Community College Notebook : From Bakersfield, Ammann Is Back and Busting Loose

By reading Kenny Ammann’s biography in the Rancho Santiago College men’s basketball media guide, it might seem obvious why he transferred from Cal State Bakersfield.

Ammann grew up in Huntington Beach and played at Edison High School. In his senior season (1985-86) he averaged 20 points a game and led the Chargers to a 5-A semifinal, where they lost to Serra.

Ammann, a 6-foot 3-inch guard, accepted a scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield later that spring but didn’t play much once he got there. He started 10 of 27 games and averaged 3 points a game as a freshman.

But he didn’t leave because he was frustrated over his playing time or the area.

Ammann left Bakersfield because when Pat Douglass replaced Jim Parks as coach last spring, Ammann was told he could return but not on scholarship.

“I really liked it up there,” Ammann said. “It was a nice school and I liked the area and the people. Everyone down here laughed at me at first when I told them I was going to Bakersfield. Bakersfield is a swear word to a lot of people around here. But it’s really the same as here without the beach.

“I wanted to stay and thought about it even without my scholarship, but things just didn’t work out. Last spring, I asked some friends about what community college would be good to go to and they said either Rancho Santiago or Saddleback. I called Coach (Dana) Pagett and we talked and I liked his program, so here I am.”

Ammann, 20, has had little problem fitting into Rancho Santiago’s offense. He is the starting off guard and averages 20 points a game, tops among Orange County community college players.

Ammann and forward Ralph Garcia are the only two starting sophomores for Rancho Santiago (17-5 overall and 2-0 in the Orange Empire Conference), which is ranked 11th in the state. Freshman Chris Martin starts in the backcourt with Ammann, and freshman forwards Alonzo Jamison and Tony Smalley start up front with Garcia.

“We were really fortunate to get him,” Pagett said of Ammann. “He is a very intense competitor and it’s a real pleasure to coach him. His experience has helped us this season. We’re very happy he came our way.”

More signings: The Rancho Santiago College football team announced that nine players have signed national letters of intent to attend four-year colleges. Quarterback Rick Burns and center Ron Beyers (Cal State Long Beach), running back Albie Anderman (Miami of Ohio), running back Jamie Nelson (Nevada Las Vegas) wide receiver Mark Dye (San Jose State), offensive lineman Grant Grable (Central Michigan), offensive lineman Jim Murphy (Rice), Derek Sang (San Diego State) and defensive lineman Kirk Merhish (New Mexico State) all signed.

Saddleback defensive linemen Brad Schmidt (Eastern Michigan) and Ed Franco (Cal State Northridge) also signed last week.

The Fullerton men’s basketball team (12-8, 2-2) gets its chance at El Camino (20-1, 4-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Fullerton in a South Coast Conference game. El Camino is the state’s second-ranked team and ranked first in Southern California. Fullerton has won two consecutive conference games, upsetting Long Beach and Compton.

Central Valley’s Columbia (22-1) is the state’s top-ranked team.

There seems to be no middle ground after the first week in the Orange Empire Conference. Cypress (18-5), Saddleback (14-6) and Rancho Santiago (17-5) are 2-0 and Orange Coast (13-11), Citrus (5-15) and Riverside (10-10) are 0-2.

No games are scheduled Wednesday, but Rancho Santiago, which is ranked 12th in the state, travels to Cypress Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for an early first-place showdown.

Orange Coast plays Saddleback, which is ranked 10th in the state and has eight straight victories, also at 7:30 p.m.

Community College Notes

Bob Hamelin, a left-handed hitting first baseman, transferred from UCLA to Rancho Santiago College this winter and will play for the Dons this spring. Hamelin played at Irvine High School before going to UCLA. Kraig Washington, who played at Diamond Bar High School and USC, also transferred to Rancho Santiago. Washington, who left USC for academic reasons, was a 2-A all-Southern Section outfielder at Diamond Bar in 1985, but is expected to play shortstop at Rancho Santiago. . . . Barrie Dafforn of Golden West, a setter, was voted first-team All-American by Volleyball Monthly. Teammate Laura Phillips, an outside hitter, earned third-team honors. . . . College of Southern Idaho is the national junior college men’s basketball champions not Mt. San Jacinto of Texas as earlier reported. Mt. San Jacinto won the national championship in 1986. . . . Laird Hayes has been picked to be the men’s soccer coach at Orange Coast, Athletic Director Dick Tucker announced. Hayes, 38, was the co-coach along with Mauricio Claure last season.