Cho, Diamond Bar Look to Surprise

Not many expect much from the Diamond Bar boys’ golf team today in the CIF-SCGA finals at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, but then again, not many expected the Brahmas to be there in the first place.

The season-ending tournament pits the top teams and individuals from the Southern, City, San Diego and Central sections. Diamond Bar, aided by the return from academic probation of its top player, Daniel Cho, earned the final berth out of the Southern Section after a surprising fourth-place finish at the section finals May 20.

Cho, a sophomore, sat out most of the season because of failing grades in three classes. He watched from the sidelines as Diamond Bar failed to win the Sierra League title for the first time in seven years.

When grades came out just before the playoffs began, Cho had regained his eligibility. He shot a team-best 71 to lead the team to second place at the Southern Divisional and shot a tournament-best 68 in the section finals as Diamond Bar finished fourth.

“Missing golf made me look at school in a different perspective,” Cho said. “It made me try a little harder. The team worked real hard. We had goals this year and I kind of let them down.”

Sophomore Eugene Choi and freshman Acer Chen helped keep Diamond Bar competitive in Cho’s absence, but clearly the Brahmas needed their ace to get this far.

This is the first time in school history Diamond Bar has qualified for the CIF-SCGA championships. Each of the last two years the Brahmas missed advancing to the section finals by a stroke.

-- Peter Yoon

Lance Fauria, a former coach for three seasons at Santa Maria St. Joseph, has been hired as football coach at Van Nuys Montclair Prep.

He replaces George Giannini, who, along with boys’ basketball coach Tyrone Fuller, resigned this spring in light of Southern Section rules violations. The Mounties are banned from postseason play for one year.

-- Eric Sondheimer