Prep Year in Review : TOP 10: A Full Year of Special Accomplishments, Breaking Records and Breaking Rules

The 1987-88 school year was one of championships and record-breaking performances among the high schools in Orange County. But the year also will be remembered for recruiting violations and a spying scandal. Here are the top 10 stories of the 1987-88 school year:

1) Dick Enright’s resignation.

Dick Enright, Capistrano Valley football coach for seven years, violated Southern Section rules by watching a 10-minute videotape of an El Toro practice four days before the teams played a key South Coast League game.

The Southern Section’s Executive Committee later held a nine-hour hearing and recommended that Enright be suspended for the remainder of the 1987 season and the entire 1988 season. Capistrano Valley also was ordered to forfeit its 22-21 victory over El Toro.

Enright ended the bizarre scenario by resigning three days later, and assistant Eric Patton was named as his successor. Capistrano Valley never recovered; it lost the South Coast League championship to Mission Viejo and was upset by Villa Park in the first round of the playoffs.

Enright later said: “For 15 or 20 minutes, I didn’t use my head, and this is what I’ll be remembered for.”

2) Todd Marinovich’s passing.

Capistrano Valley’s Todd Marinovich became the nation’s all-time leading high school passer when he completed a 14-yard pass to tight end Randy Stark in the third quarter of a 28-21 loss to Mission Viejo.

A crowd of 7,500 watched Marinovich pass for 221 yards to surpass Ron Cuccia’s national mark of 8,804 yards established in 1975-77 at Los Angeles Wilson. Marinovich completed a four-year career with 9,165 yards and later signed a national letter of intent with USC.

3) Adam Brass’ touchdown catch.

The play was called the steal of the century. Adam Brass, El Toro wide receiver, took a certain interception out of the hands of defender Bobby Joyce with no time remaining to score on a 51-yard pass play from Bret Johnson. The score gave El Toro a 13-12 victory over Santa Ana in the Southern Conference semifinals. The victory advanced El Toro into the championship game for the second year in a row; the Chargers beat Los Alamitos, 36-6, for the title.

4) Mater Dei’s fourth straight title.

Mater Dei won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Southern Section 5-A division basketball championship by defeating Bishop Amat after losing to the Lancers twice in Angelus League play.

During the regular season, Bishop Amat had ended Mater Dei’s 50-game winning streak in league play.

5) Bolsa Grande’s forfeits.

Bolsa Grande, which had won 20 consecutive football games over two seasons, forfeited five victories and its Garden Grove League championship after it was discovered during a routine review of students’ grades that it had used an ineligible player.

The ineligible player, who was not a starter, had failed to meet Garden Grove Unified School District eligibility rules, which are more stringent than Southern Section rules.

Bolsa Grande was the fourth county school to forfeit games in the 1987 football season. La Habra forfeited four victories; Laguna Hills forfeited two victories and a tie and Capistrano Valley forfeited a victory.

6) Kennedy’s overtime victories.

Kennedy overcame a 23-point halftime deficit and defeated Rolling Hills, 83-80, in three overtimes during the Southern Section 3-A playoffs.

Four days later, the Fighting Irish beat Tustin, 58-54, in overtime to claim the first basketball title in the school’s 24-year history.

7) Esperanza’s third appearance.

Esperanza had three losses after only seven baseball games and struggled to finish third in the Empire League. The Aztecs had to win a playoff game just to reach the Southern Section playoffs, but there was Esperanza in yet another title game.

But for the second straight year, Esperanza lost a one-run game. Doug Saunders’ wild pitch allowed the winning run as the Aztecs lost, 3-2. A year earlier, Esperanza lost in the title game to Lakewood, 1-0.

8) Mater Dei on probation.

The Southern Section’s Executive Committee found Mater Dei guilty of using undue influence to recruit three Corona del Mar athletes.

Mater Dei was placed on probation

for a year, and the Executive Committee also recommended that John Merino, an administrator at Mater Dei for 24 years, be removed from administration of any interscholastic athletic activities.

9) Michele Granger’s finale.

Valencia pitcher Michele Granger’s outstanding career ended in a game that lasted 5 hours 6 minutes spread over two days. She struck out 40 batters in 25 innings and lost, 1-0, to La Mirada on an unearned run in the 3-A semifinals.

It was the third straight year that Valencia and Granger were eliminated in the semifinals of the playoffs.

Granger finished her career with national single-season and career records for strikeouts, no-hitters and perfect games. But she never pitched in a Southern Section championship game.

10) Jon Leach’s title.

Jon Leach, 15, of Laguna Beach became the first freshman in 36 years to win the Southern Section individual tennis championship by defeating Rob Grant of Corona at the Fountain Valley Racquet Club.

Leach became the second family member to win a singles title, joining his older brother, Rick, who won the title in 1983.