VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : MacLean Looks for Uniformity

A smorgasbord of notes, quotes and opinions from across the San Fernando Valley and its surrounding communities:

Don MacLean co-owns Sandbags sandwich shop in Westwood, but he really should invest in a sporting goods store. He could outfit the NBA department with all the uniforms he has worn in his eight-year NBA career.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t keep them all,” he said.

MacLean, a Simi Valley High graduate who turns 30 in January, has been the property of nine different teams and involved in seven trades.

Just this year, he was traded by Seattle to Orlando, then by Orlando to Houston. He’s scheduled to back up Scottie Pippen this season. Of course, there’s always time for another trade.

MacLean is smart with his finances. He has never purchased a home in any of the cities he played in. He lives in Westlake Village, was married over the summer and has three years left on a guaranteed contract.

“As funny as I think of it, I don’t look at it as being thrown around,” he said. “I’m trying to get myself in the right situation. It’s a business. There’s been no loyalty in my career. I just have to get ready to play wherever I’m going to be.”

MacLean’s NBA odyssey began in 1992 after becoming UCLA’s all-time scoring leader. He was a first-round draft pick of Detroit, then was traded to the Clippers. Before playing a single game, he was traded to Washington.

After three years in Washington, he was traded to Denver. He signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in 1996, was traded to New Jersey in 1997 and traded to Seattle last year.

MacLean said he’s finally healthy, with both his knees in good shape and his back strengthened.

But he admits his NBA experience going from team to team has been “a weird ride.”

MacLean is in Las Vegas this weekend to attend the wedding of former Cleveland High and UCLA player Trevor Wilson. . . .

It’s time for football coaches Joel Schaeffer of Reseda and Troy Starr of Taft to settle their feud by appearing on MTV’s “Celebrity Deathmatch.” Schaeffer will gouge Starr’s eyes; Starr will kick Schaeffer in the shins. Suddenly, they’ll become good friends when they decide to attack the referee, played by a local sportswriter. End of feud. Happily ever after. . . .

Quarterback Brandon Hance of Taft proudly described in a statement to the City Section Rules Committee that he and teammates Brandon Walker and Raul Menjivar talked “frequently” to former Reseda receiver Gerard Jones at parties, athletic events and other social occasions about transferring to Taft.

City administrator Jeff Halpern said Hance did not violate any rules because “kids can talk to kids.”

That rule interpretation ought to send shivers up the spine of coaches. Players can openly recruit other players and nobody in the program will be held responsible. What a concept for disaster. . . .

Whomever gave basketball player Cecil Brown advice to transfer from Taft to Canoga Park ought to have their head examined. Taft was expected to challenge Chatsworth and Cleveland for the West Valley title. Now he’s going to Canoga Park, which plays in the weak Sunset Six League and was 4-20 last season. Best of luck to Brown as he tries to convince people of his skills against the likes of Verdugo Hills, Hollywood and Poly. . . .

Receiver Lucious Duper of Chatsworth played like former Dolphin receiver Mark Duper in his varsity debut Thursday night, catching eight passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns against Reseda.

Duper, a 5-foot-8, 150-pound senior, was academically ineligible last season.

“He’s a kid with tremendous talent,” assistant coach Ron Martinez said. . . .

Two of the top quarterbacks in the region, USC-bound Matt Cassel of Chatsworth and Tennessee-bound Casey Clausen of Alemany, meet Friday at Alemany.

“Casey was my best friend in middle school,” Cassel said.

The two talk all the time. Cassel has already launched the opening psychological salvo.

“I might get to try a little free safety blitz and say hello to Casey,” Cassel said. . . .

Cleveland has one of the region’s fastest football players in junior receiver Matthew Clark, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against Palisades.

“If you give him a crease, he’s gone,” assistant coach Chuck Price of Palisades said. . . .

The Hart quarterback factory shows no signs of closing shop. On the sophomore team, 6-3 Matt Moore opened his season by passing for more than 300 yards on 53 attempts. He’ll be the best backup varsity quarterback in America next season when he plays behind Kyle Matter. . . .

Seventy-five yards passing isn’t something to brag about, but Sylmar fans should be excited about junior quarterback John Valdez.

He struggled at times during a 28-0 loss to Notre Dame, but his speed, elusiveness, poise and good arm strength make it clear he has a legitimate future in football. . . .

The best-kept secret in the Santa Clarita Valley is senior quarterback David Parker of Saugus. His four touchdown passes against Royal isn’t a surprise to those coaches who have followed his progress.

“He’s a sensational athlete,” Coach Jack Bowman of Canyon said.

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Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com