Excused Taylor Is Honored by Nets

Harvard-Westlake High girls’ basketball Coach Brian Taylor missed the Wolverines’ 67-34 Mission League victory over Notre Dame on Thursday night, but he had his players’ permission.

Taylor, a former guard for the New Jersey Nets, traveled to New Jersey where the Nets honored members of their 1975-76 American Basketball Assn. championship team.

“Everyone was telling me I had to be there,” said Taylor, who turned the Wolverines over to assistant coach Michael Flot. “Besides, they were happy not to have me around.”

Taylor and former Nets stars Julius Erving, Billy Paultz and John Williamson were among those honored Friday night at halftime of New Jersey’s game with the Orlando Magic.

While in New Jersey, Taylor also was recognized as a member of the state’s all-time high school team. In a poll of fans and sportswriters, Taylor was ranked the state’s No. 3 all-time player behind Kelly Tripucka and Bobby Hurley.

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The Mission League girls’ game tonight between Harvard-Westlake (14-4) and Alemany (12-4) will feature two top-ranked teams.

Harvard-Westlake is ranked No. 1 in this week’s Southern Section Division III-A poll. Alemany is atop the Division III-AA rankings.

Crescenta Valley (11-1), ranked No. 1 in the region by The Times, is the top-ranked team in Division I-AA.

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The first week of Foothill League boys’ basketball play has coaches scratching their heads.

Saugus, Canyon and Burbank entered league openers with a combined record of 17-28. Friday, they defeated Hart, Valencia and Burroughs--teams that were a combined 33-15 in nonleague games.

Of the three upsets, perhaps the most surprising was Burbank (3-11 in nonleague games) defeating Burroughs (11-6).

“That’s our league,” Burbank Coach Ron Quarterman said. “It’s unpredictable. It’s a dogfight every game and there’s never a blowout.”

Quarterman said the victory ranks as one of the highlights of his career.

“It ranks as the best win I’ve had at Burbank simply because we weren’t supposed to win,” he said. “The gym was packed with people who all came to see how badly we were going to lose.”

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When Antelope Valley hosts Palmdale in a key Golden League game Friday night, the Antelopes will be without starter Joe Manning.

Manning, who was a defensive back and the leading receiver for the football team last season, leaves Friday for a recruiting trip to Louisville.

Although Manning has played in only six of the Antelopes’ 16 games because he was playing football until early December, the 5-foot-11 senior has made quite an impact since his return. He is averaging 11.2 points, one of three players scoring in double figures.

“He’s earned that [recruiting trip],” Antelope Valley Coach Tom Mahan said. “That’s a lot more important than a high school basketball game.”

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Forget the revenge factor.

Valencia’s 49-32 victory over Canyon last Friday could not even be called redemption, Coach Greg Hayes said.

“It’s not about revenge,” said Hayes, whose team lost to Canyon by a point in a Foothill League finale last season, costing the Vikings a possible playoff spot.

“It was more of a measuring stick as to how far we’ve gone.”