Canoga Park Girls Play Head Games

Coach Antony Villalobos of Canoga Park has a much cooler head these days after making good on a promise to his players to shave his head if the Hunters could win a Valley Pac-8 Conference girls’ basketball game this season.

Considering Canoga Park hadn’t won a conference game the last three seasons, Villalobos thought his locks were rooted in safety. Not so.

When the Hunters defeated Van Nuys on Jan. 22, the third-year coach kept his promise and had each of his players cut off a lock of his hair on Monday in front of the student body at lunchtime. Boys’ Coach Ralph Turner finished the job, giving Villalobos a close shave.

It took Villalobos a week to set up the public haircut. Meanwhile, Canoga Park won a second conference game, beating Poly, 42-31, on Friday.

“We haven’t had three wins in the win column in a long time,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos said Canoga Park, 1-47 the last three seasons, hadn’t won three games in a season since 1993. With a team that starts no seniors, Canoga Park is on the rise.

“It’s the true essence of building a team,” Villalobos said. “All the big stars are going to other schools. As long as no one moves away, we will be good. It’s a nice little community team.”

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Last week began on a good note and finished on an even better one for Megan Honaker of Valencia.

Honaker scored a career-high 20 points against first-place Hart on Friday, four days after Viking Coach Greg Hayes had an inspirational letter delivered to his junior forward during a Monday class.

“It was just my way of saying that I had been pushing her not because I didn’t like her but because I believe in her,” said Hayes, who has been particularly tough on Honaker during practice.

It was well received.

“I guess it kind of made me realize why he was [so tough on me],” said Honaker, who is averaging 8.8 points. “Sometimes I had a little doubt.”

BOYS’ NOTES

Not that Simi Valley needed another threat, but Brett Michel is turning into a three-point terror.

Michel set a school record last week for most three-pointers in a game without a miss, hitting six in a victory over Moorpark.

He made three three-pointers and scored 25 points in a victory over Newbury Park.

He has made 59 of 118 three-pointers for Simi Valley (21-2), ranked No. 1 in the region by The Times.

“He’s a nice threat to have out there,” Coach Dean Bradshaw said of Michel, who is averaging 17.2 points. “He’s worked hard and he deserves everything he’s getting out there this season.”

Staff writer Paige A. Leech and correspondents Mike Bresnahan and Dave Desmond contributed to this notebook.