1976-77: Madison Welcomed the Traveling Lillys
The arrival of San Diego County’s first 30-points-a-game scorer this year was via a curious journey, from Iceland to Pacific Beach, to Linda Vista, and to North San Diego, where Marshall and Mitchell Lilly landed at Madison High.
The twins, who spent the 1974-75 school year in the near-Arctic Circle country (see 1975-76: Patrick Henry, University Played…) before leading Mission Bay to a 22-7 record and the second round of the section playoffs in 1975-76, transferred to Kearny and helped the Komets win the Summer League title.
Then they moved again, to the awaiting whistle of Warhawks coach John Hannon, who played on championship teams at Coronado in the early ‘fifties and had started the Madison program in 1962-63.
Marshall had the most cachet, having averaged 16.4 points at Mission Bay, but Marshall sustained a season-ending broken navicular bone in his right wrist in Madison’s second game.
Mitchell scored 26 points and Marshall 19 in an opening-game, 71-59 loss to Helix. Marshall scored 6 points but was injured in the second quarter of the next game, a 75-62 win over Poway, as Mitchell scored 23.
Marshall’s season was over, but Mitchell’s was just getting started.
Mitchell scored 27 in a 56-50 win over Monte Vista, 35 in a 59-55 tightrope with University, and followed with 32, 36, and 38, the latter in a 73-59 Kiwanis Tournament loss to eventual CIF champion Santana.
Madison then moved to the South Bay and the Baron-Optimist, post-Christmas tournament hosted by Bonita Vista.
THE BIG FIVE-OH
Lilly earned a seven-column headline in The San Diego Union after scorching Torrey Pines for 50 points in an 86-75, opening-round victory.
Lilly made 15 of 24 attempts from the field and was 20×23 for free throws. He had 22 points in the second quarter and was at 48 when the 6-foot, 1-inch senior launched a 25-footer with seconds to play to reach the half-century mark as the game-ending buzzer sounded.
Crawford was on the receiving end of Lilly’s 38 points in a 98-70 loss. Madison then upset 12-0 Bonita Vista, 92-75, as Lilly knocked down 42 points.
MITCHELL WHISTLED
Lilly had 22 points but fouled out driving to the basket with one second left in the first overtime in a game that went three overtimes before the Warhawks edged Pleasanton Amador, 72-70, for the championship.
Amador took a physical approach to Lilly, defending the Warhawks’ sharpshooter with four different players, who acquired multiple infractions. “At times they would double and triple team me,” said Lilly. “Even on my last foul I was hit pretty hard.”
Lilly’s teammate, Remond Wells, scored a season-high 30 points, including 10 in the extra sessions. Anthony Roberts’ basket with 30 seconds left in the third overtime finally decided the game in favor of the Warhawks.
Lilly’s 130 points in the four games (32.5 average) broke the Barons-Optimist tournament record of 100, set by Bonita Vista’s Jim March in 1972.
THE BIG SIX-ONE
Three weeks later, the 6-foot, 1-inch senior guard broke the County record with 61 points in a 117-80 rout of visiting San Diego.
Evening Tribune writer Nick Canepa broke down Lilly’s outbursts with contributions from the scoring king:
First quarter, 10 points. “I was off to my usual miserable start.”
Second quarter, 13 points: “I felt better, but, still, there was no special feeling.”
Third quarter, 16 points: “I started warming up. Things started clicking.”
Fourth quarter, 22 points: “San Diego was in a full-court, man-to-man press. I was hot. Everything I was putting up was going in.
“At the end of the third quarter they told me I had 39. Coach Hannon told me to go for it, but (to) take my time.”
Lilly also was informed when his total reached 55: “So everyone on the team just gave me the ball after that.”
Lilly, who averaged 12.7 at Mission Bay the previous year, retired with 1:24 remaining in the game.
The sharpshooter was 24×41 from the field for 59 per cent and 13×17 on free throws. He was averaging 32.9 points a game and 37.5 in the Eastern League.
The 61 points topped the record of 60, shared by Tom Shaules of St. Augustine in a 102-38 win over Crawford in 1957-58 and Rob Petrie of Julian in 115-76 win over Mountain Empire in 1968-69.
Lilly would end the season with a CIF-record 31.9 average and his 893 points were second only to the 958 by Helix Bill Walton in 1969-70.
Lilly’s sniping kept Madison in every game but his 47-point effort days later against Kearny was not enough as the Komets, winners of 20 in a row at home and 45 of its last 46 at home, scored an 86-80 victory.
BELIEVE IT
There were defenses and other maneuvers to stop Lilly, sometimes with unintended consequences.
Lilly scored Madison’s only point in the fourth quarter, after he was fouled as the game ended. He converted a single free throw to give the Warhawks a 32-31 win at Point Loma.
The Pointers had stalled much of the game and for almost all of the fourth quarter and made 2 free throws with 40 seconds left for a 31-31 tie.
Point Loma’s accomplishment in defeat was to hold Lilly to 12 points, his lowest total of the season.
CAVERS REVENGE
San Diego, 5-16 on the season and experiencing its poorest stretch since the John Hobbs-coached clubs went 2-10 and 4-9 in the mid-1920s, upset Madison and knocked the Warhawks out of the playoffs, 67-66, in a rematch of Lilly’s record contest.
San Diego’s Caesar Scott scored only 6 points but was credited with holding Lilly to 26, six points below his average, and only nine points in the second half.
NO POSTSEASON?
The Warhawks were mathematically eliminated largely because CIF bosses had again changed the playoff format, reducing participation from 24 to 16 teams and, in a strange twist, extending the postseason to two weeks.
Madison was out of the money despite a season record of 19-9. Oceanside (18-8) also was out and Orange Glen (14-12) and Hilltop (14-13) were in.
The bosses had created 4 “conferences”, moving away from the “City” and “County” conference format, at the start of the school year.
Sixteen teams from the 6 major leagues, City East and City West, Grossmont, Avocado East and Avocado West, and Metropolitan qualified.
This meant the East and West, representing the City conference, would qualify two each. Same for the Avocado East and West.
However, there would be four teams from the Grossmont and Metro conferences.
Madison was third behind Patrick Henry and Kearny in the City East, and Oceanside finished third in the Avocado West behind Fallbrook and Vista.
PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
Santana, 0-2 against Grossmont “Conference” rival Monte Vista, defeated the Monarchs (19-8), 48-38.
Vista 49, Mt. Carmel (22-7), 47. The Sundevils took their first home loss.
Fallbrook 63, Orange Glen (14-13) 45.
Marian 66, Sweetwater (15-12) 57.
Lincoln 71, Patrick Henry (21-8) 59.
Hilltop 70, Bonita Vista (27-2) 59. Disregarded Hilltop stunned the Barons with a 31-15 third quarter.
Helix 68, Mount Miguel (16-12) 49.
Kearny 69, St. Augustine (21-7) 59.
QUARTERFINALS
Kearny 68, Hilltop (15-13) 55.
Santana 57, Fallbrook (24-1) 44. Not as much a surprise as Hilltop’s win over Bonita Vista, but the Sultans were proving, as they did last year, a formidable team in the playoffs.
Jack Sandschulte, in his 21st season, won his 300th game as coach at Fallbrook, 84-66 over Torrey Pines, and could rely on his son, John, who averaged 22.8 points, and big man Bob Bartholomew, 18.0.
“Any time the other team (Santana, with CIF player of the year Todd Harper, Mark Price, and Barney Hinkle) has three good players and you have two, the odds are against you,” said the elder Sandschulte. “The odds have been against us going unbeaten all season and it finally caught up with us.”
There were 2,500 persons at Grossmont College, including many red-clad supporters of Fallbrook, which trailed by three points with six minutes to go.
Helix 75, Vista (19-11) 52. The Highlanders, 16-0 in Grossmont conference play, had lost only to Kearny, 68-64, in the Kiwanis tournament.
Marian 68, Lincoln (21-5) 64. A near overflow crowd at Chula Vista, saw the Crusaders overcome a 62-59 deficit by outscoring the Hornets, 9-2, in the last 1:54.
Kearny 68, Hilltop (15-13) 55, at Torrey Pines.
SEMIFINALS
Helix 63, Kearny (27-2) 57, before 3,000 persons at Cal Western University. In previous playoffs, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams would have been seeded to meet in the finals.
Santana 52, Marian (21-9) 40.
CLASS 1-A
Army-Navy 64, Mountain Empire (14-8) 42.
Francis Parker 58, Christian (8-16) 36
FINALS
Santana (26-5), 54, Helix (27-2) 42. The Sultans had lost to Helix, 44-40, 72-66, and 51-40.
A surprised gathering of 7,233 in the Sports Arena watched patient, deliberate Santana make only 12 shots from the field but 30×38 from the free throw line.
Helix converted 17 field goal attempts but only 8×14 that were free.
Helix led 14-5 early in the second quarter but 6-10 center Mark Snow got into foul trouble and Santana, behind Harper and center Mark Price, took a 26-20 halftime lead.
Snow took a seat after picking up his fourth personal with 6:13 remaining in the third quarter. Santana coach Bart Hare went to what was known as a four-corners offense.
Hare said he took this approach because his center, Price, also had 4 fouls. No Santana players fouled out, but Helix’ Snow, Mike Durden and Mark Barnes did.
The Sultans held a 39-28 lead entering the fourth quarter against a team that averaged almost 70 a game.
THIRD PLACE
Kearny (28-2) 91, Marian (21-10) 82.
Typical of the consolation games, Kearny and Marian let it all hang out. Komets coach Tim Short played everyone and 12 players scored.
1-A
Francis Parker (15-7), ahead, 25-8, at halftime, topped Army-Navy (14-4), 35-30.
TOURNAMENTS
Forty-seven teams accepted invitations to the 30th annual Kiwanis, with El Centro Central, Calexico, and Brawley comprising a visiting contingent.
The Kiwanis still held sway but it was feeling pinched.
There were 12 different December tournaments, four of which, the 10-team Mt. Helix Invitational, Jim Mitchell San Dieguito Mustang-Optimist, Julian, and the Southern Prep League, even got on the calendar before the venerable Kiwanis took its place just before the Christmas holiday.
Winners and championship scores:
Mt. Helix, Helix 60, Oceanside 39.
Julian: Julian 69, Mountain Empire 58.
Southern Prep, Francis Parker 43, Mountain Empire 34.
Jim Mitchell Mustang Optimist: Fallbrook 60, Oceanside 53.
Kiwanis: Unlimited, Kearny 68, Helix 64; Limited, Bonita Vista 69, Granite Hills 57; Classified, Lincoln 47, University 33.
University: Huntington Beach 69, Kearny 59.
Grossmont-Santana: Santana 82, Grossmont 64.
Eagle: Granite Hills 60, Mira Mesa 58.
Chino: Pomona Ganesha 70, Mt. Carmel 58.
El Centro Elks: El Centro Central 46, Vista 43.
Baron-Optimist: Pleasanton Amador 78, Madison 72.
Western Association Christian Schools: Western Christian 47, Christian 46, OT.
THAT’S A NO-NO
Bonita Vista coach Bill Foley had his team practice on Sunday and later admitted that he misread a rule against activity on the Sabbath.
Bonita officials reported the gaffe to the CIF, which suspended Foley with no contact with his team for a period of the Barons’ next six games.
MILESTONES AND MARKS
–Escondido’s Jerry Hacknal scored 44 points in a 76-72 loss to San Pasqual and broke the school record of 35 points by Rich Gehring in a 74-44 win over San Dieguito in 1952-53.
–Fallbrook’s John Sandschulte was over 30 five times and reached a career high 39 points as San Dieguito fell, 74-44.
–On the same night that Mitchell Lilly scored 47 against Kearny, Michael Gay of Henry had 36 in an 81-53 rout of Morse, and Rod Dingler of Mt. Carmel had 32 in a 90-45 win over Orange Glen
–Seventy-seven fouls were called during Madison’s 86-66 win over Morse. The Warhawks’ Mitchell Lilly scored 23 points but fouled out in the third quarter.
THROWBACK
These weren’t scores from decades past, but were typical of the eras cited.
–1930s-‘40s score: Mt. Carmel 25, Chula Vista 23.
–1920s-‘30s score: Francis Parker 25, Palos Verdes Chadwick 10.
BROADCASTER’S NOTE
It’s Brazil, as in “frazzle”. That’s how Bonita Vista’s Scott Brazil pronounced his last name.
Leading scorers:
| NAME | TEAM | GAMES | POINTS | AVERAGE |
| Mitchell Lilly | Madison | 28 | 893 | 31.9 (1) |
| Mike Stockalper | Marian | 31 | 719 | 23.2 (2) |
| Michael Gay | Patrick Henry | 29 | 641 | 22.1 (4) |
| Scott Brazil | Bonita Vista | 29 | 614 | 21.2 (6) |
| Rich Beeson | Poway | 28 | 596 | 21.3 (5) |
| Bob Bartholomew | Kearny | 31 | 596 | 19.2 |
| John Sandschulte | Fallbrook | 25 | 562 | 22.5 (3) |
| Barney Hinkle | Santana | 30 | 552 | 18.4 |
| Rod Dingler | Mt. Carmel | 29 | 539 | 18.6 |
| Jerry Haynal | Escondido | 26 | 536 | 20.6 (7) |
| Dave Sullivan | El Capitan | 27 | 514 | 19.0 |
| Joe Naylor | Oceanside | 26 | 508 | 19.5 (10) |
| Allen Gates | Marian | 31 | 503 | 16.4 |
| Van Note | San Pasqual | 26 | 501 | 19.3 |
| Gary Davila | San Marcos | 25 | 493 | 19.7 (9) |
| Eddie Mendoza | St. Augustine | 28 | 483 | 17.3 |
| Joe Lehr | St. Augustine | 27 | 474 | 17.6 |
| John Laidlaw | Torrey Pines | 26 | 468 | 18.0 |
| Oscar Lopez | Montgomery | 24 | 464 | 19.3 |
| Ron Hoag | El Capitan | 27 | 463 | 17.1 |
| Terry Thomas | Orange Glen | 25 | 462 | 18.5 |
| Mark Snow | Helix | 28 | 456 | 16.3 |
| Bobby Dean | La Jolla | 26 | 455 | 17.5 |
| Todd Harper | Santana | 31 | 453 | 14.4 |
| Bob Bartholomew | Fallbrook | 25 | 449 | 18.0 |
| Bob Taylor | Chula Vista | 25 | 431 | 17.2 |
| Ceasar Scott | San Diego | 23 | 392 | 17.0 |
Class A, minimum 15 games: Chelette, San Diego Military, 17×339, 19.9 (8). Looten, Borrego Springs, 18×321, 17.8. Bauers, Mountain Empire, 22×352, 16.0. Nettles, Army-Navy, 15×256, 17.1.
JUMP SHOTS
Alhambra High of Martinez, located in the north East Bay area of San Francisco, won third place in the Jim Mitchell event, behind the steady play of guard Stan Van Gundy, years later a head coach in the National Basketball Association…Fallbrook had its Bob Bartholomew and Kearny its Bob Bartholomew…they were not related…Marcus Allen was known for football but he was an effective forward for Lincoln, averaging 14 points … Helix’ 6-foot, 10-inch junior Mark Snow, who scored 34 points in a 72-66 defeat of Santana, started as a sophomore at Poway…Helix’ 28-3 record gave coach Gordon Nash a career record of 230-67 and winning percentage of 77.4….
CENTURY CLUB
| TEAM | OPPONENT | SCORE |
| Army-Navy | San Miguel School | 122-31 |
| Madison | San Diego | 117-80 |
| Grossmont | Granite Hills | 114-79 |
| Bonita Vista | Marian | 106-85 |
| Torrey Pines | Ramona | 101-42 |
| Mt. Carmel | El Camino | 101-62 |
| Borrego Springs | Cal Lutheran | 100-14 |