SIDELINES : Auditioning for Ventura Golf Team, Freshman Played His Ace

Sean Wilcox wanted to make a favorable impression while trying out for the Ventura High golf team.

So what did the 14-year-old freshman do?

He used his pitching wedge to make a hole in one on the second hole of the Buenaventura Golf Course.

Needless to say, after Wilcox aced the 122-yard shot, he made the varsity.

Headfirst: Burroughs High girls’ soccer Coach Tania Eberle eagerly promotes the skills of sophomore goalkeeper Araseli Gonzales--and the way she learned some of them.

“She had never played soccer at all and she didn’t have any idea how to dive, so in September I took her to the pool,” Eberle said. “I tossed the ball out over the water and had her dive after it so she could feel what it was like without getting beat up.”

Fortunately, Eberle did remember to preface the drill by asking Gonzales if she could swim.

Fight to the finish: The St. Bonaventure High boys’ soccer team has had a rough season. The Seraphs (2-12-2, 2-6-1 in the Tri-Valley League) lost eight one-goal matches before earning their first victory Tuesday at Fillmore. Earlier, the coach dismissed two senior starters, forward Ryan McConnell and goalkeeper Lane Bacon, for missing practices.

“We had guys taking skiing and camping trips in the middle of the season and we weren’t prepared,” said David Bierly, who guided the Seraphs to a 4-16 record last season. “When I had to fill the varsity roster with a bunch of JV players for the Buena tournament I knew something had to change.”

Bierly said he has been criticized by some players’ parents for lack of soccer expertise but vowed to finish the season.

“I tell [the parents] that if I quit it shows the kids you think bad things will just go away,” he said. “I’ll see it to the bitter end, and whether I come back is a discussion for me and the school after the season.”

New heights to scale?: Now that Hart High offensive coordinator Dean Herrington has won a section championship, don’t be surprised to see him move to the college ranks.

“A lot of the coaches are out recruiting [for players],” Herrington said. “If they want me as a graduate assistant, I’ll do that.”

The time might be right for Herrington, 31, who has never been a head coach but has a lifetime 118-19-2 record as an offensive coach. But there is no hurry to leave Hart as long as brothers Mike and Rick remain on the staff. He has no interest in coaching at the junior college level and has yet to receive any offers from a four-year program.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “I’m ready. But if nothing happens, I’ll be back at Hart.”

It’s his party: It was an eventful birthday for North Hollywood High girls’ basketball Coach Rich Allen.

Allen received a cake and then a victory from his players, who won their 32nd consecutive Valley Pac-8 Conference game Wednesday.

Allen also fended off the North Hollywood boys’ basketball team, which hungrily eyed his cake when the girls’ game ended.

“I told them to keep away,” said Allen, who got his wish. “They respected my cake.”

Allen received one more party favor: The cake had fewer candles than it was supposed to.

“The best thing is I gained a year,” Allen said.

Quotebook

“I finally got feeling back in my arm around midnight.”

--Howard Garcia, Cal State Northridge athletic event manager, who was shocked trying to repair an electrical problem in Matador Gym before Wednesday night’s basketball game.

“In high school I was an outside hitter and I hated those little setter guys.”

--Cal State Northridge setter Dan Nash, who at 6-feet is much shorter than most collegiate volleyball players.

Stats

The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team’s victory against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last week was the school’s first in conference play since joining Division I in 1990. Of course, last season was the first for the Matadors in a conference.

Cal State Northridge’s Sherry Ramirez was the American West Conference women’s basketball player of the week last week. Ramirez, a sophomore from Ontario, scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in two games.

The Cal State Northridge men’s swimming team has a chance to post its first winning dual-meet record in 10 years. The Matadors are 5-2 with four meets to go.

Things to Do

The 10th-ranked Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team will play host to UC San Diego on Saturday and second-ranked UCLA on Tuesday. Both Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches begin at 7 p.m. in Matador Gym.

The Alemany High girls’ basketball team (13-5) will host Brea Olinda (16-3) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a nonleague game at L.A. Baptist High. The teams last met in the semifinals of the Southern California Division II regional last year.

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Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Jeff Fletcher, Irene Garcia, Dana Haddad, Bryan Rodgers, Tris Wykes.