Notebook / Mitch Polin : Summer Success Points to Year of the Mustang

If the success of Muir High School teams in summer competition is any indication, next season could be the Year of the Mustang in the San Gabriel Valley.

Based on summer play, the Mustangs figure to be among the top teams in the valley in boys basketball and football and in girls basketball.

The Muir girls basketball team, which rolled to championship in the 64-team Los Angeles Games this summer, may have stamped itself as the team to beat for the CIF 4-A Division title.

Muir, which has finished second in 4-A the last two seasons, is led by the big front line of twins Pauline (6-3) and Geannine (6-1) Jordan and Tasha Bradley (6-2).

The boys basketball team could be the premier club in the valley based on its summer success, which included a third-place finish in a strong field at the Bosco Tech Summer Hoop Spectacular.

Muir, led by 6-7 forward Stacey Augmon, defeated perennial CIF powers Verbum Dei and Long Beach Poly in the tournament. The Mustangs lost to strong Santa Monica in the semifinals but bounced back to beat Simi Valley for third place.

The Mustang football team, a CIF quarterfinalist last year, figures to be strong after winning the 64-team Los Angeles Games passing tournament behind quarterback James Dunn and wide receiver Cary Grant.

Eight former San Gabriel Valley football standouts are among a talent-laden group of players who have been named to the Shrine All-Star Classic all-time team, four on offense and four on defense.

On offense are lineman Bruce Mathews of Arcadia High, who played in the 1979 game; John Sciarra of Bishop Amat, who scored three touchdowns as a flanker in 1972; running back James McAlister of Blair, who rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown in 1970, and center Nick Buckmeyer of Alhambra, who played in 1970.

The defense has defensive back Robbie Bartlett of Monrovia, who made three interceptions in the 1982 game; defensive lineman Hardiman Cureton of Monrovia, who played in 1952; linebacker Adrian Young of Bishop Amat (1964) and defensive back Sandy Durko of West Covina (1966).

The team was selected by Braven Dyer Jr., assistant managing director of the First Interstate Bank Foundation, who has seen every game the contest’s inception in 1952.

There figures to be a heavy accent on San Gabriel Valley players in the 34th annual Shrine All-Star Football Classic at 7 p.m. Saturday at East Los Angeles College Stadium.

Three of the offensive standouts are quarterback Michael Johnson of Baldwin Park High, running back Richard Bell of Muir and wide receiver John Jackson of Bishop Amat.

All produced outstanding statistics as seniors. Johnson passed for 3,087 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 11 touchdowns last season, Bell rushed for 1,341 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 1,560 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Jackson caught 55 passes for 781 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Two other players on offense are wide receiver Lloyd Bailey of Claremont and lineman Kevin May of Pomona.

The defense includes May’s teammate at Pomona, lineman Reggie Gaddis, and defensive backs Mark Mooney of Temple City and Chris Martz of Los Altos, who will double as a wide receiver.

Citrus College catcher/first baseman Donn Mire, who batted .402 and knocked in 32 runs last season, has signed a letter of intent to attend UC Riverside in the fall.

Mire, a second team All-Southern California Community College selection, was one of the top players for Citrus, which reached the state community college playoffs. Mire was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 14th round of the winter major league baseball draft.