Sports ‘95: A Look Back : ’95 as It Sounded in Their Own Words

* March 12

“I like baseball, but it takes a special person to just do baseball, baseball, baseball every day. My first love is football.”

--Keith Smith, former Newbury Park quarterback who decided to give up baseball with the Detroit Tigers minor league system and play football for Arizona.

* March 24

“I was in Burger King one day, standing in line, ditching class. This guy came up to me and said, ‘Would you like to make a million dollars?’ ”

--Lance Whitaker, 23, recalling a day in 1989 when--as a senior at San Fernando High--he first thought of becoming a boxer.

* March 25

“I took over the program in 1991 in a very very difficult situation, certain that I could make a difference in the quality of the program. I leave in 1995 knowing that significant strides have been made within this program.”

--Kim Chandler, former Cal State Northridge women’s basketball coach who resigned after a 1-26 season. Chandler was 12-84 at Northridge.

* April 19

“I’m losing all my hair, my wife hates me and my child hates me.”

--Denny Barrett, Chaminade baseball coach whose team had just lost six one-run games.

* May 3

“I did everything in the world to stop it. Really, I did.”

--Alan Eberhart, Crescenta Valley softball coach whose team defeated Muir, 38-0, in three innings.

* May 3

“I’m sure these guys are adequate college or high school umpires, but move to the bright lights and the ball moves a little faster.”

--Brian Gorman, National League baseball umpire who was not impressed with those who replaced him during the strike.

* June 2

“It’s the greatest moment of my life. The best feeling on earth.”

--Kevin Serr after ripping a three-run home run at Dodger Stadium to lead Kennedy to a 3-1 victory over Carson in the City Section 4-A Division championship game.

* June 29

“It’s almost like a lounge act trying to follow Elvis.”

--Tom D’Errico, who was hired to succeed Mike Scyphers as baseball coach at Simi Valley after Scyphers resigned. D’Errico has no baseball coaching experience at the high school level.

* August 26

“I’m not going to be standing on a baseball field with a rake in my hand and a towel on my head when I’m 70.”

--Bill Kernen, former Cal State Northridge baseball coach explaining his surprise resignation.

* September 15

“We could have scored 80, but I don’t like to embarrass people.”

--Brian McNeely, Idaho State football coach after his team defeated Northridge, 52-0, scoring its final touchdown with six seconds to play.

* November 11

“When we brought the team together, instead of yelling ‘Hit!’ or ‘Win!’ we yelled, ‘414.’ ”

--George Contreras, Rio Mesa football coach, trying to inspire his team to keep Hueneme’s Ronney Jenkins from breaking the Ventura County single-game rushing record of 415 yards before the teams met in the final game of the season. Jenkins set a national record with 619 yards.

* December 16

“I just wanted to have a senior season that I could be proud of and happy with. I never expected this.”

--Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks High, who became the first runner from the region to win a girls’ national title in the Foot Locker cross-country championships.

* December 22

“I don’t like to call timeouts because I’m the dumbest guy in the huddle.”

--Greg Hilliard, Harvard-Westlake boys’ basketball coach, commenting on the fact that his players had an average SAT score of 1,340, including two perfect 1,600 marks last season.

--compiled by PAIGE A. LEECH