Sports

SILENT TREATMENT

Westchester High had low expectations entering the City Section track finals last Thursday because the Comets had never won a boys’ track title.

But after the points were totaled, the Comets came out the surprise winner. Led by Kaaron Conwright in the sprints and a 1-2 finish in the half mile, the Comets won the school’s first boys’ title with 46 points.

“That was really a big shock,” Conwright said. “We never talked about winning as a team.”

Conwright was one of the featured performers in the 100 meters, which lived up to its billing as the day’s most exciting race. Lining up against Conwright were Cleveland’s Charles Lee and Locke’s Sirr Parker. Tension began to mount after Parker had a false start.

“I think a lot of mind games were being played out there,” Conwright said. “I knew if I got out of the blocks first before everyone else, I would be able to maintain my speed all the way down.”

Conwright won the 100 in an impressive 10.75 seconds, but ran 21.67 to place second behind Lee (21.58) in the 200.

Conwright also anchored the Comets’ first-place finish in the 400-meter relay.

The Comets captured the team title when Garrick Goods and Ryan Song finished first and second, respectively, in the 800. Goods won the race in 1:58.34 while Song ran 1:58.85. It was a great finish for Song, who had a disappointing effort in the 1,600 when he was tripped from behind during the final 300 meters.

In other distance races, Palisades’ Peter Gilmore ran 4:24.05 to win his second consecutive 1,600 championship and also won the 3,200 in 9:41.02.

STATE MEET

Palisades’ Peter Gilmore, Fairfax’s Jason Lewis and Westchester’s Conwright will be among the featured runners at the 77th annual California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Cerritos College.

Conwright will compete in the 100 and 200 meters and anchor the Comets’ 400-meter relay team. Although he qualified in two events, Gilmore will run the 3,200. Lewis will compete in the 300-meter hurdles. He ran 37.98 to win the City championship.

OUTNUMBERED

When St. Bernard Coach Bob Yarnall turned in his lineup at home plate, he was informed that his opponent, Fontana, had more than 300 boys try out for its baseball team.

Said Yarnall: “They have more players trying out than we have boys in our school. My first reaction was: ‘What are we doing here?’ My second reaction was: ‘I don’t care if they have a thousand kids try out, we’re going to give them a game.”

After two impressive Southern Section Division I playoff wins, the Vikings finally succumbed to Fontana, 2-1, Friday in the quarterfinals at Loyola Marymount University.

The Vikings rattled pitcher Kris Stevens after freshman Kris Zacuto hit a 385-foot home run in the bottom of the seventh. Stevens walked the next two Vikings before striking out Nick Norton to end the game.

“Nick may have struck out, but he is the player I want at the plate when the game is on the line,” Yarnall said.

DRAFTABLE

According to major league scouts, the best crop of high school seniors since 1982 will be among the top selections when the June amateur draft begins today.

In the 1982 draft, former New York Mets pitching star Dwight Gooden, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jose Canseco and Kansas City Royals catcher Pat Borders were among the top players taken.

The best high school player in the 1995 draft is catcher Ben Davis of Malvern Prep of Philadelphia. Shortstops Chad Hermansen of Green Valley High in Nevada and Michael Barrett of Pace Academy of Atlanta also are expected to be high first-round picks.

Westside players are expected to be taken after the 15th round.

St. Bernard center fielder/pitcher Brandon Pernell, who signed with the University of Miami, hopes to become the ninth Viking to be drafted in 10 years.

Shortstop Gabe Alvarez, outfielder Geoff Jenkins and pitcher Brian Cooper will be among the top USC players taken in the draft. Loyola Marymount first baseman Andy Collett and UCLA catcher Tim DeCinces, the son of former California Angel Doug DeCinces, are expected to be drafted.

SIGNINGS

Venice’s Quentin McCowen became the latest area high school basketball player to achieve the necessary score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, clearing the way for him to receive a Division I scholarship.

McCowen, who scored 830 on the SAT, will sign with Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.

The 6-foot-5 senior forward averaged a team-leading 22.8 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Gondoliers point guard Fred Hawthorne will attend Cal Baptist on a scholarship.

TITLE DEFENSE

Brentwood defended its Division III tennis championship against Etiwanda on Wednesday at Balboa Park in Encino. (See Sports, Section C, for results.)

The Eagles (17-3) have three outstanding singles players in junior Scott Borenstein, Dave Goldstein and Tyler Barnett.

Senior Scott Kaufman and junior Greg Lewis form the Eagles’ top doubles team.

DERAILED

When the Southern Section Division I tennis playoffs began, second-seeded Beverly Hills was on track to meet top-seeded Santa Barbara in the finals.

But Peninsula prevented the Normans from reaching the finals with a stunning 12-6 victory in the semifinals Thursday at Peninsula High.

The Normans, who split their two nonleague matches against the Panthers, lost seven of their nine doubles matches.

“They smoked us in doubles,” Beverly Hills Coach Jason Newman said. “But I don’t think any one set was the key. Peninsula did a great job. Every part of their team functioned well.”

BAD HABITS

Just when St. Monica had improved its pitching and fielding, the Mariners lost control in a 10-4 loss to Santa Ana Calvary Chapel during the Southern Section Division V semifinals.

Mariner pitchers gave up 14 hits and eight walks. St. Monica’s defense added to the troubles with five errors.

“Our defense is like night and day,” St. Monica Coach Ernie Soto said.

Fielding and pitching problems plagued the team during nonleague play when the Mariners got off to a 1-6 start. St. Monica, however, turned things around and won 14 of its next 15 games, including the Camino Real League championship.

“At first we didn’t know what to expect,” Soto said. “But the kids didn’t panic.”

During the playoffs, when the pressure to win is the greatest, the Mariners started getting clutch hits from the lower part of the batting order. Shane Warmington, who bats seventh, hit a run-scoring double to beat Village Christian, 4-3, in a quarterfinal game on Friday.