NOTEBOOK : Top Players Ready, Toilers Coach Insists

Despite persistent rumors, Manual Arts High’s top two players did not suffer season-ending injuries and will suit up for the playoffs.

Guard Troy Matthews, the Toilers’ leading scorer, has missed the last seven games with strained ligaments in his knee. He is averaging 22.4 points and 6.8 assists a game.

Guard Soeki Thompson missed five games after cutting his left hand. The injury, which required stitches, was not to Thompson’s shooting hand. Thompson and Matthews are expected to be cleared to play Monday.

“It was a bad rumor that got started and it cost us a higher seed in the playoffs,” Manual Arts Coach Randolph Simpson said.

The Toilers tied with Westchester for the best record in the Coastal Conference and had beaten the Comets in their only meeting. Westchester, the two-time defending champion, was seeded fourth, while Manual Arts was seeded ninth. The seedings were selected by coaches taking part in the playoffs.

Said Simpson: “I think we should seed teams like the Southern Section,” which uses an independent panel.

“There is no set criteria for our playoffs, and coaches only act in their own best interest.”

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No Moore--Despite a successful regular season, Almont League co-champion Bell Gardens thought it was shortchanged in the boys’ basketball playoffs.

For the third consecutive year, Bell Gardens drew Lakewood in the first round of the Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs. And for the third consecutive year, the Lancers lost, this time by a 62-47 count on Tuesday.

“The big question is why do we have to play these guys three straight years?” Bell Gardens Coach Charlie LaCommare said. “It would have been nice to play someone with a different look.”

The Lancers can take solace in the fact that they were not the only Almont League team beaten. Two other teams from the league also lost to Moore League teams in the playoffs last week--San Gabriel lost to Long Beach Millikan, 83-65, and Long Beach Poly whipped Alhambra, 67-34.

In the Lancers’ loss, senior point guard Robert Lizarraga and junior Eddie Santana each had 12 points for Bell Gardens.

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Consolation prize--Although Bell Gardens was knocked out of the playoffs, five Lancers were selected to the Almont League all-star team, and their coach shared the coach-of-the-year honors.

Lizarraga, who averaged 9.3 points and seven assists a game during the regular season, and senior forward Mike Curiel, who averaged 13.7 points, were selected to the first team. Senior Simon Garcia was selected to the second team, while Santana and fellow junior Pete Loza were named to the honorable mention team.

Katsuya Miyagi of Schurr was selected the most valuable player.

Tommy Thompson of Schurr shared coach of the year honors with LaCommare.

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Throwing in the towel--Betty Riley, the athletic director at Jordan High, ordered the winless girls’ basketball team to forfeit its last eight Southeastern Conference games. Riley would not comment on the reasons behind her decision.

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Track--Belmont running back Ben Martinez, Ramone Clark of Dorsey and Michael Granville of Bell Gardens were among the local athletes scheduled to compete in the Sunkist Invitational indoor track meet at the L.A. Sports Arena Saturday.

Martinez, Clark and Granville were entered in the boys’ 500-yard run.

Jorge Perea of Huntington Park and Cesar Guerrero of Locke were scheduled to compete in the ASICS boys’ two-mile run. Brenda Stewart of Locke was entered in the ASICS girls’ 880 yards, and Charles Gates of Locke in the boys’ 50 meters.