Catranbone Caps Coaching Career With Title

El Camino Real High golf Coach Gene Catranbone, age 62 and a month from retirement, may be too old to jump up and down. But after the Conquistadores upended Taft, North Hollywood and Palisades in Wednesday’s final round of the City Section golf championship, he could not help but get caught up in the mood.

And once he got started . . .

“This could be the the biggest title in El Camino history,” Catranbone said. “Down six shots, playing the No. 2 team in the state and coming out of the 4-A League. That’s quite an achievement.”

El Camino Real, which won the 4-A League with a 6-0 record, fired a season-best 386 in the second round to take the overall title with a 793 total. Taft won the 5-A League and City championship last year and placed second to Westlake in last season’s CIF/Southern California Golf Assn. championship. After Tuesday’s first round, the Toreadors held a six-stroke lead over El Camino Real.

But the Conquistadores rallied to become the first 4-A League team to win the title since 1975, according to tournament chairman Dean Dill of Marshall High, coordinator of the event since 1975.

“This is my swan song, so it’s a good way to go out,” said Catranbone, a teacher at El Camino Real for the past 19 years. “I’m going out in style--it’s probably a good thing I’m not coming back.”

He couldn’t repeat if he did. Because of its strong performance in the 4-A League and the finals, El Camino Real will be promoted to the 5-A League next year.

Taft and El Camino Real advanced to the CIF/SCGA final June 6 at La Jolla Country Club.

Add golf: Valley-area individual qualifiers for the CIF/SCGA championship include Marshall’s Bobby Hinds (79-75--154), Tristan Taylor of North Hollywood (75-79--154), Alex Woodson of North Hollywood (75-81--156), Mike Geibelson of Birmingham (81-78--159), Andy Chao of Granada Hills (79-80--159), John Rieger of Verdugo Hills (84-76--160) and Scott Sobel of Birmingham (84-76--160).

Twist of fate: After his team started Del Rey League play with one win in five games, Crespi Coach Scott Muckey was looking for a break. Instead, he got a new twist and seven consecutive league victories to tie Notre Dame for the league title.

The twist came April 15. Catcher Mark Cavaretta suffered a knee sprain on a play at the plate against Loyola. Muckey was forced to switch the left-handed hitting Cavaretta with designated-hitter John Dempsey.

Cavaretta is 17 for 27 (.630) with 18 runs batted in, 10 doubles and a home run since the move and Dempsey is 22 for 40 (.550) with 13 RBIs and 7 doubles.

Down under: Dan Carroll, Crespi’s man from down under, is 10-1 since scrapping his overhand delivery for a submarine style.

Carroll first learned the pitch after he was shelled by Royal on March 19. Muckey and his right-hander talked about the change in style on the bus ride home and worked on the pitch that day in the bullpen at Valley College.

“It felt pretty comfortable,” Carroll said. “I thought that anything that’s going to help me, I’ll do.”

He has appeared in 20 of Crespi’s 25 games and allowed 39 earned runs, 82 hits and 65 walks in 93 innings. Carroll never seems to lack for company when he pitches.

“That’s part of the submarine pitching style,” Muckey said. “You get a lot of walks, hits and double plays.”

Achilles’ heel?: Sure, Hart is 25-0 and the No. 1-seeded team heading into today’s Southern Section 4-A Division playoffs, but a closer look at the team may reveal a flaw in the Indian armor.

The concern lies with Hart’s No. 2 pitcher.

Jason Edwards, the team ace, poses no problem. After Edwards, however, Coach Bud Murray has used three different pitchers as the No. 2 starter. All three--Casey Burrill, Chris Matkin and Robby Davis--have had shaky moments.

Currently, Murray is leaning toward Davis to shoulder the load during the playoffs. Matkin, who has an 8-0 record, is expected to work out of the bullpen.

Add Hart: Burrill’s hitting also merits attention. The Indians’ catcher waded through a mid-season slump but burst out in the final four games of the regular season, going 9 for 15. “Coach has been working with me about my hitting,” Burrill said.

Sidelined: Saugus senior right-hander Jeff Bodeau, who led the Valley in strikeouts for much of the season, will not pitch in the playoffs because of arm and back injuries, according to Saugus assistant Bill Bolde.

Bodeau, who has 92 strikeouts, is 6-4 with a 1.82 earned-run average. But he says he injured himself by pitching without a sufficient amount of practice because of several rainy days.

“The lower back is what’s really bothering me,” Bodeau said.

Junior Roger Salkeld (8-2) will start today against Santa Clara.

A horse player: At 5 feet, 7 inches and 140 pounds, bespectacled St. Genevieve shortstop Joe Cascione does not measure up to his nickname of “Stallion.”

Put a baseball bat in his hand and an opposing pitcher on the mound, however, and the St. Genevieve fans chant his moniker.

“He’s been a real spark plug for us this season,” St. Genevieve Coach Kevin Kane said. “I expected big things and he’s delivered.”

The speedy Cascione leads St. Genevieve in batting (.526), hits (41), doubles (8), triples (5) and RBIs (27). He also ranks second on the team in steals with 10.

Cascione’s .526 average and 41 hits are the most of any Valley-area Southern Section player above the Small Schools level.

Staff writers Tim Brown, Brian Murphy, John Ortega and Vince Kowalick contributed to this notebook.