1994-95 BOYS’ BASKETBALL: PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE : Pivaroff Is Glad He’s Back on the Court : Basketball: After year off to recover from knee injury, Laguna Beach point guard is eager to show he’s one of the gang.

Sure, Nate Pivaroff takes his lumps playing for the Laguna Beach High football team. In his three years on the team, the Artists have won only two league games, but Pivaroff still has fun.

Plus, he’s got the best revenge: basketball. Laguna Beach, a school of 545, about 200 fewer students than the next smallest school in the Pacific Coast League, is no small fry when it comes to hoops.

“I like playing bigger schools in basketball and I love beating them,” Pivaroff said. He remembers fondly upsetting eventual league champion Trabuco Hills when he was a sophomore. “They were so shocked,” he said.

Last season, Pivaroff didn’t get the chance for payback and Laguna Beach suffered because of it. Pivaroff, expected to be the Artists’ starting point guard, instead was sidelined by a knee injury.

It happened in the second-to-last football game of the season, an otherwise typical 31-0 loss to Century. Pivaroff, playing running back, dived on a bad pitch from quarterback Pat Wood. Pivaroff got to the ball first, then a Century player landed on his knee.

Pivaroff didn’t even know he was injured, playing the rest of the game. Even when the knee stiffened the next day, Pivaroff still expected that after the knee was drained of fluid, he would be ready to play in the season finale.

But the news wasn’t good; it was a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Instead of preparing for the final game, he got to prepare for reconstructive surgery that would force him to miss his junior basketball season.

It was difficult for him to take, especially when the season started without him.

“As soon as I walked into the gym my eyes got all teary,” Pivaroff said.

He soon gained control of his emotions, but what he witnessed wasn’t pleasant to watch. The Artists finished 7-17 and 3-7 in the Pacific Coast League, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1988.

“It’s tough watching your team out there and not being able to be a part of it,” he said.

Pivaroff said his teammates stuck with him, cheering him up in the first weeks after the surgery when he was stuck at home.

Now, it’s like he never left the team.

“I think they have forgotten about my knee surgery,” Pivaroff said. “They’ve accepted me back as one of the players again. That means a lot to me.”

Pivaroff says he hasn’t fully recovered. The knee is sound but the muscles that atrophied haven’t regained their strength.

“I still feel that I’m not the way I used to be,” he said. “The year off has hurt me but eventually I think I’ll get back into the swing of things.”

Although Pivaroff has lost some of his quickness, Laguna Beach Coach Bret Fleming said having him back is important to the team.

“We do have some other kids who are stepping up,” Fleming said, “but as these kids have grown up they have always looked to Nate for leadership and I don’t think that’s going to change.

“He has the ability to take over in crucial spots. Not as a scorer, but as somebody who settles the kids down and makes sure we get the ball where it’s supposed to go.”

Pivaroff also delivered the ball for the football team this season. Moving to quarterback, he passed for 1,530 yards and led the Artists to a 2-8 record, including a 22-20 victory over Estancia in the season finale.

Pivaroff, 6 feet 2 and 195 pounds, eventually wants to play quarterback in college, but right now he’s got giants to take care of on the basketball court.

1993-94 / IN REVIEW Standings

League Overall School W L W L Trabuco Hills 9 1 22 6 Century 8 2 23 5 Estancia 6 3 15 11 Laguna Hills 4 6 9 14 Laguna Beach 3 7 7 17 Costa Mesa 0 10 6 18

Highlights

Trabuco Hills and Century split their league series and were headed for a tie for the title before Estancia cliched a playoff spot with a 55-52 overtime victory over Century in the second-to-last game of the league season. Co-most valuable players Ryan Karnoff of Trabuco Hills and Thomas Harmon of Century led their teams into the second round of the Southern Section playoffs. Trabuco Hills lost to Huntington Beach, 81-69, in Division II-AA and Century lost to eventual finalist Edison in Division I-A after beating University, 63-61, for its first playoff victory ever. Estancia, led by first-team all-league player Clay Frenz and second-team players Chris Candlish and Zack Richardson, lost to eventual State Division III finalist Pacifica, 94-72, in the Division III-A first round. Laguna Hills’ Coach Dave Brown won his 400th game in a 25-year coaching career that started with 20 seasons at Fountain Valley. The Hawks were led by all-league players Jesse McDonald (first-team) and Mike Scaglione (second). Laguna Beach missed the playoffs for the first time since 1988, but salvaged some pride by upsetting Estancia in the Artists’ final game of the season, 56-55, when Brandon Bloch made a free throw with four seconds left. Ian McDonald was a first-team all-league pick for the Artists. Costa Mesa again had a rough time, despite a promising start, losing only 46-42 to Estancia in the league opener when Ryan Steck had 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists.