The Cavers were out of sorts.
San Diego High finished with an 18-8 record, its poorest since the 17-10 of 1950, and the Cavers lost four games in a row down the stretch to fall out of City Prep League and playoff contention.
According to Don King’s Caver Conquest, the athletic history of the school, the streak was the longest since the 1928 team lost six in a row.
The ’28 squad, the second of legendary coach Dewey (Mike) Morrow’s career, rebounded to post a 22-8-1 record and win the CIF Southern Section championship, 3-0, over El Monte.
The Hoover era of basketball, baseball, and track and field domination continued as the Cardinals dethroned San Diego in the City Prep League baseball race and advanced to the Southern California playoff quarterfinals.
3/2/56
After dropping its opener, 5-3 to a Sweetwater team it defeated, 30-2, in 1955, the San Diego High Cavers struck for 23 hits and beat Helix, 19-5.
Jim Gilchrist had four hits and Willie West three hits, including a home run.
3/7/56
Lefthander Allan Raitt, righthander Victor Graham, and righthander Joe Barca combined to pitch a no-hitter in La Jolla’s 8-1 win over Fallbrook.
The Warriors run came when a stratagem reversed on Vikings coach Ed Sanclemente.
Sanclemente removed Raitt and positioned Raitt at first base and had first baseman Victor Graham pitch to Jim Gooch, who walked, forcing in a run.
Graham got Pete Andrews on strikes to end the inning, with Raitt returning to pitch and Graham to first. Barca pitched the last inning.
Larry Elliot wasn’t sure but Fulton Vickery, his Hoover coach, knew Elliot could play anywhere.3/14/56
Hoover, still waiting for basketballers Larry Elliot, Walt Baranski, and Steve Evans to get their baseball legs, was drilled by Helix, 10-2.
—Ron Palermo had three hits for the Highlanders and Duane (Rudy) Rudzinski and Ron Svalstad two each.
—John Asakawa and George Hook each hit home runs and Lincoln won at Mar Vista, 14-3.
3/16/56
Lefthander Bob Imlay gave up one hit and Point Loma silenced St. Augustine, 8-1. Brad Griffith and Ron Miller combined on a seven-hitter and Lincoln beat Chula Vista, 7-1.
3/17/56
Plans were announced for the sixth annual Lions Club tournament, 16 teams in the Unlimited Division and 8 in Limited.
Games would be played at Kearny, Point Loma, San Diego High, Golden Hill and University Heights playgrounds, and Navy Field, on which championships would be contested.
Outsiders included Santa Monica, Inglewood Morningside, Inglewood, and Hawthorne from the Bay League in Los Angeles.
3/19/56
Clyde Crockett gave up 10 runs and 10 hits but teammate George Graham had four hits including a triple and home run and Crockett survived and won,19-10, at Vista.
3/21/56
Deron Johnson’s one-hit pitching and John Harmon’s home run and five runs batted in propelled San Diego to a 13-0 win over Chula Vista.
Johnson did not walk anyone, struck out nine, and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum for nine innings.
—Hoover broke a four-game losing streak as Larry Elliot had three hits in a 9-1 win over Sweetwater.
—Benny Corrales tripled in two runs and pitched San Dieguito past La Jolla, 9-6.
3/23/56
San Diego, leading, 13-8, scored 12 runs in the seventh inning for a 25-9 victory at Oceanside.
—Nine days after a 10-2 loss, Hoover reversed the defeat with a 4-3 win over Helix behind the pitching of Larry Elliot and Paul Richter.
—Ralph Myatt hurled a one-hitter and Kearny won at Escondido, 6-1.
3/27/56
UNLIMITED DIVISION
San Diego teams were 2-2 against teams from the Los Angeles-area Bay League on opening day of the Lions Tournament.
Inglewood’s Sentinels rode two home runs by John Horn and outlasted Sweetwater, 6-5. A 360-foot, three-run home run by Mike Lillard was instrumental in Santa Monica’s 8-4 win over Mission Bay.
La Jolla improved to an 11-2 record with a 7-1 win over Inglewood Morningside, and Kearny topped Hawthorne, 6-3. Point Loma scored a mild upset over Helix, 3-2.
Defending champion Hoover improved to 8-5 but was extended by first-year El Cajon Valley. The Cardinals’ Steve Evans gave up three hits and outdueled Jim Portlock, 2-0.
Phil (Moon) Rico of San Diego set down Grossmont, 9-0, on three hits.
3/28/56
Defending Unlimited Division champion Hoover was knocked out in the morning quarterfinals by Santa Monica, 4-2, but the Vikings fell in the semifinals to Kearny, which scored a run in the fifth inning and two in the sixth to win, 3-2.
—Deron Johnson outpitched Victor Graham and San Diego advanced over La Jolla, 6-4, in the morning and rubber-armed Phil Rico, on no rest, pitched another shutout, allowing three hits in a 5-0, semifinal win over Inglewood.
—Kearny’s John Nunez did not allow a hit for 4 1/3 innings and had a one-hitter into the sixth, but San Diego, behind Deron Johnson, who allowed four hits, capitalized on six Komets errors and won its fourth title in six years, 8-1.
Johnson had two of the Cavers’ four hits and was 2-0 in the tournament. Same as Phil Rico, who was declared the event’s most-valuable player.
—Helix defeated big brother Grossmont, 4-3, for the consolation championship.
LIMITED DIVISION
Defending champion San Dieguito bombed Ramona, 15-4, in the first game of the three-round bracket. Escondido also moved on, defeating Thermal Coachella, 5-0.
—Escondido dethroned San Dieguito with a 3-2 victory the following afternoon, which followed a 2-0 win over El Centro Central in the morning semifinals.
—San Dieguito had outscored St. Augustine, 7-3, in the morning to gain a shot at another championship.
—Thermal Coachella won the consolation title, 11-0 over Oceanside.
4/2/56
City Prep and Metropolitan teams opened league play.
Catcher Duane (Rudy) Rudzinski made four putouts at home plate, stopping Sweetwater runners from scoring in Helix’ 11-inning, 4-2 victory.
—El Cajon Valley’s Bobby Contreras, all of 130 pounds in full gear, put on the heavy tools and played catcher with starter Al Hall idled by the flu.
Contreras homered and was behind the plate 11 innings as Jim Portlock stopped Grossmont on five hits, 2-1.
—Three walks, a Kearny error, and singles by Jim Gilchrist, Deron Johnson, John Harmon, Pete Gumina, and Jerry Whitworth resulted in eight runs in the sixth inning to give San Diego a come-from-behind, 8-4 victory.
4/6/56
A first-inning single by Eddie Sada was all that Point Loma could manage as lefthander Larry Elliot struck out 12 and pitched Hoover to a 5-0 CPL victory.
—La Jolla committed seven errors for the second game in a row and San Diego took advantage and won, 7-3, behind sophomore Dick Floberg, relieved by Deron Johnson in the seventh inning.
—Bill Collins’ three-hit pitching and Bob Perrin’s three runs batted in was enough for Chula Vista to top Grossmont, 5-1.
4/10/56
La Jolla cut errors to one and Victor Graham held Hoover to three hits but the Cardinals scratched out a 1-0 victory.
Larry Elliot’s triple scored Alex Cremidan with the game’s only run in the fourth inning.
—Brad Griffith’s seven-hit pitching was enough as Lincoln defeated Kearny, 5-2.
–Mar Vista, cruising and needing only three outs, saw visiting St. Augustine erupt for eight runs in the seventh inning for a 10-8 Saints win.
4/11/56
Ernie Miller and Ron Svalstad hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, and Bob Schulz added another in the fourth, and Bill Westphal pitched a three-hitter as Helix whipped Grossmont, 10-1.
—Deron Johnson homered and struck out six and San Diego beat Mission Bay, 7-2.
4/16/56
Larry Elliot hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning and relieved Steve Evans in the seventh to close out a 3-0 Hoover victory over El Cajon Valley.
4/18/56
Sophomore Bobby Jordan’s one-hit pitching stymied Grossmont in a 6-1 Sweetwater victory and Lincoln (3-0) was knocked from the unbeaten ranks in the CPL after the battery of Victor and George Graham propelled La Jolla to a 2-1 win.
4/19/56
San Diego struck for 17 runs and 23 hits and bombed visiting Lincoln, 17-0. St. Augustine jumped on Chula Vista, 10-0.
4/27/56
A six-run ninth inning brought El Cajon Valley a 10-9 triumph over Helix and knocked the loser out of a tie for the Metropolitan League lead with Sweetwater.
The Red Devils were idle in league play but stepped out and struggled to a 5-5, 11-inning deadlock with St, Augustine, the game called by a time limitation.
5/1/56
Bob Lasoya of Mission Bay authored the season’s first no-hitter, blanking host Lincoln, 3-0, striking out seven and allowing two runners on walks.
—Bob Imlay stifled Hoover, giving up one-hit in an 11-0 victory for Point Loma. Another 11-0 game favored San Diego and winning pitcher Phil Rico over La Jolla.
5/4/56
Mission Bay’s Leroy Brandt outdueled Deron Johnson and the Buccaneers (3-6) defeated San Diego (7-1), 5-4 in 10 innings.
The loss ended a 14-game winning streak for the Cavers and set up a City Prep League showdown the following week with 7-1 Hoover.
—The Cardinals caught the Cavers in the standings as Steve Evans held La Jolla to two hits in a 12-0 victory.
—Grossmont’s defending champion turned spoilers and damaged visiting Sweetwater’s Metropolitan League hopes with an 8-1 victory.
The Red Devils fell a game behind league-leading Helix as the Foothillers’ Earl Carlton set down the Red Devils on six hits.
watched as San Diego’s Willie West stole second base, but Cardinals won, 6-2.
5/8/56
Hoover collected all its runs and seven hits in the final three innings to beat San Diego, 6-2.
Deron Johnson’s home run in the first inning staked Phil Rico to a 2-0 lead and Rico had a perfect game until Larry Elliot led off the fifth inning with a ground-rule double over the Cavers’ right field fence.
Elliot struck out 13 and permitted only one hit after Johnson’s home run.
—Mission Bay’s Bob Lasoya missed a second consecutive no-hitter in a 5-2 win over St. Augustine. The Saints’ Ed Downey had a first-inning single.
—A ground ball which bounced off a third baseman’s leg and through the gate on a fence at Sweetwater helped the Red Devils beat Helix, 4-1, and tie for the Metro lead.
5/11/56
Bob Imlay pitched Point Loma into second place in the CPL, giving up four hits and shutting out San Diego, 8-0.
The Cavers were shut out for the first time at home.
Lennie Serrano homered, singled and tripled, and stole home with the final run in the seventh inning.
—Ron Palermo and Dave Olson each had three hits and Helix defeated El Cajon Valley, 7-2, and climbed back into a first-place tie with idle Sweetwater in the Metropolitan League.
5/15/56
Lefthander Larry Elliot’s no-hitter earned Hoover at least a tie for the CPL championship, 8-1, over Kearny, but that was just part of the story.
Elliott struck out the side in the first four innings and had fanned 13 in a row before the Komets’ Hugh McMillan made contact in the fifth inning.
The only other Kearny batter in the seven-inning game to hit the ball was Chuck Cartmill, who popped out in the sixth.
Elliott struck out 19 and walked 10, including four in the third inning to force in the Komets’ run.
—Bob Lasoya got the nod Point Loma’s Bob Imlay, 4-3, in 11 innings for the Bucs’ fourth CPL win in a row and fifth overall.
Fred Matteson singled home Larry Brindley for the winning run.
—San Diego continued to stumble, losing its fourth in a row at Lincoln, 6-1. George Hook’s three-run home run in the second inning led the way for the Hornets.
—Helix outlasted last-place Grossmont, 7-6, in 10 innings to take first place in the Metro League. Ron Palermo’s sacrifice fly scored Ernie Miller with the winning run.
—San Dieguito clinched the Avocado League championship, 9-0 over Vista and Ramona won a Southern Prep League game with visiting San Miguel School, 23-6.
5/18/56
Hoover and Helix claimed league championships, the Cardinals 7-1 over Lincoln behind Steve Evans’ two-hitter, and the Highlanders 8-4 over Chula Vista.
—Kearny prevented Point Loma from clinching second in the CPL, 2-1 in 12 innings.
John Nunez replaced Ralph Myatt in the first inning and went the rest of the way for the Komets.
—Escondido snapped San Dieguito’s eight-game winning streak in the Avocado League, 4-3.
5/19/56
Willie West slammed a bases-loaded home run in the sixth inning and San Diego ended its losing streak with a 5-4 win at Hoover.
Phil Rico, with relief from Deron Johnson in the seventh inning, got the win over the Cardinals’ Larry Elliot.
5/21/56
Sweetwater won a Metropolitan League playoff, 4-2 over Chula Vista after the teams had tied with 7-5 records and second place behind Helix’ 9-3.
—Sweetwater’s opponent in the playoffs became Point Loma, which tied at 8-4 with San Diego behind Hoover’s 10-2 in the CPL.
Hilbert Crosthwaite, Point Loma athletic director and president of the CPL, conducted a poll in which league bosses chose the Pointers over the Cavers for the postseason berth.
5/22/56
Sophomore Bobby Jordan lined a pinch hit single in the ninth inning to deprive Point Loma’s Bob Imlay of a perfect game after the lefthander set down the first 26 batters.
Imlay told Jerry Magee of The San Diego Union that the pitch Jordan hit, on a 2-2 count, was the only curve ball Imlay threw during the game.
Imlay had two hits including a single that drove in the Pointers’ first run.
Point Loma won, 2-0, to advance to the second-round against Newport Beach Newport Harbor.
—Helix beat visiting Anaheim, 6-3, to earn a second-round game against Hoover, which had a first-round bye.
—San Dieguito won a wild game at home, 8-7, against El Centro Central, which hit five home runs off Mustangs pitcher Richie Salbato, two of them when the Spartans scored three times to take a 7-4 lead in the top of the 11th inning.
Greg Arnett’s bases-loaded single scored two runs in the bottom of the 11th. Chuck Salbato followed with a double to tie the score and George Seckington’s bunt scored the winning run.
Richie Salbato struck out 18 batters but was relieved by Chuck Salbato in the 11th.
5/25/56
Hoover, having to move from its home diamond to San Diego State, beat the Highlanders, 8-6.
Larry Elliot doubled in one run, Alex Cremidan two, and Lynn Rowland pinch hit a triple for 3 more in a six-run Hoover fourth inning.
Elliot walked nine batters, threw 31 pitches in one inning and 151 for eight innings before coach Fulton Vickery brought in Steve Evans after Elliot walked the first two batters in the eighth.
Elliot’s 13 strikeouts gave him 60 in the last 28 innings. The CIF had deemed the Hoover field not suitable for a playoff game because of the short, 197-foot distance to the right field fence.
—Point Loma was informed by the CIF that its win at Sweetwater was within 15 miles of the Pointers’ campus and thus a home game when considering the site for its second-round game.
The peninsula squad hit the road north and host Newport Beach Newport Harbor claimed a 3-2 victory
—San Dieguito, on the strength of two double steals, which resulted in an eighth-inning run and the winning run in the tenth, moved on after a 5-4 victory at Tustin.
5/28/56
Host Ontario Chaffey struck for a run in the second inning and three in the third, enough for Harold (Hal) Reniff’s 18th victory in his last 20 decisions.
Reniff, who struck out five of the six last batters he faced, stopped Hoover, 4-3.
6/1/56
Puente atoned for its loss to Grossmont in the 1955 championship with a 13-1 rout of San Dieguito in the small schools’ final at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot’s Beeson Field.
Right-hander Jerry Dawson allowed the Mustangs four hits and accounted for five runs, two on home runs from opposite sides of the plate, and another on an infield out.
Dawson’s homers each cleared the wall at the 353-foot sign in left centerfield.
Deron Johnson was a great baseball player in high school & later in the major leagues & then a coach in MLB I coached his son on my all star 8 grade thru high school basketball teams in tournaments plus Slam & Jam high school all star league at Carson Ca during the summer every weekend
John Gillilan
Dominick Johnson was all-CIF on real good Poway teams. You played with Jim Johnson for Jim Poole on a good Kearny team, I think.