Barnes Changes Mind After Taking Servite Job
Less than four hours after his introduction as the new football coach at Anaheim Servite, John Barnes, the winningest coach in Orange County history, decided Tuesday to remain at Los Alamitos.
“We’re more than shocked,” said Frank Talarico, Servite’s vice president of advancement. “[At the news conference] he quoted Eleanor Roosevelt about not quitting. He said his entire career he had a hard-and-fast rule that, if you quit, you can not come back.”
Barnes, 56, who has won 240 games and four Southern Section titles in 26 seasons at Los Alamitos, called it “a strange day.”
“You know how people say you have a gut feeling,” he said. “Well, I had a gut feeling. This isn’t the right situation for us.
“I was flattered that Servite was excited and interested in me. A little bit of flattery is always nice. I realize, I’m doing [Servite] a disservice.... The worst thing would have been to be a phony. I’ve always been happy at Los Al ever since I’ve been there.”
The Friars were hoping Barnes could turn around a program that won only three Serra League games in the last four years. He was to replace Larry Toner, who had a 102-76-2 record in 16 seasons at Servite before accepting an administrative position at the school last month.
After the news conference, Barnes traveled to Los Alamitos to meet with his players, Talarico said, and shortly thereafter called Servite President Peter Bowen with his decision. Talarico and other administrators joined the conference call.
“He looked [the Los Alamitos players] in the eyes and couldn’t leave them,” Talarico said. “Well, he looked at some of our guys in the face and said, ‘You are my guys.’ ”
Barnes said he had been uncomfortable about his decision to switch schools.
“Just the last couple of days, I have not felt right,” he said. “Today kind of made me realize. A couple of people and my wife said I was not myself [at the news conference]. I was trying to be enthusiastic.”
The job seemed an ideal fit for Barnes. He lives in Placentia, where he and his wife, Anita, attend St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish. Barnes has three children and the youngest, Jimmy, recently completed his senior season as quarterback at Los Alamitos.
Talarico said another candidate, whom he would not name, probably would become the front-runner for the position.
“Nobody should be feeling like the guy who ends up coaching here finished second,” he said.
Dan Arritt
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Boys’ Basketball
John Reed, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, scored 21 points to help unseeded Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula advance to the Southern Section Division I-AA quarterfinals with a 58-51 victory over visiting Anaheim Esperanza.
The Panthers (20-10) took a 40-25 lead in the third quarter by outscoring 14th-seeded Esperanza, 12-2, in the first five minutes. But the Aztecs (20-10) rallied behind sophomore guard Carson Chapman, who made three three-point baskets and finished with 15 points.
Esperanza closed to 52-51 with 1 minute 35 seconds left on a basket by Steve Downs, but Chuck Anakwenze scored after grabbing an offensive rebound with 1:08 left, and Peninsula never looked back.
David Pedersen had 15 points for the Panthers, who upset third-seeded Lynwood last week. Vince Van Kurin had 15 points for Esperanza.
Eric Sondheimer
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John Jaques made two three-point baskets and Alex Stepheson scored six points, and second-seeded North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake rallied from a six-point deficit with six minutes left to defeat visiting Pasadena Muir, 69-66, in a Division III-A quarterfinal.
Stepheson had 21 points, 19 rebounds and 12 blocked shots for the Wolverines (23-3). Harold Cleveland had 24 points for eighth-seeded Muir (17-12).
Chuck Schilken
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Girls’ Soccer
Alyssa Davila scored in the sixth minute of sudden-death overtime to give unseeded Upland a 3-2 upset victory over second-seeded San Clemente in a Southern Section Division I second-round game.
Krystal Welbourne and Sarah Mohammadi also scored for visiting Upland (17-3-8), the latter tying the score, 2-2, with about six minutes left in regulation.
McCall Zerboni and Lauren Leslie scored for the Tritons (14-2-8), who were the three-time defending division champions and ranked No. 1 nationally by Student Sports magazine.
-- Josh Gajewski
