County Blossoms During Its Decade of Dominance

Given the population explosion, it was inevitable that Orange County would become a hotbed for high school athletics. More people meant more students and thus, more athletes.

But get real. Huddled masses or not, this place has gone crazy when it comes to prep sports.

During the last 10 years, Orange County has become the bloom and, sometimes, the thorn of the Southern Section.

--Championships? The trophy cases have been overflowing.

County teams have won 221 of 725 section titles during the decade. And that’s not counting 15 state championships.

--Dynasties? Mater Dei has won more boys’ basketball championships in the ‘80s (five) than were won by all county teams in the ‘70s (four). The Brea-Olinda girls’ basketball program rivals any in the state, possibly the country. And then there’s Mission Viejo for boys’ swimming or girls’ soccer.

--Controversy? The ‘80s began with innuendo and ended in court. Rumors of recruiting by some coaches brought finger pointing from others.

A Capistrano Valley football coach was suspended two years for allegedly spying on a rival school. And litigation almost became an athletic event last season, when the Huntington Beach and Savanna football teams attempted to enter the playoffs through the courts.

When the decade began, Todd Marinovich was in grade school, and next week he’ll be leading USC in the Rose Bowl.

Yes, 10 years. Where did they go?

BY THE NUMBERS

Orange County teams, which made up about 10% of the Southern Section, won 31% of the section’s titles during the decade.

That dominance was rooted in the late ‘70s, when county football teams established themselves as forces. In the two years preceding 1980, county schools won seven football titles and five other teams advanced to championship games.

County football teams have remained among the best in the section, winning 26 section championships in the ‘80s. But the other sports began to show their strength too.

County girls’ teams won 84 section championships and eight state titles.

The girls’ programs always have been strong in cross-country, volleyball, swimming and tennis. But they also have become dominant in basketball, soccer and softball.

County teams won 12 section titles in softball, 11 in basketball and six in soccer.

In boys’ athletics, basketball and soccer have made the greatest strides. County teams won 12 section basketball championships and two state titles. Soccer teams, which didn’t win a section title in the ‘70s, won 13 in the ‘80s.

BEST OF THE REST

With so much winning going on it was natural that dynasties would emerge, and the Mater Dei boys’ basketball team was the most publicized of the ‘80s powerhouses.

When Gary McKnight was hired as coach in 1983, the Monarchs had won or shared only three Angelus titles in 13 years. In McKnight’s seven years, Mater Dei has not only won six league championships but also five Southern Section titles and a state championship.

The Monarchs’ first championship was the county’s first large schools’ title in 46 years. A crowd of 12,506 saw Mater Dei defeat Long Beach Poly, 62-44, in the 4-A final at the L.A. Sports Arena.

Many of the Monarch players went on to play in college, including Tom Lewis (USC, Pepperdine), LeRon Ellis (Kentucky, Syracuse) and Matt Beeuwsaert (Notre Dame, California).

The only time the Monarchs failed to win an Angelus League title under McKnight was in 1987-88. Mater Dei finished second to Bishop Amat, which beat the Monarchs twice. However, Mater Dei defeated Bishop Amat, 74-65, in the 5-A championship game.

The Monarchs also were a national power, playing some of country’s top teams. In 1983, Mater Dei was USA Today’s No. 1-ranked team and traveled to Washington D.C. to play No. 2 DeMatha.

The Monarchs lost, 66-51.

In girls’ basketball, Brea-Olinda established itself as the top program. Under Coach Mark Trakh, the Wildcats won two section titles and finished second three times.

They also became the first girls’ basketball team in the county to win a state title when they defeated San Francisco Mercy, 70-46, last season.

Last week, Brea-Olinda defeated Morningside, the nation’s No. 1-ranked girls’ team, in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. The Wildcats then beat Los Angeles Washington, the defending Los Angeles Section champions, in the title game.

For national prominence, though, there was Mission Viejo’s girls’ soccer team. The Diablos set a national unbeaten string of 84 consecutive games between 1986-89 before losing to El Toro, 2-1, last January.

During the streak, Mission Viejo won two section titles and was co-champion another year.

However, the Diablos’ record didn’t survive the decade. Agoura broke it two weeks ago after a 1-1 tie against Westlake. It was the Chargers’ 85th game without a defeat.

But no school dominated a sport like Mission Viejo’s swim team.

Until last season, the Diablos had won 14 consecutive 4-A championships. Mission Viejo scored more than 200 points in the championship meet 10 times and twice topped the 300-point total.

Only one other school has surpassed the 200-point total. In 1985, Mission Viejo set a Southern Section record by scoring 323 points to win the title. Capistrano Valley was second with 99 points.

The Diablos’ reign came to an end last season, when Foothill won the 4-A championship. The Diablos slipped all the way to second place.

BEST OF THE WORST

“Undue influence” became the catch phrase of the ‘80s.

Before the decade began, rumors about alleged recruiting by coaches were being circulated. Bill Workman, then Edison football coach, was one of the first accused.

Edison had won Big Five championships in 1979 and ’80. The Chargers also were the No. 1-ranked team in 1981.

Allegations of illegal recruiting and grade changing led the Huntington Beach Unified School District to examine Edison’s program and coach. After a six-month investigation, Workman was vindicated.

Others were not, however.

--Ocean View basketball Coach Jim Harris was fired and then rehired in 1985. The Seahawks had to forfeit 24 games and their Sunset League title after the district determined that Harris had used undue influence to recruit Ricky Bulter and Desi Hazely.

--Capistrano Valley football Coach Dick Enright was suspended two seasons and the Cougars had to forfeit a 22-21 victory over El Toro in 1987. Enright, the Cougars’ coach for seven seasons, admitted viewing a videotape of an El Toro practice before the teams played. He quit coaching three days after the ruling.

--Mater Dei’s basketball team was put on probation in 1988 by the Southern Section executive committee after it ruled that the school’s administrators used undue influence in recruiting three athletes. As a result of the decision, John Merino was stripped of his duties overseeing interscholastic athletics.

By the end of the decade, the phrase “taking the court” had an entirely new meaning.

The football teams from Huntington Beach and Savanna were forced to forfeit league championships and playoff berths because of ineligible players. Booster clubs from both schools went to court to get their teams reinstated. Huntington Beach was, temporarily. In the end, both teams missed the playoffs.

UPSETS, THRILLERS AND CROWD PLEASERS

Entering the 1981 football playoffs, Edison had a 32-game winning streak. The Chargers were two-time defending Big Five Conference champions and the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

Eighteen players from that team would receive major college scholarships.

In the first round of the playoffs, Edison was matched against Servite. The Friars were 6-4, but had lost three of their last four games and were a wild-card entry.

This was supposed to be a no-brainer: Edison in a romp.

Final score: Servite 14, Edison 7.

It was the biggest upset of the decade. The Friars pulled it off with tough defense and a few breaks.

The Chargers’ standout running back, Dave Geroux, missed the second half because of a broken wrist and quarterback Ken Major played with a separated shoulder.

Still, Edison had possession on the Servite 20-yard line with 30 seconds to play. But Major’s fourth-down pass fell off John O’Callahan’s fingertips in the end zone.

Three months later, Edison’s basketball team was the top-seeded team going into the 4-A playoffs. The Chargers featured 6-foot-6 forward Richard Chang, who would later play at Cal.

In the first round, Edison was matched against Servite. Once again, the Friars pulled off the upset with a 58-54 victory. The Chargers made only six of 25 second-half shots.

But nothing compares to the Foothill-El Modena football games in 1981.

During the regular season, Foothill hung on for a 21-17 victory after an apparent El Modena touchdown was disallowed.

On a fourth down at the Foothill five with 1:57 left, El Modena’s Jim Fregosi appeared to have caught a touchdown pass for the go-ahead score. One official signaled touchdown, but another said Fregosi didn’t have possession.

The touchdown was nullified and Foothill ran out the clock.

The teams met a month later in the Southern Conference championship game. Foothill won again, 35-28, in a thriller that took 2 hours 45 minutes.

The game was tied, 14-14, after regulation and went into the California tiebreaker, where each team gets four plays from the 10-yard line.

Both teams scored on their first two possessions. Foothill then went ahead, 35-28, and won after James Laird intercepted a David Money pass in the end zone.

After the game, the Southern Section changed its rules to allow for co-championships in title games.

The popularity of county football was apparent early in the decade. A crowd of 28,969 at Anaheim Stadium saw Edison and Fountain Valley play for the Big Five Conference championship. Edison won, 14-0.

In 1982, Servite and Mater Dei drew 11,000 at Santa Ana Stadium, which lists its capacity at 10,000. When ticket-selling was cut off, many people, including former UCLA assistant coach Homer Smith, climbed the fence and sat on the grass at the north end of the stadium.

Servite, behind quarterback Steve Beuerlein, won, 42-7. Beuerlein, who went on to play at Notre Dame and for the Raiders, completed 22 of 33 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns.

BEST OF THE BUNCH

Individually, county athletes reached new heights, and distances, in the ‘80s.

Marinovich set a national high school record for career passing yards with 9,182 while playing for Mater Dei and Capistrano Valley.

However, Marinovich never won a Southern Section championship. His rival, Bret Johnson of El Toro, won two titles.

Valencia running back Ray Pallares set a state record for career yards with 5,397 during his three years (1983-85). On the night that Pallares set the record, Valencia boosters were selling towels that read, “Run baby Ray, run.”

Pallares’ record was broken by Russell White, who gained 5,998 yards between 1986-88.