Separating Fact From Fiction as Rumors Fly About Coaching Changes

Several rumors regarding coaching changes have come to our attention in recent weeks. Here’s a sampling:

* North Torrance football Coach Joe Austin will return to his old job as coach at South Torrance.

* South basketball Coach LaMont Henry will replace Carl Franklin as Morningside coach.

* Artesia basketball Coach Wayne Merino is interested in becoming the coach at Carson.

Are the rumors true? In order: Probably, perhaps and not likely.

Look for Austin to begin his second stint as South’s football coach. He will interview for the job next week and is considered the leading candidate to replace Don Morrow, who is leaving to become the coach at Mira Costa.

Austin has coached North for three years and guided the Saxons to a 10-2 record in 1992, but his roots are at South. A South graduate, he coached the Spartan football team for 17 seasons before leaving in 1989 to go into business with his brother, Jeff. When the business venture failed, Austin returned to teaching and coaching a year later at North.

“That’s where I’m from,” Austin said of South. “I hate to leave North, but I live right (near South). I’m an alumnus. It’s kind of a bad situation. In one way, I don’t want to leave. But in a way, I do.

“I’m so accustomed to being at South. I feel good at North, but it’s not the same.”

School ties also figure into the rumors concerning Henry, a 1977 Morningside graduate. He said Morningside administrators first asked him last year if he would be interested in coaching the Monarch basketball team if Franklin stepped down. Henry said he was approached again last season by a former Morningside principal.

“I said I would take it into consideration,” Henry said. “I feel good about what I’m doing here at South. My attitude right now is that I want to stay here a while and build a tradition. But if Morningside does offer me a position, I will take a look at it and consider it.”

Whether or not Morningside is ready to make a coaching change is another matter. Franklin said he intends to return for his 18th season as Monarch coach.

“I don’t think I’m leaving,” he said. “I want to come back.”

Franklin said the fact that Morningside is losing its starting five to graduation will not dissuade him from returning.

The rumor regarding Merino appears to be just that--a rumor. The Artesia basketball coach, who has guided Artesia to two consecutive State Division II titles and three in the past four seasons, said he has no interest in coaching at Carson.

Carson, though, probably will name a new basketball coach. It is unlikely that Ade Kido, a part-time coach who makes a long commute from Victorville, will return for a second season, a source said. Kido replaced Richard Masson, who resigned after the 1991-92 season with the option to return as coach later.

However, Masson has been noncommittal about his plans.

Morningside’s Stais Boseman had intended to play in the Roundball Classic and Nike all-star basketball games last week, but a mix-up in travel arrangements prevented him from playing in one of the prestigious events.

Franklin said officials for the Roundball Classic, which was played last Thursday in Pittsburgh, never sent Boseman a plane ticket. Franklin, who was sent a ticket, made the trip without his standout player.

“When I got there, they said Stais was going to catch a later flight,” Franklin said. “But they never got Stais a ticket. Nine other players had the same problem.”

Fortunately most of the other players live on the East Coast and were able to make last-minute arrangements, Franklin said. Boseman was forced to skip the game, but he played Saturday night in the Nike all-star game in Chicago.

Boseman played on a team of national all-stars that was beaten by a team made up of players from the Chicago area.

Kyle McIntosh, center for South Torrance’s basketball team, is among 18 South Bay seniors who will be recognized for outstanding academic and athletic achievement by the Southern Section prior to the Angels-Cleveland Indians game Wednesday night at Anaheim Stadium.

Every section school was entitled to select a boy and girl student-athlete. To qualify, students must have maintained a minimum 3.5 grade-point average in college-prep courses for the past three years, in addition to earning a letter in at least one varsity sport and participating in an additional extracurricular activity.

McIntosh has a 3.66 GPA and is South’s student body president. He led the Spartan basketball team in scoring and rebounding last season, earning a spot on the All-Division III and Times South Bay All-Star teams.

Other student-athlete award winners included Kameisha Prewitt (3.64 GPA), point guard for the Morningside girls’ basketball team; Suzanne Radcliffe (3.50), an All-Division III volleyball player for Torrance; and Tim Akins (3.91), a basketball and baseball standout for Peninsula.

Here is a list of other area award winners:

Girls--Sherry Baer of El Segundo (3.52), Tina Lam of Leuzinger (3.65), Mary Pecotich of Mary Star (3.59), Amy Winfrey of Mira Costa (3.65), Alisa L. Scudamore of Peninsula (3.92), Jennifer Reddal of South Torrance (3.74) and Carrie Mangan of West Torrance (3.76).

Boys--Esau Berumen of Bishop Montgomery (3.62), Shawn Kruse of El Segundo (3.88), Pedro Martinez of Leuzinger (3.96), Mark Malahni of Mary Star (3.57), Jason May of Mira Costa (3.50), Guy Ortolano of Torrance (3.96) and Nikhil Chanani of West (4.00).

Notes

Ted Oh of Torrance High successfully defended his title in the Los Angeles City Junior Boys golf tournament with a three-round total of 220 at Griffith Park’s Wilson and Harding courses. Oh, who won by two strokes, is the first to win back-to-back titles in the 43 years the tournament has been conducted by the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department. . . . St. Bernard guard Terrell Hickmon, an All-Southern Section Division IV selection, will continue his education and play basketball at the Naval Academy. . . . The Mira Costa boys’ volleyball team, ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, defeated Beverly Hills, 15-2, 15-10, 15-3, Tuesday to improve to 10-0 and 2-0 in the Ocean League. . . . Brothers Edward and Michael Turner combined to win five events to lead Morningside past Culver City, 72-57, in an Ocean League track meet Tuesday. . . . Kim Blankinship of Torrance is the state leader in the girls’ high jump with a mark of 5-feet-9.