Orange County Prep Review : For Western’s Chuck Powell, Big Strides in the Game of Life

The Western High School basketball team could lose its six remaining Orange League games and finish 0-10, but that still wouldn’t detract from the strides that Pioneer guard Chuck Powell has made this season as a player and a person.

So what if Western is 0-4 and struggling. What’s more important is that Powell, a 6-foot 1-inch senior, has learned a few lessons that transcend success on the court.

Pioneer Coach Greg Hoffman wouldn’t trade any number of victories for the satisfaction of seeing Powell develop into an all-around team player.

And a nice guy.

Powell began the season last November with a poor attitude. With last season’s leading scorer, Troy Joseph, graduated and playing at Fullerton College, Powell came in figuring he would star.

But he came off as being arrogant, selfish and uncooperative.

“You couldn’t tell him when he made a mistake,” Hoffman said. “He thought he was the greatest thing that ever happened.”

He almost became the greatest thing that never happened. Frustrated with what he perceived as his teammates’ inability to play up to his level, Powell walked out of practice one day in early November.

That was fine with Hoffman, who kicked Powell off the team.

Powell’s parents, stepfather Thomas Coulson and mother Kay, had a long talk with Chuck. They told him he would never play in college if he didn’t change his attitude.

After some soul-searching, Powell, who started on varsity as a junior, decided to ask Hoffman for another chance. Hoffman allowed him to return, but not before serving Powell a huge helping of humility--he had to practice with the junior varsity team for a month.

Powell missed the first two varsity games but finally came back with renewed vigor and motivation. He is currently the Pioneers’ leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points a game, but his statistics are only a fraction of the story.

“He doesn’t pout when he makes mistakes; he doesn’t yell at teammates; he looks more for the open man,” Hoffman said. “He learned there was more to basketball than shooting, dunking and offense. He’s learning to play defense and how to be a team player.”

Plus, he’s a nicer person to be around.

“He’s a lot more thoughtful and considerate of others’ feelings,” Hoffman said. “I’m as happy about that as I am about anything.”

So is Powell, who has discovered that when you treat people the way you want them to treat you, you’ll have a lot more friends.

“In the long run, the experience will more than make me a good player, it will make me a better person,” Powell said. “I’ve just matured, and I know how to deal with people more. I’m more patient with players and I give everyone his chance.”

Western (8-9 overall) has slipped in league play, but as much as Powell wants to win, he doesn’t feel pressured to carry the team out of its recent slump.

“It’s more important for the team to win than for me to have personal rewards,” he said. “And we’re not going to go anywhere if I try to do everything myself.”

Would Powell have made such a statement three months ago?

“No, most definitely not,” he said.

Most definitely, Powell has changed.

Tower of Power: Three years ago, when Westminster Coach Dick Katz brought freshman guards Mark Austin and Marlon Love to the varsity, he knew he’d have a good nucleus for Lion teams of the future.

But the addition of a legitimate center--6-9 junior Chris Tower--is what has made Westminster a legitimate playoff contender this season.

The Lions have been an excellent defensive team, one that forced an average of 28 turnovers a game last season. Now Tower has provided Westminster with an inside scoring threat and a rebounding force.

“He really filled in the puzzle,” Katz said.

Tower has been the Lions’ leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points a game. Second-place Westminster (3-2 in the Sunset League, 8-8 overall) already has won as many league games this season as it has in any of the past 12.

Tower has a good outside touch--he even made a three-point shot against Marina--and is developing into a better defensive player and rebounder. Katz thinks Tower’s best years are ahead of him.

“He’s a late bloomer, but I really feel he’ll be one of the outstanding players in Orange County,” Katz said. “He has all the tools--the ability to shoot, great hands, a good inside game--and he doesn’t fumble the ball a lot. His speed and quickness are improving daily, and he has great reach. He’s still growing.”

Tower weighs only 190 pounds, but Katz thinks he’ll begin to fill out.

“I honestly believe he’ll be a much better player in college,” Katz said.

The Lions, despite having only three league victories and finishing fourth, made the playoffs two years ago after Edison was forced to forfeit five games, but they’re determined to win a playoff berth outright this season.

“That’s still tainted,” Katz said. “There will always be that asterisk there because of Edison’s forfeits. Some of these kids were on the team, and they would like to take that asterisk away.”

Prep Notes

Southern Section officials announced that the 1986 football playoffs netted $345,000, with more revenue expected once Palos Verdes High submits its playoff reports. The section has budgeted $340,891 for the past two seasons but failed to reach the budget last year. The championship games were staggered on two nights this season and attendance increased by 13,000. Game program profits also were announced at $11,000 for all championship games. . . . The Southern Section office in Cerritos is undergoing expansion. Upon completion, the office will have an additional 900 square feet, including a new conference room. . . .El Toro linebacker Scott Ross, The Times’ Lineman of the Year for 1986, visited Arizona State over the weekend and will visit USC next weekend. He visited UCLA earlier this month and said he will not make any other trips. . . . All three of Canyon’s Century League victories this season have come in overtime. The Comanches opened league play with a 64-61 overtime victory over Foothill. Last week, they beat El Modena, 93-81, in triple overtime on Wednesday and Santa Ana Valley, 58-56, in overtime on Friday.