Kubelka Saves Cleveland’s Season

It was crunch time at Cleveland High.

The Cavaliers had until the end of February to find a boys’ volleyball coach or they would have to forfeit the season. Dave Caesar resigned last month to spend more time working toward his master’s degree.

The search was complicated because most City Section schools prefer to hire coaches who teach on campus.

Finally, Chuck Kubelka, the school’s health department chairman, said he would take the job.

“It was a trying time, but it’s not as if I stepped off the street or something,” said Kubelka, who has a master’s degree in physical education and has coached several high school and college sports.

BASKETBALL

Not so bad: Birmingham Coach Al Bennett has his team one win away from a City 3-A championship in the first year of the 35-second clock in boys’ basketball. Bennett has been one of the most outspoken critics of the clock, saying he “hates it.”

“I would have pulled the ball out with three minutes left and they wouldn’t have touched it,” Bennett said after his team’s semifinal win over San Pedro last week.

Bennett said it has taken his team all season to learn how to play with the shot clock. Next up is a Saturday showdown with Sylmar at 3 p.m. at Cal State Los Angeles.