Title Defense Unlikely for El Toro’s Bethke

Brandon Bethke of Lake Forest El Toro, The Times’ boys’ cross-country runner of the year last fall, will probably not be able to defend his Southern Section Division II titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters next month because of a stress fracture in his left leg, said Paul Bethke, his father.

Bethke recently learned that the stress fracture was the result of a benign tumor underneath his calf muscle that measured approximately 3 millimeters. He initially began feeling pain in the area last spring, when he finished second in the state in the 1,600.

He signed with Wisconsin and won the Division I state cross-country title last fall, but the pain returned a month ago.

“It’s just something we need to take care of,” his father said. “It’s not an uncommon thing to have these types of tumors.”

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Baseball

Danny Farris of Los Alamitos pitched a perfect game in a 7-0 Sunset League victory over Huntington Beach on Wednesday.

Farris, a junior right-hander, struck out four and improved to 5-1 for the season for Los Alamitos, ranked No. 14 by The Times.

Behind the one-two pitching combination of junior right-handers Chris Tillman and Jeff Hann, Fountain Valley did some damage to Huntington Beach Edison’s Sunset League title hopes last week. Tillman and Hann led a two-game sweep of the Chargers.

On Wednesday, however, No. 21 Huntington Beach Marina stole six bases against Tillman (5-3) and forced him to commit three balks and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt in a 5-1 victory at Fountain Valley.

Tillman had shut out Marina, 12-5 overall and 5-3 in league, on two hits in a 2-0 victory on March 25, but Viking Coach Paul Renfrow said his team wanted to take advantage of his deliberate delivery out of the stretch.

“He takes a little bit too much time,” Renfrow said. “And when he slide-steps, he’s not as effective.”

Marina right-hander Jimmy Cooper (5-0) gave up seven hits and struck out five against the Barons (9-8, 3-5).

Dan Arritt

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Miscellany

The Southern Section Executive Committee, in its regular meeting Wednesday at Angel Stadium, recommended that its league members vote next week to support the state football bowl games proposal.

The committee voted, 13-4, in favor of supporting the proposal. League representatives will vote at the Southern Section Council meeting next Thursday to determine the section’s official position on the proposal.

The State Federated Council, made up of representatives from each of California’s 10 sections, will then vote May 6 on whether to proceed with the plans for bowl games in three enrollment-based divisions in 2006 and 2007.

In other committee action, it recommended that the section adopt policies to ban steroid use and the sale, distribution and promotion of dietary supplements.

It also supported a proposal to increase the number of automatic playoff entries in leagues of seven and eight teams.

-- Peter Yoon

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Basketball

Erika Arriaran of Norco has been named to the first EA Sports All-American girls’ basketball team. Arriaran, who will play next season at Texas, is one of four Californians named to the 20-girl squad.

Also included were player of the year Courtney Paris and her sister, Ashley, who are seniors at Piedmont and headed to Oklahoma, and junior Jacki Gemelos of Stockton St. Mary’s.