Frank Keeps Rio Hondo on the Defensive

Don Frank, best known for his work as an assistant for the Rancho Santiago College men’s basketball team, is now making news as a head coach.

Frank has led a sharp turnaround at Rio Hondo College in Whittier during his first season. Rio Hondo had won only seven games the past two seasons, but under Frank, the Roadrunners are 14-6, 4-1 in the Foothill Conference and tied for first with Antelope Valley.

Frank dropped by Golden West Friday to watch Rancho Santiago defeat the Rustlers, 83-69, in an Orange Empire Conference game.

Frank, who also was a head coach at Redlands and Orange high schools, was an assistant at Rancho Santiago eight seasons, the last being 1989-90, when the Dons won their first of two consecutive state championships. Ray Rodriguez replaced Frank and is in his second season as an assistant to Coach Dana Pagett.

Frank took last season off from coaching to rest and consider his next move. He decided he wanted to return as a head coach and took over at Rio Hondo.

“It was time I got my own team again,” Frank said. “It was something I had to do.”

Rio Hondo is playing an intense defense that is similar in style to the one Frank and Pagett installed at Rancho Santiago.

In fact, the Roadrunners are allowing an average of 65.5 points per game.

Frank said he recently looked at Rio Hondo’s statistics from last season, when the team went 4-23, and discovered the team is giving up about 30 points less per game this season.

Rio Hondo is well on its way to being selected to the 32-team field for the Southern California Regional playoffs.

Frank was kidded about getting Rancho Santiago as a possible opponent in the post-season.

“I would love it,” he said.

The signed letters of intent are starting to surface as community college football players move on to four-year colleges.

Signing thus far are five players from Saddleback, which finished the season 10-1, won the Central Division of the Mission Conference and defeated Cerritos in the Simple Green Orange County Bowl.

Linebacker Todd Norman (Trabuco Hills High School) was the first to sign when he committed to Nevada two weeks ago. He will be joined by teammate Sean Mallett (Laguna Beach HS), who also has signed to play for the Wolf Pack.

Three of the Gauchos’ defensive players selected colleges as well.

Linebacker Penn Bushong (Mission Viejo HS) and defensive back Ed Wiggins (San Clemente HS) will play at Idaho next fall.

Mike Fredrickson, a lineman from Marian Christian High School in Houston, signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Orange Coast also had five players choose colleges.

Quarterback Donnie Smith (Edison HS) picked Iowa State, and wide receiver Cullen Plousha (San Lorenzo HS) signed with Arizona.

Center Kip Winker (Edison HS) is going to Memphis State and linebacker Eric Shimomura (Bolsa Grande HS), who led OCC in tackles with 87, is going to Tennessee Martin.

Linebackers Joe Estes (Seattle Newport HS) and Tyler Cortright (Denver Cherry Creek HS) are headed for Southern Illinois.

Community College Notes

Mark Wells, a sophomore third baseman at Saddleback, has orally committed to play at North Carolina State next fall. Wells, from Laguna Hills High School, hit .262 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in last season. . . . Golden West (11-12) has already reached last season’s victory total and Jim Greenfield’s team has nine more regular-season games this season to surpass it. . . . The Golden West women’s basketball team, the two-time defending state champion, has a 39-game home winning streak. . . . Baseball season for area community colleges begins Jan. 31.