Trying Not to Fall Off Next Level

Every so often, Mark Trakh feels like one of the Flying Wallendas.

“In high school, you had comfort and you had security,” Trakh said. “You had a safety net. If you failed [as a coach], you still were a teacher. At the college level, there’s no safety net [for a coach]. If you fall, you hit the pavement.”

In his fourth season as the Pepperdine women’s basketball coach, Trakh is still trying to return the Waves to their glory years of the late 1970s, when 20 victories in a season was common.

But it has been a tough task for Trakh, considerably more difficult than it was for him to build Brea Olinda High into a four-time girls’ state champion and a virtually unbeatable powerhouse.

In 13 seasons with the Ladycats, Trakh was 356-42 and won 31 or more games in each of his last five seasons. Including a 2-3 record this season, he’s 41-44 at Pepperdine and has not won more than 15 games in a season.

Trakh anticipated a better start for the Waves this season after they finished 15-13 in 1995-96 and won six of their last eight despite being plagued by injuries.

“The start is a little disappointing,” Trakh said. “We had a lot of returning players. I was expecting to be 3-2 or 4-1 at this stage.”

Actually, the Waves came close to reaching those expectations. At the Harvard Invitational two weeks ago, Pepperdine lost by four points each to South Carolina and Harvard. Their only lopsided loss was at San Diego State, 66-51.

“Once we win that close game against the quality team, the kids will get the confidence and I think we’ll be fine,” Trakh said. “We have good basketball players. It’s a question of having someone stepping it up and being a leader on the court.”

And keeping that safety net fastened tightly.

“This is a very pivotal [season] for us,” Trakh said. “It’s time to perform on the court and win some of those close games. It’s totally my responsibility to get [the players] to do that.”

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Hey, where are the slot machines?

Not that the players on the men’s basketball team at Valley are old enough to gamble, but the Monarchs were shocked to find that the Las Vegas tournament which they were headed for last week was switched to . . . glamorous Barstow.

“We went from the penthouse to the outhouse,” said Doug Michelson, Valley coach.

“There was some kind of snafu with the facilities in Vegas.”

The tournament has been organized the past few years by Barstow College and played in Las Vegas but nobody made it across the state line this time.

Michelson and other team members dropped their cash everywhere but the casinos.

“We took 10 to 12 kids [shopping] to the outlet stores on Saturday,” Michelson said.

The Monarchs (8-1) also took home the first-place trophy.

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During the tournament, Michelson said he reminded the Monarchs that there is no “I” in team, urging them to work together.

He told freshman wing Gianandrea Marcaccini that he had to guard opponents more closely.

“There’s no ‘D’ in Marcaccini,” came the reply.

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Pop quiz for those applying for the Cal State Northridge football head-coaching gig: What’s an appendectomy?. . .

So the Heisman is an itty-bitty more prestigious than the Nando, but this year’s recipient of my award for best player from the region goes to Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers, who set various school records. . . .

Valley men’s basketball player Tyus Tillman is the son of two-time Olympic 100-meter champion Wyomia Tyus. . . .

The Moorpark women’s volleyball team faced two formidable foes in last weekend’s state championships, losing to host San Joaquin Delta and Long Beach in the double-elimination tournament. San Joaquin Delta entered the championships 14-0 and Long Beach at 18-0. Golden West defeated Fullerton in four games in the final. . . .

Anybody have a regular name anymore? On the Northridge women’s basketball team, a Bambi (Bowling, a forward) is replacing an Ice (Lincoln, an ineligible forward).