Notebook : Confusion Continues in Tennis

A cursory check of tennis box scores last week showed that several coaches still haven’t accepted the 18-point scoring system that was approved March 9 at the Southern Section meeting.

The Garden Grove League is one of several leagues still using the 21-point system, which gives 1 1/3 points for doubles sets and one point for singles sets.

The 21-point system was used only for 1994. Before that, the Southern Section used the 18-point system. That method weighs singles and doubles equally, giving a point for each set.

“We’re not sure what is the old scoring system and what is the new one at this point,” Mission Viejo Coach Bill Smith said. “We’re all a little confused.”

And upset.

“I haven’t talked to anybody yet who was not for the old system,” Smith said. “No one had any idea it was going to be changed. It left a lot of people angry. They would have never done this in football or baseball, changed a rule during the season. Procedurally, it didn’t make much sense.”

At one point last year, Smith was one of the major opponents of the 21-point system, but by season’s end he realized it promoted more team play and forced coaches to coach and singles players to play doubles.

“I think they’re doing the opposite of what I want,” Smith said, joking. “Maybe I should just shut my mouth.

“I thought it really didn’t make much sense last year. But I admit, I was wrong. It should have been given at least two years.”

Smith admits he has already benefited from the scoring changes. Mission Viejo defeated Laguna Beach, 9-9, 87-80 in games. But if the 21-point system had been used, Mission Viejo would have lost the match.

“It wouldn’t benefit me this year because I’m strong in singles, but I think it was right,” Smith said. “You can’t claim that I’m for it because it helps my team. Sometimes, it’s more important to do the right thing.”

Foothill Coach Dennis Claus said he already has lost a match to Los Alamitos, 13 1/3-7 2/3, because he agreed to play under last year’s 21-point system.

“The Los Alamitos coach refused to play under the new system,” Claus said. “I set my lineup to play under the one (singles point) and one (doubles point) and it probably cost me the match. It’s not the end of the world, though.”

Claus, like Smith, has a team that is more geared to the 18-point system. He has three quality singles players. Claus would prefer the 21-point system, but he said as long as the rule has been changed, everyone should abide by it.

*

Coaches have been named for two of the three upcoming basketball all-star functions.

The first Orange County All-Star Tournament includes a Friday boys’ game at 8 p.m. with Tim Parsel (Estancia) coaching the South against the West, which will be coached by Gordon Billingsley (Fountain Valley). Coaching Sunday’s 6:30 game will be Cypress’ Tom Gorrel for the East and Servite’s Scott Hamilton for the North. The girls’ start Sunday at 4:30 with Brea Olinda’s Jeff Sink and El Dorado’s Gary Raya coaching the North against the South team, coached by Woodbridge’s Eric Bangs and Estancia’s Russ Davis.

The Costa Mesa Kiwanis’ 30th annual Orange County All-Star Basketball games will be April 22 at Orange Coast College, with the girls’ game at 5 p.m. and the boys’ game at 8. Esperanza’s Marc Hill will coach the South girls against Bangs’ North squad. Corona del Mar’s Paul Orris, Times Orange County coach of the year, will lead the South boys against Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight and the North team.

The third all-star game is the California State High School Women’s All-Star Basketball game on May 7, at 3 p.m. at the Bren Center.

*

Numerous league showdowns highlight the boys’ volleyball schedule this week.

Wednesday in the Sunset League, Fountain Valley (5-1), ranked No. 1 in Orange County, plays at third-ranked Huntington Beach (6-0), two-time defending Southern Section Division I champ.

“There aren’t any great teams in the county,” Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli said, “but there are a lot of good ones. This is as balanced as I’ve seen it.”

Today, Sea View League play begins with No. 4 Irvine (5-1) playing host to No. 10 Newport Harbor (2-2); both are considered strong title contenders in the league that features No. 9 El Toro (2-5) and No. 7 Woodbridge (5-1).

Other big matches this week include two of the Century League’s best when Foothill (2-2) plays at Orange (7-0) today. Saturday, San Clemente (5-1) plays host to Los Angeles Loyola, considered one of the favorites to win the Division I title this season.

*

It was a short losing streak, but San Clemente volleyball Coach Mike Hurlbut wasn’t taking any chances after his team went winless in the Orange County Championships tournament and lost a five-game heartbreaker last week to Huntington Beach.

Hurlbut called a 5:30 a.m. practice the day of the Tritons’ Friday night match against Woodbridge.

“I didn’t know if we did the right thing when the guys showed up for the match, eyes closing, heads bobbing,” Hurlbut said. “But we had a great practice.

“There was a conflict with gym time and that was the only time available. So I blared the PA system as loud as it could go. Unfortunately, the only music we had was Dick Clark’s All-Time Greatest Hits.”

Although it wasn’t a runaway, San Clemente defeated Woodbridge in four games.

Staff writers Chris Foster and Michael Itagaki contributed to this story.