The Points Are Wade’s Only Consolation : Wins Are Rare for San Clemente Star

When Gary Wade played on the East Bluff youth basketball team from the fourth to eighth grades, he was surrounded by such talented players as Nathan Call, Shawn Reed and John Mounce.

Today, Call is the starting point guard and Reed a starting forward at Capistrano Valley High School, which is 24-2. Mounce is the off guard at Mater Dei, which is 24-0.

As for Wade? Well, he is the driving force at San Clemente High, where the Tritons are 11-13.

Whereas his East Bluff teammates are competing in winning programs, Wade has been knee deep in mediocrity, though he is averaging 22.8 points a game this season.

Because Wade, Call and Reed are in the same league, they have remained friends. Their matchups this season have epitomized their careers: Wade gets his points, Call and Reed get the wins.

In their first meeting, Wade scored 37 points in San Clemente’s 92-73 loss to Capistrano Valley. He had career-high 43 points in the second game, a 111-83 loss.

“Sometimes they (Call and Reed) like to bug me, but they really don’t put San Clemente down that much so it’s OK,” Wade said.

Wade, a 6-foot 6-inch senior, has played a variety of roles in three varsity seasons. As a sophomore forward, he was a defensive specialist. Last season, he played point guard. This season, with the emergence of guard Jeff Love, Wade is the team’s shooting forward.

“He has always been a scorer,” said Brian Scherbart, San Clemente coach. “It was just out of sheer necessity that we moved him to point guard last year. We were turning the ball over too much, and were in a situation where we were losing the ball against the press and had to do something. Gary was our best ball handler, so he became our point guard.”

Besides playing the point, Wade jumped center and played the post on offense after bringing the ball across midcourt.

“It was a nice change,” Wade said. “All my life I’ve been playing down low.”

Said Scherbart: “He does just about everything on the court. When he graduates, he will be a complete player able to play either small forward or guard in college.”

Said Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight, who coached Wade at East Bluff: “You could really tell he was going to be a good player in about the seventh grade. He really started to make his presence known. He became more patient, and his coordination started to catch up to his body so he could do more things.”

In spite of such an outstanding season, Wade has not received much attention from college recruiters. New Mexico State and Cal Poly Pomona have shown the most interest.

However, Wade’s choice of colleges will be based on the schools’ programs for students suffering from dyslexia, a reading disorder.

“I have trouble telling the difference between 4’s and 5’s,” Wade said. “Sometimes I see things totally upside down. Telling the difference between blue and green also gives me problems. I used to have trouble telling my left from my right. It was something I really had to concentrate on. My parents are really concerned. They’ve been great with all their support.

“It has never given me trouble on the court though. Or, at least I don’t think it does.”

About the only trouble Wade has had in basketball is controlling his fierce temper.

His intensity has caused problems with Scherbart at times.

But, after an incident in a game at the Capo Beach outdoor basketball tournament last summer, they have had a better understanding.

“I just get too intense on the court,” Wade said. “I got really mad and Coach just happened to be the one there. He had taken me out and I yelled at him about why he took me out.

“He told me he was the coach and he decides who plays. I’ve just realized he was right, and there haven’t been any problems since.”

Said Scherbart: “We’ve had our differences in the past. But, this season his court behavior and poise are a lot better. At the start of the season I explained to him that no matter what the situation was, he’s the main man.”

Much of Wade’s intensity comes from being too nervous before games. Although this is his third year on the varsity, he still gets nervous.

“This year it has been really bad,” Wade said. “I think maybe because my role is that of being the scorer. I know my teammates are counting on me and I don’t want to let them down.”