1999: The Year That Was

The last sporting year subjected the region to the all-too-typical crises at Cal State Northridge and closed with football championships at Hart, Westlake, St. Bonaventure, Paraclete and Grace Brethren high schools.

In between the Matador women’s basketball team drawing together in the wake of its coach being arrested on cocaine-trafficking charges to make an NCAA tournament appearance and the unbeaten seasons of the Hart, St. Bonaventure and Grace Brethren football teams, a litany of events drew the interest of fans.

There were monumental moments.

Lou Cvijanovich, Santa Clara High’s legendary boys’ basketball coach, went out a winner with B.J. Ward and Nick Jones at the helm. After the Saints won their third state title to go with their 15th section crown, Cvijanovich announced on March 29 that he was stepping down after 829 victories, a state record.

Bud Murray, Hart’s longtime baseball coach, also went out a winner. The Indians won the Southern Section Division II championship on June 5, the school’s first baseball title.

There were tragic times.

Death took beloved coaches and supporters, including 52-year-old Dennis Shearer of Louisville and 41-year-old Paul Sutton of Providence, whose days with us ended too soon, to former Valley College coach George Ker, 76, and Cleveland baseball assistant and booster Marty Siegel, 79, who brought joy to many for several decades.

Achievements abounded.

From Manuel White of Valencia and Jermaine Marshall of Kilpatrick running into the football record books to the golden arms of Maureen LeCocq of Chaminade and Jamie Shields of Hart helping lead their teams to section titles in softball and baseball, it was another banner year.

White finished his career with 6,745 yards rushing, a region record and fourth highest in state history, and Marshall rushed for a single-season state record of 3,586 yards and had a region-record 57 touchdowns.

LeCocq, who finished her career with a string of 92 scoreless innings and 14 consecutive shutouts, was the national softball player of the year.

Chatsworth’s girls and El Camino Real’s boys won City Section soccer titles. For the Chancellors it was old hat; they have compiled a 204-19-5 record in 11 years to go with nine section titles under Coach Jack Sidwell, who then retired. For the Conquistadores it was a new experience.

The Master’s College sent men’s and women’s basketball teams to NAIA tournaments while Ventura College’s women’s basketball team won conference and regional titles before falling, 62-60, in the state final.

Aaron Arnold closed his distinguished career at Northridge by setting school records for with 197 receptions, 2,699 yards receiving and 26 touchdown receptions.

Anita Siraki of Hoover, Rae Stumbough of Nordhoff and Tom Kubler of Viewpoint won state cross-country titles, and Blaine Bussey of Taft, Josh Spiker of Ventura and Lauren Fleshman of Canyon captured state track titles.

Tim Hogarth of Chatsworth claimed the California Amateur golf title in June. It took 38 holes of play on the final day.

Chatsworth High closed the 1990s the way it started, with a City baseball title.

There was controversy at Alemany High.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles placed longtime Athletic Director Dudley Rooney on paid administrative leave Aug. 27 in the wake of the disclosure that boys’ basketball coach Darryl McDonald was a registered sex offender. Rooney was later fired and after a grievance process, returned to the school as a teacher and softball coach.

McDonald was dismissed from Alemany and at the North Valley YMCA. He would eventually admit he submitted someone else’s fingerprints to avoid detection.

And there was the usual chaos at Northridge.

Dick Dull, who experienced the Len Bias tragedy at Maryland, was brought in as athletic director. Shortly after his arrival, and near the end of 2 1/2-month internal investigation, Ron Ponciano was fired as football coach for NCAA rules violations.

The university finally selected former CSU provost Jolene Koester as president. She replaces Louanne Kennedy, who spent the year as interim president.

While the Northridge women’s basketball team won the Big Sky Conference and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the men’s basketball team had its first winning season since moving to Division I in 1990 and qualified for the third consecutive year to play in the Big Sky tournament.

Coach Mike Batesole, who suffered through a dismal season by Matador baseball standards as he reloaded the program with area talent, was tendered a four-year contract.

While the university administration tried to keep interest in upgrading athletic facilities and meeting gender-equity requirements, it became clear that the Big West Conference might be a better fit than the travel-heavy Big Sky Conference.

And so another sporting year closes, with plenty on the horizon in 2000.