Area Basketball Coaching Vacancies Filling Up Quickly

Several South Bay high schools have hired boys’ basketball coaches in recent weeks.

Ade Kido, a Carson assistant for the past several seasons, was promoted to coach. He succeeds Rich Masson, who resigned after coaching the Colts for 10 seasons. Ralph-alone Mertens, a former Carson basketball player, will assist Kido and also serve as boys’ volleyball coach.

Masson, one of the area’s most successful coaches, said he wants to take a year off before deciding whether to return to basketball.

“I definitely need a year away to see what direction I want to go,” he said. “After taking a year away and evaluating, maybe I’ll decide to come back, maybe I won’t.”

As expected, Jim Nielsen was named coach at Redondo. The Times reported two weeks ago that Nielsen, the former coach at Mira Costa and North Torrance, had been hired. Nielsen succeeds Cliff Warren, who resigned after coaching the Sea Hawks for one season.

Former Mary Star coach Frank Califano has been hired at West Torrance, succeeding longtime Warrior Coach Dan McGee. Califano was then replaced at Mary Star by 21-year-old George Pisano, a former Mary Star player.

San Pedro is still looking to replace Jack Kordich, who resigned after last season. The school approached Jerry Lovarov, San Pedro’s veteran baseball coach, about taking the basketball job, but Lovarov balked at the idea.

Rey Mayoral, vice principal in charge of athletics, said San Pedro has several walk-on applicants, including former Carson Coach Dick Acres, who teaches at a Westside junior high school. However, Mayoral said the school would prefer to hire a San Pedro faculty member.

Anyone who follows prep baseball in the South Bay is aware of the great tradition El Segundo has built in the sport.

Coach John Stevenson, who recently completed his 33rd season, compiled a list of former El Segundo players who are playing on either the professional or collegiate levels. Needless to say, it’s an impressive collection.

Professionally, El Segundo boasts five players pursuing careers: Future Hall of Fame selection George Brett (class of ‘71) of the Kansas City Royals, pitcher Zak Shinall (‘86) of the Dodgers’ triple-A team in Albuquerque, N.M., and three players in the lower minor leagues--pitcher Dennis Reed (‘86) of the Houston Astros, and first basemen Scott Talanoa (‘87) of the Minnesota Twins and Tate Seefried (‘90) of the New York Yankees.

Two former El Segundo players are professional umpires. Derryl Cousins (‘64) is a longtime American League umpire and Heath Jones (‘88) is working in the Northwest League.

Nine former Eagles played for four-year colleges this past season. Jeremy Carr (‘89) was the starting right fielder for College World Series runner-up Cal State Fullerton, Erik Evans (‘89) was the center fielder for Western Athletic Conference champion Hawaii, Matt Filson (‘87) was the right fielder for UC Irvine and recently signed a contract with the Dodgers, David Lubs (‘88) was the right fielder for Division III regional finalist UC San Diego, Brett Newell (‘91) was the shortstop for Pacific 10 Northern Division champion Washington and a freshman All-American honorable mention, Rob Croxall (‘90) was a pitcher for Division II national finalist Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Tony Bartolucci (‘90) was the center fielder for the University of Redlands, Dan Parente (‘87) was a pitcher-first baseman for Cal State Los Angeles and Steve Thomas (‘87) played shortstop at Cal State San Bernardino.

Five former El Segundo players figured prominently on their community college teams. Shortstop Mark Lewis (‘90) and pitcher Brian Wise (‘91) were standouts for Southern California regional finalist Harbor College, pitcher-first baseman Jason Wayt (‘90) and catcher Garret Quaintance (‘90) were all-conference selections at El Camino and third baseman Eric Stevenson (‘90), the son of John Stevenson, played for Northern California regional finalist Hancock College of Santa Maria.

Football and basketball standout Stais Boseman of Morningside and record-setting swimmer Jessica Tong of Chadwick have been selected state athletes of the year in different classifications by Cal-Hi Sports newsletter.

Boseman, who led Morningside to the Southern Section Division VIII title in football and the Division III-AA and State Division III titles in basketball, was named the state’s top junior. He played quarterback and defensive back in football and was a guard in basketball.

Tong, who set a national record in the 100-yard backstroke, was chosen the top female athlete at a small school. Tong’s winning time of 55.33 seconds at the Southern Section 2-A Division final broke the previous national record of 55.63 set by Barbara Bedford of Peddi High in Hightstown, N.J., in 1990.

Tong finished her career at Chadwick with seven individual section titles. She will attend the University of Texas on scholarship in the fall.

Jason Kidd, who led St. Joseph High in Alameda to its second consecutive State Division I basketball title, was named state boys’ athlete of the year. Jenny Dalton of Glendale, the Southern Section career leader in softball home runs and winner of 15 varsity letters, was named girls’ athlete of the year.

Morningside finished a close second to Mater Dei of Santa Ana in school of the year consideration by Cal-Hi Sports. Both schools are nicknamed the Monarchs.

Aside from the titles it won in football and basketball, Morningside was Southern Section 2-A Division champion in boys’ and girls’ track.

Mater Dei, traditionally an athletic power, finished No. 1 in the state in football, No. 2 in boys’ basketball and was rated among California’s best in three other sports: baseball (No. 8), softball (No. 5) and girls’ soccer (Southern Section 5-A champion).

Peninsula was named state team of the year in girls’ tennis (24-0) and girls’ basketball (33-0). Torrance (31-0) was named the top team in girls’ soccer.

Torrance catcher Jason Kendall was named state baseball player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports and Inglewood outfielder-shortstop Anthony Mack was selected to the 30-player all-state team.

Kendall, a first-round draft pick who signed for a $336,000 bonus with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, tied a national record by hitting safety in 43 consecutive games, a streak that started in his sophomore season. He was also considered a fine defensive player, throwing out 14 of 23 runners who tried to steal this season.

Kendall is the fourth catcher in the past seven years to be chosen state player of the year. The others were Mike Lieberthal of Westlake in 1990, Todd Johnson of Fresno Bullard in 1989 and Brian Johnson of Oakland Skyline in 1986.

The all-state small schools team included Chadwick shortstop Chris Gordon and the all-underclass team included Banning pitcher Carlos Garibay, a junior who was 11-2 this season.