Prep Review / Steve Lowery : Gullotti Breaks Drought With First Title

Eight years of near-misses ended Saturday for El Dorado High School baseball Coach Steve Gullotti, whose team defeated Millikan, 2-0, in the Southern Section 5-A championship game at Dodger Stadium.

Under Gullotti, El Dorado has been one of Orange County’s top teams but has never been able to grab a section championship.

In his first year as the school’s coach in 1981, Gullotti led El Dorado to the 3-A final where it lost, 3-2, to Covina. In the ensuing years, there were three one-run losses in the Southern Section semifinals.

So it’s understandable that Gullotti wanted to celebrate for a while after Saturday’s victory. He had the entire team over to his house where they watched videotapes of the game.

“They watched it over and over again,” said Brianne Gullotti, Steve’s wife.

Brianne said the team stayed until about 3 a.m.

But by noon Sunday, Gullotti was back to baseball business, watching some of his players participate in an all-star tryout.

Now it can be told: After El Dorado’s victory over Nogales in the first round of the playoffs, Nogales Coach John Romano complimented El Dorado as “the best team we’ve seen this year.” Romano went on to say that with a team so talented, “Maybe Gullotti can get the monkey off his back.” The monkey being the elusive championship.

Asked about the whole monkey issue after Saturday’s final, Gullotti bristled, “There’s a lot of great coaches around who never even got to the finals.”

Gullotti paused, then under his breath, said: “But it sure would be nice to get that . . . off my back.”

I’ll be seeing you: Pitchers Greg Hansell of Kennedy and Roger Salkeld of Saugus locked up in a memorable duel Saturday in the 3-A championship game, also at Dodger Stadium.

Hansell (13-2) won the game when he scored on a wild pitch by Salkeld to give Kennedy a 1-0 victory in nine innings.

Hansell allowed five hits and struck out 10. Salkeld (12-1) allowed six hits and struck out nine.

Their meeting was memorable in size alone. Hansell is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Salkeld is 6-5, 210.

Though Salkeld, who came into the game with 162 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings, was the loser, he impressed Hansell.

“He’ll be pitching here (Dodger Stadium) again some day,” Hansell said.

Say that again? You think cold fusion is hard to figure out, try unraveling the mystery of the girls’ 1,600-meter race during Saturday’s state track and field championships at Cerritos College.

Near the end of that race, Edison’s Shelley Taylor and South Hills’ Karen Hecox collided and fell. Both got up and finished seemingly tied for third. When the official results were announced, Hecox was given third place and Taylor was disqualified.

Afterward, Taylor said: “I know I didn’t do anything ‘cause I was in front of her.”

Remember, Taylor said she was in front of Hecox.

Hecox said: “She (Taylor) came up from behind me, she hit me from behind.”

Better late than never: Bev Oden, Irvine High’s 6-1 middle blocker who led her school to back-to-back state championships in girls’ volleyball, was the big draw for Friday’s Orange County Volleyball Coaches girls’ all-star game at Golden West College.

Oden was there, but she didn’t show up until the third and last game.

There was a lot of discussion about what had happened to Oden.

“Actually, I told Bev the match was at Orange Coast College,” joked Charlie Brande, whose North team won two games before Oden arrived.

Actually, Oden was late because she was qualifying in the shotput at the state track and field meet.

Saturday, Oden placed fifth in the shotput final with a throw of 40 feet one-half inch.

Prep Notes

Jimmy Rodriguez of Santa Ana Valley, Eddie Lavelle of Corona del Mar and Tanya Brix of University are entered in the high school mile events in the Jack-In-The-Box Invitational Aug. 6 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. . . . The Southern Section 5-A division baseball title game between El Dorado and Millikan will be televised by Prime Ticket at 5 p.m. Friday. . . . Among the schools being honored as academic team champions Tuesday ) at Anaheim Stadium are Orange Lutheran (boys’ cross-country), Trabuco Hills (golf) and Katella (wrestling).