PREP REVIEW : Jalewalia Enjoying Fringe Benefits

If La Quinta High School’s Amy Jalewalia decides to play professional basketball some day, chances are she won’t be playing in the United States. Unlike several nations in Europe, this country has never really supported a women’s pro league.

But that doesn’t mean Jalewalia, one of the state’s leading scorers, averaging 34 points a game, hasn’t already cashed in on her talents.

In fact, in her last four games, she has made $70. And the potential is there for more.

Jalewalia’s father, Gurpreet Jalewalia, offered his daughter $10 for each three-point basket she made during the Southern Section playoffs. Friday, Jalewalia scored 32 points to lead La Quinta to its first sectional title, a 72-62 victory over West Torrance.

Going into the final, Jalewalia had made two three-pointers in each of La Quinta’s three playoff games. Against West Torrance, she made the only one she attempted.

Only one? “It’s just not in the offense,” Jalewalia said. “I’m usually in the post. Anyway, it’s just an extra bonus. Basically, I’ve just been using the money for our team lunches.”

Gurpreet said he decided to offer his daughter the three-point bonus after realizing that she was safer out on the perimeter.

“Last year she fell down (while driving the lane) and got a stress fracture,” Gurpreet said. “But with (three-point shots), you don’t have to worry about falling on someone and getting hurt.”

Gurpreet said he will continue the offer through this week’s Southern California Regional tournament, but is undecided whether he’ll continue it when his daughter goes to UCLA next year.

“Actually, it might work,” he said, laughing. “I mean, why not?”

The Cure: Despite being sick with the flu for most of the week, Agustin Heredia of Estancia didn’t show many weaknesses Wednesday night in the 3-AA title game against Servite.

Heredia, a senior guard, scored a game-high 32 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including two of two from three-point territory.

“I went home (last Wednesday) and I felt really bad,” Heredia said. “But my mom gave me some aspirin and hot tea, and I felt better.

“I totally forgot about being sick when I got to the arena.”

And at the line, Heredia, a 90% free-throw shooter for most of the season, made 10 of 12.

Soggy froggy: Friday night was a tough night for the large stuffed frog that serves as the mascot of Ribet Academy’s boys’ basketball team.

While Ribet Academy--its nickname is the Fighting Frogs--warmed up for its Small Schools title game against St. Margaret’s, the mascot was brought out on the floor of the Saddleback College gymnasium only to suffer serious abuse.

Several St. Margaret’s fans--most of them 10 years or younger--took turns running onto the court and kicking the defenseless stuffed amphibian. Moments later, one of St. Margaret’s fans doused the frog with a soft drink.

While the frog was rescued and put away, its fans got the last laugh as Ribet (pronounced Rib-bay) defeated St. Margaret’s, 68-60.

Get it in gear: As if Corona del Mar didn’t have a tough enough night last Wednesday after losing the 3-A basketball title to Dos Pueblos, 39-38 in overtime, the Sea Kings had trouble locating their bus driver to take them back to school.

“We sat outside for about an hour waiting,” said junior Jeff Orris, son of Coach Paul Orris.

Finally, Paul Orris went back into the Bren Center and paged the driver to get to his bus using the announcers’ microphone.

The driver had been inside enjoying the Estancia-Servite game.

In girls’ soccer, El Toro defeated Dana Hills, 1-0, in overtime for the Southern Section 4-A championship Friday night.

It was the fifth consecutive title won by a South Coast League team. Mission Viejo won three from 1986-88 (sharing the championship with Edison in 1986), and Capistrano Valley won it in 1989.

El Toro, which will lose only three starters to graduation, came away the winner with aggressive play and an overtime goal by Kymm Maniscalco. Dana Hills, which entered the title match with a 2-1 edge over El Toro in games this season, could not match El Toro’s intensity in the first half, although both teams looked ragged by the end of regulation.

Asked how the Chargers dealt with fatigue, Maniscalco, who scored the match’s only score, said: “You can feel it, you know it’s there. You just know you’re not going to give up.”

The El Toro boys’ soccer team matched the girls’ team with a victory in the 3-A title game Saturday night.

The only other school to have boys’ and girls’ soccer champions in the same year is Agoura, which accomplished the feat in 1987 and 1988.

Dig those dollars: Almost every year, one or more Orange County baseball players are drafted out of high school, lured with lucrative contracts and signing bonuses. Although life in the minor leagues often is anything but glamorous, players--especially rookies--generally are thrilled knowing they’re making a living as a pro athlete.

But another sport has seen former area high school athletes reaping significant earnings these days: Pro beach volleyball. It certainly has a long way to go, but increased media exposure and lucrative sponsorship opportunities could make pro beach volleyball more attractive to former prep athletes.

In the March issue of Volleyball Monthly, three former county prep standouts are featured: Larry Mear (San Clemente High), Leif Hanson (Laguna Beach) and Craig Moothart (Irvine High).

According to the monthly’s 1989 Assn. of Volleyball Professionals final earnings list, Mear made $39,156 last year on the beach tour, Hanson made $42,139 and Moothart $29,400. Former Estancia standout Dan Vrebalovich is No. 8 on the list at $59,188.

Prep Notes

Marina’s Cherokee Parks, a 6-foot-11 junior forward, was selected to Parade magazine’s All-America boys’ basketball team. Parks averaged 22.1 points and 13.4 rebounds a game this season. . . . Marla Pickard, a three-year all-Sunset League softball player from Ocean View High, orally committed to Ohio State last week. Pickard, who was an infielder and a pitcher for the Seahawks, made visits to UCLA, Fresno State, Nevada Las Vegas, Creighton and Ohio State. . . . For the record: the Mater Dei girls’ soccer team recorded 21 shutouts this season, not 20 as was reported in Sunday’s editions. That ties Mater Dei with Agoura as the second-best mark in Southern Section history. . . . Robert Conlisk, Los Alamitos’ 6-11 center, has been selected to play in a national all-star game, April 12 at the University of Arizona, sponsored by McDonald’s franchises in Tucson. . . . Sunny Hills has scheduled its second benefit golf tournament for today at the Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park. An entry fee of $125 includes greens fees, cart, dinner and prizes. For more information, call Ralph Trigsted at 870-3434.