Prep Review : For the First Time, Katella Is Out

With one week to play in the league basketball season, many coaches are preparing their teams for the playoffs.

But one notable coach is not making such preparations. For the first time in 22 seasons, Tom Danley and Katella High School will not be making a post-season appearance.

Though Katella upset El Dorado, 74-70, Friday night--illustrating what Danley described as his team’s refusal to quit--the victory was only the Knights’ second in Empire League play.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Danley said. “We’re a much better team than our record indicates. We’ve beaten ourselves much of the year.”

The Knights returned just one starter, Ian Donnelly, from last season’s team that went undefeated in league play. He has provided the few highlights for Katella (6-14 overall), averaging 17.6 points and 10.5 rebounds.

“It was like a sweater when you pull one string and the whole damn thing unravels,” Danley said. “I believe you have to play percentages and you’re not always going to win every game. But I didn’t expect the bottom to drop out so drastically.”

Danley admits that his past coaching success has, in a way, come back to haunt him.

“You know that, because of your track record, you have to be up for every game,” he said. “When you have a down year, everyone has a score to settle.

“Maybe,” he laughed, “someone upstairs was trying to send a lesson in humility.”

It could be just the start of that lesson. Danley has just one player returning next season and the junior varsity team has been having its own dismal season.

But other Empire League coaches aren’t counting Danley out.

Los Alamitos Coach Steve Brooks, who is starting his own little dynasty with five playoff appearances in seven years and three league championships, including this season’s, expects Danley’s teams to be a factor in the future.

“Just because you have one bad season, doesn’t mean it’s all over,” Brooks said. “But, and I mean this as a compliment to Katella, we were happy to be the ones to eliminate them.”

Danley doesn’t plan to dwell on the season after this weekend.

“Basketball is my first love and first priority but I have so many other things to do once it’s over,” he said. “I know the sun will shine tomorrow.”

On the other hand:

For those teams still in playoff contention, this will be the determining week.

Angelus League--The championship is still undecided, with Mater Dei and Bishop Amat both in a tie for first place and St. Paul two games behind in third.

Century League--Santa Ana has clinched the championship. Foothill will make the playoffs, and Santa Ana Valley has the inside track on the final spot.

Empire League--Los Alamitos is the league champion and Esperanza, Cypress and El Dorado are fighting for the other two spots.

Garden Grove League--Kennedy has clinched the championship but the other two berths are undecided among four teams.

Orange League--Savanna has won the title, and Valencia, Brea-Olinda and Western will compete for the other spots.

Pacific Coast League--The league champion will once again be Woodbridge. Laguna Hills and Laguna Beach are tied for second and Trabuco Hills still has an outside shot at a spot.

Sea View League--Tustin and Saddleback are tied for first place with Estancia and Corona del Mar tied for third.

South Coast League--Capistrano Valley has won the league title. El Toro will also go the playoffs with Mission Viejo and Irvine are hoping for the third spot.

Sunset League--The champion is Ocean View, with Marina, Fountain Valley and Edison competing for playoff spots.

Doing things differently: This week the Freeway League will hold its league tournament.

Tonight sixth-place La Habra will play at Troy and the teams that finished tied for fourth, Sonora and Buena Park, will play at Buena Park.

Tuesday the winner of the Troy/La Habra game will travel to second-place Fullerton and the winner of the Sonora/Buena Park matchup will meet league champion Sunny Hills.

Wednesday the winners of Tuesday’s games will play for the first and second playoff berths, and the losers will battle for the final playoff spot.

Fullerton Coach Randy Forgette is keeping his fingers crossed and holding his breath whenever the phone rings.

Last year, after Fullerton won the league championship, the team’s all-league center Alan Lewis called Forgette the day before the tournament to tell him he had come down with the chicken pox. Without Lewis, Fullerton lost two games and was eliminated from playoff competition.

Mirror Image:

When Cypress Coach Kevin Loftus became ill before Friday night’s Empire League game against Esperanza, assistant Mike Moore stepped in to coach. Mike Moore is also the name of the Esperanza coach. Cypress’ Mike Moore beat Esperanza’s Mike Moore, 78-66. Both Moores were excellent guards on their high school basketball teams--Esperanza’s Moore played at El Dorado in the early 70s and Cypress’ Moore played at Los Alamitos in the late 70s and early 80s.

Prophecy:

When the Mission Viejo boys’ soccer team were ranked first in the 3-A Division coaches poll, Coach Cal Foster wasn’t happy.

“I don’t believe in rankings,” he said. “It only helps the other team. It gives everyone else something to shoot for.”

Last Wednesday, Dana Hills, which had previously won just one South Coast League game, upset the Diablos, 1-0.

Luckily for Foster, his team has moved back to the number-two spot in the poll.

Prep Notes

Paul Harrell, a former assistant under Ron LaRuffa, has been named Edison High School’s varsity baseball coach. Harrell is now the junior varsity girls’ volleyball coach. LaRuffa recently resigned at Edison after 12 seasons. He’ll be the pitching coach at Rancho Santiago College . . . Larry Cochell, Cal State Fullerton baseball coach, and assistant Dennis Rodgers, will be among the speakers at the Orange County Baseball Coaches’ Clinic, Saturday, Feb. 20. Other speakers are Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, and Pat Harrison, coach of the Master’s College. The clinic is free to all county baseball coaches . . . Former California Angel pitcher Clyde Wright and major league hitting coach Rick Down are among the speakers at a two-session lecture series sponsored by the El Toro High School Baseball Booster Club. The lectures are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10 and Thursday Feb. 18 in Charger Hall at 7 p.m., Other speakers include Ned Bergert, Angel trainer, Bill Bavasi, director of minor league operations and Bob Fontaine, Angel scouting director. . . . Applications for the California Interscholastic Federation’s scholar-athletes of the year are available at all high school counseling offices. The awards will be presented at the CIF State track and field meet in Cerritos, June 4. Deadline for filing applications is March 25.