Saying Goodby to ‘Simi Syndrome’

Dave Murphy couldn’t resist a little laugh before answering the question.

“Are we in a rebuilding year?” Murphy said, repeating the inquiry. “At Simi Valley, we’ve been rebuilding in football for as long as I can remember.”

The question was posed to Murphy last September before the football season began. When it ended, Simi Valley had tied for the Marmonte League championship at 9-3.

Rebuilding, indeed. Two years ago, Murphy inherited a program that had a 95-215-11 record in 38 years of football.

At most campuses, such a resurgence would be greeted with confetti-tossing pep rallies.

But at Simi Valley, fans yawned and asked the good coach why it took a full season to get his program up to the level of the rest of the school’s teams.

In the past 12 months, Simi Valley teams have won six Marmonte League championships, finished second seven times and made the playoffs in eight of 11 team sports.

“When I first came out here from Chatsworth 11 years ago, this school was troubled by what was called ‘Simi Syndrome,’ ” Athletic Director Terry Dobbins said. “People said that this was the perfect place to coach because people out here only cared if we won two games all year in each sport--against Royal, our rival from across town.

“In many ways, those people were right,” Dobbins said. “But those days are long gone.”

In this school year, the Pioneers have won league titles in football, boys cross-country, boys and girls basketball and boys soccer.

Said Simi Valley Principal Dave Ellis: “It would seem that we’re on a pretty good win streak.”

Simi Valley coaches give various reasons for the success. And they are quick to spread the credit around.

Murphy, who has coached at Simi Valley on and off for 10 years, said that Ellis, Dobbins and activities director Steve Henke are major reasons for the success.

“We have great administrative support,” Murphy said. “They handle the business end of things, which can be a major pain for coaches.”

Added Bob Hawking, coach of the boys basketball team: “Having strong administrative support is a force underestimated by a lot of people. Here, they place an importance on athletics, whereas the current trend is to downplay it.

“At other schools, they say giving athletics great importance is letting the tail wag the dog. Here, athletics is a vehicle to give the school notoriety and a sense of pride. When athletic teams win league championships, players get scholarships and the school gets good publicity. Everyone feels good about themselves.”

That good feeling apparently spreads off campus.

Using an array of fund-raising techniques, Hawking was able to take his basketball team to Las Vegas to compete in a tournament in December. He would like to take the team to Hawaii for a tournament next season and to Washington, D.C., the season after.

Simi Valley’s baseball team will be competing in a tournament in Orlando, Fla., next month. The money for that trip will be raised by selling advertising signs around the baseball field, according to Dobbins.

“What we’ve done is go into the community and say, ‘We know you would like us to be successful, but to do it, we need your help.’ We have tried to develop the resources at our disposal.

“You can’t do things the same way they were done 20 years ago. You have to provide athletes with a nice weight room and the other support they need.”

Dobbins said that $60,000 to $70,000 has been raised for athletic programs in the last year. Another $30,000 from Wednesday night bingo on campus will be used for extracurricular activities, including athletics.

More revenue has been added by sponsoring tournaments for boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, track, wrestling and softball. The basketball and soccer tournaments were for varsity, junior varsity and sophomore teams.

As far as community support goes, how many high schools can count a couple of hospitals as sponsors?

The Simi Valley Institute of Sports Medicine, co-sponsored by the city’s two hospitals, is responsible for some $5,000 worth of tape, braces and other medical supplies used by Simi Valley and Royal high schools each year.

“We’re rather aggressive in our approach to fund-raising, and sometimes unique in our methods,” Dobbins said.

Give another edge to Simi Valley in the area of coaching.

At a time when walk-on coaches are common, Simi Valley has only one: aquatics coach Honey Lanning.

“We must have the highest percentage of on-campus coaches in Ventura County,” Dobbins said. “We want it that way. We think that if you’re a good teacher, you’re a good coach, and vice versa.”

Said Ellis: “We have a staff of 108 teachers and probably 80 or more are involved in some extracurricular activity. Coaches should be part of a student’s life--not just around for athletics. They should be around campus to encourage students to be on their team--whether that’s speech and debate or football.”

Then, of course, there are the athletes.

“Communities like ours don’t have major college talent in many sports very often, but we seem to have more than our share right now,” Hawking said.

Among the many are M. J. Nelson, a football player who has already accepted an athletic scholarship at Colorado next year, basketball standout Don MacLean, a sophomore who is among the Valley area basketball leaders in scoring and rebounding, and pitcher Scott Radinsky, one of the area’s top baseball prospects.

And on the lower levels, the talent doesn’t fall off much.

In boys basketball, Simi Valley varsity, junior varsity and sophomore teams all won league championships.

The girls basketball team loses only three players, and they will be replaced by athletes off the Sequoia Junior High team that went 16-2.

Eight starters will return to the football team, which had the league’s toughest defensive unit.

And so it goes.

Said Hawking: “We’re having one unbelievable year and the nice thing is, it looks like it’s going to remain that way for a while.”

Certainly longer than other Marmonte League teams would like to think about.

Simi Valley’s Table of Success: 1985-86

Finish in Finish in Sport Marmonte League Southern Section Boys basketball Champion In playoffs Girls basketball Champion In playoffs Boys cross-country Champion 4-A champion Girls cross-country 3rd place Football Champion Lost in quarterfinals Boys soccer Champion No. 1 in 4-A Girls soccer 2nd place Girls tennis 3rd place Wrestling 2nd place

Last spring . . . Baseball: 2nd in league Softball: 2nd in league Boys track: League champion, No. 2 in state Girls track: 2nd in league Golf: 2nd in league Boys tennis: 3rd in league