HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL FINALS : Division III Boys : Lincoln Out to Avoid a Role in Upset Story

Both Ron Loneski and Al Schaffer grew up as basketball fans in the Midwest, Loneski in Indiana and Schaffer in Michigan. And both coaches remember times when a team from a small-town school surprised everyone and beat a heavy favorite in the state championship game.

That’s similar to the situation Schaffer and his Ramona High School boys’ team find themselves in today. Ramona (14-15), which won four 1-A titles from 1970-73 but has not played for one since, faces Loneski’s Lincoln team for the San Diego Division III title at the San Diego Sports Arena.

At stake for the winner is a berth in the state playoffs. The loser has to hope for an at-large berth, a long shot at best for Ramona.

Lincoln, at 23-2 possibly the best basketball team in San Diego County, is heavily favored. The Hornets have averaged 86 points a game and have six players averaging in double figures, led by Carl Gaines at 19.4. The only San Diego team to beat Lincoln was Division I finalist Morse.

Ramona, on the other hand, can take pride in its defense, which gave up just 60.9 points a game. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs averaged about 59. Their biggest claim to fame is a pair of victories over Escondido, which finished second in the Avocado League.

But there are always those “Miracle on Hardwood” stories that pop up about this time every year.

Schaffer said he realizes that his team has only an outside shot to pull off an upset like that. But he has seen stranger things happen.

In 1953, Schaffer was a junior at New Troy High School in Michigan. A friend of his, Rich Nelson, transferred to St. Joe’s High, a small school that finished “barely above .500” during the regular season. But when the state tournament rolled around, Nelson led his new team to the title.

“They were a real Cinderella team,” Schaffer said. “Basketball is so emotional that anything can happen.”

Schaffer even showed his team the movie “Hoosiers” before a 56-51 semifinal victory over St. Augustine, which finished last at 1-9 in the City Central League. Lincoln pranced through the Central League with a 10-0 record.

But “Hoosiers” is a vivid memory for Loneski. He was a sophomore at Bishop Noll High in Hammond, Ind., when Milan, the team in the movie, won the state title in the early ‘50s.

That haunts Loneski as his team prepares for today’s game.

“When you get in the tournament, anything can happen,” Loneski said. “What if we go cold and can’t hit a shot, like the Point Loma girls (in a 55-38 semifinal loss to underdog Mt. Carmel)? I try to teach our kids what I’ve learned. Take nothing for granted.”

Strong community support was a factor for both St. Joe’s and Milan. Ramona has an edge there.

Schaffer said there are signs all over town supporting his team. It will be a half day off for students, and “anyone who can get a bus ticket can ride the . . . mobs of buses to the arena.”

Don’t expect that kind of support for Lincoln. Not that its students don’t support the team. But because the game is at 12:30, they’ll have to skip class to see the game.

Those who can’t get their parents to sign a note will either miss Lincoln winning a section title, as just about everyone at the start of the season expected it would, or they will miss a Ramona victory that would be talked about in front of the barber shop for years.