El Camino College Enjoys a Crowning Season : From Basketball to Football to Soccer, Athletic Teams Bring Home Host of Awards

It’s a question posed routinely at El Camino College at this time of the year:

What can the athletic teams possibly do for an encore next fall?

The most likely answer is that whatever the athletes do next season, it may not match the achievements of this year’s group: two state and one national title and a litany of top team finishes and individual awards.

Dr. James Schwartz, dean of physical education and athletic director, calls it “the best year we’ve had.”

It seemed like no big deal when the school won the men’s state community college basketball title this spring. It was the third such title in this decade. People expect that championship.

But after a state and mythical national football title and a state crown in men’s soccer, the basketball finish simply reemphasized the strength of a program that churns out success.

“This was an unparalleled year,” said track and cross-country Coach Dave Shannon. “You don’t usually see that depth of quality throughout a program.”

The Warriors also shared the baseball championship in the South Coast Conference and finished second in the state in women’s track and third in men’s and women’s cross country.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said football Coach John Featherstone about the overall performances. “Our feet haven’t touched the ground yet.”

The Warrior success ranks among some of the best in the history of the state, according to Fred Baer of the JC Athletic Bureau, a ratings service that tracks California community colleges.

“It was a great overall year for the school,” said Baer, drawing on 25 years of memory. He said official state records of yearly performances have never been compiled, but in his opinion El Camino’s performance is one of its best.

As an example, he said the fact that El Camino landed two basketball players on the all-state team was “very unusual.”

However, “traditionally, El Camino has one of the strongest athletic programs in the state,” he said.

Individual accomplishments were numerous. Some of the more prestigious:

* From the undefeated Warrior football team, which beat Taft in the Pony Bowl, 23 players received Division I scholarships.

* Quarterback Dan Spletz, who was named all-state, picked up a full-ride scholarship to Cal State Fullerton.

* A school-record seven members of the men’s basketball team received Division I scholarships, including all-state players Charles White and Kirkland Howling.

* Soccer Coach Norm Jackson was named Western Regional community college coach of the year by the National Soccer Coaches Assn.

* Paul Soufle was voted an All-American by the soccer association. and five other Warriors earned all-state honors.

* Sherry Sperling won the state shot-put title for women with a toss of 46-9, and the women’s 400 meter relay team posted a state-best 45.64 in winning at the state met.

“Going into the year we were very excited,” said Schwartz. “We felt we had the potential to have very good teams. But we never dreamed we would be so strong.”

Schwartz attributed the success to a dedicated staff: “We have a nice coaching staff. They are young and they work hard.”

Featherstone agreed: “There are no jealousies on this staff.”

Featherstone and Schwartz expect the football team to challenge for a bowl game this fall when it moves into the new Mission Conference.

Jackson, who unlike his counterparts does not recruit, said the South Bay lends itself to quality soccer players.

“We have great athletes here in high school. They are well trained,” he said. Jackson has won two state titles in the past four seasons. El Camino returns five starters in the fall.

Schwartz said one of his biggest tasks may be replacing basketball Coach Paul Landreaux, who has taken a year’s leave of absence to become an assistant coach at UCLA. He is not expected to return. He was 278-53 in nine seasons at El Camino.

His top assistant, Ron McClurkin, will be the interim coach. No starters return.

“We’ve got to find another Paul Landreaux,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said the school will add a full-time women’s basketball coach and full-time swimming coach this fall, with the intent of adding a water polo team in 1989.

In addition, golf will return next spring. It was dropped as a cost-cutting move three years ago.

The addition of those sports is expected to help erase the only black lining in the Warriors’ championship cloud.

One prestigious title that they coveted, but could not win, was the conference Sports Supremacy crown. Golden West College of Huntington Beach nipped the Warriors, 207-198, in total points to take that title.

Schwartz attributed the result to the fact that Golden West has water polo and golf teams, which allowed it to score more points.

A year from now, he said, the Warriors should challenge for the supremacy title.

And if they do, there might be an encore of success at El Camino, which probably won’t surprise many people again.