Sports ‘92--An L.A. Story : Many Notables Had Roots in Central City

What was the biggest sports story of 1992?

Was it the Washington Redskins beating the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl? Or was it the endless debate about who was the best team in collegiate football--the University of Washington or Miami? How about the Olympics and the individual achievements of American athletes?

Whichever one you pick, it seems you are bound to find at least one athlete from East, Central or South Los Angeles who participated.

Perhaps one of the proudest moments of the year for local sports fans came during the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Oscar De La Hoya, a 1991 graduate of Garfield High, won the United States’ only gold medal in boxing. He dedicated his feat to the memory of his mother, who died of breast cancer in 1990.

While De La Hoya’s victory was probably the most touching moment, other local athletes also accounted for strong showings in the Olympics. In track, USC’s Quincy Watts won a gold in the 400 meters and helped the United States set a world record in the 1,600-meter relay.

Kevin Young, Watts’ roommate in the Olympic Village, gave a landmark performance in the men’s 400 intermediate hurdles. A 1984 graduate of Jordan High, Young set a world record in 46.78 to win the gold medal. And former Crenshaw High star Johnny Gray earned the bronze in the men’s 800 meters.

In September, former Washington High track star James Lofton, now playing for the Buffalo Bills, established the National Football League record for receiving yards. And the University of Washington needed the running of former Dorsey High star Beno Bryant to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and stake its claim as the best collegiate team in the nation.

While local athletes excelled on the professional and world stages, there were plenty of exciting moments right here at home in 1992.

In basketball, Eric Wattree, a onetime starter for Fremont, came off the bench to score 12 points to lead the Pathfinders to a 77-61 title over South Gate in the 1992 City Section 3-A Division championship. It was Fremont’s second consecutive title and third in four years.

Fremont, which lost to Mater Dei in the state regional, moved up to the 4-A Division this season, but it is still expected to be one of the teams to beat when the playoffs begin in February.

One of the teams the Pathfinders may meet in the playoffs is Crenshaw, the 1992 City 4-A runner-up and four-time state champion. Westchester, behind the scoring of James Gray, beat the Cougars, 87-71, to win its second consecutive 4-A title.

The Cougars, who have won 11 City titles, have been strengthened by the addition of Kris Johnson, the son of former UCLA and NBA star Marques Johnson, and several other transfers.

In baseball, Fremont reached a City Section championship for the first time in 21 seasons, defeating Crenshaw, 8-6, in the 3-A Division final before nearly 8,000 fans at Dodger Stadium. It was the Pathfinders’ eighth title and their first since 1963.

It was an especially memorable win for Fremont assistant coach Taja Rodisha, who played center field on the 1971 team that lost to Monroe.

In girls’ sports, Charisse Sampson’s brilliant high school basketball career came to an auspicious end as the talented Washington senior led the Generals to their fourth consecutive City 4-A Divisional title.

Sampson, a 5-11 forward, set a City record with 2,285 career points and 1,706 rebounds, which is second best on the all-time state rebounding list.

Roosevelt was unable to defend its crown, losing to Granada Hills, 50-42, in the City 3-A final. The Roughriders, who have been to the 3-A finals three of the past four years, another strong team this season, led by returning 5-7 guard Denise Caudillo. Roosevelt faces a tougher fight after being bumped up to the 4-A division.

In track, sprinter Kanika Conwright proved her decision to transfer from Southern Section power Hawthorne to Dorsey was the right one. Conwright won the 100 and 200 meters and ran a leg on Dorsey’s winning 400- and 1600-meter relay teams as the Dons won the 1992 girls’ City title.

In boys’ track, Locke placed second to Birmingham in the finals and was later disqualified for using an ineligible runner. The Saints expect to have a strong team in 1993.

Sharmon Shah, the talented running back from Dorsey’s 1991 football championship team, made his final appearance in a high school uniform a memorable one. Shah, who enrolled at UCLA this fall, rushed for 163 yards and scored two touchdowns as the South beat the North, 38-0, in July in the 41st annual Shrine All-Star Game pitting Southern California’s top high school players against their counterparts from Northern California.

A month later, the high school football season was under way with Dorsey and Crenshaw attempting to defend their City titles and Loyola trying to regain its championship form.

Loyola quickly established itself as one of the top 10 teams in the nation, but the Cubs lost to Bishop Amat in a game that decided the Del Rey League title. The two teams met again in the Southern Section Division I title at Cerritos College, with Bishop Amat winning once again, 7-3.

Eighteen of the area’s 22 football teams qualified for their respective playoffs in the City and Southern sections, and upsets were the standard rather than the exception. One of the biggest surprises was Locke beating Dorsey, 63-37, and Garfield upsetting Banning, 7-6, in the first round of the City 4-A playoffs. In the Dorsey-Locke game, Saint quarterback Akili Roberson threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score. Roberson and Garfield running back Armando Figueroa are juniors and will be two players to watch next fall.

Garfield, which went the furthest of any of the City area teams, met its match in the semifinals. The Bulldogs lost to eventual champion Sylmar, 27-7.

In the 3-A Division, Bell appeared the team to beat and was top-seeded. But before the Eagles’ regular season finale, Coach Ray Galarze suspended five players for attending a party during school hours where alcohol was being served.

Weakened by the loss of several top players, the Eagles stumbled against Chatsworth and lost in the quarterfinals. The game was stopped in the fourth quarter because a Bell player kicked a Chatsworth player in the groin. The Bell football program may face probation in the incident.

In the Southern Section, Bell Gardens reached the Division III finals, but lost to Hawthorne, 14-6.

While Roosevelt had a rebuilding year in football, the girls’ volleyball team had another successful season. Led by sisters Lisa and Leona Jacobs, the Roughriders reached the semifinals of the City 4-A playoffs before losing to University in five games.

In cross-country, Belmont said goodby to respected veteran coach Gordon Weisenburger, who retired after coaching the Sentinels for 17 years. Belmont’s boys’ team won its ninth City title in 11 years, and the girls won an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.

During the state meet, the Belmont girls finished seventh, falling short of their goal of finishing among the top five as top runner Patty Trejo stumbled before the finish. Huntington Park, which lost to Belmont in the City finals, upstaged the Sentinels in the state meet, placing seventh. Belmont took 13th.

In boys’ soccer, Belmont went 7-0-1 to post the only undefeated record in the City Section. The Sentinels will be top-seeded when the playoffs begin with a wild-card game Jan. 15. Garfield, which won the 1992 soccer title, was eliminated from playoff contention after forfeiting a match in which Coach Tony Critelli was ejected for swearing after a referee’s call.

For 1993, area teams are favored to win titles in boys’ soccer and boys’ and girls’ basketball.

The one opponent that could prove insurmountable for all teams is the looming teachers’ strike, scheduled for Feb. 22--two days before the start of the City Section basketball playoffs. Washington High basketball Coach Andy Davis said he will continue to coach even without pay.

“Personally, I’m going to finish the season even if I’m on strike,” Davis said. “I don’t think we should penalize the kids.”