Sports

BOUNCING BACK

Kurt Altenberg is living proof that you can’t keep the good ones down.

The former UCLA receiver underwent an emergency heart transplant Feb. 17. Last week, barely six weeks after the operation at UCLA Medical Center, he announced he will help coach football next season at Serra High, his alma mater.

Altenberg, 50, will assist his son, Scott, who was hired as offensive coordinator. They are part of the staff being put together by Charles Nash, who was recently named Serra’s coach after taking over the program midway through last season on an interim basis. Nash replaced Kevin Crawley, who was fired.

“I was lucky,” said Altenberg, best known for catching the winning touchdown pass in the 1965 UCLA-USC game. “I recovered faster than most people. I’ve always kept in good shape. The doctors said the only thing wrong with me was a bad heart.”

Altenberg’s health took a turn for the worse when he caught a virus while visiting friends in Texas during Thanksgiving. The virus destroyed his heart muscle, making a transplant his only option for survival.

“I was fortunate that they found a heart early,” he said. “The doctors at UCLA are wonderful. They can do anything with the heart. The hardest part is finding a donor.”

Altenberg said he plans to participate in the Donor Awareness Program to educate the public on the needs of transplant patients.

“The ironic thing is that it’s so simple,” he said. “There are no negatives. It just takes 10 seconds to check the back of your (driver’s) license. Hopefully more people will start doing that.”

COACH’S FIRING

Steve Brown, coach of the Redondo High girls’ basketball team, was fired last week by Principal Bob Paulson, who cited “a philosophical difference” as the reason for the action.

“That’s pretty much what it boils down to,” Paulson told the Daily Breeze.

But according to a source, the problem was not between Paulson and Brown. The source, who requested anonymity, said Paulson bowed to pressure from a small group of parents and school board members.

“The parents went to the board,” the source said. “From what I hear, they were upset with (Brown’s) handling of the girls. They accused him of cussing and verbal abuse.”

Brown declined to respond to the allegations. In five seasons as coach, he guided Redondo to four Southern Section playoff berths and a 60-65 record. The Sea Hawks increased their victory total in each season under Brown, winning four games in 1989-90 and finishing 17-9 last season.

“(The firing) has nothing to do with his record,” the source said. “He recently coached in that (South Bay) all-star game, so you know he’s highly thought of. I just think some board members had it in for him.

“He should have been put on probation instead of being fired. There were rumblings from parents (during the season), but they were pretty isolated.”

Brown, who is considering an offer to coach boys’ basketball at Redondo, said he is through with coaching girls.

“Based upon my experience in girls’ basketball in the past five years, I have no interest in going back,” he said.

Brown will continue to teach science at Redondo.

ANOTHER LOSS

Meddling parents reportedly were the reason for the recent resignation of Rich Rosato, the longtime girls’ basketball coach at North Torrance.

Several colleagues said Rosato’s decision was based on problems he had with parents last season, when he guided North to an 18-7 record and a share of the Pioneer League title.

Rosato, who did not elaborate, said he felt it was time to step down.

DUKE OF DUNK

Duke-bound Ricky Price of Serra High won the dunk contest at the prestigious McDonald’s All-America basketball game last week in New York City, impressing judges with a 360-degree dunk on his last attempt.

The 6-foot-6 Price didn’t fare as well in the game. He finished with eight points for the West in a 112-110 loss to the East, but enjoyed meeting and playing with the nation’s top seniors.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “Just to be there was an honor.”

Price started for the West alongside another Duke recruit, guard Trajan Langdon of Anchorage, Alaska. Langdon won the three-point shooting contest, beating Jelani Gardner of St. John Bosco High and UCLA-bound omm’A Givens of Aberdeen, Wash., in the finals.

Price said he was thrilled that Duke reached the NCAA final.

“I was on the edge of my seat the whole time watching them,” he said. “I can’t wait to get there.”

BASKETBALL HONORS

Serra’s Price and Inglewood junior Paul Pierce have been named to the elite, 10-player All-Southern Section basketball team by members of the media.

Pierce, a 6-6 forward who led Inglewood to the Division II-A title, was runner-up to St. John Bosco’s Gardner for Division II player of the year. Pierce was joined on the first team by senior guards Sam Turks of Inglewood and Shane Willis of Mira Costa. Senior guard Morgan Ensberg of Redondo was named to the second team.

In Division III, Bishop Montgomery senior guard Kareem Mutrie was named to the first team. In Division IV, Price was named to the first team and junior forward Leonard Butler of Serra and senior guard Matt Sabosky of El Segundo were named to the second team.

In Division V, Chadwick guard Neil Thakur was a first-team choice and his teammate, junior forward Todd Ammons, and Mary Star senior guard Tony DiLeva were named to the second team.

NOTHING TO FEAR

Last year, the San Pedro High softball team finished 26-3 and won its second consecutive City Section 4-A Division title.

The Pirates are 11-2 this year entering today’s Pacific League game against Carson at home, but San Pedro’s nonconference record is of no concern to Coach Tony Dobra.

The Pirates’ losses have come to Southern Section schools Bellflower and Bishop Montgomery.

“Technically, we’re behind last year in terms of losses,” said Dobra, who lost eight players from last year’s team because of graduation. “But if somebody told me before the season we would be 11-2, at this point I would be ecstatic.”

The Pirates’ leaders this season are seniors Petrina Martinez and Victoria Brucker, the 1993 City 4-A co-most valuable players.

Brucker has signed a letter of intent to San Jose State and Martinez has taken a recruiting trip to Oregon.

Martinez and Brucker have helped San Pedro to a 33-game winning streak against City competition and a 57-10 record over three years.

Martinez (3-2) won 14 games as a junior, but the Pirates have gone to a three-pitcher rotation this year with Tami Anderson (4-2) and Nicole DeLuca (3-0).

Sophomore outfielder Darlene Karacoza leads the team with a .500 average and juniors Alma Dorado and Michelle Spanjol are batting .450 and .368.

The Pirates, however, are seeking a replacement for third baseman Patty Palmas, who moved to Utah during spring break.

“We have the opportunity to do well in the City playoffs if we continue to improve,” Dobra said. “The seniors have an opportunity to be part of something special--three titles in a row--and I think once that sinks in we’re going to be dangerous.”

BY INVITATION ONLY

The Morningside High girls headline a list of South Bay entrants in the invitational portion of the Arcadia/Foot Locker Track and Field Invitational Saturday night at Arcadia High.

The Monarchs will renew their rivalry with Long Beach Poly in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays.

Last season, the Jackrabbits posted national-leading marks of 45.59 seconds in the 400 relay and 3 minutes 42.75 seconds in the 1,600 relay. Morningside had the country’s third-fastest time in the 1,600 relay at 3:44.93 and the No. 5 time in the 400 relay at 46.57.

Jaime Artzner and Molly Mehlberg of Peninsula will compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters and run on the Panthers’ distance medley relay team.

THIS AND THAT

* Many of Southern California’s top prep basketball players will participate in the second annual Nike Slam-N-Jam Grandeur-N-Glory Prep Cage Classic starting at 6 p.m. Friday at St. John Bosco in Bellflower. South Bay standouts expected to play in the doubleheader include Inglewood’s Turks, Banning’s Jason Pickett and Carson’s Charles Perry and Tony Harvey. The team coached by Inglewood’s Pat Roy in the 8 p.m. game will include Turks, Pickett and Kristaan Johnson of State Division I champion Crenshaw.

* Peninsula High senior Traci Arkenberg, who led area girls’ soccer players in scoring with 59 goals and 15 assists last season, has been named Southern Section Division I offensive player of the year.

Sophomore forward Michelle Kallas of Bishop Montgomery was named Division II offensive player of the year and Knight Coach Kit Schwartzman shared coach of the year with Tino Younger of El Modena. Bishop Montgomery was division champion. Peninsula was runner-up to Marina.