2 Farmers Help Beat Simi Valley

It remains to be seen what effect going toe to toe with some of the nation’s best basketball teams will have on Simi Valley High’s season.

For now, it means losing a second game in the prestigious three-game Beach Ball Classic.

Clay County of Manchester, Ky., defeated the Pioneers, 95-91, in the consolation final Wednesday, but Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking hopes his 9-3 team returns wiser.

“We knew with the schedule we had it was very conceivable we could have three or four losses,” he said. “We don’t like it, but it’s a reality.”

Another reality--this one in Simi Valley’s favor--is the excellence of center Don MacLean. The 6-10 senior scored 35 points, bringing his tournament total to 103--one short of the record set by Jeff Lebo of Carlisle High, Pa. Lebo is now at North Carolina.

MacLean also had 48 rebounds and made 42 field goals in the three games, both tournament records.

For all of MacLean’s efforts, however, the Pioneers could not knock off the Tigers and All-American guard Richie Farmer.

For four consecutive years, Farmer has played in the Kentucky state championships at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

If Clay County returns to Kentucky’s Sweet 16 as expected, Farmer will become the only player in the state’s history to appear in five tournaments, having appeared in his first as an eighth-grader. He is no stranger to pressure. In fact, against Simi Valley at Socastee High, he became all too familiar.

The six-foot Farmer scored nine points in the final 1:25.

The Pioneers had no defense against Farmer or his brother Russ, who scored 28 points. Richie Farmer finished with 33 points, despite having the hands of Darren Aurand and Shawn DeLaittre planted firmly in his face most of the game.

“It didn’t bother me to take the shot that’s going to win or lose the ballgame,” said Richie Farmer, who also had 16 assists. “The plays are designed to get the ball into my hands.”

Clay County (10-1), ranked No. 24 in a national poll, last season won the state title in overtime, beating Louisville Ballard, 78-75, before more than 23,000 fans. A measly 500 at Socastee didn’t faze Farmer, who made 6 of 7 free throws to end the game.

Russ Farmer made 8 of 12 three-point attempts, including five in the second half.

“You live and die by the outside shot, and they more than lived by it tonight,” Simi Valley guard Butch Hawking said.

Hawking, who had 19 points, tried to resuscitate Simi Valley with 13 points in the fourth quarter, nine via the three-point shot. The Pioneers came within two points three times in the final quarter and were within one, 92-91, with 13 seconds left.

After Hawking’s three-pointer cut the lead to one point, MacLean called a timeout, but the Pioneers had none left and were assessed a technical foul. Predictably, Richie Farmer made both free throws.

“Don thought we had one more timeout,” Bob Hawking said. “I knew it right away. Sometimes you forget those things in the heat of the battle.”

The game was very literally a battle for MacLean, who had Clay County players hanging on him at every turn. MacLean picked up three personal fouls in the first half as did the Tigers’ 6-2 center, Eugene Rawlings.

“Just because they were smaller the refs felt sorry for them,” MacLean said. “And he wasn’t going to call them.”

Three Tigers finished with four fouls, however, as did MacLean.

Simi Valley forward Shawn DeLaittre, who had 63 points in the tournament, scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He scored six points from long range in the final 1:40.

Earlier, it appeared Simi Valley would handle Clay County. The Pioneers built a 28-22 lead with five minutes left in the first half, even though MacLean was called for his third foul 18 seconds into the second quarter.

Simi Valley, which committed eight first-half turnovers, could not build on its lead, however. Clay County tied the score, 34-34, on Russ Farmer’s three-pointer with 3:40 left, and led at halftime, 46-44.

The Pioneers then trailed by as many as 10 midway through the fourth quarter as the Farmers scored repeatedly.

“That’s more like Russ plays normally,” Clay County Coach Bob Keith said. “He hasn’t played like he can since we got here. He is head and shoulders the best shooter on this ball team.”

Defensively, the Tigers pestered the taller Pioneers with their quickness and physical play.

“We are prepared to deal with that,” said Bob Hawking, whose team has lost three of its past four games. “It’s the big man versus the little men syndrome. We have to be able to play through it.”

Archbishop Molloy of Jamaica, N.Y., won the tournament title with a 69-58 victory over Hillcrest of Simpsonville, S.C. Eau Claire of Columbia, S.C., won the third-place game, beating DeMatha of Hyattsville, Md., 77-60.