HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : In the Shadow of Simi Valley’s Greatest Legacy

It is the fate of talented sophomore Shawn DeLaittre that the best sophomore basketball player in the Valley area, 6-8 center Don MacLean, is his teammate at Simi Valley.

But DeLaittre can live with playing in MacLean’s shadow.

He’s lived his entire life with the greatest center in Simi Valley history.

Larry DeLaittre, Shawn’s father, led the school in the mid-1960s to its first two league championships. Anything the younger DeLaittre or MacLean accomplish in their high school careers will have to be formidable to eclipse the long shadow 6-9 Larry DeLaittre casts on Simi Valley’s record book.

A varsity player for three seasons, DeLaittre averaged 15.3 rebounds and 15.4 points during his career. In 1966, his best season, he averaged 19.7 rebounds and 18.1 points.

Both rebounding totals are school records. In fact, DeLaittre holds every Simi Valley rebounding record--1,001 in his career, 492 in a season and 29 in a game. The second-most rebounds in a season by a Simi Valley player is 338, also by DeLaittre when he was a sophomore in 1965.

DeLaittre’s career total of 1,032 points is second in Simi Valley history only to sharp-shooting guard Scott Simcik, who played from 1976-78.

Simi Valley won Frontier League titles in 1965 and 1966, and finished third in 1967, DeLaittre’s senior season, after moving up to the Channel League. The Pioneers were 58-20 in three years with DeLaittre at center.

“Larry was as renowned back then as Don and Shawn are now,” Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking said. Hawking played against DeLaittre when Hawking was at Pierce College and DeLaittre played at Moorpark.

Will MacLean or Shawn DeLaittre, a 6-4 forward, better the legacy by Larry?

A look at the statistics after 18 games this season (Simi Valley is 17-1 and ranked No. 1 in the Valley by The Times) indicates that erasing Larry’s rebounding records won’t be easy.

With six games remaining, MacLean has 250 rebounds for an average of 13.8 a game. If he improves as a junior and senior, and is able to tack on the stats from several playoff games, MacLean will clean up on the career records. Shawn DeLaittre has 170 rebounds for an average of 9.4. Consistent improvement the next two seasons could put his father’s records in jeopardy.

Larry DeLaittre’s season mark of 19.7 rebounds a game will be toughest to break.

Marmonte People’s Court: Coaches of Marmonte League boys basketball teams are upset over a decision made last week by school administrators. But coaches of girls teams applaud the move.

Hoping to increase attendance and decrease costs, officials voted, 4-3, to have boys and girls varsity and junior varsity basketball games played next season on the same nights at the same sites.

“They changed the whole system and didn’t consult a single coach,” Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking said. “They messed with a situation there are no problems with.”

Nori Parvin, who has coached girls basketball at Newbury Park for 12 years, said that problems do exist with girls and boys playing the same day at alternate sites.

“With girls games at one site and boys at another,” she said, “the gate is split. Parents and students are asked to chose between the two.”

Under the new format, girls junior varsity games will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed at 90-minute intervals by the boys junior varsity, girls varsity and boys varsity games.

“We timed the games last Friday at Thousand Oaks, and they averaged one hour and 27 minutes each,” Hawking said. “On that basis, under the new plan the last game will end, on an average, at 10:03 p.m. Our kids won’t get back to Simi Valley until midnight from Channel Islands, 11:40 from Camarillo and 11:30 from Newbury Park.

“If this is what we want, kids will suffer academically.”

Factors that swayed the slim majority appear to be:

Increased attendance at girls games. “There were those who felt that the girls programs needed a shot in the arm,” said Simi Valley Principal Dave Ellis, who voted against the plan. “Not that the athletes or programs were bad, but it would be like an advertisement. More people would have a chance to see the games.”

A possible reduction in transportation and supervisory expenses.

Providing a complete basketball package at the same site. “Double-headers have been very successful in the Midwest,” Thousand Oaks Principal Ron Barney said. Barney voted in favor of the plan.

Parvin added that presently at campus rallies, she tells students to attend the girls game while boys coach Ken Barone implores the same students to watch the boys.

“It’s not fair to anybody,” Parvin said.

Hawking claimed that in adopting the plan, Marmonte League by-laws were ignored.

“The league constitution can’t be changed at one meeting except by unanimous vote,” he said. “This has to come back to another meeting. The next meeting is in March, but several coaches are pushing for another vote before then.”

Because next season’s schedules are being developed now, a final decision needs to be made soon, according to Hawking.

Turnabouts: The Burroughs boys basketball team has gained a foothold on first place in the Foothill League with a 3-0 record after stumbling through its preleague schedule at 0-8.

North Hollywood is another team that saved its best play for league games. The Huskies are 3-0 in the East Valley League after struggling to a 2-8 preleague mark.

Old battleground: Reseda faces Hamilton on Friday at the Sports Arena in a Valley 4-A League game that will precede the Clippers-Lakers NBA contest.

For Reseda Coach Bill Hughes, it will be a return to the site of past glories. Reseda won 3-A City Championships in 1983 and 1984.

Reseda (0-5 in league, 5-8 overall) has found the going tougher in the Valley 4-A League.

The Valley Top 10

Selected by sportswriters of The Times

Last Rk Wk Team League Record 1 1 Simi Valley Marmonte 17-1 2 2 Crespi Del Rey 12-4 3 3 Cleveland Valley 4-A 8-5 4 4 Kennedy Valley 4-A 9-4 5 5 El Camino Real Valley 4-A 8-5 6 6 Granada Hills Northwest Valley 10-3 7 10 Taft Valley 4-A 10-4 8 9 Rio Mesa Channel 8-4 9 8 Burbank Foothill 11-4 10 7 Van Nuys East Valley 7-1