San Diego High School Review : Even Point Loma Can’t Win ‘Em All

The Point Loma High School girls’ basketball team, after 74 straight victories over three seasons, lost to Fallbrook, 39-37, last Tuesday. The Pointers’ streak included two state championships.

“It’s going to happen . . . you can lose at any time,” Point Loma Coach Lee Trepanier said. “That is one of the remarkable things about the streak--you could lose any time.”

Most people figured the Pointers’ streak would quickly come to an end after the graduation of Terri Mann, last season’s section player of the year who is now the leading scorer and rebounder for the University of Western Kentucky. But Point Loma was 15-0 going into its game against Fallbrook.

The streak began after Mann and Point Loma lost to Pasadena Muir, 62-43, in a holiday tournament in December, 1985. That loss was preceded by 63 consecutive victories.

In the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions in 1985, Point Loma was eyeing tournament favorite Christ The King from New York City, which was one of the country’s best teams, Trepanier said.

“I think that loss (to Pasadena Muir) was harder on the girls (than the Fallbrook loss),” Trepanier said. “They had more of a goal because we wanted to play Christ The King. It was much more of a letdown. But they were able to put it behind them and that is the mark of a good team.”

Another mark of a good program is four straight state championships. Considering the titles, the losses to Pasadena-Muir and Fallbrook don’t seem to matter as much.

“Losing helps you realize that you are not as perfect as you think you are and it makes you work harder,” Trepanier said.

Perhaps. After the Fallbrook game, Point Loma crushed Mira Mesa, 92-44, Friday in what Trepanier called the best game his team has played this season.

There is still, however, a streak alive at Point Loma. The Pointers enjoy a 123-0 record at home, a streak which began during the 1982-83 season.

The confusion over implementing the new five-division system for basketball playoffs continues. Kendall Webb, the San Diego Section commissioner, is still trying to figure out where the boys’ and girls’ championship games in five divisions will be played.

Divisions I-III will play at the Sports Arena Friday, March 4. Webb said he had hoped to play the Division IV and Division V championships on either the preceding Thursday or the next Saturday.

However, the San Diego State basketball team plays host to Colorado State on March 3 and Air Force March 5. Webb said he has received permission from San Diego State to play the championship games--a boys’ and girls’ game for each division--in the morning before each game.

The Sports Arena, however, is asking the section to pay rental costs for those two days, which amount to $1,750 or 15% of the gross, whichever is larger.

Webb said that because none of the lower-division games are expected to draw large crowds, the section could not cover the costs.

Webb recently wrote a letter to Vincent Ciruzzi, president of the Sports Arena, requesting that the fee be waived for those two days.

“We’re talking about crowds of 200 people for those games,” Webb said. “There is no way we could meet the expectations for that (fee).”

Ciruzzi said it is unlikely the Sports Arena would waive the fees, considering 90% of the money goes toward paying ushers, ticket takers, security and medical personnel and other union workers.

“There are quite a few people involved,” Ciruzzi said. “If you are going to staff it, you have to pay the people who will staff the event.”

Webb said he has yet to decide on an alternative site.

Though the section’s coordinating council voted against a proposal to form one Metro Conference, which would encompass 10 teams, the Sweetwater Union School District is expected to submit the proposal to the section’s board of managers at its Jan. 26 meeting for a final ruling.

The Metro Conference is split into two five-team leagues, the 2-A South Bay and the 3-A Mesa. The proposal would call for the new league to be 2-A for all sports.

Officials from the Sweetwater school district argue that many of the schools’ enrollment figures are distorted because freshman from feeder junior high schools are counted. They say, however, that many of these freshmen are unable to participate in sports because of scheduling differences with the high schools.

Kendall Webb, San Diego Section commissioner, said he is strongly opposed to a 10-team Metro Conference.

“I like the idea of having a 2-A and 3-A division,” Webb said. “If you have 9 or 10 teams, that does not allow any play outside the league for sports like football.”

But Bob Korzep, Castle Park’s football coach, said he believes the coordinating council’s decision could be disastrous for his team in the future. Korzep fears that Marian and Coronado may leave the South Bay League in the future to play in the 1-A Mountain-Desert League or in a lower-level 2-A league that has been proposed in the past.

Such a move would cause the three remaining teams in the South Bay to move to the 3-A league.

“We are not over-enthusiastic about the fact that we might be 3-A,” Korzep said. “In the 3-A, you have to compete with the north county schools, which are relatively large. That is not an equitable situation for us.”

Webb said such a situation is unlikely. But he does believe a solution to the disparity in the Metro Conference would be a lower-level 2-A league. The section requires that at least five teams play in the league, and so far only Coronado and Marian have expressed an interest.

High School Notes

Santana High School will host a basketball game between some of the biggest names in professional baseball and former Grossmont League basketball players Wednesday at 7 p.m. Among the baseball stars will be New York Met outfielder Darryl Strawberry, Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, Cincinnati’s Eric Davis and San Francisco’s Kevin Mitchell. Former Grossmont League player Todd Harper (Santana, 1978), the 1978 San Diego Section player of the year, is expected. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Proceeds go to Santana High School and the “Say No To Drugs” program. . . . Point Loma football Coach Bennie Edens was named the state’s coach of the year by Cal-Hi Sports, an independent newsletter. Cal-Hi also named wide receiver Darrow Nelson (Fallbrook), offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy (Morse) and linebacker Haywood Mathis (Mt. Miguel) to its all-state team for large schools. Lincoln running back Darrin Wagner was named to the all-state team for medium schools. . . . Players on the Torrey Pines’ basketball team are still trying to catch their breath after stunning national power Camden (N.J.), 90-88, in double overtime Saturday night. Torrey Pines’ Courtie Miller, who was phenomenal in the second half and finished with 36 points, was even more amazed by Camden’s Victor Carstarphen, who scored 44 points. “I never thought I would play against a player like that,” Miller said. “I can’t believe Carstarphen. At the end of the first overtime, he had the ball in his right hand and he switched it to his left (in midair) and still made the shot. I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”