Girls’ basketball: Ventura’s Larson led a loaded class

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If you haven’t noticed the main Varsity Times page yet, The Times All-Star team is out, and Ventura’s Ann Larson is The Times’ coach of the year.

‘Flat out, the woman from Ventura can coach,’ said Brea Olinda’s Jeff Sink. ‘I over-prepare, and she knew more than we did. She goes all the way to the semis in the toughest division in the state and barely loses to Millikan. She made every right decision. Every kid on the team knows their role. She platoons, and structures every kid based on their talent -- what they are allowed to do. ‘You can shoot a layup, you can shoot a three-pointer.’ She plays a big lineup and a short lineup and runs different offenses for each. As far as sheer coaching ...’

Ventura (27-3) didn’t have a single player average more than seven points, but proved it could play with -- and beat -- the best teams in the Southland. Its three losses were by a combined nine points to Millikan, Cajon and Perris.

There were some terrific coach of the year candidates, including Victoria Sanders, who did a great job keeping the Narbonne players in line under scrutiny that didn’t exist elsewhere.

These were former coach James Anderson’s players who were denied playoff participation last season for supposed infractions incurred under Anderson. Sanders was the third coach in three years, and had to deal with egos and player loyalty to a former coaching staff (Anderson still works on campus). She also had to avoid the temptation of trying to reinvent the wheel.

Actually, Anderson may have been Sanders’ biggest fan.

‘She won some games I might not have won, like Brea,’ Anderson said. ‘She went above and beyond what I would do. ‘If you win, you’re winning with James’ kids, and if you lose, James would have won.’ Their schedule, the pressure she was under to win, mold these kids, she was smart enough to leave our system in and take Poly to the limit. She beat Mira Costa. She beat Redondo. Losing the first league game in 12 years and regrouping from that. I don’t think those other coaches were under the pressure.’

There were several other outstanding candidates this season. In addition to Larson and Sanders, there was Michael Anderson, who coached the boys’ and girls’ teams at Magnolia and took the latter to the state finals; Chris Stephens, who came out of retirement after one season to redirect Los Osos and take it to the section finals, and Don Braunecker, who had a terrifically talented Mira Costa team, lost its point guard in the section quarterfinals and still reached the state final in Division II.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.ventura.k12.ca.us.