Westhead Worries as Injuries Take the Roar Out of Lion Cagers

As school logos go, Loyola Marymount’s basketball team may want to consider a red cross. Certainly, enough players are being carried off the court.

The Lions, preparing for their third season under Coach Paul Westhead, have again been beset by injuries that will upset their lineup when the season begins in three weeks.

It’s becoming a familiar pattern for Westhead, who looks on the sidelines during practice and sees guard Bo Kimble in a leg brace, center John Veargason unable to suit up because of a sprained ankle and forward Marcus Slater shooting by himself to avoid reinjuring a bad back.

There’s also a different cast of characters daily in the trainer’s room with aches and pains.

Did someone say deja vu?

Last year the Lions began the season with guard Enoch Simmons coming off knee surgery, center Vic Lazzaretti nursing a series of injuries and forward Mike Yoest sporting stitches in his forehead, compliments of an elbow in practice.

In Westhead’s first season, star forward Forrest McKenzie broke his thumb and missed the first few games.

In a recent practice, four players were on the sideline and forwards Hank Gathers and Chris Knight limped off during drills. Gathers missed a week with a lower back injury. Athletic Director Brian Quinn nearly needed smelling salts when told Gathers had to leave practice. “Any more injuries and we’re really in trouble,” he said.

There doesn’t appear to be an explanation. Westhead’s teams run hard, and most of his drills involve running, but his defensive drills are no more physical than most, and he doesn’t do what he calls self-destructive drills, such as practicing taking charges or diving for loose balls.

“You hate when somebody has a serious injury (but) I don’t think (the hard running) hurts,” Westhead said. “We have guys who thrive on it. We do run a special offense--we never have a laid-back pace. I hope there’s no (injury) pattern.”

Westhead said he had no injury jinx in previous jobs at LaSalle University and with the Lakers.

Chris Nikchevich, who played at Loyola last year after attending Brigham Young University for three seasons, said he thinks the injury streak is “really a lot of freak accidents. . . . Really, it’s unbelievable, weird things, a run of bad luck.”

Nikchevich, among team leaders in minutes played last season and who didn’t have any serious injuries, said practice at BYU “was as physical, if not more, because we had bigger players. What sets Coach Westhead apart is he runs more than any coach.”

Nikchevich, however, said he never saw any serious injuries result from running drills. “I really don’t think running can take you out,” he said. “We (Loyola) don’t do physical contact drills like some others do. I’ve never seen so many (players) falling out as here. It’s just bad luck.”

Many of the serious injuries that have befallen Westhead’s teams occurred before practice began. Kimble was injured over the summer and was practicing with a small fracture in his kneecap that was originally diagnosed as tendinitis. Likewise, Simmons’ and Lazzaretti’s injuries last year came in pickup games.

Kimble, who is projected as Loyola’s top shooter, is expected to be fit in mid-December, though he is shooting for Loyola’s opener at St. John’s in New York where much of his Philadelphia family will be in attendance.

“They don’t want to rush it,” Kimble said. “The goal is to be 100% for conference. (But) if the doctor OKs me I’ll come back as soon as I feel I can play.”

The news this week has been brighter. It was originally feared Slater might need surgery, but the 6-9 freshman is expected to be able to practice next week. Veargason is walking on his bad ankle but is unable to run.

So far, lots of scoring and lots of injuries have been the constants in Westhead’s tenure. He’d settle for lots more unused tables in the trainer’s room.

A player on the Loyola women’s basketball team has had even worse luck and is facing the end of her career. Sophomore Stephanie Fleischaker, who has a history of knee trouble, had her third knee surgery over the summer and was unable to practice without being noticeably slowed.

Coach Todd Corman said Fleischaker will act as a team manager to remain on scholarship this season. After the school year, her status and ability to continue playing will be determined. The 5-10 forward averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds as a freshman.

She was a highly regarded player at Foothill High in Santa Ana but many recruiters shied away then because of her knee problems.

Cal State Dominguez Hills soccer Coach Marine Cano has a sense of deja vu after his women’s team concluded another successful season without getting an NCAA playoff bid. For the second straight season, the Lady Toros were knocked out of playoff consideration in a season-ending tournament at UC Santa Barbara. They defeated Puget Sound, 2-1, in their tourney opener but lost in the rain to Southern Methodist, 1-0. They finished the season at 12-5-1 and were 8-1 in their last nine games.

A slow start probably did the team in. The Lady Toros, battling a tough schedule and early injuries, were 4-4-1 before putting together a school-record eight-game winning streak. Several of the losses came to ranked teams.

Forward Michele Salas, a four-year cornerstone in Cano’s fledgling program, finished her career with 29 goals and 19 assists for 77 points. She had 14 goals and 6 assists this season, making her an All-American candidate.

Cano, whose teams are 27-6-3 over the last two seasons, expects to return everyone but Salas next year.

The Lady Toros won all nine home games, giving them a streak of 17 straight dating to November, 1985. In those games they have outscored opponents 58-7.

Around the horn: Loyola is the choice to win the West Coast Athletic Conference basketball title in a poll of media conducted by the league. Pepperdine was selected second, followed by Santa Clara. . . . Loyola’s Mike Yoest, the defending WCAC scoring champ, is one of five returning all-league players. . . . Cal State Dominguez Hills freshmen Marty Thayer and Brett Rochlitz scored their first collegiate goals in a 3-1 victory over Cal State Bakersfield. . . . In the latest NCAA volleyball statistics, Lee Hoven of Pepperdine was ranked ninth in the country in assists with an average of 12.19. She’s from Mira Costa High. . . . Loyola’s Seham Khalaf ranks third in assists in the WCAC behind Hoven with 9.4 per game. . . . El Camino College defensive back Billy Hughley was named South Coast Conference player of the week after recording 18 tackles, three for losses, against Fullerton.