Notebook : All-Star Snub Riles Griffin Coach

Though many high school players are disappointed when they don’t make postseason all-star games, few coaches or players get livid over it.

Los Alamitos Coach Jami Shannon was the exception last week when Griffin shortstop Michelle Schneider and outfielder Amanda Peterson were omitted from the rosters for the fourth Orange County North-South All-Star game, presented by Soroptimist International of Brea. The game is June 7 at Brea Olinda.

Schneider (.376, 18 runs, 14 RBIs) was the Sunset League’s most valuable player; Peterson batted .373, scored 23 runs and stole 24 bases.

Even Laguna Hills Coach Cary Crouch, who has drawn some criticism for his choices for the South team, had to agree: “This is a chance to pat you on the back and say, ‘Great job.’ When the MVP of the Sunset League isn’t on there, and she’s got a full-ride to Stanford, that’s a farce.”

But Fullerton Coach Scott Weber, the North coach, defended his choices. He said he “wanted to spread it around,” and his 15 choices represented 13 schools (the South had 11). “I wanted to give some of the girls who don’t get much recognition, that I feel are very good players, a chance to get some [recognition].” He said he took players’ positions into account.

“I knew the kids from Los Al were good; my feeling was no matter who I picked, someone wasn’t going to be happy,” he said. “[Shannon called me and] made it sound like I didn’t know who they were or was intentionally trying to slight them. It was a hard decision. It wasn’t necessarily the team I would pick if I was going to play 20 games. . . . Why not give some other good kids a chance; they’re worthy of recognition as well.”

Said Shannon, who coached the first all-star game: “It’s a joke. In the case of Michelle, especially, it’s not like she’s a marginal all-star player in this county. And Amanda Peterson is one of the few true senior outfielders who should be in a game like this.”

There is one outfielder on the North team, seven infielders who are not pitchers, and three catchers, including Los Alamitos’ lone representative, Jennifer Slaney, who played outfield last year.

“I had a quick decision to make,” Weber said. “I’m not maliciously trying to do something, and I don’t think I should be ripped just because Jami Shannon’s not happy.”

Crouch said he was willing to take the criticism for selecting four Marina players to the South squad; the game traditionally allows only two players per school.

“I ranked 25 players in order and Marina had three of the top six players and four of the top 15,” Crouch said. “To leave the top three off would be a travesty.”

He was originally told he couldn’t do it by Soroptimist vice president Kim Beckley, but after learning Marina won the Division I title last year and had no one on the all-star team--it was a junior-led team--the club relented.

“I was hoping to get three,” Crouch said. “When they gave me four--well, I’m willing to take the heat on that one.”

He chose Marcy Crouch (his daughter), Heather Williams, Lynette Velazquez and Faith Fuata.

Beckley said Weber got only a list of players with no statistics, and that he had to pick a team in two days.

“I have to assume [the coaches’] motives were in the best place and wanted to give us the best game possible,” she said. “We do not have formal rules written for this game, but obviously after this game, we will.”

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The Memorial Day weekend was no holiday for Edison’s Kerry O’Bric. She competed Friday afternoon as an unattached athlete at Mt. San Antonio College in its heptathlon/decathlon competition. She left with a 300-point lead in the heptathlon, scrambling from Walnut to Cerritos College for the Southern Section Masters Meet. There, she competed for Edison; her triple jump (37 feet 7 1/4 inches) gave her third place and qualified her for this weekend’s State meet.

The next day she was back at Mt. SAC. Her two-day heptathlon total of 4,542 points, a personal best, gave her first place and qualified her for this summer’s Junior Nationals, also at Mt. SAC. She placed 10th last year against mostly collegiate athletes.

Correspondent Don Turnbull contributed to this story.