Buena Vista 51 (23-7). 

Down 16 points entering the fourth quarter, the Longhorns went on a 22-6 run to tie the score at 49 on Jamahl Mosely’s basket with 1:30 left.

—The Lions’ Duane Davis converted a 1 and 1 with 19 seconds remaining for a 51-49 Fairfax lead.

Rancho’s Justin Phillips, with :05 left, was fouled and converted a 1 and 1 for 51-51.

—Fairfax’s Davis  was fouled as he brought the ball up court for a final shot and made the free throw that was the difference.

D-II

FIRST ROUND

Grossmont 59, Hilltop 47 (13-14).     

Mike Van Raaphorst scored 30 points but the Foothillers’ leading scorer, Greg Clark, was carted off the floor after landing awkwardly.

Serra 68, Hoover 38 (17-8).

Scripps Ranch 81, San Marcos 63 (14-14). 

Ashante Johnson scored 27 points, pulled 11 rebounds, and the second-year Falcons ran away with a 32-12 third quarter.

Ramona 82, Helix 69 (14-11).   

Sonny Drago buried the Highlanders with 37 points, including four three-pointers.

Patrick Henry 56, Monte Vista 49 (19-8).

El Capitan 73, Valhalla 50 (16-12).

Torrey Pines 74, University City 53 (10-14).

El Camino 79, Point Loma 64 (13-13).

QUARTERFINALS

Scripps Ranch 70, Serra 52.

El Camino 90, El Capitan 70 (20-8).

Ramona 50, Torrey Pines 49 (22-9).

Sonny Drago, who scored 30 points, converted two free throws with three seconds remaining for an upset over the No. 4-seed Falcons.

Grossmont 62, Patrick Henry 51 (17-12). 

Greg Clark was 10 minutes into the pregame warmup before it was decided he would play. “My jump shot started falling in warmups,” said Clark, who scored 29 points after missing much of the first playoff with stretched ligaments in his ankle.

SEMIFINALS

El Camino 59, Ramona 58 (20-8).   

Clarence Martin’s layup with 2.4 seconds left bailed out the Wildcats, who trailed, 58-57, after Wayne Mealhouse’s basket for Ramona with :13 remaining.

Scripps Ranch 66, Grossmont 40 (18-7).

“They found our Achilles heel,” said Grossmont coach Dave Hollman.  “They knew who our shooters were and shut them down.”  Greg Clark (8) and Shaka Thomas (8) were the Foothillers’ shooters.

CHAMPIONSHIP

El Camino 58, Scripps Ranch 57.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

El Camino 77, Tustin (Southern) 57 (28-3). 

“I think our guys underestimated them, but I don’t know why,” Tustin coach Joe Ground said of the Wildcats.  “They’re a good team.  They shoot well, run well, and they push the ball.”

Pasadena (Southern) 59, Scripps Ranch 49 (25-7). 

The Falcons, led by Ashante Johnson’s 20 points and 12 rebounds, could not overcome the host Bullpups’ 10-0 run in the fourth quarter.

SEMIFINALS

Riverside John North (Southern) 77, El Camino 73, OT (29-3).                                   

There are losses and there are losses.  El Camino coach Ray Johnson lost at home to the team for which he played in high school.

“If we’re going to lose, at least we lost to a great team (25-4) with a great tradition,” said Johnson.

D-III

QUARTERFINALS

University 97, Mar Vista 57 (14-9).

The Mariners, who scored more than 100 points seven times, felt the pain.

La Jolla 77, Kearny 51 (13-14).

Eastlake 73, Mission Bay 48 (8-16).

St. Augustine 58, West Hills 49 (11-14).

SEMIFINALS

La Jolla 62, Eastlake 56 (21-4).

University 76, St. Augustine 62 (19-10). 

Despite scoring 23 of his 27 points in the second half, Jelani McCoy and the Saints never got closer than 64-57, before almost 2,000 persons at Scripps Ranch.

CHAMPIONSHIP

University 66, La Jolla 45 (18-9).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

University 67, Compton Centennial (Southern) 55 (18-14).

Nate Walton led the way for the Dons with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

SEMIFINALS

Artesia 55 (Southern), University 54 (20-10).

D-IV

SEMIFINALS

Lincoln 114, Clairemont 38 (7-20). 

Lincoln led, 51-13, at halftime after holding the Chieftains to two points in the second quarter.

Holtville 66, Coronado 59 (18-7).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Lincoln 84, Holtville 48 (22-6).

“With Holtville’s big kid (Jared Garewal) out, it wasn’t the same,” said Charlie Paulk, coach of the state’s No. 1 D-IV team, according to Cal-Hi Sports.  “I’m glad we won, certainly, but this is just a first step.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Lincoln 78, Corcoran (Central) 46.

L.A. Verbum Dei 102 (Southern), La Jolla 53 (18-10).

SEMIFINALS

Lincoln 90, Gardena Serra (Southern) 88.

CHAMPIONSHIP

L.A. Verbum Dei 93, Lincoln 70 (23-9).

Revenge for the Eagles, who lost to Lincoln in the regional D-IV final in 1993-94.

D-V

QUARTERFINALS

Horizon 60, Calipatria 54 (12-14).

La Jolla Country Day 88, Tri-City 59 (12-15).

Christian 63, Calvin Christian 40 (11-10).

The Bishop’s 55, Santa Clarita Christian 48 (15-9).

SEMIFINALS

Horizon 81, The Bishop’s 67 (17-10).

La Jolla Country Day 63, Christian 62 (15-12).

The difference was Jamie Hooper’s free throw with one second left.  Hooper scored 23 points and had six three-pointers.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Horizon 55, La Jolla Country Day 53.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Horizon 63, Reedley Immanuel (Central) 56.

Pasadena Poly (Southern) 56, La Jolla Country Day 37 (25-6).

SEMIFINALS

Horizon 69, Visalia Central Valley (Central) 65.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Montclair (Southern) 59, Horizon 58 (23-3).

The Panthers took a 58-57 lead into the final minute but were beaten on a 15-foot jump shot with five seconds to play at Cal-State Fullerton.

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

San Dieguito 54, Fallbrook 42 (12-15).

Orange Glen 55, Chula Vista 37 (17-9).

QUARTERFINALS

Poway 77, Mira Mesa 42 (13-12).

Rancho Bernardo 65, Orange Glen 40 (6-21).

Rancho Buena Vista 71, Morse 53 (17-9).

Vista 57, San Dieguito 37 (11-17).

SEMIFINALS

Poway 61, Vista 51 (23-4).

Rancho Bernardo 85, Rancho Buena Vista 69 (18-11).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Poway 81, Rancho Bernardo 55 (22-7).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Ventura Buena (Southern) 60, Poway 32 (21-7).

D-II

FIRST ROUND

Torrey Pines 56, Grossmont 28 (12-13).

El Camino 67, Hoover 44 (8-11).

Scripps Ranch 71, Patrick Henry 47 (12-15).

Alyssa Murphy shot down the Patriots with 38 points.

Point Loma 43, San Pasqual 39 (11-14).

El Cajon Valley 51, Helix 47 (14-10).

Montgomery 52, Valhalla 43 (13-15).

Aztecs coach Lori Morris, after playoff losses the last two seasons, on a ritual this year:  “I went home after every game and (along the way) would buy one of those Haagen-Dazs ice cream pints. Ate those all the time.”

Escondido 56, Serra 46 (14-9).

El Capitan 57, Hilltop 48 (12-12).

QUARTERFINALS

Point Loma 53, El Cajon Valley 29 (16-11).

El Camino 50, Escondido 38 (19-9).

Torrey Pines 79, Montgomery 55 (19-7).

Scripps Ranch 76, El Capitan 37 (20-10).

Alyssa Murphy singlehandedly eliminated the Vaqueros with 42 points.

SEMIFINALS

Scripps Ranch 51, El Camino 43 (25-5).

Torrey Pines 55, Point Loma 52 (26-6)

CHAMPIONSHIP

Torrey Pines 75, Scripps Ranch 69, 2 OT.

Robyn Turner’s third three-point field goal started the second, four-minute overtime and the Falcons were in front for keeps.  Scripps Ranch’s Alyssa Murphy scored 35 points but was 11×37 from the field.

“It was gut wrenching,” said Scripps Ranch coach Dan Regas of his team’s inability to overcome 33 turnovers.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Irvine Woodbridge (Southern) 79, Scripps Ranch 45 (19-13).

Alyssa Murphy, headed for Boston College, fouled out in the third quarter, but ended her brilliant senior season with 908 points and a 28.4 average.

Newbury Park 85, Torrey Pines 59 (26-7).

D-III

QUARTERFINALS

University 60, Mission Bay 28 (7-18).

Our Lady of Peace 54, Madison 28 (4-17).

Santana 67, La Jolla 23 (4-21)

Eastlake 68, West Hills 54 (8-17).

SEMIFINALS

Santana 86, Eastlake 51 (19-9)

Our Lady of Peace 58, University 39 (16-10)

CHAMPIONSHIP

Santana 52, Our Lady of Peace 28.                                                                               

OLP was doomed when 22-point scorer Susie Erpelding was out with a knee injury.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Santana 82 Exeter Union (Central) 62.

“We’re going to change history,” said junior point guard Sophia Sledge.  The Sultans were aiming past the semifinals.

Newbury Park (Southern) 79, Our Lady of Peace 38 (20-10).

SEMIFINALS

Santana 81 Lemoore (Central) 54. 

I thought we put on a clinic out there,” said Coach Wade Vickery to Josie Karp of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“We’d like to be talked about in the future,” said Kelly Simers, who led the Sultans with 25 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Newbury Park 67 (31-1), Santana 57 (32-2).

The game at the Anaheim Pond arena tipped at 9 a.m. and the Sultans were slow to start, trailing, 23-11, with 5:31 left in the half.

Santana mounted a 15-4 rally and, after Kelly Simers’ three-pointer, went into halftime behind only 27-26.

A basket and free throw by Monica Pope increased a Santana advantage to 30-26, but the Panthers took a 31-30 lead and never looked back.

D-IV

SEMIFINALS

Clairemont 61, Lincoln 39 (11-11).

The Lady Hornets, leading, 13-4, and winners of three of the last four D-IV titles, were no match when the Chieftains’ Rori Robertson, slowed by the flu, entered the game in the second quarter, scored 24 points, and teamed with Faye DeLeon, 13 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, and 10 steals.

Holtville 53, Coronado 41 (15-9).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Clairemont 52, Holtville 50, OT (23-5).

“I never stopped believing in my team,” said Clairemont coach Lamont Jackson.

The Chieftains trailed 20-4 with 3:40 left in the first half. “You notice,” Jackson added, “I never called timeout.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

Morro Bay (Central) 51, Clairemont 36 (21-5).

D-V

FIRST ROUND

Lutheran 51, Covenant 38 (9-10).

Horizon 59, Marian 34 (5-16).

Calvin Christian 74, Tri-City 38 (8-12).

Calipatria 42, Francis Parker 27 (7-13).

QUARTERFINALS

Christian 80, Lutheran (11-9).

Horizon 65, La Jolla Country Day 55 (11-8).

The Bishop’s 55, Calvin Christian 41 (15-8).

Julian 87, Calipatria 33 (15-9).

SEMIFINALS

Christian 76, Horizon 22 (19-6).

Julian 62, The Bishop’s 44 (14-14).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Christian 86, Julian 52.                                                                                                   

“The four seniors have been together for four years and that will be a big advantage the rest of the way,” predicted Christian’s UC-Santa Barbara-bound Stephanie Shadwell to Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Christian 77, Pasadena Poly (Southern) 33.

Julian 73, San Bernardino Christian (Southern) 42.                                                   

Missy Bryan was too much for the host team, with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 steals.

SEMIFINALS

Julian 73, Visalia Central Valley (Central) 54.

Stephanie Sick scored a triple double, 15 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds for the Eagles.

Christian 66, San Luis Obispo Mission Prep (Southern) 33.                                         

The Patriots jumped to a 17-0 lead and were ahead, 43-17, at halftime.  Stephanie Shadwell led with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

FINALS

Christian 52, Julian 46 (31-4).

“We should have won,” said Julian coach Carl Focarelli.  “Nobody in the world gave us a chance after a 34-point loss (to Christian in the San Diego Section finals) and us having been on the road five straight days (to San Bernardino and Visalia).”

–The Patriots, the No. 1 ranked D-V team in the state, praised their opponent.  “They played outstanding,” said April Payton.  “They just missed their shots.”

–We played tougher man defense and didn’t give them the threes,” said Focarelli.  “We outplayed them, but we missed too many shots and free throws.”

–Christian shot 32.2 per cent (19×59) from the field and Julian 31.5 per cent (17×54).

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Christian 49 (33-3), Ripon Christian (Sac-Joaquin) 47.

Stephanie Shadwell drained a half court basket at the buzzer at Oakland Coliseum Arena.  The three points lifted the Patriots to a stunning, come-from-behind victory over the 35-4 team that beat Christian, 62-46, in the 1993-94 final.

“Every basketball player dreams of hitting a last-second shot from halfcourt to win a state title,” Shadwell told Tom Shanahan of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  “To have that dream become reality…it’s an indescribable feeling.”

Originally posted Dec. 10, 2019.

DECEMBER, 1994

–Six-foot, 11-inch Jelani McCoy started the season with 41 points and set a San Diego Section record with 16 blocked shots in an 85-82 win in the Hilltop/Pizza Hut tournament. El Camino’s Dee Boyer blocked 15 shots in a 1989 game.

–Dimitri Hodgkinson scored 37 points and El Cajon Valley reached triple digits in the Norsemen-Warhawk tournament…and lost! The Braves were edged by Mar Vista, 104-101.  Valhalla and Madison were tournament hosts. Sophomore Jorge Salazar had 43 for the Mariners.

–Lincoln’s defending state Division IV champion kept sending El Camino to the free-throw line and the Warriors responded by converting 30×35 attempts and knocked down the Hive, 99-94. Lincoln was 12×22 from the line.

–Lincoln defeated Morse, 110-88, and surpassed the school record of 107 against Granite Hills in 1982-83.

TOURNAMENTS FLOOD SCHEDULE

A dizzying number of events included the 48^th Kiwanis, 35^th Lt. Jim Mitchell Memorial, and 22^nd Francis Parker. Others were played locally, state-wide, in Nevada, and Hawaii.  Many were dubbed with the misnomer “classics”.

–Poway (7-2) won the 16-team Kiwanis, 76-52, over Mount Miguel (8-2), capitalizing on a 40-23 advantage in rebounds.

–Jelani McCoy set a section record with 19 blocked shots in a 69-66 victory over Rialto Eisenhower in the first round of the Jim Mitchell.

It’s getting hectic,” said McCoy.  “I’m not chasing the record, but when I get close, people remind me.”

NO REST FOR SCRIPPS

–The fifth Above the Rim classic was just that, powerhouse teams soaring on a national level.  Teams from throughout the U.S. were at Torrey Pines.

Second-year Scripps Ranch four hours earlier had beaten Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 75-72, and then gave national power Santa Ana Mater Dei a run well into the third quarter.

Almost 3,000 persons in the 2,500-seat Falcons gym watched with stunned enthusiasm as the Falcons moved to a 41-34 lead with 4:59 remaining.

Monarchs coach Gary McKnight called timeout and switched his team from man-to-man to zone defense.  ‘Dei went on a 19-2 run and won, 75-63. Ashante Johnson had 28 points against both Gorman and Mater Dei and Scott Charity had 27 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

–Mater Dei (16-1) defeated Brooklyn Lincoln (9-2) and its all-America guard Stephon Marbury, 92-77, for the championship.  Marbury scored 39 points.  Schea Cotton had 33 for the Monarchs.

JANUARY, 1995

Home is where the victories are.

Scripps Ranch came into its Western League opener at St. Augustine with a 12-1 record, but the Saints had not lost on their floor since 1991-92.

The result was Western League basketball at its most competitive as the Saints (10-4) pulled out a double-overtime, 77-73 victory.

Jelani McCoy’s two free throws with 10 seconds left sealed the victory.  McCoy had 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots, while Scripps’ Ashante Johnson scored 20 points and pulled 10 rebounds.

–Jorge Salazar’s 21 points were augmented with 11 assists as Mar Vista got Harbor League play under way with a 115-78 win over Christian.  The Mariners earlier had whipped CETY’s of Tijuana, 117-39.

–Stormy weather and leaky roofs postponed three games:  Chula Vista at Eastlake, Kearny at Point Loma, and Ramona at Escondido. Coronado’s game at Crawford was suspended at halftime with the Islanders leading, 30-18.

McCoy was held to a season-low 6 points by the policing of 6-6 Nate Walton, a transfer from Torrey Pines, and University topped St. Augustine, 64-49.

Walton the No. 2 son of former Helix great Bill Walton, scored 20 points with 13 rebounds and declared, “There was nothing like this at Torrey Pines.  People on campus talked about (the game) all week.  This is the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in.”

McCOY REAL McCOY

–Two weeks later, McCoy, playing before a raucous home crowd, had 28 points, 26 rebounds, and blocked 11 shots in a 58-46 revenge win.  Walton was held to eight points.

–“I wasn’t a force the first time,” said McCoy, “and there was some question who was the No. 1 center (McCoy or Walton) after that game.”

Ashante Johnson drained a three-point attempt with 4 seconds left in regulation and tipped in the winning basket with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime to get Scripps Ranch past La Jolla, 63-61.

Scoring leaders, unofficial, some games not reported:

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Jelani McCoy	St. Augustine	29	749	25.82 (5)
Jeremy Killion	Rancho Bernardo	27	712	26.37 (3)
Tim Rabetoy	Julian	23	689	29.956 (1)
Matt Jager	Vista	26	676	26.0 (4)
Sonny Drago	Ramona	27	650	24.07 (7)
Mike McNair	Kearny	27	647	23.96 (8)
Ashante Johnson	Scripps Ranch	32	643	20.09
Al Smalley	Fallbrook	21	608	28.95 (2)
Greg Clark	Grossmont	24	595	24.791 (6)
Will Goodloe	Mar Vista	27	566	20.96
Jared Evans	Helix	25	563	22.52 (10)
Harres Karim	Mira Mesa	24	550	22.91 (9)
Daral Guthro	Chula Vista	25	541	21.64
Lee	Point Loma	26	539	20.73
Louther	San Marcos	27	537	19.88
Robinson	Southwest	26	530	20.38
Jamie Hooper	La Jolla Country Day	25	526	21.0
Swanson	Tri-City	24	500	20.83
Miller	San Diego	24	475	19.79
Paris Corner	University City	23	472	20.52
J.B. Haskett	La Jolla	26	471	18.1

Van Hoeve, Covenant, 17×359, 21.1. Miller, El Cajon Valley, 21×429, 20.4.

El Camino took out its frustrations on Escondido, 109-54, after an upset, 64-59 loss to Torrey Pines. Four Wildcats scored at least 15 points.

Scott Charity adhered to the maxim that it is better to be late than never, scoring 23 of his 25 points in the second half as Scripps Ranch beat Mission Bay, 76-61.

Kearny’s Mike McNair and Point Loma’s Eric Bell matched four, three-point baskets, but McNair outscored his opponent, 34-18, and Kearny won, 63-55.

Eastlake (7-0) stayed unbeaten in the Metropolitan League when Rusty Skinner dropped  in an 18-foot jumper to get the Titans past Chula Vista, 54-52.

KOMETS’ MARK FALLS

Mike McNair scored 47 points to break Wilburn Strong’s school record of 42 points, set in 1968-69, and led the Komets to an 84-74, Eastern League win over Serra.

Harres Karim scored with eight seconds remaining and then blocked a shot as Mira Mesa nudged San Diego, 48-47.

FEBRUARY, 1995

Matt Jager scored 40 points, but Poway’s Steve Francis was dominant in the Titans’ 79-74, double overtime win over No. 8-ranked Vista.  Francis had 33 points and six three pointers and made a three with one second left to force a first overtime.

–With one second remaining in the first overtime, Francis was fouled attempting a half-court shot.  He made three successive free throws to force a second extra session, in which Poway outscored Vista, 8-3.

University City sophomore Paris Corner threw up a 70-foot prayer that drained the bottom of the net as the Centurions (10-15) upset Scripps Ranch (19-5), 59-58.

“When you start the second half with a technical foul, you let the other team back in the game,” said Lincoln coach Charlie Paulk of the T the Hornets’ received for a slam dunk basket during warmups before the third quarter.

–The Hornets led, 36-24, at the start of the third quarter but Jelani McCoy led the Saints on a 23-14 run with five, thunderous slam baskets that brought the visitors back into the game.

–Lincoln held on for a 69-66 win despite McCoy’s 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 blocked shots.

Rancho Buena Vista clinched its first Palomar League championship in the school’s eight-season history with a 72-70 win over runner-up Rancho Bernardo.  Tim Giles’ basket with three seconds left pulled out the win for the Longhorns.

CENTURY CLUB

TEAM	OPPONENT	SCORE
Horizon	Midway Baptist	119-30
Mar Vista	Tijuana CETY’s, Mexico	117-39
Mar Vista	Christian	115-78
El Camino	Oceanside	115-50
Lincoln	Clairemont	114-38
Lincoln	Morse	110-88
El Camino	Escondido	109-54
West Hills	El Cajon Valley	107-74
Mar Vista	El Cajon Valley	104-101
Mar Vista	El Cajon Valley	102-92
Mar Vista	Marian	102-76
Mar Vista	Crawford	101-66
Mar Vista	Clairemont	101-51
El Camino	Carlsbad	100-57
Tri-City	Midway Baptist	100-20

Mikey Williams, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard heralded as one of the outstanding ninth grade players in the country, scored 50 points in one game recently as the San Diego Section basketball season got under way.

But the San Ysidro freshman can’t claim family bragging rights.

That’s because Mikey’s father, Mahlon Williams, a three-year star at Sweetwater for coaches Gary Zarecky and David Ybarra from 1983-86, scored 51 points in a game.

On January 14, 1986, Williams connected on 22 of 33 shots from the field and added seven free throws in an 86-70 victory over Marian, as present day Mater Dei Catholic was then known.

Mahlon was the San Diego Section’s third leading scorer in ’85-’86 with 543 points and a 22.6 average, trailing only Poway’s Jud Buechler (23.6) and Dominick Johnson (23.4).

Mikey Williams scored 143 points in his first three games: 41 in his debut, a 98-45 win over El Cajon Valley, followed by 50 in an 85-77 victory against Mission Bay in the host Montgomery, San Diego Tip-Off event, and 29 in an 89-53 win over San Bernardino in the opening game of the Corona Centennial Battle Zone Tournament.

A sharp rise in the level of competition caught up with the Cougars in the second round at Corona.

Williams was held to 14 points in an 84-48 loss to the host team and had 10 in a 56-44 defeat by Riverside Hillcrest.  Williams scored 31 in the final Battle Zone game but San Ysidro fell to Foothills Christian, 100-84.

Longtime area coach Terry Tucker has built a solid program at the school near the U.S.-Mexico border after having success at Crawford, where Tucker coached Tyrone Shelley, who set the San Diego Section record with 76 points in a 2005-06 season game against a team from Canada.

SIERRA CANYON TOO MUCH

Montgomery coach Ed Martin has coaxed nationally prominent Chatsworth Sierra Canyon to come south the last two seasons, bringing high profile sons of NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Lebron James, among others, and taken San Diego Section teams to the woodshed.

St. Augustine was an 86-47 loser to the northwest San Fernando Valley squad last season.  The Saints got a little closer this year, 75-54.

Cathedral actually led the Trailblazers, 12-1, in the early going of the Montgomery tournament and trailed only 27-24 at halftime before bowing, 59-46.

Sweetwater, the San Diego Section’s International team.

After trips to Hawaii and Canada in recent years, Coach Gary Zarecky’s Red Devils visited the Continent this season.

They played four games in Yugoslavia after Christmas, meeting some of that basketball-savvy nation’s top junior teams.

The roadrunners from National City also found time to set a San Diego Section record for most points in one game.

Sweetwater’s 136-48 victory over Coronado in the season opener represented the 10^th highest score by any team in the history of California high school hoops.

The 48 points in one quarter was the second highest and the 79 points in one half tied for fourth.

STATE SINGLE-GAME HIGHS (through 1984-85 season, courtesy Cal-Hi Sports)

YEAR	TEAM	OPPONENT	SCORE
1966-67	Geyserville	Middletown	150-81
1965-66	L.A. Jefferson	L.A. Washington	147-87
1952-53	L.A. Jefferson	Gardena	144-34
1964-65	L.A. Jefferson	Gardena	140-67
1971-72	L.A. Jefferson	L.A. Washington	140-70
1980-81	Gardena Serra	L.A. Salesian	140-59
1971-72	L.A. Jefferson	L.A. Washington	139-64
1972-73	San Bernardino Aquinas	Riverside Sherman Indian	138-60
1971-72	L.A. Daniel Murphy	Lennox	137-39
1984-85	Sweetwater	Coronado	136-48

BELGRADE INVITATIONAL CHALLENGE

Sweetwater 79, Belgrade Zvezda 67.

The Yugoslavian team, with a 19-2 record and a front line measuring 6-feet, 8 inches, 6-8, and 6-6, had trouble defending Mahlon Williams and Howard Scott, who each had 20 points.

KK Crvena Zvezda 94, Sweetwater 89.

The Reds Devils lost to a 26-1 team that, according to Coach Gary Zarecky, will play 90 games this season and has a starting lineup measuring 6-10, 6-9, 6-7, 6-6, and 6-1.

The Yugoslav team didn’t take control “until the referees fouled out four of our starters in the last four minutes of the game,” said Zarecky.

Guard Howard Scott was the lone ‘Devil starter to last through the final whistle.

Sweetwater 86, Prvi Partizan 65.

Mahlon Williams led Sweetwater with 17 points.

Sweetwater 90, Tito Vio Uzice 65.

Mahlon Williams’ 18 points led 11 Red Devils scorers.

The Red Devils won the final game, leaving with a 4-1 record, when they defeated another team from Yugoslavia, 116-114.

Sweetwater fired a season-opening shot to remember on Nov. 21, exploding for 136 points against Coronado in the first game (Seach 1984-85: Zarecky’s Red Devils Runnin’…andTravelin’), but the Red Devils came up short again in the playoffs as Poway, now a team of mostly juniors, ran away with the San Diego Section 3-A title.

Other moments  from a long season:

11/28/84

Poway cemented its status as the team to beat come late February with a first week, 89-51 rout of Morse, an Eastern League stalwart and expected postseason contender.

The Titans outscored the Tigers, 50-23, in the second half.  Jud Buechler scored 26 points.

12/12/84

“He told us if we kept playing like we had in the first half, we could watch the second,” said Poway center John Colborne.

Trailing, 31-30, at halftime, the Titans straightened out at Point Loma and eased to a 75-63 victory, punctuated by a 25-6 third quarter.

“Poway is the best team I’ve seen in San Diego since Bill Walton was at Helix and, because of their guards, Poway might be better than that Helix team,” said Pointers coach John May.

Colborne, hearing Coach Neville Saner loud and clear, led with 26 points and 14 rebounds.

12/14/84

Sixteen days after a blowout loss to Poway, Morse defeated No. 3-ranked and 9-0 Sweetwater, 80-71, as Paul Bryant scored 22 of his 28 points in the second half.

Perhaps the Red Devils were looking ahead, far ahead.  They would leave in two days for a Christmas Vacation trip to Europe and play in a major event in Yugoslavia.

Sweetwater coach Gary Zarecky, his team buttressed by Castle Park transfers Mahlon Williams and Sean Styles, continued to showcase his team.

The Red Devils in previous years played in Canada, Hawaii, and at the prestigious tournament in Hobbs, New Mexico.

1/8/85

Devin Moran scored 34 points and Serra set a school record for points in a 92-72 victory over Mt. Carmel.

Point Loma made 6 of 7 free throw attempts in the last minute to edge Kearny, 76-72.

1/16/85

Patrick Henry improved to 15-0 with a 69-67 win over visiting Morse.  The Patriots called up sophomore Darren Thrower from the junior varsity on the day of the game and Thrower successfully handled the ball against the Tigers’ baseline-to-baseline press.

(Twenty days later the Patriots moved to 21-0 by surviving two overtimes and winning at Morse, 63-60).

–Monte Vista led, 17-3, and 38-20 but El Capitan rallied for a 69-64, overtime victory in a game that matched teams with 7-0 Grossmont League records.

–El Camino’s Sharon Turner set a girls San Diego Section record with 60 points in the Wildcats’ 121-16 win over Ramona. Turner, 29×36 shooting from the field, brought her recent, four-game total to 197 points

–John Colborne was sidelined with an ankle injury but 6-6 Dominick Johnson, son of legendary San Diego High athlete and 16-season major league baseball standout Deron Johnson, scored 28 points and added 17 rebounds in an 80-65 triumph over Orange Glen.

1/23/84

The Point Loma girls set a San Diego Section record with their 45th consecutive win, 62-33 at Patrick Henry.

Fallbrook held the record of 44 in the 1977-78 and ’78-79 seasons.

1/25/84

Chula Vista, loser of its first four, won its 13^th game in 14 with a 95-44 rout of San Diego Southwest as it prepared for a February battle with blood rival Sweetwater.

“I coach the talent,” 13-year Spartans coach Mike Collins replied to a compliment from Jeff Savage of the Evening Tribune.  “We were taller last year and this year we’re shorter but quicker.  We do what we have to.”

–John Colborne was back after a two-game injury but Poway struggled to get to 17-0 and 7-0 in the Palomar League with a 62-59 victory at Vista.

Dominick Johnson set a career high with 30 points and Jud Buechler added 14 for the Titans.

–Hoover came within two points of the school record in a 103-68 win over St. Augustine.  The Cardinals defeated Christian, 105-46, in 1981-82.

2/2/85

Oceanside was 5×14 from the free-throw line, El Camino 11×12, including eight in a row in the final 1:21, to lock a 51-47 victory in a battle of Avocado League rivals.

“That’s the way it’s gone all season,” noted Oceanside coach Bill Christopher of the team’s lack of success at the line.  “No, make that all decade.”

2/8/85

Poway’s John Colborne missed another game because of flu and Torrey Pines sprung the upset of the season, 55-53, in the Falcons’ gym.

The victory elevated Torrey to 11-11 on the season and reduced  the Titans to 19-1, leaving only Patrick Henry undefeated, 22-0.

–El Capitan clinched a playoff spot with a 46-36 win over Helix in a game that erupted with 1:32 left.

–A Helix foul touched off a melee in which both benches emptied and about 100 fans, players, and peace-keepers swarmed the court.

–No one was ejected.  Game officials couldn’t determine who the instigator was.

BOYS SCORING LEADERS

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Ron Howard	Vista	26	520	20.0 (10)
Howard Wright	Patrick Henry	25	501	20.04 (9)
Bill Donley	Christian	22	500	22.7 (1)
Jim Tatum	Santana	23	497	21.60 (3)
Brad Milhoan	Kearny	24	496	20.66 (5T)
Sam Aguirre	Hoover	24	475	19.8
T. Shawcroft	Granite Hills	23	465	20.2 (8)
Mahlon Williams	Sweetwater	28	473	16.9
Williams	Hoover	24	465	19.4
Paul Bryant	Morse	22	459	20.86 (4)
Dean	Madison	21	455	21.67 (2)
Dominick Johnson	Poway	25	451	18.2
Steve Burroughs	El Capitan	24	438	18.2
Edgar Harvey	Chula Vista	26	441	16.96
Larry Willson	Sweetwater	22	448	20.36 (7)
Robert Jones	El Cajon  Valley	21	434	20.66 (5T)
Demetrius Lafitte	Monte Vista	24	430	17.9
Bay Dean	Chula Vista	26	426	16.4
White	Carlsbad	22	406	18.5
Darnell Woods	Chula Vista	25	406	16.24
Markowitz	Army-Navy	21	395	19.75
Jeff Barry	Santana	23	399	17.3
John Colborne	Poway	23	390	16.95
Pelletier	Valhalla	23	390	16.95
Sommer	Escondido	20	387	19.3
David Fulmer	Bonita Vista	23	382	16.6
Kennedy	Torrey Pines	23	382	16.6

Billings, Mountain Empire, 16×285, 19.0.  Karl Rumpelhart, The Bishop’s 14×255, 18.2.

GIRLS

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Sharon Turner	El Camino	29	863	31.7 (1)
Terri Mann	Point Loma	27	680	25.2 (2)
Paula Mascari	Monte Vista	25	599	23.96 (3)
Chris Sherman	Santana	24	518	21.58 (4)
Karen Chariker	Clairemont	22	471	21.4 (5)
Hranek	Vista	24	448	18.66
Evans	El Camino	27	441	16.3
Michelle Wilkes	Bonita Vista	23	431	18.7
Heidi Erpelding	University	24	424	17.7
Sheri Johnson	Santana	23	416	18.08
Donna Matthews	Hilltop	24	404	16.8
Julie Evans	Hilltop	18	402	22.33

PLAYOFFS

BOYS

3-A

QUARTERFINALS

Patrick Henry 80, Vista 58 (13-11).

Morse 76, Monte Vista 57 (22-2).

The third-ranked Monarchs had led the County with a defensive scoring average of 43.7.

The Tigers 5-foot, 11-inch Paul Bryant scored 29 points and said, “I’m used to playing under pressure, usually against cats taller than me.”

Poway 106, Bonita Vista 51 (14-9).

Dominick Johnson scored 27 points and the Titans, opening with a 35-7 first quarter, came within two points of the school record, set in 1973-74 against San Dieguito.

Sweetwater 77, El Capitan 69 (18-6).

SEMIFINALS

Morse 71, Patrick Henry 64 (23-2).

Overflow crowd of 2,700 persons at Serra saw the Tigers avenge two losses to Patriots as substitute Deshang Weaver, who played at Lincoln last season, scored 18 points and “gave us an emotional lift,” said Morse coach Ron Davis.

Poway 70, Sweetwater 64 (24-4).

The Titans’ Big Three of Dominick Johnson (23), Jud Buechler (17), and John Colborne (15) led an early, 17-8 run and the Red Devils never caught up.

–“If we play our game, hard to defense us,” said Johnson. “We’re a year older, we’re much more mature, and we’re not selfish.”

CHAMPIONSHIP

Poway 87, Morse 63 (15-7).

Johnson (23), Colborne and Buechler, 20 each, combined to match the Tigers’ total, before 7,618 persons at the Sports Arena.

“We’re not the Cinderella team we were last year.” said Coach Neville Saner.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

L.A. Crenshaw 79, Poway 61 (24-2).

A crowd of more than 2,500 at Mira Mesa watched Poway hang in, trailing only 40-35 in the third quarter.

“They just keep coming at you; they never rest,” said the Titans’ Andy Byrne.

“This is an excellent team,” said the Cougars’ Stevie Thompson.  “When we came here we didn’t think they’d be tough.  They were a three-A team from San Diego and we just didn’t think they’d be very good.”

2-A

QUARTERFINALS

Oceanside 51, Hoover 47 (20-5).

El Camino 72, Hilltop 60 (9-17).

Hilltop crept to 39-38, but “I didn’t think we were in any danger,” Wildcats coach Ray Johnson told Bud Maloney of the Evening Tribune.  “If you’ve seen our team play you would know we go to sleep at times.”

Chula Vista 62, Kearny 61 (18-7).

George Brynd’s two free throws with six seconds left climaxed the Spartans 11-point comeback in fourth quarter.

Mission Bay 56, Crawford 53 (11-11).

SEMIFINALS

Mission Bay 60, El Camino 52 (21-3).

Before Ray Johnson’s boys squad took the floor against and the underdog Buccaneers, Johnson coached the girls’ team to its win over San Marcos.  There would not be an El Camino double final in 2-A.

Oceanside 42, Chula Vista 40 (19-7).

Junior Seau swatted George Brynd’s shot into the stands with one second left at Serra High to preserve the Pirates’ win.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Oceanside 63, Mission Bay 40 (19-6).

Pirates led only 23-21 at halftime.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

Easton Washington Union 50, Oceanside 32 (19-7).

The Panthers were of a Fresno suburb and members of the Central Section of the state CIF.

1-A

COASTAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Army-Navy 73, La Jolla Country Day 52.

Lutheran 68, The Bishop’s 66.

SEMIFINALS

Lutheran 67, Army-Navy 57 (20-4).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Lutheran 61, Imperial 51.

“Once we got the ice off the rim we started hitting,” said Knights coach Michael Heidtbrink after the Mountain-Desert League playoff-winning Tigers took a 14-5 lead.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

Avenal 74, Lutheran 61 (21-5).

BOYS CENTURY CLUB

TEAM	OPPONENT	SCORE
Sweetwater	Coronado	136-48
Sweetwater	Mar Vista	123-54
Sweetwater	Yugoslavian Club Team	116-114
Sweetwater	Mar Vista	115-36
Sweetwater	Southwest	112-39
Sweetwater	Kearny	107-83
Chula Vista	Marian	107-67
La Jolla Country Day	Victory Christian	104-34
Hoover	St. Augustine	103-68
Poway	Bonita Vista	106-51
Sweetwater	Castle Park	100-68
Poway	Fallbrook	100-44
Sweetwater	Chula Vista	100-94

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

QUARTERFINALS

3-A

Point Loma 71, Grossmont 21 (14-5).

The 23-0 Pointers converted an astounding 24 steals into easy baskets, winning their 70^th in a row at home and 52^nd consecutive.

Fallbrook 68, Madison 48 (12-7).

Santana 56, Sweetwater 50 (14-7).

Chris Sherman’s 25 points and 11 rebounds helped Santana (23-0) stay undefeated.

Mt. Carmel 69, Bonita Vista 66 (17-6).

Donna Gutierrez’ two free throws with 33 seconds left closed out the Sundevils’ upset of the  10^th-ranked Barons.

SEMIFINALS

Point Loma 63, Mt. Carmel 29 (17-8).

The Sundevils committed four fouls in a rowdy first minute, “tactically” meaning to keep the Pointers from scoring field goals.  Point Loma was scoreless from the field in the first 4:33 but free throws put the Pointers ahead, 5-1.

Fallbrook 58, Santana 53 (24-1).

“We were scared of their record, but we also thought we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t deserve it,” said the Warriors Nicole Jann, who scored 23 points and pulled 10 rebounds.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Point Loma 86, Fallbrook 52 (20-5).

Terri Mann’s 31 points included 27 in the second half, plus 15 of her 27 rebounds.  Fallbrook, trailing, 40-25, at the half, called off its press.

–“I hoped it wasn’t Terri’s night, so we tried to stop some other things in the second half,” said Fallbrook Coach Buck White.

–“Then,” White added, “she went to work.”

–The move up to 3-A from 2-A this season mattered not to coach Lee Trepanier’s team.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION I

Point Loma 63, L.A. Crenshaw 51.

“That number 52 is the best around, period,” gushed Crenshaw coach Major Dennis.  “She just intimidated us in the first half and by the time we realized she was just human, it was too late.”

Dennis was describing the Pointers’ Terri Mann to writer Steve Brand.  Mann had 27 points and 17 rebounds.

Point Loma 59, Delano 49.

Terri Mann sat out almost seven minutes of the third quarter with four fouls but finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, eight blocked shots, and seven steals

“I wasn’t worried at all,” claimed Pointers coach Lee Trepanier.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Point Loma 53 (28-0), S.F. Wilson 48 (26-3).

Terri Mann drained a free throw on the front end of a 1-and-1, spun, raised her fist, and smiled.  The point gave Point Loma a three-point lead with 16 seconds remaining.

The Pointers scored again and held off San Francisco Wilson for the championship at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Arena.

–The 6-foot, 1-imch sophomore Mann scored 30 points, collected 17 rebounds, six blocked shots, and had 3 steals.

2-A

QUARTERFINALS

El Camino 96, Clairemont 42 (10-13).

University 54, Southwest 34 (12-6).

Hilltop 55, Crawford 41 (14-7).

San Marcos 55, Lincoln 50, OT (8-6).

Robin Paladino scored 27 points, forced overtime with a layup with six seconds left, and clinched for the Knights with four free throws in the extra period.

SEMIFINALS

El Camino 65, San Marcos 35 (21-6).

University 53, Hilltop 49 (19-5).

Heidi Erpelding scored 22 of Uni’s 29 points in the first half and 34 overall as the Dons, 17-point losers to the Lancers earlier in the season, scored an upset.

CHAMPIONSHIP

El Camino 75, University 42 (21-4).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION II

El Camino 64, Easton Washington 58.

The Wildcats had to hold on after building a 53-35, third-quarter lead.

STATE CHAPIONSHIP

Chico Pleasant Valley 63, El Camino 49 (27-2).

The school that lost to Point Loma in the state D-II finals in 1983-84 had a 21-1 advantage at the free throw line.

“The real key though was they broke our press,” Wildcats Coach Ray Johnson told Steve Brand.  “We usually get a lot of points off turnovers.”

El Camino gave up the ball 26 times, compared to 17 for the Vikings.

The Wildcats were called for 25 fouls to 11 for the champions.

El Camino trailed, 49-43, with 6:17 remaining.

1-A

COASTAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

La Jolla Country Day 71, The Bishop’s 31.

Calvin Christian 45, Borrego Springs 33.

COASTAL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

La Jolla Country Day 62, Calvin Christian 42.

CHAMPIONSHIP

La Jolla Country Day 41, Holtville 34*.

The Torres survived nine, first-quarter turnovers (the losing Vikings had 11) and remained undefeated with an 18-game winning streak.

*Won Mountain-Desert League playoff.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION III

Woodlake 62, La Jolla Country Day 48 (18-1).

	TOURNAMENT SEASON There were at least 17 involving boys’ teams before and after the New Year and probably more, as many results were not reported or publishedThe majors were the 17th Lt. Jim Mitchell, hosted by San Dieguito; the 38th Kiwanis, and the so named Belgrade Invitational Challenge (Search: 1984-85: “Those Travelin’…) featuring global traveler Sweetwater and some of Yugoslavia’s top junior teams. Others included the Mt. Helix, Grossmont, Peninsula Classic, Santana, Hilltop, Bonita Vista Baron-Optimist, Rohr-Aztec, and Mountain Empire that were played locally, and out-of-town competitions Las Vegas Red Rock, Chino, San Jose Valley Christian, Wilmington Banning, Lake Elsinore, and Santa Barbara Don Volpi. LT. JIM MITCHELL Originally known as the Mustang Optimist in 1961-62, for the last 17 years the tournament honored the late San Dieguito High star who was killed in the Viet Nam war. Sixteen teams, including outsiders Yuma, Arizona, Burbank Burroughs, Saugus, and Playa del Rey St. Bernard. Poway 43, Playa del Rey St. Bernard 42. Poway stayed undefeated with a 10th straight victory in a cliffhanger finish to win the title. The Vikings took a 42-41 lead on a free throw with five seconds left. Poway called time. Jud Buechler missed a 10-foot shot, but 6-7 John Colborne, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds, tapped in the rebound for the decider. KIWANIS Twenty-eight teams, marked by entry of the first out-of-the-area contingent since the 1978-79, got play under way in the 38th annual. Patrick Henry 52, Monte Vista 51, Unlimited Division. Hoover 64, Serra 62, Limited. –Monte Vista outran the Las Vegas Wildcats, 65-57, and pushed its record to 9-0 in a 65-57 victory in the opening round of Unlimited Division play. –“I don’t know how we won,” exclaimed University coach Zach Peck after a 44-42 win over San Pasqual. The Dons were outrebounded, 33-27, and committed 24 fouls to the Golden Eagles’ nine. Two free throws by reserve John Turner clinched it for the Dons with 23 seconds left.

 

Sweetwater coach Gary Zarecky took over a bottomed-out program in 1972-73 that was 2-22, 6-20, and 1-23 in the three previous seasons and proceeded to go 6-19, 1-23, and 11-15.

In Zarecky’s year four the Red Devils saw light at the end of the tunnel and fast-breaked past it.

Since 1975-76 Sweetwater is 196-54, a .772 winning percentage.  Zarecky ioverall is 214-111 (.658) in 12 seasons.  Of the 39 instances in which a San Diego Section team scored at least 100 points in a game since the 1978-79 season, Sweetwater has accomplished the feat 18 times.

The Red Devils passed 100 on six occasions this season, including 123 points, sixth highest all-time, against Marian.

Bud Maloney of the Evening Tribune wrote that the Red Devils were not getting “game-in game-out challenges” to prepare for the playoffs. They had won 39 consecutive Metropolitan Conference games and six consecutive league championships.

Zarecky was not fooled, according to Maloney.

“What am I supposed to do? wondered the coach.  “We have to press to stay sharp and stay in shape.  If we don’t press we’ll win about sixty to fifty and then the first time we play an Eastern League team we’ll get blown out.”

Zarecky promoted his team.  He took it to a tournament in Vancouver, Canada, in 1982-83, and the Red Devils traveled  to basketball hotbed Hobbs, New Mexico, this season.

1983-84 Century Club:

TEAM	OPPONENT	SCORE
Sweetwater	Southwest	123-48
Sweetwater	Marian	122-91
Sweetwater	Montgomery	114-68
Sweetwater	Chula Vista	112-72
Sweetwater	Bonita Vista	112-74
Torrey Pines	El Centro Central	105-64
Sweetwater	Castle Park	104-69
Point Loma	Melbourne Trinity College, Australia	103-53

For more on the San Diego Section season see 1982-83 “A Titan Was Emerging at Poway”.