Schools to Benefit From Golf Tournament Ticket Sales

Answering a distress signal from high school athletic programs, the Century Club of San Diego, Buick and Vons unveiled a project called Save Our Sports (S.O.S.) at a press conference Thursday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The crux of S.O.S.: Participating high schools can sell $15 tickets to the 1993 Buick Invitational of California for $10 each and keep 100% of the money to fund their sports programs. No catch. The more tickets they sell, the more money they earn.

“I truly believe this could be a major funding program for the schools of San Diego County for some time,” Century Club Director John Lynch said. “I believe it will be a bonanza.”

Students at the more than 55 participating high schools have until Dec. 15 to sell the tickets, which can be used for any day of the golf tournament (Feb. 16-21).

From Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, Vons will distribute coupons redeemable for $10 tickets at Jack Murphy Stadium or at Torrey Pines Municipal during the tournament, and 100% of those proceeds will go to the high school designated by the purchaser.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Wayne DeBate, secondary schools manager for the San Diego Unified District, said. “We’re really excited about this program. I don’t think it’s any secret sports are in trouble throughout the country, and it’s no different in San Diego.”

Said Oceanside Athletic Director Pat Kimbrel: “It’s a 100% win situation for the community, the Century Club and our high schools.”

FOOTBALL FORECASTING

Having toasted four county championship teams and consoled three runner-ups in the past 11 years, the city of Vista could be shut out of the playoffs entirely this season.

Hard to imagine, but neither Rancho Buena Vista (4-5) nor Vista (4-4-1) is a lock as the regular season ends tonight and pairings are set Saturday morning for the 16-team 3-A and 2-A playoffs.

RBV plays Orange Glen (6-3) tonight. Vista finishes with Poway (6-3). Regardless of those outcomes, Orange Glen and Poway will likely make the playoffs.

Having won three in a row after a brutal early schedule, RBV is in much better shape than Vista, and by all fairness, should be included in the playoffs even if it finishes 4-6.

Vista, the 3-A runner-up to Point Loma last season, has gone 0-3-1 the past four weeks, including a 14-0 loss to RBV and a 16-13 loss to San Dieguito (3-6).

“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” RBV Coach Craig Bell said. “The people we’ve played compared to the people some of these others have played, I think we should be included.”

Fast becoming experts on the subject of who’s in and who’s out, here are The Times’ predictions.

In the 3-A:

* Good Shape (13 teams)--Orange Glen; Poway; Morse (9-0); Point Loma (5-4); Helix (9-0); Chula Vista (5-2-2); Castle Park (7-2); Bonita Vista (6-3); Montgomery (5-3-1); Sweetwater (5-3-1); Mt. Carmel (7-1-1); Fallbrook (5-3-1); and the winner between Monte Vista (5-4) and Grossmont (6-3).

* Reasonable Shape: RBV; and the loser of Monte Vista-Grossmont.

* Needs a Victory: Vista over Poway; Southwest (5-4) over Chula Vista.

* Needs Help: The winner of Mira Mesa (4-5) and Patrick Henry (4-5).

In the 2-A:

* Good Shape (12 teams): El Camino (8-1); San Pasqual (8-1); Torrey Pines (7-2); Crawford (6-3); St. Augustine (8-1); University City (9-0); Kearny (8-1); El Capitan (8-1); Santana (6-3); Oceanside (5-4); Coronado (5-4); and the winner between Lincoln (3-6) and Serra (3-6).

* Reasonable Shape: The winner between Marian (6-3) and Mission Bay (4-4-1); and based on strength of schedule USDHS (3-6) if it beats La Jolla.

* Needs a Victory: Carlsbad (3-6) over Ramona; San Diego (4-5) over Madison.

* Needs Help: USDHS if it loses to La Jolla; the losers of Lincoln-Serra and Marian-Mission Bay.

BANNERS ON LINE

As for the football league races--simply stated--victories by Crawford (Central), Morse (Eastern), Point Loma (Eastern), St. Augustine (Harbor), University City (Western), Kearny (Western), Helix (Grossmont 3-A), El Capitan (Grossmont 2-A), Santana (Grossmont 2-A), Chula Vista (Metro) and Holtville (Desert) would give those schools outright league championships.

The winner between Julian and Francis Parker would have to share the Coastal League crown if La Jolla Country Day beats Bishop’s.

The Avocado League figures to end in a three-way tie between El Camino, San Pasqual and Torrey Pines. But if Oceanside can upset Torrey Pines, El Camino and San Pasqual--neither figures to lose tonight--would be cochampions, in which case, El Camino would enjoy bragging rights again because it beat San Pasqual, 28-7, last week.

Bless Mt. Carmel, 1-9 last season, for wrapping up the tough Palomar League last week.

HONORS ON THE LINKS

Pat Perez of Torrey Pines and Debbie Kim of Poway have been selected as the boys and girls players of the year by the San Diego Junior Golf Assn.

Perez, a junior, replaces three-time winner Chris Riley of Madison and Patrick Henry, who is now playing at Nevada Las Vegas.

Kim, a junior who finished tied for fourth (first among San Diegans) in the Southern California Golf Assn. state tournament last season, won the honor for the second consecutive season.

THE FINAL COUNT

Brad Griffith, the only head football coach in Mira Mesa’s 16 seasons of competition, is going for his 100th career victory tonight against Patrick Henry . . .

Gail Devers, a Sweetwater High graduate who won the 100-meter gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, was one of four finalists for the 1992 Babe Zaharias female amateur athlete of the year award. Summer Sanders, a Stanford swimmer who won four Olympic medals, beat out Devers, gymnast Shannon Miller and Georgia golfer Vicki Goetze.

Perennial Powers

MOST CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF YEARS

No. School 1992 Record 12 Lincoln 3-6 10 Chula Vista 5-2-2 10 El Camino 8-1 7 Helix 9-0 7 Morse 9-0 5 Orange Glen 6-3 5 Point Loma 5-4 4 Kearny 8-1 4 Mira Mesa 4-5 4 Rancho Buena Vista 4-5 4 Santana 6-3 4 University City 9-0