The Preps / Scott Howard-Cooper : Surprise! El Toro Is Times’ No. 1

The final rankings are in, for whatever they’re worth. Probably not much in Wilmington, since Banning fell from No. 1 in the country, according to USA Today, to No. 4 in Southern California, according to The Times.

Call this “El Toro’s year” or “Tradition takes a beating.”

Bad enough that Carson or Banning didn’t even make the top two, but The Times’ top team, El Toro, comes from the Southern Conference . No problem, since the Southern Conference could have been as strong this season as the Big Five. For example, Santa Monica beat Huntington Beach Edison, Santa Ana Foothill knocked off Huntington Beach Marina and El Toro defeated Westminster. All playoff teams against playoff teams.

Plus, no one can match El Toro’s talent on both sides of the line. The Chargers didn’t have a Russell White at running back as did Encino Crespi, and they didn’t have the Unbudgeables on the defensive line as did Banning, but they do have depth, an offense that can run or pass with equal success and several stars on defense.

Aly Diaz, a transfer from Twentynine Palms, had played sparingly through the first three games, but when he replaced the injured Ron Chocklet, he became a 1,500-yard rusher. Wide receiver Scott Miller caught 65 passes for 1,055 yards and Chris McCarthy was a strong backup. Linebacker Scott Ross is a definite prospect, and quarterback Bret Johnson, just a junior, will be back next season.

They form a group that would be tough to beat in any conference.

Here is The Times’ final combined City-Southern Section top 15:

1. El Toro--14-0, won Southern Conference title.

2. Crespi--13-1, won Big Five Conference title.

3. Carson--11-1, won City 4-A title.

4. Wilmington Banning--11-1, City 4-A runner-up.

5. Bellflower St. John Bosco--13-1, Big Five runner-up.

6. Pasadena Muir--14-0, won Coastal Conference title.

7. Newhall Hart--13-1, won Northwestern Conference title.

8. La Puente Bishop Amat--11-1, lost to Rialto Eisenhower in Big Five quarterfinals.

9. Santa Ana--12-2, Southern runner-up.

10. Fontana--11-2, lost in Big Five semifinals.

11. Antelope Valley--11-2-1, Coastal runner-up.

12. Canyon Country Canyon--11-2, lost to Muir in Coastal semifinals.

13. Garden Grove Bolsa Grande--13-1, won Central Conference title.

14. L.A. Loyola--9-3, lost to Fontana by three points in Big Five quarterfinals after losing to St. John Bosco, 28-27, and Crespi, 21-14, in the regular season.

15. Hacienda Heights Los Altos--13-1, won Eastern Conference title.

How we did: Outcome of The Times’ preseason top 10s:

Southern Section--1. Long Beach Poly, 7-3 and Moore League championship; 2. Westminster, 5-5-1 and third place in the Sunset League; 3. El Toro; 4. Riverside Poly, 3-7 and missed the playoffs; 5. Anaheim Servite, 7-4 and third place in the Angelus League; 6. Santa Ana; 7. Hart; 8. Canyon; 9. Edison, 8-3 and second place in the Sunset League. (Crespi and Muir were among Others to Watch)

City--1. Banning; 2. Carson; 3. Granada Hills Kennedy, a strong-finishing 6-4-1 and second place in the Valley League; 4. L.A. Dorsey, 6-4 and third place in the Pacific League; 5. Gardena, 2-8 and fourth place in the Pacific League; 6. L.A. Locke, 4-5-1 and second place in the Freeway League; 7. San Fernando, 2-8 and fourth place in the Valley League; 8. L.A. Crenshaw, 5-5 and fifth place in the Pacific League; 9. Granada Hills, 9-1-1 and first place in the Valley League; 10. Westchester, 4-4-1 and tied for fourth in the Pac-8 League. (3-A runner-up L.A. Manual Arts among Others to Watch).

Add Rankings: Oxnard Hueneme’s five-game victory over previously unbeaten Manhattan Beach Mira Costa for the state girls’ Division I volleyball title vaulted the Vikings to the No. 2 spot in the country in the final national rankings by Volleyball Monthly, with Mira Costa dropping from No. 1 to 3.

Richards High from the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn ends the season as the national champion in a top 20 that includes several other Southern California teams: Division II winner Ojai Nordhoff fifth, Southern Section 4-A champion Cerritos Gahr 11th, 4-A runner-up Irvine 12th, 5-A semifinalist Irvine Woodbridge 13th, 5-A semifinalist Newport Beach Newport Harbor 14th and Torrance 16th.

Meanwhile, Mira Costa Coach Dae Lea Aldrich, whose Mustangs have been the leading team in California in recent years, remains undecided about her future with the team after pulling double duty as a coach and as boys’ and girls’ athletic director. A decision is expected before June.

“I can’t imagine coming to (next) September and not being on the court, but who knows,” she said last week.

“It’s been very hectic. I’ve been coaching since the summertime, and this is the first week we’re not in the gym. It came to 2 o’clock and it was like, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ Now I’m supposed to get to what I’ve been meaning to get to since September.”

A switch to become a full-time administrator is possible, but so is a jump to college coaching. She declined comment when asked if discussions for a move had already taken place.

“Certainly, at some point, I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibility,” she said. “I don’t know. It’s hard to go off and coach somewhere else when you’ve already had the best, and I have had the best here.”

On the other hand: “There are challenges out there that are interesting to say the least.”