Record-Setting Works Was Just Getting Started

It’s not often athletes can literally see their future, but Cypress’ Sara Works can . . . almost every day.

Works, the top scorer in Orange County community college history, has only to glance at teammate and best friend Christine Collins. What Works sees is Collins, fresh off knee surgery, limping around on crutches.

Works, a 6-foot-2 sophomore center from Savanna High, soon will be in the same situation.

Her troubles started Jan. 27, when the Chargers were at Riverside. Late in the first half, Works was involved in a scramble for a loose ball and her leg was caught among three players.

She came up with the ball, turned to pass, but her knee didn’t. She felt the pain immediately and once the swelling went down a few days later, she was told the bad news.

She had a torn anterior cruciate ligament and would need surgery (scheduled for March 1) and at least six months rehabilitation to return to form. She is being recruited by several colleges, including Hawaii, which has no plans of backing off because of the injury.

So, when her teammates open the Southern California playoffs Thursday at Alan Hancock, Works’ role will be limited to cheering and offering insight.

“I knew it was bad because my knee swelled up so much,” Works said. “It really couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I felt like I was about ready to really improve.”

Which is really saying something.

Works averaged 20 points and nine rebounds as a freshman and helped Cypress earn a berth in the State tournament. She also was selected co-most valuable player in the Orange Empire Conference.

Before the injury, she was averaging a state-high 28 points and also 11 rebounds a game. Works finished her career with 1,395 points. But no matter how many points she scored, Works was haunted by the constant reminder that she needed to be more aggressive. She heard it all through high school and at Cypress.

“Coach (Kevin) Kiernan was always telling me to just go to the basket,” Works said. “I was afraid to do that earlier but I was just starting to when I got hurt.”

Without Works and Collins, Cypress has slowed its offense down greatly but the Chargers still managed to go 3-2.

“It was really hard to watch them at first,” Works said of her teammates. “I wanted to be out there so much. But I’m better now . . . At least I’m going to have someone to go through rehab with.”

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Men’s basketball: Each year the Orange Empire men’s basketball coaches like to argue that their conference is the most difficult in California. A simple check of the records this season adds strength to the argument.

Half of the eight teams in the conference won at least 20 games. Saddleback (25-5) and Riverside (28-4) tied for the conference title, Rancho Santiago (22-8) was third and Irvine Valley (21-11) fourth.

The Northern Division of the Western State Conference had three of its six teams win 20 games. Ventura is 31-1, Cuesta went 24-9 and Moorpark finished 21-11.

The men’s playoff pairings will be announced today and the seeding committee faces a difficult task. There is little question Ventura should get the top seeding. Cerritos (29-1) is expected to get the No. 2 spot.

But after that, things will get interesting. Los Angeles City (30-1) and Riverside should get the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, and Saddleback, which lost a tie-breaker to Riverside, could be seeded as high as fifth.

The 32-team field will include eight teams that finished below .500.

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Vanessa Dahl, a sophomore middle blocker from Golden West, has been selected the 1994 national community college player of the year by Volleyball magazine. Becca Foltz, a sophomore outside hitter from Golden West, was a second-team All-American.

Albert Gasparian, who has led Golden West to three State titles in the last four seasons, was selected coach of the year.

Dahl, from Huntington Beach High, has made an oral commitment to St. Mary’s. She also was the Orange Empire Conference player of the year.

Foltz, from Foothill High, has committed to California. She was the most valuable player in the State tournament for the Rustlers.