Community College Notebook : Saddleback Finds Itself With Coaching Vacancy

A week ago, the transition of power in the Saddleback College men’s basketball program seemed pretty simple.

Bill Brummel, coach for the past eight seasons, was taking a one-year sabbatical and Rich Skelton, an assistant the past five years, was going to be the interim coach.

But Skelton, a history teacher at Dana Hills High School, became the boys’ basketball coach there last Thursday. And Brummel is still taking the sabbatical.

So, Saddleback is forced to offer the job as a one-year part-time position until Brummel returns.

“I wish we didn’t have to do this,” Brummel said. “It’s getting late and we need to get things decided. It’s too bad that it’s up in the air.”

Brummel is taking the year off to go to a four-year college as either a volunteer or paid part-time assistant. Brummel said he plans to return to Saddleback.

“The situation isn’t the best,” said Keith Calkins, Saddleback athletic director. “We’re going to advertise for a coach but it’s only for a year so I’m not sure who will apply for that. It’s really is a lousy situation right now.”

Brummel, who replaced Bill Mulligan before the 1980-81 season, compiled a 145-94 record to become the winningest basketball coach at Saddleback.

Brummel won conference titles his first two seasons and was below .500 in only the 1985-86 season (12-15).

Brummel’s best season was 1986-87, when he led Saddleback to a 27-8 record. Saddleback finished second in the Orange Empire Conference but advanced to state final only to lose to Ventura, 76-72.

Last Thursday’s rain didn’t do much to help Cypress’ drive for the Orange Empire Conference baseball championship. Cypress (25-6, 8-2) and Rancho Santiago (26-5, 8-2) are tied for first and the teams meet at Rancho Santiago today at 2:30 p.m.

Cypress then plays host to Orange Coast (21-13-1, 6-4) Wednesday in a rain makeup, and Rancho Santiago is at Citrus (17-15, 6-4). Rancho Santiago plays at Cypress Thursday.

“No one said it was going to be easy,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “We just have to play them one at a time and not look ahead or worry about the whole week.”

Take a long look at the team leading the South Coast Conference baseball standings. El Camino (23-10 overall and 9-2 in conference) has a two-game lead over Fullerton (24-7-1, 7-4), Golden West (19-10, 7-4), Cerritos (24-9, 7-4) and Mt. San Antonio (20-9, 7-4), which are all tied for third place.

El Camino teams have already won the national and state title in football and won the men’s basketball and men’s soccer state championships.

Kenny Ammann of Rancho Santiago, who averaged 19 points a game and made 83% of his free throws, has signed to attend Stanford next fall. Ammann, from Edison High School, played at Cal State Bakersfield during the 1986-87 season before transferring to Rancho Santiago.

Karl Becker, a 6-foot 1-inch guard for Cypress, signed a letter of intent to attend Cal State Northridge. Becker was Cypress’ first player off the bench the second half of the season. He averaged 10 points a game and made 10 consecutive three-point baskets over three games for Cypress, which reached the state semifinals.

Community College Notes

James Buccheri of Golden West stole four bases last week to increase his total to 38 for the season. He needs three more to tie the Orange County record of 41 set by Bobby Smith of Orange Coast in 1978. . . . Bobby Hamelin hit his 17th home run of the season Saturday in Rancho Santiago’s 9-6 victory over Citrus. Hamelin is two short of the Orange County record of 19, set by Joey James in 1986. Hamelin also has 74 RBIs, 6 short of the James’ record of 80, also set in 1986. Tim Churchill of Cypress extended his hitting steak to 31 games Saturday with a double and is hitting .436. Churchill has 58 hits, 2 short of the Cypress record of 60 held by Jim Jackle (1985). Churchill also had 50 RBIs, 5 short of the Cypress record of 55 held by Kent McBride (1982). . . . The Orange Coast junior varsity eight rowing team finished third in the Stanford Rowing Classic Sunday. Harvard won the 2,000-meters race in 6:02.5 over Brown (6:03.8). OCC (6:21) defeated Wisconsin (6:24.7) in the third-place race.