HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : Office Gossip Could Prove Divisive for Marmonte Duo

The phone number to the basketball coaches’ office at Channel Islands High might as well be 1-900-MARMNTE.

Have a question about Channel Islands’ Raiders? Dial it.

Have a question about Camarillo’s Scorpions? Dial it.

That’s because the office is shared by Channel Islands Coach Don Salado and Camarillo Coach Mike Prewitt.

Prewitt was a junior-varsity coach at Channel Islands under Salado from 1979-85 and was head coach for three seasons, until 1989, when Salado ended a three-year retirement and returned as head coach.

Prewitt was named head coach at Camarillo after John Harbour resigned last spring, but he has remained a physical education teacher at Channel Islands.

“We work 10 feet away from each other,” said Salado, who also is a P.E. teacher. “It’s unusual, but we get a big kick over it.”

But each coach has had to check his thoughts at the door.

“I find myself not talking to him as much about basketball as I used to,” Salado said. “It’s not that bad, because we’re friends. But now, when I make out my stat sheets, I make sure there are only 14 for my players. I don’t want any extras lying around.”

The teams are scheduled to meet in a Marmonte League contest Jan. 11 at Channel Islands. They also could meet in the Ventura tournament at the end of the month.

“I’m sure it will be interesting because Mike is very well-liked at Channel Islands,” Salado said. “I think he’s more Raider than Scorpion.”

Adds Prewitt: “Everything will be all right if we keep it in perspective. When the game’s over, it’s over.”

Tres chic: With his team holding an eight-point lead in the closing minutes of Thursday’s victory over Oxnard, Taft Coach Jim Woodard ordered his team to begin a three-guard stall. The normal coaching procedure, or so Woodard thought, was to yell out, “Three!”

Taft point guard Casey Sheahan heard the call and promptly tossed in a three-point basket. Oxnard missed at the other end of the floor, and Taft rebounded.

Said Woodard: “I’m thinking, ‘Darn it, Casey, go to the three-guard (stall).’ ”

Woodard again bellowed threeeee-- and Sheahan again buried a three-point shot.

“Maybe I need to get a sign or something to get this straightened out,” Woodard said.

Mr. Popularity: When Cleveland’s Steve Landress announced last week that he would not be returning as football coach, it signaled the end of a Landress family affair.

Landress’ father, Collier, served as stadium announcer at home games. His teen-age son, Jimmy, helped out on the sideline and even suggested plays. His wife, Barb, supported Landress from the stands.

Landress’ sense of humor has hardly gone into retirement, however.

“Having the family around really made it special,” said Landress, a Cleveland graduate. “My dad was on the P.A., my son was right there with me on the sideline and my wife was up in the stands yelling her head off. I know because I’d turn around when everybody was yelling, ‘Get ridda the coach,’ and she was saying the same thing.”

Top prospect: Rio Mesa senior Dmitri Young will be named the nation’s best high school baseball prospect in the Jan. 25 issue of Baseball America magazine.

Young, who hit .588 last season, has been named the state player of the year for his class during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons.

Young visited the University of Miami three weeks ago and is planning trips to Auburn, Oklahoma State, Texas and Arizona State early next year. According to professional baseball scouts, Young is expected to be drafted in the first round of next June’s amateur draft.

Small fries: Move over, Spud Webb.

The Glendale basketball team has two players who would make the Atlanta Hawks’ 5-foot-7 guard look like a skyscraper.

Brothers Thao and Hai Tran stand all of 5-3 and 5-5, respectively.

Staff writers Steve Elling, Kirby Lee and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.