The High Schools : Simi Valley More at Ease for Playoffs

Mike Scyphers knows something about pressure.

In 11 seasons as coach of Simi Valley’s baseball team, Scyphers, in various instances, has entered the playoffs with teams ranked first in the nation, state, division and the Valley.

But, despite Simi Valley’s 20-3 record this season, something is different. Perhaps it is because the Pioneers lost two games to Newbury Park, or that they were not supposed to be 17 games over .500 at this point.

“I’m kind of glad we don’t have a streak going or anything,” Scyphers said. “I really don’t feel the pressure mounting up like the kids and I have felt in the past. I mean, we have a one-game winning streak.”

Purification: To hear Newbury Park Coach Gary Fabricius tell it, today’s game against Camarillo could be a religious experience.

The Panthers, in their quest for their first Marmonte League title in 12 years, have lost two in a row to fall a game behind first-place Simi Valley.

They lost to Thousand Oaks, 11-9, on Friday in eight innings, a game Fabricius thought they gave away. With the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs only a week away, now is the time for Newbury Park to shake off effects of the slide.

“We’re going to handle Wednesday as a way to cleanse ourselves and get ready for the playoffs,” Fabricius said.

All or nothing: Disappointed with his job performance, Ed Marek considered quitting the Crespi basketball program until he discovered he would be the Celts’ new coach. Marek was promoted from varsity assistant to replace Paul Muff, who resigned this week to concentrate on administrative duties as Crespi’s athletic director.

Marek is a 1977 Crespi graduate and proudly proclaims his school allegiance. He organized his 10-year class reunion and also has organized an alumni golf tournament that will be played this summer.

So it bothered him when his responsibilities as a real estate agent kept him from too many practices. “I don’t think I helped Paul as much as I could have,” he said. “If Paul was coming back, I was going to tell him to get a full-time assistant.”

Now that he is the head man, Marek will make time to run the program. His task is aided by proximity. He is literally a walk-on coach: He works at an Encino real estate company across the street from Crespi.

Staff writers Tim Brown and John Lynch contributed to this notebook.