A Look at Top Players, Coaches

Next month, The Times will honor the top boys’ and girls’ basketball players and coaches in the Southland. The season concludes in three weeks with the State tournament in Oakland. Here is an early look at the boys’ finalists. The girls’ will be listed next week.

For boys’ player of the year:

Jacque Vaughn, Pasadena Muir--The senior guard, headed to Kansas, broke the state single-season assist record of 348 set by John McCartney of San Diego Lincoln in 1990. Vaughn had 403 during the regular season. He is averaging 18 points and 16 assists per game, and the Mustangs have advanced to the Southern Section Division II-A semifinals tonight against St. John Bosco.

Charles O’Bannon, Lakewood Artesia--Last year’s winner has not been a disappointment. The senior forward is averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and five steals. The Pioneers are semifinalists in the Southern Section II-A. The most-asked question of O’Bannon is where he will go to college.

Ed Gray, Riverside North--Gray signed early with Tennessee and then helped North to an undefeated season. The senior guard is averaging 24 points and has made 68 three-point shots for the Huskies (28-0), who play Inglewood in the Southern Section II-AA semifinals.

James Cotton, Bellflower St. John Bosco--The senior forward has been the main reason St. John Bosco has turned from a loser into a winner in two seasons. Cotton, who signed with Cal State Long Beach, is averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside--Boseman is probably the best all-around athlete in the state. Although his senior season has not been his best, Morningside is the favorite in the Southern Section III-AA.

Honorable Mention--Avondre Jones, Lakewood Artesia; Keith Van Horn, Diamond Bar; Adam Jacobsen, Crescenta Valley; Toby Bailey, Loyola; Jelani Gardner, Bellflower St. John Bosco; Tremaine Fowlkes, Crenshaw; Michael Dean, Torrance; Miles Simon, Santa Ana Mater Dei.

For boys’ coach of the year:

Mike Bartee, Riverside North--The Inland Empire is not known for its basketball powers, but Bartee has helped change that in recent years. He has built one of the most organized program in the area, and the Huskies are working on an undefeated season this year.

Tom Hofman, La Canada--Most teams would fold after losing their best player. When center Richard Mandeville went down earlier this season with a broken leg, a lot of people wrote off La Canada. The Spartans responded by winning the Rio Hondo League title and are semifinalists in the Southern Section III-A.

Gary Prestesater, San Dimas--The longtime San Dimas coach does not receive much recognition, but he has turned the Saints into one of the top teams in the San Gabriel Valley. They are the top-seeded team in the Southern Section III-A.

Dave Johnson, Washington--It is not easy breaking into the City’s traditional ranks, but Johnson has put Washington on the same level with Manual Arts, Fremont and North Hollywood.

Ron Massey, Long Beach Jordan--The Moore League is the toughest in the Southland, and Jordan has established itself as one of the league’s top teams the last several years. The Panthers, eliminated in the Southern Section I-AA semifinals last season, face Capistrano Valley in the I-AA semifinals tonight.

Honorable Mention--Kevin Gibson, Dorsey; John Goffredo, Crescenta Valley; Brian Breslin, St. John Bosco; Ed Chevalier, Thousand Oaks.

*

Scott Chapman, a senior at Rim of the World in Lake Arrowhead, is trying to become the fifth wrestler in California history to win three State titles.

Chapman won the 152-pound weight class at the Southern Section Masters’ Meet last Saturday night. He is the favorite to win the State title at that weight this weekend in Stockton.

“Scott is a very focused person and takes every match one at a time,” said Adam Mueller, Rim of the World’s assistant coach. “He is not the most physical wrestler there ever was, but his technique is incredible.”

Chapman, 17, has won 89 consecutive matches since losing at the Masters’ Meet during his sophomore season. Also an all-league linebacker, he won State wrestling titles at 140 pounds as a sophomore and at 152 last year.

The other wrestlers who have won three state titles are David Lee of Fair Oaks Bella Vista, Lawrence Jackson of Santa Monica, Mark Gerardi of El Cajon Valhalla and Jim Aguirre of Clovis.

Times’ Top 20 Basketball Polls

The Times’ top 20 high school basketball polls, with teams from the City and Southern Sections.

BOYS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Mater Dei SS I-A 29-1 1 2. Crenshaw City 4-A 22-2 2 3. JW North SS II-AA 28-0 3 4. Dominguez SS II-AA 24-2 4 5. Artesia SS II-A 24-3 5 6. Hunt. Beach SS I-A 27-3 6 7. Thousand Oaks SS I-A 25-1 8 8. St. John Bosco SS II-A 25-2 10 9. Morningside SS III-AA 24-5 9 10. Muir SS II-A 25-5 11 11. LB Jordan SS I-AA 19-6 12 12. B. Montgomery SS III-AA 23-2 13 13. Lynwood SS I-AA 21-7 14 14. Westchester City 4-A 22-6 17 15. LP Kennedy SS II-A 26-3 18 16. Washington City 4-A 22-3 NR 17. San Dimas SS III-A 24-3 19 18. Pasadena SS I-A 23-6 NR 19. Cres. Valley SS II-AA 22-4 NR 20. Capo Valley SS I-AA 20-9 NR

GIRLS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Lynwood SS I-AA 24-0 1 2. Thousand Oaks SS I-A 28-0 2 3. Brea-Olinda SS II-AA 26-2 3 4. Morningside SS III-AA 21-2 4 5. Buena SS I-A 21-3 6 6. LB Poly SS I-AA 22-3 9 7. Crenshaw City 4-A 22-2 7 8. St. Bernard SS IV-AA 23-4 8 9. Capo Valley SS I-AA 23-3 13 10. Santa Ynez SS IV-AA 25-1 11 11. Costa Mesa SS III-A 24-4 12 12. Ventura SS II-A 21-4 14 13. HH Wilson SS II-A 25-1 17 14. Marina SS I-A 22-4 18 15. Nordhoff SS IV-AA 22-1 15 16. Alemany SS III-AA 24-4 16 17. Hunt. Beach SS I-A 25-4 10 18. Millikan SS I-AA 18-7 NR 19. Gahr SS II-AA 20-8 NR 20. Peninsula SS I-AA 17-9 19