AROUND THE LEAGUES : It’s a Double Win at Chaminade: Stuber and Gehl Get Game, Girls

Two games were going on at Chaminade last Friday night--a basketball game and a dating game.

On the court, Chaminade won over Cathedral. Being courted were forward Scott Stuber and guard Brian Gehl as girls bought raffle tickets for a date with the varsity basketball player of their choice. Stuber and Gehl, otherwise known as Bachelor No. 1 and Bachelor No. 2, were selected by the winning ladies.

The win-a-date idea originated with the 1983-84 team and is still successful. “It was our biggest crowd of the year,” senior class president Margaret Bacon said. “The girls were really excited about it. Many of them bought two or three dollars worth of tickets. I bought a dollar’s worth.”

The tickets cost 25 cents each. It’s quite a bargain for the winners--the players will pay for the dates.

Choke hold: It was too loud in the packed Alemany gymnasium to hear Louisville Coach Brian O’Hara’s words, but his lips could be read. “They’re choking big time,” he said after Alemany’s Jennifer Kroll was called for traveling with 1:48 left in the game in Louisville’s improbable 66-63 come-from-behind victory. Andrea Knapp, literally showing signs of the chicken pox that sidelined her for more than a week, scored 10 of her 18 points in the final quarter to help Louisville (19-2, 9-0) overcome a 19-point third-quarter deficit. For Louisville, it was the 28th consecutive San Fernando Valley League win, ninth straight over Alemany (18-5, 7-2) and fifth straight in the Indians’ gym. “It was an incredibly emotional game,” said O’Hara, who received a technical for jumping off the bench. “We just have their number. Alemany played a great game, but their best possible effort wasn’t enough against us.”

Trivia time: Which Valley schools have the best and worst combined records in boys and girls basketball? (Answer below).

Burbank triangle: Burbank Coach Russ Keith didn’t invent a new defense, but in the Bulldogs’ 77-66 loss to Schurr on Friday his team finished the game playing a triangle-and-none. Burbank lost four players to fouls and Bill Cano to a knee injury and played the waning minutes with just three players. “We had one guy underneath the basket and the other two chasing the ball,” Keith said. . . . Despite Crespi’s woeful season (3-17, 2-9), senior forward Jason Ringler is finishing strongly. After losing his starting position at midseason, he earned his way back into the lineup and scored 50 points in two games last week. . . . Crespi football Coach Bill Redell has been selected to coach the South team with El Toro Coach Bob Johnson in the Aug. 1 Shrine game at the Rose Bowl.

Bad checks: For the second time this season, Sylmar has been hit by the City grade check. The Spartans lost eight players to ineligibility before the season began and only seven made last week’s academic cut. The junior varsity team has only three players and has forfeited the rest of the season. Still, Sylmar managed to win its first game of the season, a 40-33 win over Verdugo Hills. Senior swingman Larry Legleiter scored 21 points and added 21 more in Friday’s 57-40 loss to Grant. . . . Grant’s Danny Enowitz, a junior point guard averaging 12.5 points, five rebounds and four assists, is lost for the season with walking pneumonia. . . . Despite a petition bearing the signatures of parents, students and school boosters, City Section administrators ruled Monday that Poly must forfeit East Valley League wins over Sylmar and Van Nuys because it used an ineligible player. City officials ruled that guard John Kang had participated illegally in an outside basketball league.

Only their hairdresser knew for sure: San Fernando girls basketball Coach Chris Fotis now can tell twin sisters Mirna and Yadira Salmaron apart since one of them got a haircut. Said Fotis: “From a distance, it was tough. The only way I could tell them apart was by their shoes.” . . . Sylmar girls Coach Byron Prophet has given a nickname to one of his players for every victory this season. So far, seven wins, seven nicknames. “We’re shooting for nine,” Prophet said. “We have nine players and two games left.” Some of Prophet’s nicknames: “The Gun” (Keri Rincon), “Boards” (Chris Parks) and “Hands” (Tisa Jackson). . . . The North Hollywood girls team (14-2, 9-0) clinched the Pac 6 League title with its 57-49 win over Birmingham on Monday.

Bats before boards: Providence Coach Paul Sutton said the Pioneers always play poorly in Saturday night games because five of the eight Pioneers (6-11, 1-9) play winter-league baseball on Saturday mornings. “I’m not going to tell them not to play baseball because I know how much it means to them. Baseball is really their first love.” Providence is defending champion of the Southern Section Small Schools Division. . . . Montclair Prep, which clinched the Alpha League title last week with its 10th straight victory, has benefited from the play of point-guard John DeRouen, who had 22 assists in the last two games. . . . Led by Eric Arnold’s 46 points in two games, Hart remained in contention for the Foothill League championship with wins last week over Burroughs and Alhambra. Arnold had a 30-point, 8-rebound performance against Burroughs.

Trivia answer: Simi Valley is the runaway winner with a 41-4 record. Both the boys and girls are 10-0 in the Marmonte League. On the down side, Moorpark is a combined 3-34 and Royal is 4-30.

Quick recovery: San Fernando’s Sean DeClouet, expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured blood vessel Jan. 19, played the equivalent of a quarter in the Tigers’ win over Monroe on Friday. He had 14 points and a game-high five assists. . . . Providence senior Jeff Cirillo, who was thought to be lost for the season when he dislocated his left thumb six weeks ago, received medical clearance to play. With the thumb heavily bandaged, Cirillo had 27 points in two losses last week.