Jeff Tully Throughout the year, the local...
Jeff Tully
Throughout the year, the local community experienced its share of
tragic, exciting and interesting stories.
Some of the stories touched us, some informed us and others
entertained us.
Although there are too many stories to mention, there are a select
few that standout among the others.
Here is a list of what the Leader Sports staff chose as the top 10
stories of 2001.
10 Josh Campbell tosses no-hitter for Burroughs: It was a triple
delight for Indian pitcher Josh Campbell in a game on March 19.
Not only did Campbell hurl a 7-0 no-hitter, but he did it as a
freshman, against cross-town rival Burbank.
Despite two controversial plays in the Foothill League game that
could have gone as hits, the left-hander struck out six and walked
four to earn the feat at Burbank High.
9 Burroughs girls’ basketball team gets to quarterfinals: It was a
record-setting venture for last season’s Burroughs High girls’
basketball team.
For the first time in school history, the team advanced to the CIF
Southern Section IIA quarterfinals. However, Burroughs fell in the
contest to Santa Margarita, 74-57.
It was the farthest any Burroughs team -- in any sport -- went in
the playoffs last year.
The team also set an all-time best mark for wins in a season --
going 22-7.
Under the watchful eye of Coach Doug Nicol and behind talented
players Sara Larquier, Gracie Coronado and Tulyah Gaines, the Indians
put together a fine season that culminated with a nice playoff run.
8 Mike Magnante is released by Oakland Athletics: The major league
baseball season didn’t end well for former Burroughs High standout
baseball player Mike Magnante.
On Aug. 2, Magnante -- a left-handed pitcher -- was released by
the Oakland Athletics after being designated for assignment July 30.
Magnante, who was in his third season in Oakland, had nearly 10
full years of major-league service, playing for the A’s, the Kansas
City Royals, Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels. During his tenure he
has a 26-32 record with a 4.08 earned-run average.
Magnante, 37, a 1983 Burroughs graduate, was signed by the L.A.
Dodgers on Aug. 16 and finished the season with the club’s triple-A
affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s.
7 Burbank boys’ tennis dynasty comes to an end: For 14 seasons,
the Bulldog boys’ team was the toast of the Foothill League,
capturing 14 straight championships.
However in 2002, the program’s dynasty was halted by Valencia,
which took home the league crown.
The Vikings won the first match between the schools on April 11 on
games, 82-77, after the match was tied in sets, 9-9.
The win halted Burbank’s 126-match league winning streak which
dated back to 1990.
Valencia put the crowning touch on its title on April 30, when it
defeated Burbank, 10-8, at the Burbank Tennis Center.
6 Football player injured in game against Burbank High: Fans and
players at Burroughs’ Memorial Field were stunned and shaken Oct. 4
when an athlete from San Gabriel Gabrielino was hurt in a nonleague
game with Burbank.
The incident occurred with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter when
Gabrielino junior Andrew Castillo walked off the field, complaining
of head pain. He then collapsed on the sideline and lost
consciousness.
Castillo stopped breathing and was immediately taken to Providence
St. Joseph Holy Cross Medical Center.
The player went into a coma and had surgeries to remove a blood
clot and to relieve pressure on the left side of his brain.
The schools are still trying to determine exactly how Castillo was
injured. Playing linebacker, the player left the field after hitting
and tackling Burbank quarterback Mike McDonald for a seven-yard loss.
Emotionally moved by the situation and wishing to respect the
Gabrielino players and fans, Burbank Coach Greg Sobiech suggested the
game be halted with the Eagles leading, 12-7. The game went down as a
loss for the Bulldogs.
Sobiech, who has visited Castillo and remains close to the
situation, said Andrew is still hospitalized, still in a coma and
there is little change in his condition.
5 Burbank boys’ cross-country team among state’s best: Not only
did the Bulldogs produce perhaps the most successful cross-country
team in school history, but the squad finished the season last month
as one of the best in California.
At the 16th annual CIF-State Cross-Country Championships November
30 at Woodward Park in Fresno, Burbank finished eighth out of 23
teams in Division II. It was the fastest Division II race in meet
history.
Showing how competitive the division was, the Bulldogs placed 21st
out of the 101 teams, regardless of division, in the state meet.
The team was led by seniors Kyle Ivie and Stratos Christintinakis,
juniors Preston Richardson and Aram Sahagian, sophomore Ryan
Christoffersen and freshman Kevin Christoffersen.
Ivie finished 13th out of 193 runners in the division, running the
5,000-meter course in 15 minutes 33 seconds.
4 Gym not named after Paul Sutton: Former and current Providence
High athletes, students and fans were upset in April when the school
opened its new gymnasium.
Many wanted the gym to bear the name of Paul Sutton, Providence’s
beloved coach and athletic director who dedicated almost 15 years to
the school. Sutton died in 1999 at age 41 of colon cancer.
However, on April 11, Providence’s $4.1-million Fritz B. Burns
Student Activities Center played host to its first sporting event.
Because the foundation donated nearly $1 million for the facility,
the venue was named to honor that contribution.
“The honor was offered to Paul before he died,” said Dana Sutton,
Paul’s widow. “It was a done deal that any activities center would be
named after him.
“Paul left this Earth thinking the facility would have his name on
it. It was supposed to be a legacy for his children and the people
who knew him.”
3 Jeff Cirillo ties major league baseball record: Despite a rare
off-season in 2002, former Providence High baseball star Jeff Cirillo
did enjoy one shining moment.
Despite some offensive woes playing for the Seattle Mariners --
batting .249 for the career-.311 hitter -- Cirillo made history with
his defense. In April, he tied a major-league record for consecutive
errorless games at third base with 99.
Cirillo, 33, came to Seattle in an off-season trade with the
Colorado Rockies, where the two-time all-star batted .312 in 2001.
Cirillo was a former All-CIF standout at Providence.
2 Longtime Burroughs Coach Ralph Brandt dies: When Ralph Brandt
died April 2, the community not only lost a rare coaching icon, bit
it also lost an individual who was admired and respected by friends
and athletes. He was 82.
The 50-year Burbank resident started working at Burroughs in 1953.
Along with teaching world history and psychology classes, he was also
a counselor and helped run the student store.
However, what Brandt was best known for was his coaching. Before
retiring in 1996, he coached football, track and field and soccer at
Burroughs. He was a junior varsity boys’ soccer coach for 15 years,
leading the Indians to three Foothill League championships in 1989,
1991 and 1994.
He was so loved and respected in the Burroughs soccer community
that the program’s annual boys’ tournament bears his name.
1 Freddy Sanchez makes it to the majors: It was a breakout season
for the former Burbank High and Glendale Community College standout.
Beginning the season with the Boston Red Sox’s double-A affiliate
in Trenton, Sanchez worked his way up to triple-A Pawtucket and broke
in with Boston Sept 1.
He led all the organization’s minor-league players with a .318
batting average (157 for 494) and had 24 stolen bases in Trenton and
Pawtucket.
Sanchez was honored as the Red Sox organization’s Minor League
Player of the Year. It was the second straight honor for the
24-year-old infielder, who earned the distinction in 2001 playing for
Trenton and single-A Sarasota.
In Trenton this past season, Sanchez batted .328 with three home
runs and 38 runs batted in. He also enjoyed a 27-game hitting streak
from May 15 to June 24 and reached base in 43 straight games.
In his first game with Boston on Sept. 10 against the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays, he delivered a bases-loaded single that scored two runs.
With the Red Sox, Sanchez played in 12 games, had 16 at-bats,
three hits, scored three runs and had two runs batted in for a .188
average.