San Diego High School Review / Chris De Luca : Mann Named Player of Year Again

Terri Mann, Point Loma High School’s two-time All-American forward, has been named the San Diego Section’s player of the year in girls’ basketball for the third straight year.

Mann, who led Point Loma to four state titles and a 122-1 record in four seasons, heads a list of 15 players selected by the section and the San Diego Hall of Champions. This year’s all-section teams are dominated by juniors and sophomores.

Besides Mann, first team-members are sophomore Nicole Anderson of 2-A champion La Jolla, sophomore Chris Enger from 3-A runner-up Vista, junior Leslie Ellis of Santana and senior Karla Salmi of Crawford.

The second team: senior Liza Carrillo (Point Loma), junior Julie Doria (San Pasqual), senior Jennifer Jann (Fallbrook), junior Lynda Jones (Mount Carmel) and senior Kasey Klaser (Hilltop).

The third team: junior Melody McBride (Southwest); junior Amie Roberts (Bonita Vista), junior Melissa Smith (Monte Vista), senior Jamie Speidel (Helix) and junior Kathy Weathers (Madison).

Lee Trepanier, Point Loma coach, said he knew his team would be good this season, but the loss of four starters had him wondering whether the Pointers could repeat as state champions.

“They even surprised me,” said Trepanier, whose team beat Sacramento Grant, 60-44, Saturday to win its fourth straight state title. “I knew we would be good, but I didn’t think we would be here. . . . We peaked at the right time, at the end of the season.”

Point Loma had a much easier time game against Grant Saturday than the Pointer team of 1986, which defeated the Pacers, 56-50. The strength of the young Point Loma team--there were only two senior starters, Mann and Liza Carrillo--was passing, Trepanier said. Point Loma averaged 25 assists a game.

“I don’t care who scores, just as long as it is done,” Trepanier said. Mann averaged 38 points a game and Carrillo 18.

Saturday, Mann broke her state championship rebounding record with 25. She had 20 last year against Grant.

Add Point Loma: The Pointers’ only loss in the past four years came against Pasadena Muir in a tournament early last season at Santa Barbara. Part of the reason for that defeat was Mann’s early departure because of foul trouble.

Last Saturday, Trepanier devised a method to keep Mann and her teammates out of foul trouble.

He calls it his three don’ts: Don’t reach; don’t block shots until they are out of the opponents’ hands; don’t foul.

Mann finished with three fouls Saturday, committing only one in the first half.

While a number of area high school baseball teams will participate in the Lions tournament over spring vacation, Christian High will take a working vacation in Hawaii.

The Patriots have scheduled to play at University of Hawaii High School April 13 and Hawaii Baptist Academy April 15.