Simi Valley Overpowers Saugus : Pioneers Hit Century Mark as MacLean, DeLaittre Team for 55

If the performance of the Simi Valley High basketball team on Tuesday night is any indication of how good the Pioneers will be this season, the scoreboard at the gym at Simi Valley High is in for a real workout.

Four Simi Valley players--Don MacLean, Shawn DeLaittre, Butch Hawking and Mike Langford--scored in double figures as the Pioneers took the scoreboard for a loop, routing Saugus, 100-64, in the first round of the Simi Valley Tournament.

MacLean, perhaps the best player in the Southern Section, led Simi Valley with 30 points. DeLaittre tossed in 25, and both players were wearing their warm-up suits before the game was over.

“We showed that we all can be effective,” said DeLaittre, who had a game-high 10 rebounds.

Hawking, who had nine assists, scored 15 points, 12 on three-point shots. “That’s going to be part of our arsenal this season,” Coach Bob Hawking said.

Langford came off the bench to score 10 points.

“You are going to watch Simi Valley beat the heck out of a whole bunch of people,” Saugus Coach John Clark said. “It’s going to get ugly. We just happened to be the first ones.”

Saugus undoubtably won’t be the last.

Simi Valley, which led the entire game, jumped out to a 37-14 lead and extended it to 52-20 at halftime.

Saugus, led by guard Rick Bilek’s 15 points, slowed the Pioneers somewhat in the third quarter, but the Centurions were never within striking distance.

MacLean, who scored 22 points in the first half, made 13 of 18 shots and pulled down nine rebounds. The 6-10 senior came out of the game midway through the third quarter when he fell and landed on his left knee.

“It hurt when I did it,” MacLean said, “but I’m OK now.”

Bob Hawking was pleased with his team’s performance but said there is plenty of room for improvement. “We still need to iron out a few things,” Hawking said. “We’re far from being a juggernaut.”

Clark, who led Saugus to the Southern Section 3-A title last season, looked at the bright side. “That’s one of the best teams in the country and we battled them in the second half,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how many games you win in December, it’s how many you win in February that count.”

It was a 55-54 loss to Santa Monica last March that counted Simi Valley out of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs. This season, the Pioneers want to erase any doubts about their ability to capture a championship.

“Tonight was everything we expected it to be,” DeLaittre said.

Santa Barbara 87, Birmingham 42--Paul Johnson had a game-high 29 points for Santa Barbara, which led 47-16 at halftime.

Forward Greg Maxwell led Birmingham, defending Northwest Valley League champion, with 12 points.

Santa Clara 55, Royal 54--Royal’s Chris Noyes, who led the Highlanders with 17 points, missed a six-foot jump shot with four seconds to play. Chris Myers scored 11 points and Tony Strickland added seven for Royal.

St. Anthony 82, Alemany 74--Derek Martin scored 31 points as 10 players scored for St. Anthony.

Forward John Beauchemin led Alemany with 31 points and David Berganio added 21.