Simi Valley Rumbles Past Santa Ana : Pioneers to Go for Knockout in 4-A Final After Winning Fight-Marred Game, 76-61

Simi Valley High has been knocked down before.

In each of the past two seasons the Pioneers have held expectations of winning the Southern Section 4-A Division title and failed.

Against Santa Ana in a semifinal game at Chapman College on Tuesday night, Simi Valley--in the persons of Steve Carnes and Butch Hawking--was felled again. This time, however, the Pioneers returned to their feet and leveled the Saints, 76-61.

Simi Valley (26-3) is headed for the Sports Arena to play for the 4-A title for the second time in three years. The Pioneers play the winner of tonight’s Capistrano Valley-Santa Barbara semifinal game.

In a physical game marred by a bench-clearing melee, Carnes, a sophomore, was at the wrong end of a Bobby Joyce right hand early in the third quarter. Joyce, Santa Ana’s leading scorer with 24.2 points a game, was ejected.

Joyce’s bad intentions came as a result of an earlier tangle with Hawking, a struggle that concluded with the 6-2 Pioneer guard lying flat on his back in the lane. Joyce is 6-7.

“Joyce decked Butch,” Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking said. “It had all started on the previous play.”

The mini-rumble started moments after a layup by Simi Valley center Don MacLean gave the Pioneers a 43-34 lead.

MacLean finished with 16 points. Forward Shawn DeLaittre had a game-high 22 points and finished the game with his mouthpiece in place. Hawking had 15 points--9 in the third quarter when the Pioneers extended their 33-32 halftime lead to 54-39. Gerald Pickett added eight points and Carnes had 11 off the bench for the Pioneers.

Simi Valley outscored the Saints, 15-2, to begin the third quarter.

“I think that’s really the only time of the game we really played tonight,” MacLean said. “We finally started to play in that one spurt.”

Santa Ana’s only lead occurred midway through the first quarter at 9-8. The Saints (26-4), behind Joyce’s 11 first-half points, came within one point several times in the second quarter but could not break on top.

During Simi Valley’s 15-2 spree in the third quarter, Joyce missed two free throws and two field-goal attempts, including an 18-footer that missed by at least a foot.

MacLean, however, was all too aware of Joyce’s abilities.

Asked if Joyce’s departure had made a difference, MacLean said: “A lot. It would have been close. He was playing really well.”

Joyce left with 11 points along with Santa Ana’s chances to advance to the final. And the thought of returning to the championship game brought giddy grins to all of the Pioneers.

Certainly pleased were MacLean and DeLaittre, who have led Simi Valley to a 79-8 record in their three varsity seasons.

“I’d like to end this in the most special feeling in my high school career,” DeLaittre said. “Way beyond what my words could express.”

The last time the Pioneers journeyed to the Sports Arena they lost to Capistrano Valley, leaving MacLean with the feeling he had left something undone.

“We got to get it done,” MacLean said. “It’s nice to be there, and I’m sure a lot of teams would be happy to be there, but that wasn’t our goal when we started out in November. I’ve been there before and didn’t get it done.”

A win Saturday would go a long way to dispel any notions that the Pioneers possess a glass jaw.