Morningside Cagers Don’t Feel the Pressure--They Give It

By now, all of the Ocean League basketball coaches have discovered why Morningside Co-Coach Ron Randle raves about the Monarchs’ pressure defense.

Randle refers to Morningside’s system of frequent substitution in an effort to wear down opponents as the “Meltdown” effect, and that’s exactly what the Monarchs have done so far to the rest of the league.

“We keep players flowing in there,” Randle said, “and teams usually fold before the third quarter is over.”

The system is paying off for the first-place Monarchs, 7-0 in the league and 13-4 overall. They are forcing an average of 26 turnovers a game in league play, Randle said, and have yet to be challenged by an Ocean team.

Morningside’s success is based on depth. The Monarchs have 14 players, and all have played in nearly every league game. Only two players--forwards Eddie Scott and Chris Vance--are averaging double figures in scoring for the No. 6-ranked team in the Southern Section 3-A Division.

“We try to substitute every three to five minutes,” Randle said. “Our mission is to wear down the other team.”

He said the Monarchs learned a valuable lesson about pressure defense last month at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu where they suffered lopsided losses to Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va., and Roman Catholic of Philadelphia, two of the nation’s most physical prep teams.

Said Randle: “We saw what real pressure is all about.”

Several of the South Bay’s top college football prospects have faced a stumbling block in recruiting because they still need to score 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to be eligible as freshmen.

But it hasn’t been a problem for John Morton.

The South Torrance wide receiver, who has given USC a verbal commitment, scored 1,070 on the SAT and carries a 3.0 grade-point average in college core curriculum. (A 2.0 GPA is needed to qualify).

Not surprisingly, academics played a role in Morton’s college choice.

“I fit in well at SC,” he said. “The professors seemed good and the coaches were good. There was nothing I didn’t like about it.”

Morton, one of the area’s top sprinters, said he might not run track this spring so he can spend more time preparing for the football season.

Carlson Leomiti, a 6-4, 340-pound lineman from Banning, will be able to participate in spring practice at San Diego State because he is a mid-year high school graduate.

Leomiti, who has verbally committed to the Aztecs, is set to start classes at San Diego State next semester, according to Banning recruiting coordinator John Becker.

“Carlson wanted to participate in spring practice,” Becker said. “(San Diego State) likes the idea because they want to get his weight down.”

Leomiti said his decision was based on the location of the school.

“I like the environment,” he said. “Plus, it’s close to home, but not too close.”

Morningside guard Jo Jo Witherspoon, who set a school record last week by scoring 68 points in a 106-29 win over South Torrance, achieved several other marks with her performance.

The point production by the 5-8 senior is the highest by a Southern Section girls basketball player this season and is believed to be the highest total statewide.

The total is also the third highest in both Southern Section and state history. The two highest girls single-game scoring marks are held by Cheryl Miller, who scored 105 and 77 points in 1981 and ’82 for Riverside Poly.

PREP NOTES--UCLA, a pipeline for blue-chip football prospects from Texas in recent years, has received verbal commitments from two of the Lone Star state’s top players, according to Allen Wallace, editor of Super Prep magazine. Quarterbacks Tommy Maddox of Hurst Bell High and Bert Emanuel of Houston’s Langham Creek have announced they will play for the Bruins. Maddox (6-5, 200) is a classic drop-back passer while Emanuel (6-1, 175) projects as an athlete because of his 4.35-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Maddox threw for 1,928 yards and 15 TDs last season and was named Southwest Offensive Player of the Year by Super Prep . . . West Torrance’s wrestling team placed fourth last weekend at the prestigious California Invitational Tournament in Morro Bay, and the Warriors’ Mike Ramirez won the 165-pound title by defeating two-time CIF 1-A Division champion Mike Ivie of Atascadero, 6-4, in the final. Ramirez is 34-2 on the year . . . Despite a game-high 27 points from forward Shawn Foster, El Segundo lost to visiting Cantwell, 70-59, Tuesday and fell out first place in the Santa Fe League basketball race. The Eagles (9-9 overall, 5-2 in league play) dropped into third place, one game behind Cantwell (6-1) and half a game behind Cathedral (5-1) . . . Prospective umpires are asked to attend the first meeting of the South Bay unit of the Southern California Baseball Officials Assn. at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at El Segundo High. Call Jim Pacheco weeknights at 322-6437.

South Bay’s Basketball Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters

Records Through Tuesday’s Games

Rank, School, League: Record

1 Westchester (Metro)): 12-3

2 St. Bernard (Camino Real): 18-2

3 Rolling Hills (Bay): 16-3

4 Morningside (Ocean): 13-4

5 Carson (Pacific): 9-7

6 Redondo (Ocean): 13-5

7 Inglewood (Bay): 10-6

8 Torrance (Bay): 10-17

9 Gardena (Southern): 11-8

10 Leuzinger (Bay): 11-8