Success Proves Bittersweet for Crescenta Valley’s Goffredo

John Goffredo knows he is supposed to be smiling these days, but forgive him if has trouble working through his tears.

His boys’ basketball team, Crescenta Valley High, is the surprise of the Southern Section playoffs. The Falcons, who finished fourth in the Pacific League and made the tournament only after receiving an at-large berth, have pulled off four upsets in a row to advance to the Division I-AA championship game. They will face third-seeded Long Beach Poly on Saturday night at Anaheim Arena.

The latest upset was a 69-67 victory over Santa Ana Valley in a semifinal game last Saturday before a capacity crowd at Glendale High. The Falcons (18-8) have not played in a title game since 1971.

The improbable finish surprises even Goffredo, the school’s coach for 16 years. But he believes it is merely a reward for what undoubtedly has been his most difficult season.

Goffredo, 42, was not even sure he would be back because his wife of 19 years, Kathy, died of cancer last summer. Goffredo, who lives near the school in La Crescenta, was left to bring up their three children, who range from 9 to 15.

“No one is going to raise my children but me,” said Goffredo, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended Burbank Burroughs High. “My days are full now, and I seldom get everything done before 11 at night. But we’re together.”

His assistant coaches and players urged him to return, and have been supportive. But it has not been easy.

“My two girls are just upset that their mom can’t be here to share this with them,” Goffredo said. “They know she would have loved going to the championship (game). Somehow, I have to believe all of this is happening for a reason. But it is hard for me to be happy.

“Things are bittersweet for me right now. My coaching career is at the pinnacle, but my emotions are at the bottom.”

Goffredo’s young team lost three starters to injuries before the first game. One of them, sophomore forward Mike Greco, has still not returned.

In addition, the school’s gymnasium was severely damaged during the Jan. 17 earthquake, forcing the team to play at a variety of facilities in the area. Last weekend, the Falcons were forced to practice outside for the first time in Goffredo’s tenure.

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The Southern Section took a smart gamble when it agreed to allow Santa Ana Mater Dei and Loyola to hold their boys’ basketball Division I-A semifinal game last Friday at Pauley Pavilion.

Unable to find a suitable gymnasium, Loyola administrators called UCLA. They were finally able to work out a rental fee of about $10,000.

Dean Crowley, Southern Section commissioner, agreed to put up $5,000 and let the schools split the other half. Mater Dei’s 78-60 victory was played before 6,000, ensuring that the game would generate a profit.

“I can’t remember our office ever putting up more for a basketball playoff game,” Crowley said. “But we anticipated a decent crowd, and we didn’t want to have to turn anyone away at the door. Pauley was the perfect site, and UCLA was more than cooperative.”

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Craig Murray, boys’ basketball coach at Los Angeles High, reluctantly shook hands with Crenshaw Coach Willie West after L.A. was routed, 139-51, last Tuesday in a City Division 4-A first-round playoff game.

Although 13 players scored for Crenshaw, Murray said West played his starters in every quarter and continued to press until the final second. The top-seeded Cougars scored 71 points in the second half.

With Crenshaw leading by 60 points entering the fourth quarter, Murray said he started putting in his second- and third-string players. West did not ease up, however, continuing to shuffle in starters. L.A. was outscored, 35-4, in the final quarter.

“It is bogus to continue to press in the fourth quarter when you’re leading by 60 or 70 points,” Murray said. “They have a lot of talent and they were very hot that day, but after a while what does it mean? My kids actually took it all in stride, but I guess Willie is trying to make a point to the rest of the City that his team is the very best.”

Prep Notes

Palos Verdes Peninsula and Lynwood will play for the Southern Section Division I-AA girls’ basketball championship Saturday night at Cal Poly Pomona. The game is a rematch of the 1992 final, which Peninsula won, 54-44. Peninsula went on to win the State Division I title and finish the season 34-0. Four of its starters received scholarships to Division I colleges. Graduation and injuries, however, resulted in a disappointing season for the Panthers in ’93. They were eliminated by Lynwood in the Division I-AA quarterfinals and finished 16-7. “Certainly, when you are used to being on top, it is difficult to go through a season like that,” said Wendell Yoshida, Peninsula’s coach. “But the community did not get too down on us because they knew we were a young team that was pretty banged up. Getting to the quarterfinals is also nothing to be ashamed of.” Peninsula is back on top this season. It improved to 24-3 with a 60-38 victory over San Gabriel in the semifinals Saturday night. Senior guard Mimi McKinney, a four-year starter, is one of the nation’s top prospects.

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel is expected to win its second State wrestling title in a row this weekend. The two-day tournament, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, will begin Friday at 9 a.m. The championship round is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. . . .The South Gate boys’ soccer team was removed from the City playoffs last week after school officials learned that one of its players, striker Carlos Osorio, had played the entire season while being academically ineligible. Osorio scored the winning goal in the team’s 3-2 victory over San Fernando in the opening round of the playoffs. South Gate was replaced by San Fernando in the second round.

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 30-0 1 2. Crenshaw City 4-A 23-2 2 3. Dominguez SS II-A 26-2 3 4. Inglewood SS II-AA 26-3 6 5. JW North SS II-AA 27-0 7 6. St. John Bosco SS II-A 26-2 8 7. LB Poly SS I-AA 24-6 10 8. Santa Barbara SS II-AA 28-2 9 9. Fontana SS I-AA 25-2 4 10. Westchester City 4-A 23-5 5 11. Glendora SS II-AA 27-2 17 12. Fremont City 4-A 21-5 20 13. Verbum Dei SS IV-A 22-2 15 14. Loyola SS I-A 22-6 14 15. Fairfax City 4-A 21-6 13 16. Los Alamitos SS I-AA 22-5 12 17. Cres. Valley SS I-AA 18-8 NR 18. S. Ana Valley SS I-AA 26-4 16 19. Pacifica SS III-A 26-1 NR 19. Edison SS I-A 19-9 NR

GIRLS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Brea-Olinda SS III-AA 28-0 1 2. Lynwood SS I-AA 28-1 2 3. Alemany SS II-A 26-0 3 4. Buena SS I-A 23-2 4 5. Woodbridge SS II-AA 28-0 5 6. Peninsula SS I-AA 24-3 6 7. St. Bernard SS IV-AA 24-5 8 8. Mater Dei SS I-A 24-3 9 9. San Bernardino SS II-A 24-4 13 10. Cypress SS II-A 26-3 11 11. Bishop Amat SS II-A 24-2 10 12. Valley Chr. SS IV-A 25-2 15 13. Ventura SS II-A 21-5 19 14. B. Montgomery SS III-AA 23-8 14 15. Hemet SS II-AA 21-5 NR 16. Gahr SS II-AA 13-16* 7 17. Newport Harbor SS III-AA 22-6 NR 18. Newbury Park SS III-AA 23-5 16 19. Lompoc SS III-A 23-4 NR 20. Diamond Bar SS I-AA 25-2 NR

* Indicates 10 losses by forfeit.