NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Santa Monica Coach to Step Aside at End of School Year

Jose Lopez, Santa Monica High’s longtime soccer and baseball coach, will resign his coaching positions at the end of the school year, he said Tuesday.

Lopez wants to spend more time with his family. His eldest daughter, Ashlei, will be a freshman in the fall at Santa Monica.

“I want to watch her play soccer and basketball,” Lopez said.

Lopez, 41, has been the Vikings’ soccer coach for 20 seasons and has a record of 296-131-54. His teams have won one Ocean League and two Bay League titles.

Santa Monica is ranked third in Southern Section Division I and has three regular season games and playoff games to help Lopez earn his 300 victory.

Assistant Martin Perez will replace Lopez. Perez has been a Viking assistant for two years and played for the team from 1974-77.

Last season, Lopez started coaching the baseball team and guided it to the Bay League championship. Lopez was the Vikings’ baseball coach in 1983 and was an assistant in between. He is 31-15 in two seasons as coach.

Assistant Pete McKellar will replace Lopez. McKellar played first base for the Vikings in 1985-87 when Lopez was an assistant. McKellar has been an assistant for the past two years.

“I think I’m going to miss it,” Lopez said. “But I also think it’s more important that I spend time watching my daughters grow up. There will be a time to come back afterward if they still want me.”

Baseball migration--Four of the area’s top high school pitchers last season are competing for Harbor College in Wilmington.

University’s Javier Mejia, The Times’ Westside player of the year, Santa Monica’s Mike Miller, The Times’ Westside pitcher of the year, and Jason Ehlers and Dan Pena of Venice are members of the Seahawk staff.

Mejia is expected to be the No. 2 starter and Miller the No. 4 starter. Former St. Bernard standout Andy Diver is expected to join Ehlers and Pena in the bullpen, although Pena hurt his right shoulder and will not pitch for three to four weeks.

St. Bernard’s Grant Hohman is expected to start at second base and bat fifth.

“I think this is the best group of freshmen we have had since the 1989 group, which went on to win the state championship in 1990,” Harbor Coach Tony Bloomfield said.

Harbor, ranked No. 2 in the nation by Baseball America magazine, begins its season today at College of the Canyons.

Football signings--West Los Angeles College has released the names of players who will continue their playing careers at four-year schools.

Receiver Del Vaughn Alexander (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) will attend USC on a track and football scholarship. Linebackers Johnnie Williams (6-2, 240) and Kieron Mitchell (6-1, 210) and cornerback Tod Townsend (5-10, 170) signed letters of intent with Utah State. Outside linebacker Dennis Paige (6-4, 225) signed with Division I-AA Northern Arizona. Defensive back Kenya Smith (5-9, 170) signed with Northern Illinois. Safety Chris Cook (6-1, 190) signed with Boise State. Special teams player Steve Brewer (5-8, 180) will attend Cal State Hayward.

“The greatest part of coaching at this level is to see players get scholarships and move on to the next level,” West L.A. Coach Rob Hager said.

Notes

Former Beverly Hills basketball standout Jonah Naulls, a walk-on at UCLA, has transferred to Loyola. He will be eligible to play next season. Naulls, the son of former UCLA player Willie Naulls, averaged 26 points a game during as a senior at Beverly Hills in 1990-91. . .The St. Bernard boys’ basketball team made seven of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter Friday to upset Loyola, 62-59, in a Mission League game. The Vikings were led by guard Darren Mitchell, who had 15 points, three steals and five assists. Terrel Hickman and Greg Metoyer had 14 points apiece.