MIDWEEK REPORT HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS UPDATE : Job Isn’t Just a Sideline

Desmond Willows is the boys’ soccer coach at Chatsworth High but it was his experience as a cross-country runner that recently served him best in his second job as a campus security monitor.

While patrolling the school grounds one morning, Willows heard a report on his walkie-talkie about a robbery at knifepoint that had been committed nearby. Willows spotted the suspected teen-age thief on the run. He pursued him over a 10-foot fence and a half-mile up Lurline Avenue before collaring him and turning him over to police.

Despite such adventures, Willows is happy enforcing rules during school and coaching after class.

“Back in my day, the guys doing my job were just keeping kids in class,” said Willows, a 1984 Chatsworth graduate. “These days we’re staking ourselves out with binoculars to catch the drug dealers and users.”

A native of England, Willows was cut from the Chatsworth soccer team as a sophomore before gravitating to cross-country. However, he continued to play club soccer and in 1992 gave up a job as a chef when he heard his alma mater needed a coach.

“I walked in at 8 the next morning and was hired by noon,” Willows said. “Things have worked out great. I get up every day and I look forward to doing both my jobs.”

Home Is Where You Find It

Nearly two months into the basketball season, the St. Genevieve boys’ team last Wednesday finally played a home game.

Only it wasn’t at home.

It was at Birmingham High.

St. Genevieve planned to have a new gymnasium ready for the start of the season, but construction has been delayed. Playing a real home game any time soon is therefore out of the question.

“April 15 has been the due date all along,” St. Genevieve Athletic Director John Yakel said. “We were hoping for something sooner but this permit needed to be signed and then that one needed to be signed. They are on schedule for April.”

The Valiants (3-12) opened with 13 road games--three tournaments and two league games--before playing at Birmingham gym.

“It definitely takes its toll,” Coach Darius Floyd said. “You need to play some home games and get that home crowd behind you.”

Man for All Seasons

Bryon Carnes of El Camino Real is among few three-sport athletes in the region.

At least for the time being.

Carnes, a 5-foot-11 point guard on the Conquistadore basketball team, was a starting receiver for the school’s football team and a starting outfielder for a baseball team that last year advanced to the City Section 4-A semifinals.

But he might give up baseball to concentrate on his football career.

Carnes, a senior, has received attention from several Division I-AA schools, including Idaho and Cal State Northridge. Last fall he caught 32 passes for 629 yards and eight touchdowns.

“I haven’t completely decided yet,” Carnes said. “Basketball keeps me in shape. I want to get on a weight program for football this spring, but if [baseball] season comes up I might come back.”

Through the Years

Agoura High boys’ basketball games often serve as reunions for the Thousand Oaks team of 1976-77, a close-knit group who have remained friends for more than 20 years.

Agoura Coach Kevin Pasky was a member of that Thousand Oaks team, as was Canyon football and softball Coach Larry Mohr. Others include Rick Kent, a former Moorpark basketball coach, and the Lancers’ former star forward, Steve Ornelaz.

Mohr attended Agoura’s victory over Newbury Park on Friday, explaining the intricacies of the box-and-one defense to his 2-year-old son, James.

“This gives us all a chance to get together,” Mohr said.

For years the group went out after the games, but family life has replaced postgame celebrations. Mohr also has an 8-month-old son, Joseph. Pasky’s wife, Deirdre, gave birth to their first child, Nicholas, in October.

“It’s great that we are all still around the area and have kept our friendships going,” Pasky said.

Basketball Notes

City Section

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

Boys: West Valley League--Taft sophomore Harold Shevlin, moved from shooting to point guard to replace injured Danny Modaberpour, had his best game of the season, scoring 19 points in a 63-55 victory over Birmingham. Shevlin made eight consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter to ice the victory. Modaberpour, who has a twisted ankle, is expected to return this week. . . . Cleveland is just one of two teams to win its first two conference games, but Coach Kevin Crider found some negative statistics in the victories. The Cavaliers had one offensive rebound against Birmingham and were one for 22 in three-point shots against Granada Hills.

North Valley League--El Camino Real senior guard Jason Fox is the second-leading scorer and top three-point shooter for the Conquistadores. But don’t expect him to crack the starting lineup. “We’ve talked about starting him but he feels better coming off the bench and we’ve done well this way,” Coach Neils Ludlow said. El Camino Real is the only team in the league to win both its conference games. . . . Guard Leon Pimky of Granada Hills had his best week of the season, scoring 15 points against Kennedy and 21--including 19 in the first half--in a loss to Cleveland. . . . San Fernando felt the effects of its double-overtime loss to Chatsworth in a lethargic first half against Kennedy two days later. “There has to be some carry-over; we had a 15-point lead,” Tiger Coach Mick Cady said.

Southern Section

ALPHA

Boys: Guard Kiko Banos returned to action for Village Christian last week after missing four games--all losses--due to a sprained ankle. Banos averaged 14.7 points his first three games back and the Crusaders (7-10) went 1-2. . . . L.A. Baptist is on pace to eclipse two school records. The Knights are averaging more than 71 points, better the school standard of 62.19 set in 1982-83. Their average of 23.5 steals is better than the record 17.88 they averaged last season. . . . Swingman Dewayne Diog averaged 29 points in three games last week for Kilpatrick.

Girls: L.A. Baptist last week won two games in a week for the first time this season. On Tuesday the Knights defeated Vasquez, 73-8, marking a season-high for points and establishing the most-lopsided margin of victory in Mary Christansen’s 11 years as coach. On Friday, they got 18 points from sophomore Sarah Markey, who had been averaging fewer than five, in a 49-34 victory over Maranatha.

CHANNEL

Boys: Of the four teams that began the week tied for first place at 4-1, Oxnard is the biggest surprise. The Yellowjackets, whose tallest player is 6-4, were only 3-6 in nonleague games but have surged behind forward Ross Randolph and guards Charles Erving and Dan Sweeney. . . . Ventura won three close league games, but lost to Santa Barbara on Friday after falling behind, 13-0. . . . Glenn Dudley and T.J. Stafford of Buena are finding their rhythm after coming out for basketball late because of football. Dudley, the Bulldogs’ quarterback, is a forward averaging 7.2 rebounds. He had a career-high 12 in a game last week. Stafford, a record-setting receiver in football, has seen his playing time increase at guard and had 10 assists last week.

Girls: Freshman guard Jaline Bradley has made the transition from the playgrounds of Durley Park to the Oxnard varsity look easy, averaging 11.9 points and 3.5 assists. Bradley leads the Yellowjackets with 39 steals. . . . Although only center Nicole Greathouse averages double-figure scoring for unbeaten Buena, six players average more than eight points. “That’s our usual balanced scoring,” Coach Joe Vaughan said. “That’s something we always strive for.”

FOOTHILL

Boys: Four Foothill League teams have already gained the minimum number of victories (10) to qualify for the Southern Section playoffs. Hart entered the week 13-6, Canyon 11-7, Burroughs 10-8 and Saugus 10-7. Defending champion Burbank (7-8), which played a tough nonleague schedule, figures to win at least 10. . . . The Bulldogs stumbled to a 1-2 start last week in league play, but in an 88-45 victory Saturday over Valencia they held the Vikings’ two leading scorers, Jerrohn Jordan (9.6) and Kevin Woods (11.7), to a total of two points. . . . Jordan, a 6-5 1/2 sophomore, continues to impress for Valencia. He had 10 blocked shots Friday against Hart, including four in a first quarter that resulted in a 15-15 tie that had the Viking gym--which both teams share as a home court--filled with over 900 fans and rocking. “It was up there in the decibel levels,” Coach Gary Spindt said. “I lost my voice. The players couldn’t hear me, and I got a pretty good voice.” . . . Jordan, in fact, had a triple-double against Hart (he added 12 points and 10 rebounds), which was a first for Valencia, a team playing its first varsity season. Said Spindt, “Everything we do nowadays is a school record.” . . . Forward Davitt Conley entered the week averaging 11.2 points, but he reached double figures in all but one of 17 games for Saugus.

Girls: When Coach Steve Lassiter took over a Burbank program that lost 30 games in a row before this season, he decided to take a hard line to make sure the Bulldogs played as a team. One of his strategies is not to reveal individual statistics. “The thing we had to do was change the attitude,” Lassiter said. “All the players were concerned with was the stats, so we abolished all of those.” So far the strategy is working. The Bulldogs entered the week with a 7-8 record, and the freshman team is 12-0.

FRONTIER

Boys: Moorpark beat Nordhoff by 19 points last Friday. However, the Musketeers played an uninspired first half and led by only two points at intermission despite the admonitions of Coach Tim Bednar. “I think we just expected to walk in the gym and win,” an exasperated Bednar said. “I tried to warn them of my past experiences but they don’t always listen.”. . . Calabasas beat Santa Paula by nine points last Friday, using a box-and-one defense, spearheaded by guard Jeremy Marque, to hold the Cardinals’ Josh Jimenez to four points. Jimenez had been averaging 27 points. . . . Nordhoff made one three-point shot in 20 attempts in last week’s loss to Moorpark. Coach Jim Hall couldn’t exactly tell his players to stop shooting, however, since the Rangers’ inside game is virtually nonexistent. “Herb Thornton’s our post player and he’s only about [5 feet 11],” Hall said. “We just need to shoot the ball better.” One Ranger who is shooting well is starting guard Matt Cresto, who has hit 35% of his three-point attempts.

GOLDEN

Boys: Antelope Valley is 14-6 and 3-1 in league play with four players who average more than 10 points. So what happened in a league-opening 35-34 loss to Quartz Hill? “We just couldn’t hit a thing,” Coach Tom Mahan said. The Antelopes took 54 shots, making 13 of them. . . . A 64-51 victory at Ridgecrest Burroughs last week was most satisfying for Palmdale, even if the Falcons squandered nearly half of their 25-point lead in the fourth quarter. According to Coach Garry Phelps, any victory is a good one at Burroughs, which holds the Southern Section record for 11 consecutive league championships (spanning the 1970s and ‘80s). “They have good, vocal crowds,” Phelps said. “Other teams have had problems with the rowdiness of their fans.”

Girls: Antelope Valley never expected to open league play with an 0-2 record. And when the Antelopes were looking defeat in the eye for a possible third time last week, guard Kenya Corley took matters into her own hands, scoring 17 of her team’s 20 points in the fourth quarter of a 40-38 victory over Highland. . . . Littlerock (5-10, 1-3), with only nine players on the roster, got a boost this week when forward Jamie Foster rejoined the team. Foster, a senior, had minor eye surgery in December then fell out of contact with Coach Tom Hegre. “She has to work her way back in,” Hegre said. “Kids around here think if they’re not playing, they don’t have to show up.” Foster was among team leaders in rebounds, assists and steals while playing good defense. The Lobos went 0-6 while Foster was missing then beat Highland Tuesday in her first game back.

HIGH DESERT

Boys: Paraclete started 2-0 in league play, thanks mainly to the play of its front court. Between the two games, forwards Tony Gaeta and Jason Julius scored 22 and 31 points. Center Josh Foster had 16 against Desert. Julius got off to a slow start, but entered the week averaging 16 points his last four games.

MARMONTE

Boys: With Agoura breaking into The Times’ regional top 10 this week, every team except Newbury Park has been ranked at some point this season. Six league teams began the week with overall records of 10-5 or better. . . . Jeremiah Nesbitt, the lone post player in Westlake’s four-guard alignment, had his best week of the season, scoring 40 points, grabbing 24 rebounds and blocking seven shots in two victories. Nesbitt was eight for eight shooting against Newbury Park and had 15 rebounds and five blocks against Thousand Oaks, the team he played for last season. . . . Bernabe Simon is the latest Channel Islands player to have a big week, scoring 23 and 22 points in back-to-back games. Andres Garcia, Charles Merricks, O.J. Thomas and Junior Mosones have also shined at various points this season. . . . Simi Valley center Pero Vasiljevic was listed as one of the nation’s top high school prospects by the Sporting News.

Girls: Newbury Park guard Amy Berman has nearly as many three-point baskets (33) as two-point baskets (41). Despite losing their entire starting lineup from last season’s Southern Section Division III champion team, the Panthers (9-8, 4-3 in league play) are making a run for the playoffs behind the play of Berman, center Melissa Shoden and forward Kristi Fox. All three are seniors. “They were part of the team last year although only Amy played much,” Coach Nori Parvin said. “Now they are stepping up and showing experience.” . . . Dave Murphy became the winningest coach in Simi Valley history in the Pioneers’ 96-61 victory over Royal on Tuesday. Murphy is 231-137 in 15 seasons.

MISSION

Boys: Somewhat surprisingly, Chaminade (3-1) is challenging Harvard-Westlake (4-0) for first place as the season nears its midpoint. “I’m a little surprised,” Coach Jeff Young said of his team’s performance. Sophomore forward Scott Long rapidly is becoming one of the league’s--if not the region’s--best players. Long scored 32 points and had 10 rebounds last week in a 78-71 overtime victory over Notre Dame. Long (6-5) is averaging 16.8 points, 19.5 in league play. . . . Conor O’Neal, a senior point guard for Crespi, has quit the team, Coach Pat Yerina said. O’Neal, a part-time starter averaging seven points, cited personal reasons, Yerina said.

Girls: Freshman center Omelogo Udeze of Harvard-Westlake is wearing a cast on her right thumb but doctors are uncertain whether her thumb is broken. Udeze (6-0), averaging 5.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, has missed four games because of pain. She is expected to return next week. . . . A black eye appears to be the extent of the injury Louisville’s Rosie Chingcuangco suffered in Tuesday night’s 59-36 loss to first-place Alemany. Chingcuangco, a junior guard, was hit above the eye by an elbow and was taken to a hospital emergency room after the game. Chingcuangco was treated for a contusion and released.

PACIFIC

Boys: Guard Jake Willis of Crescenta Valley is resigned to playing out the season with a sore wrist. Willis suffered a severe sprain last month during a tournament in Hawaii and the limb is slow in healing. Willis is averaging 11.9 points and 9.1 assists.

Girls: Senior forward Narineh Hartoonian of Glendale has returned after being sidelined for four weeks because of an ankle injury. Doctors told Hartoonian, a four-year starter, she would be sidelined six weeks. “She begged me to let her play,” Coach Jerry Mike said. “We just tape it up and she does a lot for us. Hartoonian has 30 steals in 10 games. Glendale is 8-8. . . . Crescenta Valley (19-1) has won 42 of its past 50 games (84%). The Falcons also posted their 80th victory in Coach Marc Ward’s four-year tenure. The program won only 56 games between 1978 and 1992. The Falcons also are on pace to shatter the school’s single-season scoring record, a feat the team has accomplished each of the past three years. The record stands at 1,860. Crescenta Valley has scored 1,490.

SANTA FE

Boys: Bell-Jeff handed Murphy its first home loss in two years with a 50-47 come-from-behind victory last Friday night. In that game, Ruben Douglas (21 points a game) and Kent Dennis (15) sacrificed their scoring averages for Coach Eli Essa’s slowdown game plan. Douglas finished with nine points and Dennis had six. . . . St. Genevieve won its first league game of the season, a 51-50 victory over Salesian. In that game the Valiants had a season-low 10 turnovers. . . . Point guard Alex Marroquin had seven assists against Salesian in his second game since being promoted from the freshman team.

TRI-VALLEY

Boys: Don’t tell Fillmore Coach Harold Burns his team isn’t going to win the league; he won’t believe you after the Flashes knocked off Carpinteria last week for their first league victory in more than a year. Fillmore surprised the Warriors with an aggressive man-to-man defense instead of its regular zone and refused to panic on offense. “[Carpinteria] likes to run but we walked it up and worked it until we could get two or three-foot jumpers,” said Burns, who chose to sit starting center Carlos Cervantes and use Reggie Sanchez as a third guard for defensive purposes. . . . St. Bonaventure doomed itself to a home-court defeat by Carpinteria last week after missing six consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter. Teohua Sanchez, a junior, is the Seraphs’ first guard off the bench and has excelled in a defensive role, leading the team in steals. . . . Oak Park’s John Murphy, a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward, delivered a standout performance in his second game back from a leg injury, snatching 15 rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in last Friday’s victory over Bishop Diego.

Girls: St. Bonaventure guard Alisa Doran has been the Seraphs’ best, and at times only, weapon. The senior has been hitting about 35% of her three-point shots but when she turns cold her teammates haven’t been much help. “The kids are so attuned to getting [Doran] the ball that they’re not sure what else to do.” Coach Marsha Dedrick said. . . . A third-quarter lapse in which La Reina was outscored by Fillmore, 26-4, sent the Regents down to defeat last week. La Reina Coach Stan Hirsch said his team became impatient on the press and then did not possess the offensive strength to get back in the game. . . . Fillmore senior forward Julie Arundell recently took a recruiting trip to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., and departs Friday for a trip to Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Soccer Notes

City Section

Boys: Sherman Oaks CES has rolled through the first-year Magnet Conference, but Coach Dan McDonnell is looking to the playoffs with a sense of dread. “Everyone tells me that if we get there we’re going to be seeded last in the draw because we’re a Magnet school,” McDonnell said. “I really hope that doesn’t happen. Why should a third-place team be seeded higher than a first-place team?” SOCES has been led by wing Rudy Zermeno and midfielder Miguel Romero, both seniors, and junior midfielder David Campos.

Girls: Chatsworth senior midfielder Michelle George, a member of The Times’ 1994-95 all-area team, recently took a recruiting trip to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and said she is leaning toward signing a letter of intent with the Mustangs. . . . El Camino Real defeated Palisades and tied Granada Hills last week in its first two League A matches. Previously, the Conquistadores beat Cabrillo and tied Southern Section Division IV power La Reina for an eighth-place finish in the 16-team Simi Valley holiday tournament. Coach Phil Yanov said his team could have advanced further if not for a pair of dreadful performances. Forward Sara Simon (nine goals) and goalkeeper Christina Hernandez (five shutouts and six goals allowed), both seniors, have been standouts.

Southern Section

Boys: Marmonte League--Westlake, which features nine starting seniors, has hung tough with Simi Valley and Royal at the top of the league and was 10-1-1 overall as of Monday. Midfielder Casey Barber (four goals and six assists) and striker Mark Lamb (nine goals) have been impressive. “[Lamb] is big and strong enough to post a player up in the box and then turn by him for a goal,” Coach Lalo Alvarado said. Goalkeeper Robert Ackah and the Warriors’ defense have allowed only four goals--one on a penalty shot.

Mission League--Notre Dame has stayed afloat in the competitive Mission League thanks in great part to forwards Pat Thomsen and Steve Lee. Lee, a touted senior, has played inconsistantly but has still scored seven goals. Thomsen earned the praise of Coach Colm McFeely for hustle, defense and a willingness to move back to midfield when injuries depleted the already thin Knights. “We’re limited in talent and the boys know that,” McNeely said. “If we don’t play with an enormous amount of enthusiasm we don’t have much success.” . . . St. Francis Coach Glen Appels was impressed with the play of Harvard-Westlake sweeper Jason Morrow, who keyed a Wolverines’ upset of the Golden Knights last week. “[Morrow]’s their best player. He’s head and shoulders above the rest of them,” Appels said. “He knows what to do with the ball and he’s always in the right place at the right time.” Appels and Harvard Coach Mark Devey had an animated and lengthy discussion after their teams played. Appels believed the Wolverines’ Ari Friedman had engaged in intentionally rough play and Devey said much the same thing about Darin Maxwell of St. Francis.

Girls: Marmonte League--Thousand Oaks, which finished fourth in the rain-shortened 1994-95 season, had ridden the scoring of strikers Kristi Nakamura and Susan Shivokevich and the defense of sweeper Lauren Mercaldo to a 5-1 league record as of Tuesday. The Lancers start only one senior.

Mission League--Chaminade Coach Mike Evans said that senior sweeper Vanessa Thiele underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week and could be back in the lineup within a couple of weeks. Thiele was the 1994-95 league player of the year.

Pacific League--Crescenta Valley, the top-ranked Southern Section Division II team in the latest coaches’ poll, last week drubbed Buena, ranked No. 4. With an assist in that match, the Falcons’ Michelle Cena tied her own team record of 20, which she set last season. Sweeper Makenzie Mallory also played well after missing seven prior matches with an ankle injury. Stephanie Rigamat did not score for the first time this season but has 30 goals and 11 assists. The Falcons are 13-2-2 entering today’s league showdown with Arcadia. The losses came to Mater Dei and Harvard-Westlake.

Wrestling Notes

Southern Section

Monroe’s Alfonso Brizuela, a defending City champion, is 18-2 at 145 pounds after placing first in the Granada Hills and Highland tournaments. Brizuela, whose career record is 150-20, appears to have a renewed commitment, Coach Tom Jones said. Brizuela skipped practice during the holiday break and contemplated quitting. Monroe’s William Jackson, a defending City champion, is 10-1 at 171 after joining the team late because of football.

Sam Hernandez, former world-record holder in the high dive and a world-class cliff-diver, will be guest announcer for Monroe’s dual meet today against visiting Bell. Hernandez attended Garfield in the early 1970s and is involved in various charities benefiting high school athletics in Southern California.

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Contributing: Dana Haddad, Steve Henson, Vince Kowalick, Michael Lazarus, Tris Wykes, Peter Yoon.