Orange County Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Golden West Welcomes April’s Point Showers

When it comes to colleges, April Marion is using the choose, choose-again method.

Marion is at Golden West this season after playing basketball at Cal State Fullerton last season, and she’s one of the main reasons the Rustlers are 18-1.

Marion, a 5-foot 11-inch forward, leads the team with a 23.5 points per game average and has been the leading rebounder and scorer in 14 of the Rustlers’ first 19 games.

She scored a season-high 36 points in a 114-51 victory over San Diego Mesa Dec. 3.

But Golden West is not the school Marion expected to be playing for this season.

After deciding to leave Cal State Fullerton, she expected to redshirt at UC Riverside. But during the summer, she decided she didn’t want to sit out a season, which she would have to at a four-year school.

So she enrolled at Golden West. It was the second time she had changed her mind about attending Riverside.

During her senior year at La Serra High School in Riverside, it was almost a given she would attend UC Riverside.

But just before the signing day in 1985, she made a two-day visit to Cal State Fullerton. Chris Gobrecht, then Titan coach, made enough of an impression to get her to change her mind.

Two months after Marion signed to attend Fullerton, Gobrecht resigned to take the coaching job at Washington. The move proved fatal to Marion’s career as a Titan.

She didn’t have much of a place in new Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah’s system. She played in only 9 of 29 games for a total of 26 minutes.

“I just felt like I needed to play to be better, and I just wasn’t getting the chance at Cal State Fullerton,” Marion said. “I lost all the confidence I’d built up in high school just sitting on the bench.

“It’s a lot different here (Golden West). Everybody plays and has a role.”

She visited Golden West last summer to play in pick-up games with her friend, Teresa Rae, who also attended La Serra. Rae played at Golden West from 1980-82.

As the summer progressed, Marion was playing at Golden West and UC Riverside. In late August, she decided to attend Golden West.

“I just felt like it was really the right move,” Marion said. “I have the confidence to play again and will be ready no matter where I go next season.”

Marion scored 30 points as the Rustlers defeated Orange Coast in a second-round game of the Fullerton Tournament. The Rustlers won the tournament and Marion was voted most valuable player.

Golden West also won the Cuesta Tournament and, again, Marion was named MVP.

Cerritos (15-2), despite losing for the second time this season, remained atop the Southern California poll. Saddleback (15-4) is second, Rancho Santiago (16-3) third and Orange Coast (16-3) fourth.

Ventura (15-3) is fifth, Compton (11-3) sixth, Glendale (15-2) seventh, El Camino (12-3) eighth, Fullerton (12-5) ninth. Bakersfield (12-6) is 10th.

Say Pasadena. Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium will be the site of the Super Bowl media photo day Jan. 20. The game is Jan. 25 at the Rose Bowl.