Power in Valley 4-A Is Over the Hill : Fairfax Tries to Claim What Cleveland Was Denied--a City Title

No longer can the Valley League be knocked around like a cub in a lion’s lair. This is the year, coaches in the league agree, a Valley League team is actually favored to club Crenshaw for the City championship.

A Valley team? OK, so Cleveland made it to the final last season. Crenshaw sent the Cavs home with the score, 95-79, tattooed to their shorts. And that was supposed to be the Valley’s best shot.

There has to be a catch. And there is.

The Great Valley Hope is not of the Valley. It is Fairfax, a West Los Angeles school borrowed by the Valley League along with Hamilton to give it seven members. And Fairfax may not be of this world, either.

Coach Harvey Kitani has a living, breathing blueprint of a perfect high school basketball team.

Look up. See that front line, the one that combined for 64 points and 28 rebounds a game last season. Neck’s a bit stiff? That’s because they are all 6-8 and move around quickly. Sean Higgins has signed with UCLA. J.D. Green has signed with SMU. Chris Mills hasn’t signed because he’s only a junior.

Those three could take on entire teams, one after another, shirts against skins, and own the floor until the supper bell rings.

Allowed to join them, through some perversity, are guards David Henderson (6-1 1/2), a good shooter who was sixth man last season, and Eric McDaniels (5-11), who returns at the point. Even if they’re not the best guards around, they’ve got to be the happiest. They’ll make more assists than a boy scout after a senior-citizens’ seminar at the corner of Broadway and Main.

“The City title is a very obtainable goal and we’ve all been talking about it,” Kitani said. “I think we have the best running team in the City. And we’re not small, either.”

Other Valley League coaches whisper that maybe, just maybe, all those talented players will fight over the ball like five brothers wanting to work the switches of the new electric train set. Maybe Fairfax will self-destruct.

Kitani, a soft-spoken man not given to Bobby Knight-like ravings, said those coaches had better wish for something else for Christmas.

“We went through a lot of that last year because our best players were underclassmen,” Kitani said. “It was difficult for the seniors to understand that the younger players deserved the ball. But there is so much togetherness with this club. I see them sharing an awful lot.”

Beyond the top five, Fairfax has more nuggets. Ilan Levy-Mayer, a 6-6 1/2 forward from Israel, happened to stroll in off the street over the summer. Although his native language is Hebrew, swish has the same meaning in any language. “He is a very good outside shooter,” Kitani said. “He’ll help us against zone defenses.”

Also expected to contribute are swingman Clarence McDuffie, a senior who played varsity last season, Andre Durity, a 6-2 guard off the junior varsity, and Cardell Walker, a 6-6 forward.

Four starters are back for Cleveland, and Taft has a couple of excellent players, but this season the king of the Valley lives over the hill.

CLEVELAND

LAST SEASON: 16-8, 10-2 in league

THIS SEASON: Four Cavaliers starters are back, but the one starter who graduated--Trevor Wilson--will be missed. Wilson was The Times’ Valley Player of the Year and often reduced teammates to spectators with his dominating play. Wilson was hurt at mid-season, though, and Cleveland won all five games he missed, including an overtime victory over Fairfax. The same guys who responded during Wilson’s absence will be counted on this season. “They are all going to have to replace Wilson,” Coach Bob Braswell said. “No one player can do that.” Senior forward Albert Fann (6-3, 215) and junior guard Damon Greer (6-1) were all-league selections last season. “Albert is extremely quick and Damon is especially valuable against Crenshaw and other teams that press well,” Braswell said. The coach is impressed by the off-season improvement of junior forward Richard Branham (6-4 1/2), a starter last season. Also on the front line of Cleveland’s three-forward attack is senior Adrian King (6-3), who Braswell says is the team’s best shooter. Senior Andre Anderson (5-9), a returning starter, and junior Michael Gray (6-0), who averaged 30 points a game on the junior varsity last season and made the L.A. Games all-tournament team last summer, are contesting for the other guard spot. Juniors Joey Manlinguis (6-0), Damon Charlot (6-3), a transfer from Manual Arts, and Earl Bodden (6-1), who Braswell says is the team’s best defensive player, also will play. “We aren’t a very tall team,” Braswell said, “But hopefully our intensity and quickness will overcome the lack of height. As usual, we’ll run, try to force turnovers and score out of the break. “

EL CAMINO REAL

LAST SEASON: 10-11, 4-8 in league

THIS SEASON: Sean Davis and a cast of unknowns will take the court for the Conquistadores. Davis (6-4) was all-league last season and can play guard or forward. He averaged 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. “Sean’s quickness, defense and physical strength improved tremendously during the off-season,” Coach Mike McNulty said. Forward Nick Warner (6-4) is the only other player with varsity experience. Junior point guard Damon Orlando (6-0) is the best player from the junior varsity team that finished last in league with an 1-11 record last season.

KENNEDY

LAST SEASON: 14-7, 9-3 in league

THIS SEASON: The loss of last season’s starting center Kendell McDaniels, who transferred to Chatsworth, hurts Kennedy, but two excellent players are back. Senior guard Marcus Malone (6-4) was a Times’ All-Valley player who averaged 13 points last season. Junior Clarence Williams (6-4), a starting forward last season who averaged eight points a game, may be moved to the post. “The rest of the team looks to Malone and Williams for their experience,” Coach Yutaka Shimizu said. Senior Lazell Morris (6-0), who was academically ineligible the past two seasons, is working at forward along with Eugene Miller (6-1), Leon Ware (6-3) Robert Scarborough (6-2) and Uba Satterfield (6-0), none of whom has varsity experience. Of six possible guards who would like to play alongside Malone, only Jeff Newman, the quarterback on Kennedy’s football team, has varsity experience. “I don’t know if Jeff will play this season,” Shimizu said. “I don’t want to bother him while he’s playing football.” Guards Steve Bethley (5-10), Jerome Wang (5-8) and Steve Archie (5-8) have junior varsity experience, and Patrick Jamison (5-8) and Cord Bailey (6-0) have no experience at all. Shimizu said he has been impressed with Bailey in early workouts. “I am still searching and experimenting,” he said.

RESEDA

LAST SEASON: 5-16, 0-12 in league

THIS SEASON: Rookie Coach Tim Nakana has no illusions of challenging for the league title. “I look at this as a long-term commitment,” he said. Guard Joe Crawford (6-1), forward Robert Stepner (6-2) and center Jeff Ricks (6-3) played but did not start last season. Only two juniors--forward Steven Fields (6-2) and guard Fred Bivens (5-8)--are on the team. Seven seniors who played on the junior varsity team last season are fighting for playing time. They are guards Tibor Calman, Gerald Evans, Michael Collins, Devon Walls and Damon Booker, and forwards Raefus McGee and Omar Wilson. “Evans has stood out so far,” Nakana said.

TAFT

LAST SEASON: 13-9, 6-6 in league

THIS SEASON: The Toreadors may have the two best athletes in the league. Kevin Franklin, a 6-3 senior guard and three-year starter, was a Times’ All-Valley player who averaged 20.2 points last season. Junior forward Quincy Watts (6-3), the fastest man in the City Section, averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds a game last season. “Kevin is stronger and will get more points inside this season,” Coach Jim Woodard said. “Quincy played center last year, but I want him to run more from the wing.” Senior forward Darren Kolinsky (6-4) is a three-year starter and is a stabilizing influence on the floor. Splitting time at center will be two seniors who played sparingly last season. Sean Roberts (6-4) is a strong player who jumps well, according to Woodard, and Brian Smith (6-6) is a good rebounder and scorer from inside. The point guard will be senior Jason Bromberg (5-10). Taft won all five games he started last season. Dedan Thomas (5-8), a sophomore guard, is also an excellent ball-handler.

FO Richard Branham is one of a number of Cleveland players counted on to replace Trevor Wilson and slam Fairfax’s league title hopes.