For the first time in 14 years the San Diego Section championship games did not take place in the Sports Arena (13,700 capacity) on Midway Drive or Peterson Gymnasium (3,668 capacity) on the San Diego State campus.
The championships were played at Golden Hall, a downtown facility of 3,200 seats that was more known as a host for concerts and artists such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and others.
But basketball had a history at the C Street venue. It was home of the San Diego Conquistadores of the American Basketball Association in the 1970s.
“If he (San Diego Section commissioner Kendall Webb) had gotten to me sooner, we would have been able to accommodate them,” said Sports Arena executive Norm Smith.
Coaches were split.
“The Sports Arena is a nice place to play in for the kids, but let’s face facts,” said Lincoln’s Ron Loneski. “You go in there and there’s about 700 or 1,000 people. I would rather play in Golden Hall. The Sports Arena is not conducive to basketball when there’s no one in the place.”
Poway’s Neville Saner: “I believe the Sports Arena is the best location because you can get 7,000 in there. I remember when Poway and Serra played in 1986 there were over 7,000 people there.”
NOT ALL INVITED
The season also signaled an end to the 2-year-old open playoff format, in which every team was eligible for a postseason berth. Divisions I and II were limited to 16 teams each, although all teams in D-III, IV, and V were eligible.
STATE FINALIST
Christian, propelled by record-shattering Tony Clark, earned a trip to the state D-V championship, the third San Diego Section team in the last three seasons. Lincoln in D-IV and Calipatria in D-V advanced in 1987-88.
BOYS PLAYOFFS
(seeding numbers in italics)
DIVISION I
FIRST ROUND
Mira Mesa 66, Fallbrook 52 (16-11).
2 Mt. Carmel 84, Hilltop 72 (14-14).
Poway 53, Morse 49 (12-15).
1 Sweetwater 96, Granite Hills 53 (10-16).
Sweetwater led, 52-40, in the third quarter. Four minutes later the score was 73-44.
4 San Diego 78, San Dieguito 61 (10-15).
Chula Vista 75, Point Loma 59 (12-13).
The Spartans closed with a 24-7 fourth quarter.
Rancho Buena Vista 79, Bonita Vista 50 (15-9).
3 Patrick Henry 65, Castle Park 57 (11-13).
QUARTERFINALS
1 Sweetwater 80, Mira Mesa 55 (18-9).
2 Mt. Carmel 76, Poway 56 (18-7).
4 San Diego 88, Chula Vista 85 (21-8).
Clark James scored 41 points to tie the Cavers’ school record by Oscar Foster in the 1966-67 season and added 18 rebounds.
3 Patrick Henry 70, Rancho Buena Vista 52 (15-10).
SEMIFINALS
2 Mt. Carmel 67, 3 Patrick Henry 46 (23-5).
Sixteen years after the school opened and following seven losses in the semifinal round, the Sundevils advanced. “I finally got the monkey off my back,” said Coach John Marincovich.
1 Sweetwater 64, 4 San Diego 54 (18-5).
CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Sweetwater 78, 2 Mt. Carmel 71.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
5 Lynwood 82 (31-2, Southern), 4 Sweetwater 79, 3 OT (29-2).
Sweetwater could have won but missed free throws near the end of the first and second overtimes.
The Knights’ Earnest Killum, who scored 45 points, converted a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left in the third extra session. The Red Devils followed with two, missed three-point tries.
“We had to keep our composure in front of a hostile crowd down here,” said Lynwood coach Bill Notley. “We really had to fight. That is one fine team.”
D-II
FIRST ROUND
Monte Vista 81, Oceanside 57 (12-13).
3 El Camino 99, El Capitan 57 (10-16).
4 Valhalla 68, Escondido 40 (7-14).
University City 89, Carlsbad 68 (7-14).
2 San Pasqual 69, Mission Bay 45 (4-17).
The Golden Eagles prevailed despite the absence of 29-point scoring, 6-foot, 10-inch Erik Meek, idle with a sprained ankle.
Crawford 74, Grossmont 71, OT (13-9).
Helix 49, Serra 47 (7-14).
1 Torrey Pines 89, Hoover 53 (5-20).
QUARTERFINALS
2 San Pasqual 74, Crawford 56 (18-9).
1 Torrey Pines 58, Helix 46 (13-8).
University City 83, 4 Valhalla 82 (20-9).
Jerome Price’s fadeaway, 20-foot jump shot with three seconds left and his 24 points earned the Centurions a surprise victory over the better seeded Norsemen.
3 El Camino 82, Monte Vista 62 (19-7).
“Dee (Boyer) was out 14 games and Travis (Gilley) missed four…this is the first time we’ve come together with everything in focus,” said El Camino coach Ray Johnson.
SEMIFINALS
5 University City 75, 1 Torrey Pines 58 (27-3).
The Centurions’ Anthony Hill scored 22 points and held the Falcons’ high-scoring Kyle Armstrong to one field goal. “I told coach (Tom Medigovich) that I wanted him,” said Hill, who described Armstrong as cocky.
3 El Camino 63, 2 San Pasqual 49 (20-6).
“We wanted to pound it right at (Erik) Meek and take our chances with the referees,” said El Camino center Dee Boyer. Meek went to the bench with his fourth foul and the Golden Eagles leading, 26-23, at the 6:12 mark of the third quarter.
El Camino, working easily in the low post with Meek out of the game, finished with a 40-23 run.
CHAMPIONSHIP
3 El Camino 68, University City 65.
The Centurions, trailing, 50-36, late in the third quarter, rallied and could have sent the game into overtime but Jerome Price’s 20-foot jump shot with two seconds remaining clanked off the rim.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
2 Glendora 51 (27-5, Southern), 7 University City 45 (24-5).
4 El Camino 92, 5 Compton (22-8, Southern) 78, OT.
Wildcats coach Ray Johnson drew up a “home run” with two seconds remaining in regulation play. Travis Gilley then “circled the bases” with a 18-foot basket that etched a tie at 73 and sent the game into overtime.
The game-tying play, according to writer Pedro Gomez, began under the opposite basket. Shaun Scurry launched a 55-foot pass toward 6-foot, 9-inch Dee Boyer, who was standing at the free throw line. Instead of catching the ball, Boyer tapped the pass to Gilley, situated just inside the three-point line.
Compton was done.
Twenty-nine seconds into the extra session Scurry drained a 12-foot shot and El Camino had its first lead since midway of the second quarter.
SEMIFINALS
1 Artesia (27-2, Southern) 74, 4 El Camino 70 (23-7).
The Pioneers’ Ed O’Bannon had 30 points and nine rebounds and six consecutive free throws in the final minutes to keep the Wildcats at a distance.
“We couldn’t get that one spurt to take us over the hump,” said Wildcats Coach Ray Johnson. “If a couple calls go our way, it might have been a different outcome.”
D-III
QUARTERFINALS
St. Augustine 87, Ramona 58 (14-8).
Clairemont 85, Kearny 76 (16-11).
2 Lincoln 78, La Jolla 60 (4-19).
SEMIFINALS
1 University 90, St. Augustine 69 (7-21).
2 Lincoln 106, Clairemont 56 (7-15).
CHAMPIONSHIP
2 Lincoln 83, 1 University 66 (17-7).
Steve Brand of The San Diego Union wrote that “Lincoln Prep held a board meeting last night at Golden Hall.”
The Hornets, outrebounding the University Dons, 54-23, won their third consecutive D-III title.
“We knew all five of our guys would have to crash the boards to have a chance,” said Uni coach Jim Tomey.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
4 Goleta Dos Pueblos (18-13, Southern) 72, 5 University 46 (17-8).
7 Corona Del Mar 67 (20-10, Southern), 2 Lincoln 65 (22-9).
D-IV
QUARTERFINALS
3 Army-Navy 66, West Hills 44 (1-16).
4 Mountain Empire 67, Holtville 58.
SEMIFINALS
1 Coronado 60, 4 Mountain Empire 39 (8-6).
2 Imperial 69, Army-Navy 52 (11-14).
CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Coronado 63, Imperial 53.
The Tigers were 0 for 13 from the field in the third quarter.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
5 Laguna Beach (24-6, Southern) 71, 4 Coronado 37 (19-9).
1 Oxnard Santa Clara (26-0, Southern) 67, 8 Imperial 37 (16-9).
D-V
FIRST ROUND
Calexico Vincent Memorial 51, Borrego Springs (11-10).
La Jolla Country Day 98, Tri-City Christian 52 (7-11).
Marian 61, Calvin Christian 49 (12-12).
The Bishop’s 70, Victory Christian 43 (3-12).
Francis Parker 79, Midway Baptist 66 (7-13).
Lutheran 78, Santa Fe Christian 67 (9-16).
Christian 96, Julian 36 (6-19).
QUARTERFINALS
Christian 103, La Jolla Country Day 65 (18-8).
Tony Clark scored 10, three-point baskets and finished with a San Diego Section record 64 points. “I had no idea how many I had,” Clark told Ed Graney of The San Diego Union. “I first found out when they announced it.”
Clark became the third San Diego County player with as many as 60 points in one game. St. Augustine’s Tom Shaules and Julian’s Rob Petrie had 60 in 1957-58 1969-70, respectively, and Madison’s Mitchell Lilly 61 in 1976-77.
Clark had 29 at halftime and 44 when he went to the bench for the final 1:33 of the third quarter. Christian Coach Randy Wright set Clark free for his 20-point fourth quarter.
The Bishop’s 62, Calexico Vincent Memorial 39.
Marian 59, Lutheran 41 (15-9).
Calipatria-Francis Parker, no score.
SEMIFINALS
Calipatria 47, Marian 39 (9-16).
Christian 57, The Bishop’s 50 (22-5).
Tony Clark scored 18 of Christian’s 20 third-quarter points and the Patriots held on before 2,000 persons at San Dieguito. Clark scored 40 but was 17×37 from the field.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Christian 65, Calipatria 48.
The Hornets triple-teamed Tony Clark, whose 22 points were his lowest total of the season and half of his 44-point average.
“We won; that’s all that matters,” said Clark. “The points don’t mean anything.”
Christian teammate Dave Piester stepped up with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots as the Patriots ended Calipatria’s run of three consecutive titles.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
Christian 72, Capistrano St. Margaret (21-7, Southern) 52.
Tony Clark’s 52 points matched the Tartans’.
Canoga Park Baptist (Southern) 67, Calipatria 52 (21-6).
The Hunters broke from a tie score at the end of three quarters with a 29-14 fourth quarter.
SEMIFINALS
Christian 44, Paramount Brethren (20-10, Southern) 43.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Christian 80, Canoga Park Baptist (21-11, Southern) 72.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Colusa (28-2, Northern) 62, Christian 48 (19-12).
Coach’s son Jayson Vossler missed all 12 of his three-point attempts in the first half but buried another attempt with five minutes left in the game, breaking a 41-41 tie and launching the Redskins on a 21-7 run to the title.
Tony Clark scored 27 points in his final high school game.
GIRLS PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
FIRST ROUND
1 Mt. Carmel 63, Mount Miguel 27 (7-12).
2 Santana 57, Orange Glen 37 (7-16).
Vista 49, Chula Vista 47 (11-13).
Mira Mesa 41, San Diego 34 (11-12).
3 Rancho Buena Vista 81, Hilltop 42 (9-14).
4 Poway, 80, Southwest 31 (9-13).
Fallbrook 59, Bonita Vista 39 (17-6).
Granite Hills 73, Montgomery 59 (17-8).
QUARTERFINALS
1 Mt. Carmel 60, 8 Mira Mesa 34 (12-12).
2 Santana 73, 7 Vista 56 (13-13).
3 Rancho Buena Vista 73, 6 Granite Hills 49 (12-14).
4 Poway 58, 5 Poway 35 (17-11).
SEMIFINALS
2 Santana 57, 3 Rancho Buena Vista 42 (21-7).
“We just wanted to get away from Point Loma,” said Santana coach Wade Vickery of his decision to enter the Sultans in the D-I playoffs instead of going D-II and possibly meeting the Pointers.
1 Mt. Carmel 51, 4 Poway 48 (21-5).
CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Mt. Carmel 56, 2 Santana 55 (21-5).
There were 3,125 persons on their feet in downtown Golden Hall, as Rebecca Aase’s free throw bounced off the rim. No time remained and Mt. Carmel dodged a Santana bullet.
The Sundevils, playing their last game under Coach Peggy Brose, who would become athletic director at the new Rancho Bernardo High in the fall, was in front, 48-42, with 5:09 left when Vicki de Jesus (20 points, 17 rebounds) fouled out.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
5 Mt. Carmel 65, 4 Newhall Hart (25-5, Southern) 42.
The Sundevils bused 156 miles and beat a team that had not lost a home game in more than two years. They led, 40-13, at halftime.
“We have no illusion of winning it,” Peggy Brose told Laura Palmer of the Los Angeles Times the day before. “We just want to go up there and represent San Diego the best we can.”
The loss was “a little stunning,” understated Indians coach Dave Monroe.
SEMIFINALS
1 Inglewood Morningside (30-3, Southern) 78, 5 Mt. Carmel 42 (23-6).
“I talked about not being intimidated before the game, but we still were,” Sundevils coach Peggy Brose told Ed Graney.
D-II
FIRST ROUND
1 Point Loma 59, Madison 29 (9-13).
Grossmont 51, Crawford 37 (15-8).
Serra 55, Monte Vista 46 (13-9).
2 San Pasqual 41, Mission Bay 23 (10-14).
Torrey Pines 63, University 28 (12-8).
Oceanside 59, Helix 25 (11-10).
4 Castle Park 64, San Marcos 39 (12-12).
3 El Cajon Valley 63, Carlsbad 52 (11-12).
QUARTERFINALS
1 Point Loma 66, Serra 38 (15-11).
2 San Pasqual 74, Grossmont 48 (13-7).
The Golden Eagles hit a season high in points and all-time scorer Christina Adams had 33 in her final game for the Foothillers.
4 Castle Park 49, Oceanside 42 (18-8).
3 El Cajon Valley 60, Torrey Pines 58 (16-9).
SEMIFINALS
1 Point Loma 53, 4 Castle Park 42 (18-6).
2 San Pasqual 71, 3 El Cajon Valley 59 (21-7).
CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Point Loma 62, 2 San Pasqual 34.
“They couldn’t match up with us,” Pointers coach Lee Trepanier told Steve Brand of the Union after a fifth San Diego Section championship in six years. “They’re a nice little team, but we were ready.”
Trepanier’s ream did not need a pregame pep talk. “If I have to preach to them about getting up, I’m in the wrong gym.”
Tyeast Brown scored 25 points and blocked five shots for the Pointers.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
3 Pasadena Muir (Southern) 56, 6 San Pasqual 39 (24-6).
1 Point Loma 66, 8 West Torrance (23-6, Southern) 36.
SEMIFINALS
1 Point Loma 39, 5 Westminster La Quinta 36.
Tyeast Brown held Amy Jalewalia, the state’s second-leading scorer with a 33.7 average, to eight points and Robin Rabello, an ex-soccer player playing basketball for the first time, scored 14 points and drew 12 rebounds as the host Pointers overcame a two-point deficit after three quarters.
FINALS
3 Pasadena Muir (28-5, Southern) 43, 1 Point Loma 38 (29-4).
“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh way,” Pointers coach Lee Trepanier said of the loss. “Our defense played well, but the difference was their defense. I sure thought we’d score more than ten points in the second half.”
D-III
QUARTERFINALS
3 Our Lady of Peace 74, La Jolla 34 (2-22).
2 University 65, Clairemont 22 (2-18).
4 Kearny 60, Ramona 35 (6-17).
Freshmen twins Melissa (24 points) and Shelly (7 points 12 rebounds, 5 assists) Krause set the pace for the Komets.
SEMIFINALS
1 Lincoln 47, 4 Kearny 44 (18-10).
3 Our Lady of Peace 54, 2 University 47 (18-4).
CHAMPIONSHIP
3 Our Lady of Peace 67, 1 Lincoln 60.
The Pilots reversed an earlier, 12-point loss to the Hornets and Coach Yvonne Sanchez noted to Ed Graney, “We went back to what works, straight, man-to-man defense. I made some coaching mistakes the last time. I redeemed myself.”
Lincoln’s Sheila Dixon had 29 points and 20 rebounds but “we lost because we didn’t box out and we hurried our shots.”
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
7 Palos Verdes Peninsula Palos Verdes (27-6, Southern) 53, 2 Our Lady of Peace 37 (24-5).
1 Brea-Olinda (31-0, Southern) 66, 8 Lincoln 32 (15-8).
D-IV
SEMIFINALS
1 Holtville 47, Mountain Empire 28 (5-17).
2 Coronado 42, 4 West Hills 34 (3-22).
CHAMPIONSHIP
Holtville 57, Coronado 31.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
QUARTERFINALS
4 Holtville 57, 5 Cerritos Valley Christian (21-6, Southern) 56.
1 Santa Maria St. Joseph (Southern) 89, 8 Coronado 29 (14-12).
SEMIFINALS
1 Santa Maria St. Joseph (27-3, Southern) 71, 4 Holtville 32 (19-10).
D-V
FIRST ROUND
Julian 74, Calexico Vincent Memorial 44.
Three-time Coast League player of the year Vicki Teter scored a school-record 55 points, elevating her to a tie for fourth behind all time behind leader Terri Mann, (65), Linda Nielson (60) and Sharon turner (60). Kristen Cummings and Mann also had 55.
The Bishop’s 64, Lutheran 32 (4-8).
Francis Parker 70, Tri-City 11 (4-9).
QUARTERFINALS
2 Christian 71, Francis Parker 34 (10-12).
1 La Jolla Country Day 66, Marian 50 (7-15).
Calvin Christian 69, Julian 29 (11-3).
The Bishop’s 46, Calipatria 40.
SEMIFINALS
1 La Jolla Country Day 59, Calvin Christian 57, OT (14-7).
2 Christian 62, The Bishop’s 57 (11-10).
CHAMPIONSHIP
1 La Jolla Country Day 70, Christian 63.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
5 Lone Pine (23-6, Southern) 57, 4 La Jolla Country Day 53 (18-3).
2 Rosamond (19-7, Central) 43, 7 Christian 34 (12-12).
Man those Braves teams of that era had a good run. Semis in 90, CIF Champs and SD #1 ranking in 91, Semis again in 92 taking heavily favored Carlsbad to OT. Heather Holm still one of the best performances I have ever seen in mens or womens basketball outplaying Nygard.
Her dad was coach and was a good player in his own right.