Leuzinger Cagers Out to Erase Memory of Last Season’s Disaster

If an award was given for the South Bay’s worst high school basketball team, Leuzinger would have been a prime candidate last season.

The Olympians were 1-19 and scraped together a team of only five players for some games.

Least of those prepared for the disaster was first-year Coach Phil Sherman.

“As a player and coach I’m used to winning,” he said. “Last year tore me apart.”

Sherman’s goal was to make sure it never happened again. So far, he’s been successful.

Leuzinger improved its record to 9-5 (1-1 in the Pioneer League) Wednesday with a 85-55 win over Miraleste. Instead of the worst, the Olympians look more and more like the comeback team of the year.

Sherman says there were several reasons for Leuzinger’s poor showing a year ago.

He was a walk-on coach and didn’t start working with the players until two weeks before the season. “I was their fourth coach in four years. The program was in ruins.”

Leuzinger solved one problem by hiring Sherman as a full-time faculty member. Sherman solved another by having the Olympians play summer league basketball, something they hadn’t done the year before.

Depth, nonexistent at times last season, is now a strength.

Forward Keith Pullen and guard Roger Thomas are the top scorers and senior leaders, senior point guard Cory Reece is among the area leaders in assists, Frank Willis is a promising 6-6 freshman and 6-1 junior Reggie Hamilton, a transfer from Tennessee, is the team’s best athlete.

According to Sherman, Hamilton has “brought a different kind of character to the team. He’s always fired up. It’s contagious to the team.”

Whatever caused the turnaround, Sherman is relieved. Leuzinger is fighting for a CIF 3-A playoff spot rather than fighting to avoid last place.

Leuzinger’s record might be better if not for a scheduling mix-up with the Torrance Tournament last month.

Sherman says the school twice informed officials that the Olympians would not participate in the tournament. Yet, they were handed a forfeit loss when they failed to show up for a first-round game against Compton on Dec. 21.

“I looked in the paper the next morning and saw we had lost,” Sherman said. “I didn’t know what to say.”

Leuzinger then lost a second-round game in overtime to Torrance. The team played without two regulars who were out of town.

St. Bernard will meet one of the nation’s top prep basketball teams when it plays host to Camden, N. J. at 5 p.m. Monday.

Clarence Turner has built quite a coaching reputation at Camden. Among his former players are ex-Louisville standouts Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner, both with the Lakers.

Camden’s star is 6-1 guard Victor Carstarphen, who signed an early letter of intent with the University of Cincinnati. Camden opened the season ranked No. 15 in the nation by USA Today but has slipped to No. 24.

St. Bernard Coach Jim McClune said the game was arranged by the Camden athletic director contacted him. They met last year at a prep tournament in Hawaii.

Camden is also playing two San Diego area teams on its West Coast trip.

Torrance basketball Coach Carl Strong attributes West Torrance’s fast start to long hours of practice.

“The West kids are gym rats,” he said. “There’s not a tan line on any of them.”

Gary Kimbrell, recently hired to coach the struggling Rolling Hills football team, emphasized the importance of assistants:

“I’m certainly no savior. I can’t do it by myself. I’ve got to have help. They could bring in Lou Holtz and not win if he has no help.”

Joe Griffin, who coached Serra’s frosh-soph football team to a 17-3 record over the last two seasons, has replaced Dale Washburn as the Cavaliers’ varsity coach.

Griffin, a graduate of St. John Bosco High in Bellflower and Cal State Long Beach, guided Serra to the Camino Real League frosh-soph title and a 9-1 record last fall. The Cavaliers averaged 38 points a game.

Serra’s dominating frosh-soph team was led by quarterback Fred Safford. The 5-7 sophomore is expected to play wide receiver and backup quarterback for the varsity.

“Pound for pound, he might be the best athlete in the school next year,” Griffin said.

Serra’s 1988 schedule includes a non-league game with Gardena. It will be the first meeting between Gardena’s only high schools in several years.

California Football magazine had this to say about Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway, The Times’ South Bay Back of the Year:

“Curtis Conway is rapidly gaining the reputation of being among the state’s best all-around QB performers, both as an elusive runner and an impressive thrower. And he’s only a junior.”

Conway was one of four South Bay gridders named to California Football’s prep all-state team. Gardena wide receiver Damon Mack and Carson linebacker Arnold Ale, The Times’ South Bay lineman of the year, were first-team picks. Carson safety Charles Gardner was named to the second team.

Mack’s selection is a bit surprising. There is no question about Mack’s ability, but a shoulder injury sidelined him for half the season and limited his production. It demonstrates that all-star teams are sometimes picked on reputation rather than performance.

PREP NOTES--Leuzinger’s Anthony Jefferson is entered in the 60-yard dash for football players at the Sunkist Invitational track meet Jan. 22 at the Sports Arena. Jefferson, who has a best of 10.8 seconds for 100 meters, will compete against a field that includes Southern Section rushing and scoring champion Glyn Milburn of Santa Monica, Larry Billoups of Carson and Jason Simpson of the Army-Navy School in Carlsbad. Simpson is the son of O. J. Simpson. Travis Hannah of Hawthorne is an alternate for the race . . . Chadwick’s basketball team defeated Pasadena Poly, 61-56, Tuesday to extend an unbeaten streak in Prep League play that dates to the 1984 season. The Dolphins (5-9 overall) are off to a 2-0 start in league . . . James Moses of Serra scored a season-low 16 points Friday in a 74-55 loss to Verbum Dei in a Camino Real League basketball opener. The 6-6 senior leads the South Bay in scoring with a 33-point average.