Getting Together Can Be a Problem : Mt. Miguel Will Be Tough to Beat Once Football Is Over

Every Grossmont League basketball coach named Mount Miguel High School, with four returning starters, as the team to beat this season. And Coach Art Edge says he thinks the Matadors should be one of the county’s top two or three teams.

Edge’s biggest problem the past two seasons has been getting all his players together at the same time.

Last season, four key players were declared academically ineligible at various times. Mount Miguel still had enough talent, however, to finish second in league, a game behind El Capitan.

This season, the Matadors’ starters are eligible but seven players, including three all-league starters, were members of the football team, whose season finally ended last week. The league champion Mount Miguel football team reached the semifinals of the San Diego Section playoffs, losing to Fallbrook Saturday night.

Unfortunately for Edge, league play starts today with Mount Miguel playing host to El Capitan. But he won’t see starting point guard Anthony Rivera, guard Gus Lopez and forward Haywood Mathis in uniform until Wednesday. Edge said they may see some action Friday against Valhalla.

“I will have to try to force-feed them as quick as possible,” Edge said. “We don’t want to dig ourselves a hole early in the season, one we can’t get out of.”

The nine-team Grossmont is the county’s only league that starts play before January because there are 18 league games for each team.

“We were primarily a defensive ballclub last year,” Edge said. “But we want to add some offense to our defense this year. But our emphasis has been on defense and rebounding because we haven’t had all our players.”

El Cajon Valley

Last season’s record: 5-11, 8-16.

Finish: Sixth.

Coach: Randy Robinson.

Top returners: P. J. Panebianco (6-6, 210, Sr.); Shaun Ellis (6-1, 170, Jr.); Walley Yeakle (5-10, 175, Sr.).

Top newcomer: Rance Reid (6-2, 180, Sr.).

Outlook: The Braves have one thing most league teams lack this season--experience. Robinson has nine seniors, led by Panebianco. He averaged 9 points last season, but averaged 17 points in summer league. El Cajon Valley won the 2-A City summer league title. Directing the offense will be Yeakle, a senior point guard. “He’s not a true point person, but he’s very intelligent,” Robinson said. Newcomer Reid, a senior forward, should add some punch to the Brave offense. Reid averaged 12 points a game in summer.

El Capitan

Last season’s record: 14-2, 18-4.

Finish: First.

Coach: Jim Gleboff.

Top returners: Mike Chelsea (5-10, 160, Sr.); Danny Curtis (6-0, 164, Sr.); Eric Farley (6-5, 182, Sr.).

Top newcomers: Jason Berkshire (6-5, 185, Jr.); Brian Palmer (6-1, 178, Jr.).

Outlook: Gleboff takes over for Ross Furrow, who became an assistant at Grossmont College. Gleboff has just three returning players, none of whom started last season. El Capitan has some height inside with Farley and Berkshire. Palmer, the leading scorer for the junior varsity last season, will play center. “It’s going to be a struggle,” said Gleboff, who coached at Las Vegas High School last season.

Granite Hills

Last season’s record: 1-15, 1-22.

Finish: Ninth.

Coach: Jeff Armstrong.

Top returners: John Tenney (6-2, 175, Sr., G/F); Brad Halte (6-3, 180, Sr.).

Top newcomers: Shawn Ruff (6-2, 175, Jr.); Mike Locke (6-6, 200, Jr.); Chip Liedike (6-6, 200, Jr.).

Outlook: Armstrong, a former UC San Diego assistant, takes over a team that had just one victory last season. But that hasn’t dampened his spirits. “The kids are really working hard,” Armstrong said. “I can’t believe they were a 1-22 team last year.” Locke and Liedike, up from the junior varsity, should help the inside game.

Grossmont

Last season’s record: 12-4, 15-5.

Finish: Third.

Coach: Frank Foggiano.

Top returners: Jason Foggiano (5-10, 145, Jr.); Lance Williams (5-10, 160, Jr.); Noel Gillespie (5-10, 156, Sr.).

Top newcomers: Greg Berman (6-1, 235, Sr.); Bill Zamudio (5-11, 146, Sr.).

Outlook: Grossmont returns both its guards. Foggiano, the coach’s son, again plays point guard. He averaged 6.5 points a game last season as a 5-4 sophomore. Williams, who averaged 6 points a game, also returns at guard. “We’re going to use the full-court press and I think we’ll run a lot this year,” Frank Foggiano said. “I think we’ll be up there because Jason and Lance are two of the best guards in the league.”

Helix

Last season’s record: 10-6, 12-10.

Finish: Tie for fourth.

Coach: John Singer.

Top returners: Robby Ledford (5-10, 155, Jr.).

Top newcomers: Chris Carlson (6-1, 200, Jr.); John Pressler (6-5, 190, Soph.).

Outlook: Singer does not expect to have a senior on the roster. The only returning starter, Ledford, is a junior guard. “All of our spots are wide open,” Singer said. Obviously, Helix is rebuilding, but there is a good foundation. One such player is Pressler, a sophomore center. “He’ll get to play a lot of minutes this season because we’re not that strong,” Singer said. “We think he can be a good player for us in the future.”

Monte Vista

Last season’s record: 10-6, 11-11.

Finish: Tie for fourth.

Coach: Zach Peck.

Top returners: Scott Winne (6-3, 170, Jr.); Feliz Parra (5-10, 153, Sr.); Socrates Haddox (5-10, 168, Sr.).

Top newcomers: Jason Allen (5-11, 168, Jr.); James Fraser (5-11, 154, Jr.); Halifu Johnson (6-2, 166, Jr.).

Outlook: Peck says the Monarchs’ strength is in their junior class. Peck’s crop of juniors includes guards Allen and Fraser (the defending league champion in the 880-yard run) and Johnson, a 6-2 forward. Monte Vista will be led by Winne, a 3 junior forward who averaged 6 points a game last season. The Monarchs plan to run a lot more this season to take advantage of the team’s speed.

Mount Miguel

Last season’s record: 13-3, 16-7.

Finish: Second.

Coach: Art Edge.

Top returners: Anthony Rivera (6-0, 150, Jr.); Haywood Mathis (6-3, 180, Jr.); Gus Lopez (6-2, 185, Sr.); Mike Flores (6-10, 220, Sr.).

Top newcomer: Frank Davis (6-3, 170, Jr.).

Outlook: Davis, the Matadors’ junior varsity most valuable player, joins the four returning starters. Even with only one returning starter from last season--Flores--Mount Miguel is 2-1 after the Mount Helix Tournament. Also back is senior Chris Penman, who was ineligible most of last season. Penman set a school record with 24 rebounds in a victory over El Capitan last season.

Santana

Last season’s record: 3-13, 5-18.

Finish: Eighth.

Coach: John Boboff.

Top returners: Hank Turner (5-11, 150, Sr.); Tim Barry (6-2, 165, Jr.); Jeff Henderson (6-0, 165, Sr.).

Top newcomers: Matt Panebianco (6-1, 170, Soph.); Joe Church (6-4, 170, Jr.).

Outlook: Boboff took over in midsummer, so this is his first full season with his players. “The guys who are returning know what to expect from me,” Boboff said. The Sultan returnees are led by Turner and Henderson, senior guards. Boboff will have some height inside with Panebianco, whose brother, P. J., plays at El Cajon Valley. Church, a 6-4 center, gives Santana some rebounding power. “We’re hustling,” Boboff said. “We’re making a lot of mistakes, but the team is hustling.”

Valhalla

Last season’s record: 4-12, 4-19.

Finish: Seventh.

Coach: Manny Silva.

Top returners: Troy Toolson (6-1, 180, Sr.); Charlie Foley (6-4, 190, Sr.); Robert Tubman (6-6, 185, Jr.); Dan Chase (6-2, 185, Jr.).

Top newcomers: Jeff Collins (6-4, 170, Jr.); Steve Montesinos (6-3, 175, Jr.); Matt Miller (6-7, 205, Jr.); Rathid Kiti, (6-4, 160, Soph.).

Outlook: Silva may be a first-year coach at Valhalla, but he is certainly not new to the Grossmont League, having coached the Monte Vista girls’ team last season. The Norsemen return four starters from a team that had to forfeit seven games because of an ineligible player. Silva may also have some surprises waiting in the wings. Montesinos, a 6-3 exchange student from Barcelona, and Miller are playing with the junior varsity but may move up. Another player to watch is Kiti, who will play guard. And Collins joins the varsity after being named junior varsity most valuable player last season. “We’re an experienced team, but we’re under a new system.” Silva said. “We’ll be playing a controlled fast break and a multiple defense.”