ON THE PREP PATH : High School Sports Just a Sideline for Mission Viejo’s Classen

Mission Viejo’s Kerry Classen may be the best high school athlete in Orange County--he’s certainly one of the best conditioned--but does his name ring a bell in your sports subconscious?

Probably not unless you are tuned into triathlons.

Classen is an 18-year-old triathlete who dabbles in cross-country and swimming at Mission Viejo High School. Saturday, he was third overall in the boys’ medium schools seniors race at the Dana Hills Cross-Country Invitational.

How did Classen celebrate his performance? By driving to Carlsbad with a couple of other triathletes to do some killer hill repeats on his bicycle.

Three months ago, Classen entered his first triathlon as a professional. In four races as a pro, he has won $4,400.

Keep in mind, Classen--who puts all his race earnings into a trust fund administered by the U.S. Swimming Federation to retain his amateur status in high school--has been on the triathlon scene since he was 11, when he competed in the swimming leg as part of a relay.

Since then, he’s developed into one of the sport’s brightest talents. Last month, Classen led a highly competitive triathlon in Sacramento before being passed in the final half-mile by Scott Molina, one of the sport’s top athletes. Classen’s second-place finish brought him $2,000.

His parents, Ronald and Lois, also triathletes, say Kerry’s decision to turn pro--one that eliminated his chance to compete in any NCAA sport in college--was not made on a whim.

“He decided several years ago that this is what he was going to do,” Lois Classen said. “He started making plans and he’s followed through with them. It was our goal as parents to keep him low key.”

Low key? Classen wakes up at 4:30 a.m., swims with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, eats breakfast, goes to school, runs with the cross-country team, then goes home to ride his bike . . . presumably all the way to the bank.

“It’s fun to do high school stuff,” Classen said. “But obviously triathlons are my priority. It’s my career.”

Speaking of paydays, Corona del Mar defensive lineman John McClure blocked a kick Friday night against Trabuco Hills, forcing his father, John McClure III, to reach for his wallet.

The elder McClure, who often works the chains on the sidelines, gives his son $100 for each blocked kick, sack or interception he makes--with a limit of $100 per game. McClure has earned $100 in each of his four games.

“I’m getting killed,” said his father, who is a pastor of a church in Newport Beach. “Last year, I offered him the same deal, but he only had two sacks. . . . I really can’t afford this.”

Blurbs you can’t live without:

--Troy quarterback Greg Windle is described by his father as “an intense fly-fisherman.”

--When he isn’t returning kickoffs for touchdowns, as he did last week against Trabuco Hills, Julian Johnson of Woodbridge plays the drums, mostly to the sounds of heavy metal band Metallica. Sundays, he plays the drums at church.

--During games, Trabuco Hills’ Matt Newbury wears a sneer on his face and a large ruby earring in his ear.

--Century, a school without a senior class, and Santa Margarita, a school with its first senior class, have scheduled homecoming games this year. Question: Who’s coming home?

--Michelle Kozlak won the job as Woodbridge Warrior mascot by donning the Warrior costume--30-pound oversized Indian head--and dancing to “Singing In The Rain.”

--Freshmen Milvia and Alessandra Schinaia, identical twins from Lima, Peru, are the Nos. 1 and 2 singles players at Irvine High.

What powers their game? “ Papa a la Yuancanyana ,” Alessandra says. “Potatoes with spicy sauce.”

Before the season, Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said the Tigers would be lucky if they won two games this year. After Valencia squeaked by Troy, 47-6, Thursday, the Tigers are 4-0, and have outscored their opponents, 150-31.

Can’t wait to see that fear in Marrujo’s eyes before Valencia’s Oct. 18 game against Magnolia. (Magnolia fell to Rancho Alamitos, 74-0, last week).

This week’s Give Me A Break! Award goes to Donald Ruskin, father of Walter Ruskin. Walter played his senior year last year on Huntington Beach High School’s football team.

Ruskin leased advertising space on three bus stops across from the high school to publicize his feelings about Huntington Beach having to forfeit last season’s Sunset League championship because it used an ineligible player.

One of the posters reads: “Why were the children punished for adult mistakes? Ask Gary Ernst, Huntington Beach principal, and (Southern Section Commissioner) Stan Thomas.”

At best, this was a waste of $2,500--the total price Ruskin paid for all the advertising space.

At worst, it’s another case of parents gone berserk.

Ruskin, who proudly identified himself as “Psycho Dad,” seems intent on not letting this matter rest. He has hired an attorney, Eric Parkin, who on Friday made a motion to amend the suit filed in U.S. District Court by the Huntington Beach parents against the Southern Section last November.

But getting Huntington Beach’s league championship back isn’t Ruskin’s only aim. He also wants $10,000 in damages for his son Walter.

Why? Because Walter might have been deprived of the college scholarship had he gotten to play in the playoffs, Donald Ruskin says. Walter, a freshman at Saddleback Community College, is not playing college football.