Scott Miller / High School Review : Valhalla, San Diego High Soccer Teams Will Pick Up Where They Left Off

There will be an interesting preliminary to tonight’s opening-round MISL playoff game between the Sockers and Dallas Sidekicks at the Sports Arena: The boys’ soccer teams from Valhalla and San Diego High Schools will play at 4:40 p.m.

It’s a rematch of their grueling, 100-minute (including overtimes) San Diego Section 2-A championship game, which was played two months ago and ended at 1-1.

Jeff Stoff, Sockers’ publicity man, suggested the game. The problem was that players from both teams had other commitments--mostly to the State Cup Youth Soccer--and couldn’t agree on a date. Another problem now is that high school soccer is out of season, so CIF rules prohibit either team from officially representing its school.

So tonight, San Diego and Valhalla will “unofficially” play. San Diego will wear blue jerseys, and Valhalla will wear white. The game will last an hour.

“It’s just a fun thing, but still, that co-championship is hanging over everyone’s head,” San Diego Coach Milton Hidalgo said. “I suppose there will be some bragging rights afterward, but it’s pretty informal.”

The game is supposed to be so informal that Stoff invited the coaches to play as well. Hidalgo said he will probably sit out unless the Valhalla coaches participate. He doesn’t want to take the spotlight away from the players.

“At first I said I’d play, but now I think I’ll stay back,” Hidalgo said. “When you’re (high school) age, you’re competitive.”

Playing in the Sports Arena will be different than playing on a high school football field.

“It’s a different game,” Hidalgo said. “You can’t decide outdoor championships indoors.”

No, but bragging rights can be had at either place.

Final plans are being made for the AAU-Soviet Basketball Tour’s May 13 stop in San Diego.

The game between the Soviets and the San Diego Select All-Star team will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Peterson Gym at San Diego State. A preliminary between the San Diego County Sheriffs and the San Diego Police Department will begin at 5 p.m. Opening ceremonies for the main event--a gift exchange, presentation of the flags and national anthems--will begin at 7:10.

The 15-player San Diego team roster includes Brooks Barnhard (Escondido High School, senior, 6-feet-9), David Berteaux (La Jolla, senior, 6-0), Tony Clark (Valhalla, junior, 6-7), Kevin Flanagan (Torrey Pines, senior, 6-9), Terrence Hamilton (Patrick Henry, senior, 6-6), Clark James (San Diego, junior, 6-6), Chris Johnson (Crawford, senior, 6-2), Ray McDavid (Clairemont, senior, 6-2), Joe McNaull (Monte Vista, junior, 6-9), Eric Meek (San Pasqual, sophomore, 6-10), Courtie Miller (Torrey Pines, senior, 6-7), Milton Miller (San Diego, senior, 6-6), Todd Swanson (El Camino, senior, 6-1), Joe Temple (Lincoln, senior, 6-3) and Aaron Wilhite (Lincoln, senior, 6-7).

Tickets, priced at $25 and $10, are available at Police Athletic League headquarters (121 Broadway, Suite 339) or by calling PAL at 231-9567. Proceeds benefit PAL.

The San Diego high school version of the Yankees’ 1927 Murderers’ Row can be found at Crawford, where the Colts are averaging 9.9 runs a game, 13.5 in City Central League play.

Center fielder Eric Turner is batting .506, outfielder-pitcher Chris Townsend .443, second baseman Todd Davis .421, third baseman Manny Gagliano .418, first baseman John Edge .339, outfielder-designated hitter Joe McWilliams .381, catcher Josh Neil .368 and shortstop Jeff Thrift .379. Gagliano leads the team with six home runs and 32 runs batted in.

“Yeah, we’ve certainly scored our share of runs,” Crawford Coach Roger Engle said. “And it’s not like we’re nickel-and-diming people. Our slugging percentage is .534. But there isn’t a lot of real great pitching in our league.”

Friday’s 8-0 victory over Christian was the first time Crawford (18-3, 10-0) hadn’t scored in double figures in seven games. Before Christian, Crawford defeated San Diego, 17-2; Hoover, 18-5; St. Augustine, 18-6; Lincoln, 19-9, and Christian, 10-4.

The San Diego Board of Managers met Tuesday and took care of a few items that will be on the agenda Friday at the State Federated Council meeting in Berkeley:

--They decided to vote against a referral at the state meeting to divide the boys’ and girls’ state basketball championships into separate venues.

Playing all five boys’ division championships at the Oakland Coliseum and all five girls’ championships at a site in Southern California has been discussed. The San Diego Section voted to not only vote against separating the boys and girls but also to vote against separating Divisions I, II, III from Divisions IV and V in both the boys’ and girls’ championships, as was the case this year.

--They voted to support Plan C regarding a baseball pitching limit, which states that no pitcher will be allowed to throw more than 10 innings in a three-day period. The national federation has mandated that each state must enforce a pitching limit beginning next year.

High School Notes

The section Board of Managers also voted to accept Fundamental Baptist Academy (Escondido) as the 76th member school in the section. Commissioner Kendall Webb said he expects Fundamental Baptist, which only has 20 students in grades nine-12, to field cross country and junior varsity basketball teams. . . . The San Diego Section 3-A and 2-A baseball championships will be held at the University of San Diego’s Cunningham Stadium.