Prep Year in Review : What a year It Was! : High School Teams Win 2 State Titles, 9 CIF Championships and 1 City Crown

A memory. That’s all that remains of the 1987-88 high school year for the thousands of South Bay students who competed in interscholastic athletics.

Some have the good fortune of looking back upon championships and personal achievements. Others can simply reminisce about their experiences on the field of play, whether they were good, bad or indifferent.

Either way, the events of the past year proved again that anything can happen in prep sports. The year started with Carson’s football team, an overwhelming favorite, losing in the L. A. City football finals, and it ended with Hawthorne’s boys track team, considered an underdog, walking away with yet another state title.

In all, South Bay teams won two state championships, nine CIF Southern Section titles and one L. A. City Section crown. And that’s not counting the many athletes who excelled on an individual level.

A look back at those who made it a memorable year:

FOOTBALL

“The Relentless Force,” an ambidextrous throwin’ Samoan and the quest for a mythical national title were all part of Carson’s successful and, finally, disappointing season.

While cross-town rival Banning struggled to a 6-4 record under new Coach John Hazelton, Carson rolled to an 11-0 record and the No. 2 ranking in the nation by USA Today before it was upset by Granada Hills, 24-14, in the L. A. City 4-A championship game.

The loss was considered stunning because Carson had dominated Granada Hills, 42-14, earlier in the season and had not shown any previous signs of weakness.

The Colts outscored their first 11 opponents by a combined score of 423-62 and buried most teams in the first half, 249-27. They posted shutouts in five of their first six games, including 50-0 over Bishop Montgomery and 41-0 over Gardena.

However, Coach Gene Vollnogle voiced concern a week before the City final about the rematch with Granada Hills.

“I don’t think it’s good for us,” he said. “It’s always harder to play a team the second time, unless you lose to them the first time.”

Arnold Ale, the leader of Carson’s outstanding linebacker unit dubbed “The Relentless Force,” admitted later that the Colts did not take Granada Hills seriously.

“All we talked about the week before the game was North Hills of Pittsburgh,” he said, referring the team ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today.

The 6-4, 220-pound Ale, who chose Notre Dame over USC, set school records for most sacks (22) and negative yards accounted for (222). He was named The Times South Bay lineman of the year.

Offensively, Carson was led by ambidextrous Arizona-bound quarterback George Malauulu, who passed for 1,798 yards and 19 touchdowns, and by junior running back Errol Sapp, who rushed for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Carson continued to make headlines after the season when Perry Klein, an all-City quarterback from Palisades, transferred to Carson in the spring.

Banning, meanwhile, went through a tumultuous year. The Pilots were badly beaten by Carson, 35-7, and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Reseda Cleveland, 17-14. It marked the first time since 1974 that Banning, winner of eight of the previous 11 City titles, failed to reach the second round of the playoffs.

Hazelton, who had replaced veteran Coach Chris Ferragamo, was fired after the season and replaced by Joe Dominguez, a longtime assistant at Banning.

The 1987 season marked a coming of age for Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway. The junior emerged as the South Bay’s most prolific offensive player, frustrating defenses with his quickness and speed in leading the Cougars to a share of the Ocean League title, the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section playoffs and a 9-2-1 record.

Conway, who has been compared to Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway and USC’s Rodney Peete, rushed for 834 yards and 21 touchdowns and passed for 1,517 yards and 18 TDs, including 10 to wide receiver Travis Hannah.

Conway accounted for all but three of Hawthorne’s 42 TDs. He was named The Times South Bay back of the year.

In his best performance of the season, Conway rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns and completed 11 of 13 passes for 192 yards and two TDs to lead the Cougars over previously unbeaten Santa Monica, 45-20, on Nov. 13 at Hawthorne, forcing a three-way tie for the Ocean League title.

El Segundo ended up with a 9-4 record and the title of “Surprise Team of the Year.” Picked to finish last in the Pioneer League, the Eagles placed second behind Leuzinger and then reached the semifinals of the CIF playoffs for the first time in the school’s 60-year history.

They lost in the Northwestern Conference semifinals to Burroughs of Burbank, which needed three fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally for a 26-16 victory on Dec. 4 at El Segundo.

“I’m very proud of what the kids did this year,” said El Segundo Coach Steve Newell, named The Times South Bay coach of the year. “They have a great deal of heart.”

Coast Christian of Redondo Beach won the CIF Small Schools title behind running back Earl Rhodes, a 200-pound sophomore.

CROSS-COUNTRY

How do you spell excellence in prep distance running? Once again, it was P-a-l-o-s V-e-r-d-e-s .

The girls team, led by junior Ashley Black, captured the CIF 4-A and state Division I titles, while the Sea Kings’ David Scudamore won the CIF 4-A boys individual championship.

“It’s a talented group,” said Palos Verdes Coach Joe Kelly. “It’ll be a shame when they all graduate.”

GIRLS TENNIS

Miraleste defeated Westlake High of Los Angeles in the CIF 4-A finals, capturing its fourth Southern Section title since 1981. The Marauders were paced by No. 1 singles player Krista Amend.

In a strange twist, Miraleste opened the playoffs on the road even though it was the top seed. The Marauders could not play the opener at home because they competed as a free-lance team during the year.

WATER POLO

With seniors Steve Barber and Steve Kan leading the way, Miraleste won the Pioneer League title and reached the second round of the CIF 2-A playoffs.

Mira Costa, the Ocean League runner-up, played the most memorable game of the year in an 11-10, three-overtime victory over Thousand Oaks in the first round of the 3-A playoffs. The Mustangs’ John Kim was named all-CIF.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Although it graduated all but one starter from the 1986 team that won the CIF 5-A title, Mira Costa still enjoyed a successful season.

The Mustangs captured the Ocean League title and reached the 5-A semifinals before losing to Corona del Mar in three games. Senior setter Karen Greiner of Mira Costa was named to the all-CIF first team.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The 1987-88 season may well be remembered as the year of the three-point shot.

The first-year rule certainly had its effect on the high school game, and nowhere was it more evident in the South Bay than at Rolling Hills.

Coach Cliff Warren utilized the long-range shooting talents of guards Mark Tesar, Steve Clover and Ron Dinnel from the opening game and watched as the Titans bombed their way to a second straight Bay League title.

“I was always against it,” Warren said of the three-point shot. “But now I think it’s fun.”

Rolling Hills was at its outside-shooting best on Feb. 3 when it made 13 of 23 three-point attempts in an 80-76 win over West Torrance that catapulted the Titans into first place in the Bay League.

With 6-4 center John Hardy, a strong inside player, to complement the perimeter shooting of the guards, Rolling Hills (21-7) kept rolling until an 83-80 loss in triple overtime to Kennedy of La Palma in the semifinals of the CIF 3-A playoffs on March 1 at West.

Warren had trouble accepting the loss. Rolling Hills held leads of 16-3, 42-17 and 52-28 before Kennedy, which went on to win the 3-A title, mounted its comeback. Ironically, it was a three-point shot by Kennedy at the end of the second overtime that tied the game and broke Rolling Hills’ back.

Two other South Bay teams, Palos Verdes and St. Bernard, also reached the CIF semifinals. Palos Verdes (21-9), led by point guard John Mika, won three 3-A playoff games before falling to Tustin, 63-59, and St. Bernard (20-8) lost to a familiar nemesis, Mater Dei, 87-70, in the 5-A semifinals.

St. Bernard’s top player was scrappy 6-5 forward Eric Nelson, a versatile athlete who signed a football scholarship with UCLA as a defensive back.

Westchester won the prestigious Las Vegas Holiday Tournament in December, but the Comets were only the third-best team in the L. A. City Section behind eventual state champion Manual Arts and powerful Crenshaw.

With the return of all-City juniors Zan Mason and Sam Crawford, Westchester should field a formidable team again next season. Mason, a 6-7 forward, was named most valuable player at the Las Vegas Tournament after scoring 33 points in the finals and Crawford, a 5-9 point guard, was the team’s sparkplug all season.

Serra’s James Moses, a 6-5 swing man who signed with Iowa, was the South Bay’s leading scorer, averaging 33 points a game.

Another individual star was Inglewood forward Harold Miner, selected The Times South Bay player of the year. The 6-5 junior averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds a game in leading the Sentinels to a CIF 4-A playoff berth.

Leuzinger staged the most dramatic turnaround of the year under Coach Phil Sherman. The Olympians went from a 1-19 record in 1987 to a 17-6 mark, the Pioneer League championship and a berth in the CIF 3-A playoffs. Sherman was named The Times South Bay coach of the year.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Morningside and Palos Verdes made it the most successful season in South Bay history by reaching the state finals in Oakland.

Although both teams lost--Fremont of Oakland edged Morningside, 53-52, in the Division I final and Grant of Sacramento beat Palos Verdes, 52-47, in the Division II game--the importance of their accomplishments was not lost on the respective coaches.

“I think it brings a little more respect to the South Bay area,” said Palos Verdes Coach Wendell Yoshida. “Both teams have shown what can happen when you put time into girls basketball.”

Said Morningside Coach Frank Scott, named The Times South Bay coach of the year: “It has to be good for us. I think it will enhance our programs quite a bit.”

Morningside (33-2) won its second CIF 4-A championship behind a lineup headed by 6-foot senior forward Shaunda Greene, 6-5 sophomore center Lisa Leslie and senior point guard Carla Gladden. Greene, the Times South Bay player of the year, signed with Washington.

The Lady Monarchs were ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 3 in the nation by USA Today until their loss to Fremont.

Morningside beat Lynwood, 60-56, in the CIF 4-A finals and posted a 52-44 victory in a rematch in the finals of the Southern California regionals. The two stars of the teams, Greene and Lynwood guard Trise Jackson, were named 4-A co-most valuable players.

Palos Verdes rebounded from a 7-6 start to win 20 of its last 22 games, including a 52-47 victory over Los Altos in the CIF 3-A final and a 62-48 triumph over San Pascual of San Diego in the regional final.

Palos Verdes was led by its own version of the Twin Towers--6-4 juniors Heather and Heidi Burge. Both were named to the all-CIF 4-A squad and are expected to be among the area’s most highly recruited players next season.

North Torrance senior Jade Hiramoto beat out the Burges for Bay League most valuable player and was a finalist for the state scholar/athlete of the year award. She carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

SOCCER

High-scoring forward Raul Haro was the catalyst behind San Pedro winning the L. A. City championship.

Palos Verdes and El Segundo enjoyed the most success among CIF Southern Section teams, both reaching the semifinals.

Palos Verdes, led by first-team all-CIF selections Paul Kaemmerer and Jim Miller, captured the Bay League title and won three 4-A playoff games before losing to Royal of Simi Valley.

Jeremy Varner and Chris Ashelford were the main forces behind El Segundo winning the Pioneer League title and reaching the fourth round of the 3-A playoffs before losing to Diamond Bar. Ashelford was named the 3-A defensive player of the year and Varner was a first-team selection.

In girls soccer, Bay League rivals West Torrance and Torrance were in a class by themselves.

West, behind the play of stellar goaltender Carolyn Hueth, reached the CIF 4-A finals for the second year in a row. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they lost to Mission Viejo by a 1-0 score for the second year in a row.

Mission Viejo eliminated Torrance in the semifinals.

WRESTLING

The South Bay boasted three CIF Southern Section individual champions.

Mike Ramirez of West Torrance won the 3-A title at 169 pounds, Toby Harris of Redondo won the 1-A crown at 116 pounds and teammate Marty Nieves captured the 123-pound championship. Harris fared the best at the state finals, taking third.

BASEBALL

South Bay coaches can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Redondo pitcher Scott Davison’s prep career is finally over.

The right-hander, who was nearly unbeatable during his four years on the varsity with a 48-6 record and 511 strikeouts, saved his best for his last season.

Davison posted an 18-1 record with an 0.84 earned-run average and 218 strikeouts in 108 innings to lead Redondo (30-3) to the winningest season in the school’s 83-year history.

The Sea Hawks tied El Segundo for the Pioneer League championship--their fourth league title in the Davison era--and then won three CIF 4-A playoff games before losing to Covina, 6-1, in the semifinals.

After Covina took a 6-1 lead in the third inning, Davison exchanged words with the home-plate umpire and was ejected. He finished his last high school game watching from behind the right-field fence.

The next day, Davison was drafted in the fourth round by the Montreal Expos. He is weighing the choices of either playing for USC, where he would be used primarily as a pitcher, or signing with the Expos, who drafted him as a middle infielder.

Davison, who played shortstop when he didn’t pitch, hit .437 this season with nine home runs and 42 runs batted in. He finished as the CIF Southern Section career leader in hits (149) and RBIs (142).

Davison was one of three South Bay preps drafted in the early rounds. St. Bernard shortstop Royce Clayton was taken in the first round, the 15th pick overall, by the San Francisco Giants, and Gardena outfielder Aman Hicks was a fourth-round choice of the Baltimore Orioles. Hicks signed this week.

The slick-fielding Clayton hit .513 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs to lead St. Bernard to its third consecutive Camino Real League championship and to the semifinals of the 3-A playoffs, where the Vikings lost to Norte Vista of Riverside, 3-2.

Redondo pitcher-outfielder Henry Schelb, a transfer from Cleveland High in Reseda, achieved a rarity by pitching a perfect game in a 17-0 win over Dorsey on March 19.

John Stevenson of El Segundo and Jerry Lovarov of San Pedro, the deans of South Bay coaches, added to their lists of accomplishments.

El Segundo shared the Pioneer crown with Redondo to claim the 17th league title for Stevenson, who surpassed 600 wins in his 29-year career and became only the sixth high school baseball coach in the nation to reach that mark.

San Pedro won its second straight Marine League title, giving Lovarov 15 league championships in his 28-year career.

SOFTBALL

San Pedro and Leuzinger salvaged an otherwise disappointing year in the playoffs for South Bay teams by reaching section finals.

Harbor League champion San Pedro (18-5) lost to top-seeded El Camino Real of Woodland Hills in the L. A. City 4-A title game, 5-0, and Pioneer League titlist Leuzinger (20-7) won four playoff games before losing to top-seeded St. Joseph of Santa Maria, 2-1, in the CIF 1-A final.

Under second-year Coach Tony Dobra, San Pedro fielded a talented team led by first baseman-pitcher Stephanie Freitas and shortstop Sharon Oreb, the Harbor League co-most valuable players, and pitcher Meagan Moore.

Senior pitcher Candy Carrico did it all for Leuzinger, posting a 19-7 record with 10 shutouts, including three in the playoffs. She was also the Olympians’ top hitter.

Jerry McIlvaine came out of coaching retirement to guide South Torrance to the Bay League title and first-year Coach Ed Aronin, a trial lawyer, found enough time to help St. Bernard capture the Camino Real League championship.

BOYS TENNIS

Rolling Hills senior Bill Behrens emerged as the area’s premier player, winning the singles title at the prestigious Ojai Tournament and reaching the semifinals of the CIF individual tournament.

Behrens helped the Titans, coached by Tom Cox, finish second in the Bay League behind Palos Verdes. Both teams, along with Pioneer League champion Miraleste, were eliminated in the second round of the 5-A team playoffs.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Pioneer League champion Miraleste enjoyed a well-rounded season. The Marauders reached the quarterfinals of the CIF 3-A playoffs, where they lost to top-seeded Arcadia, and were honored by the Southern Section for carrying the highest team grade-point average (3.36) in volleyball.

Angelus League champion Bishop Montgomery also reached the quarterfinals of the 3-A playoffs, losing to third-seeded Glendale.

GIRLS GYMNASTICS

Palos Verdes junior Danielle Leone put the finishing touches on an unbeaten season by winning the all-around title at the Southern Section individual meet at Westlake High in Los Angeles.

SWIMMING

The Peninsula schools--Miraleste, Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes--finished among the leaders at the CIF 2-A finals. Miraleste’s boys took fifth, led by their winning 200-meter medley relay team and Steve Barber, who took third in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the 100.

In the girls meet, Rolling Hills placed fourth and Palos Verdes finished ninth. Palos Verdes’ Sarah Marsh won the diving title.

TRACK AND FIELD

In the fall, Curtis Conway and Travis Hannah hooked up for 10 touchdowns playing quarterback and wide receiver on Hawthorne’s football team.

In the spring, the two close friends teamed up again to lead the Cougars past a formidable field to the team’s fifth state title in six years.

Hawthorne entered the state meet last weekend with no margin for error. After the 400-meter relay team was disqualified at the Ocean League finals, the Cougars were down to four events--the 100, 200, 400 and 1,600 relay.

As it turned out, that was all they needed despite the presence of such powerful teams as L. A. City champion Washington and Independence of San Jose.

With Conway taking second in the 100 and third in the 200, Hannah winning the 400, and the two athletes teaming up on the victorious 1,600 relay, Hawthorne won the state title with 34 points, 10 ahead of second-place Washington.

Hawthorne came within a point of becoming the first school to win both team championships since Berkeley did it in 1980. The Cougar girls finished with 27 points to trail co-champions Rio Mesa of Oxnard and Bakersfield, which tied for the title with 28 points each.

Hawthorne’s fine showing at the state meet came two weeks after the boys and girls teams had swept the CIF 4-A divisional titles.

Morningside’s boys, behind 400 winner Ferric Webster, captured the 2-A title for the second year in a row. Althea Moses of Morningside became the first girl in Southern Section history to triple jump more than 40 feet. She won the state title with a leap of 40 feet, 9 1/2 inches.