There Is Life After San Diego State for Orange Coast’s Ambrose

Matt Ambrose has already lived the dream of most young basketball players--playing at a Division I college.

As a freshman at San Diego State, he had the opportunity to travel and to play in large arenas during the 1993-94 season.

But watching the wide smile on Ambrose’s face as he goes about things at Orange Coast, one could hardly tell the screaming crowds of 5,000 or more have been replaced by polite gatherings often no larger than 100.

“Sometimes you have to take a step back to get to a bigger, higher place,” Ambrose said.

The step back wasn’t something that Ambrose wanted to do. He was forced.

In the fall of 1994, many members of the San Diego State team were told by first-year Coach Fred Trenkle that they were no longer needed in the program.

Such house cleanings are common when a coach takes over a program, but that didn’t make it any easier for Ambrose.

“A lot of prayer went into my decision to leave,” Ambrose said. “I was very fortunate that God let me come here. I give him all the credit.”

Ambrose, a 6-foot-6 forward, has been able to expand on his skills at Orange Coast.

At Huntington Beach High and again at San Diego State, Ambrose was mostly a “body.” He spent much of his time fighting for rebounds.

But at Orange Coast, under the direction of Coach Tim O’Brien and assistant Herb Livsey, Ambrose has started to develop an outside game.

Ambrose’s multitude of talents are reflected in the Pirates’ statistics.

He leads OCC in scoring average (19 points), rebounding average (nine), assists (80) and steals (43).

The final two categories are a bit skewed because OCC spent much of the early season without point guard Adrian Reyes, who was out with an ankle injury.

“I’m not a flashy player,” Ambrose said. “I’m just a fundamentally sound player who’s trying to get better.”

Ambrose’s outside shooting and ballhandling could be compromised the rest of the season because of an injured finger suffered in the first minute of OCC’s game with Cypress Wednesday.

Ambrose, who has committed to Portland State, has to play with two fingers taped together. O’Brien would like to move him inside more often but said he is still needed outside.

“He’s better with one hand than some of our other players are with two,” O’Brien joked.

*

More Orange Coast: Despite forfeiting three games early, the Pirates are 14-13 and 5-5 and tied for third in the Orange Empire Conference. There are four games left in the regular season.

Both the overall and conference victory totals are highs for O’Brien, who is in his fourth season.

“It’s all chemistry,” Ambrose said. “Our team is pretty unselfish. We’re a good team and we have a lot of heart.”

*

Moving on up: Jessica Redding, a first-team All-American volleyball player from Golden West, has made an oral commitment to attend Missouri this fall.

Redding, an outside hitter from Mater Dei, also was the most valuable player in the Orange Empire Conference and the state tournament.

Both teams she played on at Golden West won state titles.

Orange Coast’s Heather Daze, another sophomore from Mater Dei, has committed to Cal State Dominguez Hills. She is OCC’s all-time kill leader with 559.

Wendy Polnaszek, an All-American defender on the Cypress women’s soccer team, has made an oral commitment to attend UCLA starting this spring.

Polnaszek, from El Dorado High, had an Orange County-best eight assists last fall.

Two members of Rancho Santiago’s football team have announced transfer plans. Ace Riggins, a sophomore running back, is going to Hawaii, and Kent Miller, a sophomore defensive end, is going to UC Davis.

Riggins, who missed much of the season with injuries, rushed for 255 yards. Miller had eight sacks and was in on 48 tackles.

*

Anything for a game: Dismayed at having to cancel three baseball games because of rain and wet grounds in the Copperhead tournament last weekend, Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon went to great lengths to salvage one game Sunday.

He went to a warehouse store and bought 750 pounds of Kitty Litter to use as an absorbent.

The work was worth it. The Dons beat Los Angeles Pierce, 7-6, Sunday.