1992-93: The Prep Year In Review : The Best and Worst, the Wild and Wacky

The memories from a high school sports season are limited only by the number of people taking it all in. The members of The Times Orange County prep sports staff have provided the commentaries on these two pages about the people, events and issues that made the greatestimpression on them in the last 10 months.

Actors have the Oscars, musicians get Grammys and Broadway stars will kill for a Tony.

Today’s offering is the Hammys, named after Tom Hamilton, the recently retired Times Orange County prep sports editor.

Fittingly, the awards go to the offbeat best (and worst) in Orange County high school sports during the 1992-93 seasons.

And remember, this is only an exhibition, not a competition, so please, no phone calls. And that means you, Mom and Dad.

The envelopes please . . .

Best technical foul--Strictly a tongue-in-cheek award, this one goes to Magnolia basketball player Demetrius (The Kissing Bandit) Maltie. Maltie drew a “T” for smooching Western’s Josh Cook on the cheek during an Orange League game in February. Maltie said he did it to frustrate Cook. Cook didn’t know whether to punch him or thank him for the free throws.

Best clipboard toss--Marina volleyball Coach Jason Bilbruck, no saint of the sidelines himself, tells me that the sidearm throw by Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli in Game 4 of the Oilers’ Southern Section Division I championship match was an all-time classic.

Relax, Rocky, your Oilers pulled out a victory in Game 5.

Classiest move--Estancia basketball player Jim Faulkner, who dedicated a 34-point performance against Laguna Beach to a young friend diagnosed as having leukemia. He was low-key about it, but his words were very sincere.

Best dunk--Faulkner threw down a few sweet ones, but the backdoor alley-oop jams by Huntington Beach’s Tony Gonzalez lead my highlight reel.

Best arm--Tim Carey of Los Alamitos. In nine years of covering prep sports in three states, he’s the best quarterback I’ve seen. He’ll start at Stanford. Soon.

Best receiver--Los Alamitos’ George Sagen--I’ll never understand why Division I college coaches passed on this guy.

Best lineman--Esperanza tackle Travis Kirschke. This guy scares me. His potential scares me. Next year, he could be scaring the Pac-10.

Best trash-talker--Western basketball player Frankie Floyd, a Times second-team all-county player. Talked constantly, even forgetting to jump at the opening tip once because he was jabbering. Once took Magnolia’s Brandon Hearvey out of a game by ribbing him about his resemblance to J.J. Walker on the TV series “Good Times.” Dyn-O-mite!

Best disappearing act--Hammy. He’s rumored to be coaching Little League baseball in Bend, Ore.

Most overlooked basketball player--University’s Demitrius Zeigler. He led the county in scoring as a junior (27 points a game) and will be a Division I recruit next year. Here’s one vote for him for The Times’ all-county team.

Worst predictions--Me. I picked Huntington Beach’s volleyball team to lose in the finals. The Oilers won in five. I picked Esperanza’s volleyball team to lose in the section finals, and the Aztecs swept Royal. I’m ordering crow for my next meal . . . and who says I can’t give an award to myself?

Best comeback--Century quarterback Ricky Odoardi missed his junior season after spending time in jail for stealing cars and in continuation school after flunking out of Century. He turned his life around and returned to Century, where he led the Centurions to the Southern Section Division VIII semifinals.

Best coaching job--A lot of worthy candidates, but Valencia football Coach Mike Marrujo gets my vote. He and his staff took a young team from a 1-2 start to a second consecutive Southern Section Division VI title.

Marrujo will hate reading this, but with running back Chris Draft and quarterback Rob Petko back next season, the Tigers have a great chance to win a third title.

Best quote--From Corona del Mar girls’ volleyball Coach Lance Stewart, after the Sea Kings won the State Division I championship: “I’m as happy as a gopher in soft dirt right now.”

Best reptile in a leading role--You can have Jurassic Park. Godzilla is still the toughest movie monster around. Just ask Charles Barkley.

See you at the beach.