Experience From Top to Bottom Gives Sunny Hills a Big Edge

The thing about the Freeway League this season is the lack of experience. Not with the players, but with the coaches.

Three coaches will be making their varsity debuts this season. Another is in only his second year.

“New coaches come in and bring a lot of enthusiasm,” said Chris Burton, who is in his first year at Fullerton High School. “Their teams always seem to play real hard and usually well.”

Besides Burton, Ed Matillo of Buena Park and Phil Henderson of Sonora will be getting their first experience as head coaches. Meanwhile, Frank McCarroll of La Habra begins his second year on the job.

And then there’s Steve White.

White has been the varsity coach at Sunny Hills High School since 1975. The 5 previous years, he was a lower division coach for the Lancers.

With the retirement of Ken Bell at Buena Park last year after 19 seasons on the job, White became the league’s dean of coaches. It’s a title he’s not sure he enjoys.

White has enough experience to know that if you don’t have the players, you don’t win. And White has the players.

The Lancers have three starters back from a team that won the league championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 3-A playoffs before losing to Palos Verdes, 45-43.

All of the league’s coaches agree, Sunny Hills is again the team to beat.

“It’s experience more than anything,” Burton said. “The kids have been in the same system all along. There are three coaches just starting their systems this year. That alone would favor Sunny Hills, but they also have talent.”

The Lancers return their starting backcourt--Jeff White and Jon Beuerlein--from a 22-4 team. They also have center Marcus Hopkins and reserve forward Walter Mitter.

White also has a good core of young players, as he will carry as many as five sophomores on the varsity. So there’s talent and depth.

Fullerton has probably the league’s best player in forward/guard Pete Bach. However, the Indians have one other letterman, forward Casey Horton.

And, of course, they have a first-year coach.

Here’s a closer look:

BUENA PARK--Gone are Gary Hunter and Kevin Graddy, who represent 43.4 points and 20.4 rebounds per game.

And gone is almost everyone else from a 12-12 team. The Coyotes have just 1 returning player, point guard Paul Matheson (6-2 1/2).

The Coyotes are not bad, just young. Matillo plans to play four sophomores this season. Forward Richard Harvey (6-3 1/2), a transfer from Tempe, Ariz., is the best of the group.

Sophomore guards Prentiss Johnson (6-0) and Shane Langeverg (6-0) will share time in the backcourt with Matheson.

Senior Jeff Hemric (6-3) and sophomore Russell Richardson (6-3), a transfer from Bellflower, will be the key front-line players.

FULLERTON--Bach (6-3), a senior, averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds a game last year and should improve on those statistics. Horton (6-3), also a senior, was used sparingly but should be a help on the boards.

Seniors Shannon Ritter (6-3) and Lee Green (6-2), both of whom played on the junior varsity last year, will see action on the front line. The Indians, 14-10 last season, have no player taller than 6-3.

The big question is at point guard. Junior Rene Arias (5-11) and Scott McBride (5-11) will compete for the job. Right now, neither has an edge.

LA HABRA--The season hasn’t started and the Highlanders already have injury problems. McCarroll has two returning starters, but neither is beginning the season at full strength.

Senior forward Anthony Ortiz (6-3), who averaged 9 points per game last season, has tendinitis in his knee and was in a cast until last week. Dave Stevens (6-4), a senior forward and La Habra’s other returning starter, has a back injury and is on a day-to-day basis.

On top of that, James Clegg (6-3), a junior guard who missed most of last season with a broken leg, is just now returning to full strength.

The Highlanders do have a couple bright newcomers in seniors Randy Little (6-4) and Tim Moore (6-1).

SONORA--The Raiders have just two lettermen back from a 9-13 team and the junior varsity was 0-20, so Henderson has his work cut out for him.

Senior center Matt Recktenwald (6-6), who averaged 10 points per game last season, is one of the league’s better players. However, there is little else experience-wise.

Senior forward Tim Savage (6-3) is back, but he saw little playing time last season. He will be needed inside, helping Recktenwald on the boards.

“It’s hard to say what we’re going to be like,” said Henderson, who played at Brea-Olinda. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to use our quickness and defense. I want us to run the ball up and down the court.”

To that end, the Highlanders have seniors Brian Holt (6-1) and Mark Rivera (5-10) and juniors Greg Farlow (6-2) and Anthony Choe (5-11). With experience, they should fit into Henderson’s up-tempo game.

SUNNY HILLS--White (6-2), a senior, averaged 8 points and 6 assists per game. Beuerlein (5-9), a senior, was a 58% shooter from the 3-point line. Hopkins (6-6), a senior, averaged double figures in both points and rebounds before injuring his shoulder midway through the season.

Those three will make the Lancers go this season, but they’ll have plenty of support.

Mitter (6-4), a senior, played well off the bench after Hopkins was injured and will be a starter this season. The Lancers also have senior forward Stuart Jones (6-3), who was the junior varsity’s most valuable player last year.

Even more comforting is the sight of sophomore Brett Michelson (6-7) in the middle. He should fill some of the void left by the graduation of Brian McCloskey, who is at UC Irvine. Sophomore guard Dominic Carnesi (5-7) will also see some playing time.

TROY--Once again Graham appears to have little to work with, but that’s never stopped him before. Last season, he took a a team of overachievers and finished 17-9 and came within a game of the league championship.

But this year might be too much even for Graham.

The Warriors have just one returning letterman, junior guard Richard Wesley (6-1).

Junior guards Mike Abbott (6-0) and Jermain Butler (6-1) will share time in the backcourt with Wesley.

“We’re going to have to create some defensive pressure,” Graham said, “and rebound.”

To that end there’s senior center John Lowe (6-6), who played on the junior varsity last season, and sophomore forward Don Ploghaus (6-2). But even rebounds may not be enough.

“The bottom line is for us to win, we have to shoot well,” Graham said.

FREEWAY LEAGUE 1987-88 Overall, League Record in Parenthesis

SCHOOL 1988-89 COMMENT Buena Park (12-12, 4-6) Gary Hunter and Kevin Graddy have graduated. Fullerton (14-10, 7-3) Pete Bach league’s best player; team lacks height. La Habra (4-16, 0-10) With 2 returning starters, should be improved. Sonora (9-13, 4-6) Only 1 starter returns from last season. Sunny Hills (22-4, 8-2) Three starters return from league champions. Troy (17-9, 7-3) Little experience, but Ed Graham is proven winner.