St. Augustine Prospers Despite Absent Coach

St. Augustine’s basketball team is playing for two coaches this year, one of whom is in Saudi Arabia.

The other started the season as he did the previous three, as the assistant coach. Now Eddie Gross has full control over the Saints.

And since Gross took over for Jeff Armstrong, the Saints have won 11 of 12, the latest victory coming Friday night at Christian, 54-41.

“We were in the Palm Desert Tournament when I got the call,” Gross remembered about the transition. “He said, ‘Eddie, man, you’ve got it.’ I said, ‘Huh? You’re pulling out after three games?’ ”

Armstrong had just accepted an offer to coach the Saudi Arabian Olympic team. St. Augustine would have to wait.

“I was kind of hurt,” said guard Matt Bonin. “The whole team was really crushed. I liked Coach Armstrong a lot, but I didn’t really feel it would affect us.”

If it has had an effect, it has been all positive. With Friday’s victory, the Saints (12-4, 2-0) stood alone in first place in the City Harbor League. Christian (14-3, 1-1) fell to second.

“We’re doing the same thing now we did when Coach (Armstrong) was here,” Gross said.

“If Coach had been here, our record would probably be the same,” Gross said.

And even though he’s not, he’s watching over the team, anyway--sort of. There were several videotape machines whirring in the top row of the Christian High bleachers, one of which produced a tape that will be mailed to the Middle East.

It will show a tough man-to-man defense that kept Christian from scoring during the first three minutes. It then stymied Christian again in the second quarter, limiting the Patriots to only four points in those eight minutes.

Leading 29-17 at halftime, St. Augustine cruised to the finish.