San Diego Prep Review : For a Change, Ramona Finally Comes Up With the Win in Close Game

Although the Ramona High School basketball team’s 6-4 Avocado League record isn’t all that bad, it doesn’t really reflect the Bulldogs’ performance this season. Three of those losses were by a total of five points.

First, there was the excruciating one-point defeat at home against first-place El Camino. Then, there was the game at Oceanside in which Junior Seau banked in a 20-footer at the buzzer to give the second-place Pirates a two-point victory. Finally, there was the two-point loss to third-place San Pasqual 10 days ago that knocked Ramona out of playoff contention.

But last Friday night at El Camino, the Bulldogs finally won a close one, beating the Wildcats, 56-54. Although the game had no bearing on the race for San Diego Section playoff berths, handing El Camino its only league loss gave Ramona’s disheartened players a lift.

“You can only take so many close losses,” said Larry Bringham, Bulldog coach. “We knew after we lost to San Pasqual that it was pretty much over as far the playoff picture was concerned. So we got really pumped up. I told the the kids, ‘If you can beat the No. 1 team in the league, you can feel like you had a good season.’ ”

Paced by forward Mike Pendell, Ramona shot 80% from the floor in the first half to take a 42-31 lead. The Bulldogs were outscored, 17-6, in the third quarter, but they held off El Camino in the fourth quarter with aggressive defense.

When the season began, Ramona appeared to be one of the favorites to win the league title. Four of five starters were seniors who had played together since they were sophomores.

Now, thanks to those three frustrating defeats, the best the Bulldogs can hope for is a tie for third.

“Turn even one of those games around and we’d be in the playoffs, but we’ve won some close ones too,” Bringham said. “So it has gone both ways for us this year.”

Although Ramona had a somewhat disappointing season, some of the players were outstanding. Pendell is the Avocado League’s leading scorer, averaging 19 points a game. And 5-foot 8-inch point guard John Monetta is closing in on the school’s single-season assist record.

The scene in Monte Vista’s gym following the girls’ basketball team’s showdown against Grossmont League rival Mount Miguel Friday night could not be called typical.

After holding off a late Matador surge to win, 69-66, and claim the league title, the Monarchs celebrated by hugging each other, shouting “We’re No. 1,” and cutting down the net.

If that display appeared a bit too exuberant (after all, this was just the league title) Coach Manny Silva is quick to point out the significance of the victory.

“This was the first time this school had won a girls’ basketball championship in 25 years,” he said. “It was very exciting.”

One of the things that most excited Silva was the performance of Paula Mascari, who leads the county in scoring with an average of 26 points a game. Despite frequent double-teaming, she scored 30 points and also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

“In the big game, what more could you ask for?” Silva asked.

Besides Mascari, Monte Vista (21-2) also has the county’s second-leading scorer in forward Becky Aikin.

“We’re not big, we’re not flashy, we just keep winning,” Silva said. “We really should be undefeated. The two games we lost were when Becky Aikin was out with an ankle injury.”

With the Grossmont League championship wrapped up, Monte Vista is turning its attention to the playoffs, it will be seeded second behind Point Loma. Silva is confident the Monarchs will fare well, citing the team’s previous playoff experience.

“This is a very, very special team,” he said. “They’re very experienced, they’re very mature, they’ve got an experienced coach. There have been a lot of things written comparing us to the great Grossmont League teams of old, but I really think we’re the best.”

But not everybody at Monte Vista is that thrilled about the girls’ victory. It seems that some members of the boys’ basketball team were a little upset about the cutting down of the net. The boys’ game was delayed 30 minutes until another net could be strung to the basket.

“That was a bit much,” boys’ Coach Zach Peck said. “You cut down the net when you win the NCAAs, not the Grossmont League.”