Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Cypress Lures Elite Field for Next Tournament

The Cypress College Thoroughbred tournament is on its way to becoming one of the most elite men’s community college basketball tournaments.

Next fall, plans are for the tournament to draw four strong out-of-state teams and four of California’s better teams.

Tournament organizers Jack Long and Bruce Randall, assistants to Don Johnson at Cypress, have received commitments from defending national champion Mt. San Jacinto of Texas, Dixie of Utah and Mesa of Arizona. Organizers also are trying to get Vincennes of Indiana.

The California teams that have agreed to play are defending state champion Ventura, Cypress, City College of San Francisco and San Joaquin Delta.

“We badgered the idea around for a while, then just started to make some calls, and everyone was really interested,” Long said.

The tournament would be held the weekend before Thanksgiving, so it would be the first Orange County basketball tournament to be played.

The tournament would be sponsored by D. Wayne Lukas, a successful horse trainer who has sponsored the last two Cypress tournaments, which have been held the weekend before Christmas.

“It would be the only event of its kind, and it would also be the one going on at the time when there is no other basketball in the area,” Long said. “So we should really be able to command a lot of attention and a big draw.”

Down in Texas: Saddleback’s Howard Gasser became the second consecutive Gaucho quarterback to head for Texas El Paso when he signed a national letter of intent this week.

Pat Hegarty, who started at Saddleback in 1986 and was from Tustin High School, was the starter at Texas El Paso this season and led the Miners to a 7-4 record. It was the first time UTEP had won seven games in a season since 1967 (7-2-1).

Gasser, a sophomore from Laguna Hills High School, is expected to redshirt next fall during Hegarty’s senior season.

Gasser completed 148 of 254 passes for 2,264 yards and 24 touchdowns and had 3 interceptions during the regular season for Saddleback (8-2), which won the Mission Conference. Also, he was not intercepted during an eight-game span in which he threw 187 passes.

Two other Saddleback players signed this week. Kelly Ryan, a sophomore wide receiver, will attend Cal State Long Beach, and Sal Cassaro, a sophomore defensive lineman, will attend the University of New Mexico.

Ryan, from Tustin High School, had 35 catches for 684 yards and 12 touchdown receptions this season.

Cassaro had signed with the University of Utah after playing at Capistrano Valley High School in 1985, but he left and played two seasons at Saddleback.

The Tustin Marine team, which started to play basketball against the local community college teams last season, has played a vital role in a bit of Orange County history in the last two weeks.

Saddleback Coach Bill Brummel became the winningest men’s basketball coach in school history when the Gauchos defeated the Marines, 90-62, Sunday night in the first round of the Rancho Santiago Tournament.

He passed Bill Mulligan, now the UC Irvine coach, who had a four-year record of 136-31. Brummel’s five-year record is 139-88.

“Bill (Mulligan) got those wins a whole lot quicker than I did,” Brummel said with a smile. “I guess I should get some credit for longevity, though.”

Also, Rancho Santiago Coach Dana Pagett got his 100th career victory when the Dons defeated the Marines, 99-85, Dec. 22 in a nonconference game.

Community College Notes

Cypress’ Jim Sammon had six assists to become the Chargers’ No. 2 all-time assist leader as Cypress defeated Glendale, 76-59. Sammon has 252 career assists and trails only Mark Campanaro (1972-74), who had 286. . . . The Golden West men’s team defeated Utah Snow, 104-93, to finish third in the College of the Desert tournament. . . . The nonconference men’s basketball game between Golden West and Orange Coast at Golden West, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed. Golden West’s gym is being worked on this week. . . . Alan Hancock is the top team in the men’s state basketball poll for the third consecutive week. Columbia is second, El Camino third, Chabot fourth, San Jose fifth, Compton sixth, Cypress seventh, Merced eighth, Santa Rosa ninth and West Valley 10th. Rancho Santiago is ranked 14th.