Nick Barkett was determined to improve his lot in the Hoover basketball program after serving as the fifth of five guards on the 26-2 team of the 1959-60 Cardinals.
“He lived at Muni Gym all Summer with (John) Bocko,” remembered Cardinals coach Charlie Hampton.
Barkett and Bocko spent many days, and evenings, in the vintage emporium, Bocko preparing for his college career at San Diego City College and Fresno State, and Nick striving to take his game to a higher level and earn a starting role in his senior year at Hoover.
Barkett, who passed away recently at age 81, did not just improve. He etched his name in the lore of Hoover’s great basketball history.
The skinny, 6-foot guard became a lean, almost 6-foot 2-inch forward and led the 1960-61 Cardinals to a 24-3 record and the first San Diego Section championship. Nick also was the first CIF San Diego Section Section player of the year, scoring 356 points for a 13.2 average.
Barkett was a starter on the 25-5 San Diego City College squad that was runner-up to Fresno City in the 1962-63 state junior college championship game and he started for two seasons at Cal Poly-Pomona.
To Paul Loop, Paul,Mann and I were talking about you just the other day. Love to connect. Steve
Steve Mann and I are still best friends. Instead of trekking to the Encanto Rec Center, nowadays we hit the local golf courses for a round. Steve and I became friends while playing at Encanto little league. The field was on Imperial towards Lincoln. Four teams, Cardinals, Hornets, Dozers and I think, Dodgers.
Cord, I’m glad to learn Steve is still able to hit the links. Give him my regards. While I wasn’t one of them, some impressive athletes besides you and Steve inhabited funky little Otay St. at various times. When I was in elementary school, the home at the very southern end of the street was occupied by Gary and Grant Mayer. We spent hours playing together, but in 1954, the Mayers moved to Ramona, where Gary played football and broke almost every county rushing and scoring record. He then went on to Colorado State and starred on their football team. Grant also had a very successful football and basketball career at Ramona. The Mayer’s house was then occupied by Gary and Grant’s niece, the beautiful Sharon Neal (she was actually older than her “Uncle Grant”), who was Lincoln’s Homecoming Queen in 1960. Finally, our across-the-street neighbor was Hal Norris, who had played football at Grossmont, became All-Pacific Coast as fullback and linebacker at Cal, and then played defensive back for the Washington Redskins. He was also the California high school shot-put champion in 1950. Not bad for a one block long dirt road!
Fancy meeting you here, and with a mention of running mate Steve Mann, no less.
I haunt this site on the off chance I’ll see my name and trigger, with no apologies, a memory, dulcet or otherwise (see Baseball blog 4/18/69 for as close as I get to the fame flame).
Very glad to see you’re still out and about. Say hello to Steve M.
Warmest regards.
Loop
My old Gaucho pal, Cord, brings back memories of Muni. I can remember going down to watch pick up games involving Hayes, Riley, and some of the other Rockets. It was certainly a different era as you would never see that today. There was also a summer high school league that was somewhat informal. John Early was the coach at Point Loma when I was there and his 1964-65 team did well in that competition and won the Western League championship only to lose to Castle Park (I think) in the CIF playoffs. After that season Early moved on to coach at City College.
That probably was the Pepsi Summer League. I saw many games there. Steve (Cord) Rippe lives in Coronado. Early got in trouble with Don Giddings when Early bragged that he “could beat Dick Eiler (Clairemont coach) any time,” and did.
Rick, Cord here. Ahh, Muni. It was my cathedral. My baptismal there was as amember of the O’Farrell Hi Y Falcons circa 1959 coached by Al Cook. Then PE coach at O’ Farrell, later principal at SDHS and Superintendent of SDUSD. Interesting how the world changed during his career. When he was hired, as a black man, PE coach was pretty much it in the district then. But I digress. On Saturday mornings we played the other jr. highs in the city, Memorial, Horace Mann. The skill level of the O’Farrell five was poor. If we scored twenty points it was lot and typically in a losing effort.
As bad as we were, I got hooked on basketball, coincident with growing from 5’10” to 6’5” by my sophmore year at the Hive. From Lomita Village, then Encanto I would hitchhike, take the 4 bus then transfer or get ride from a buddy (many time Dave Duncan, Danny’s brother) to get to Muni. This was when the shuttlecocks were flying at the Federal Building and music playing at the Starlight Bowl.
I played there through high school. The Spring of my senior year a couple of Marines recruited me and we won the annual 3 on 3 tournament. I played during the summer while at UCSB and afterwards. Played with John Bocko on a team, great guy. Didn’t know Nick Barrett, but recognize him from the pic. Charley Hampton was the god of basketball coaches then. Did Al Caitlin play for him at City? Other Muni legends, Tom Shaules, Hambone Williams, Bernie Bickerstaff, Rockets: Elvin Hayes, Pat Riley, Don Kousich (?), some of the stars from the UCLA Bruins would come down as well. And, of course, Bill Walton. I think our fellow Hornet, Bob Moss, was running the show at Muni during much of this time.
Good to hear from you, Cord. Are the Duncan bros still with us? Catlin played for Hilbert Crosthwaite at City. Crosthwaite retired after the 1962-63 season and Hampton replaced him. If I can get Catlin out of the house, we could have a lunch.
While you and I didn’t know each other, (I’m LHS ’61), I did know your LHS teammate, Steve Mann, who lived a couple of houses down from me on Otay St. (unpaved, one block long). I’d see you two walk over to the Encanto Rec Center to practice on its rough asphalt outdoor court. I figured if you could play on that surface, you could play anywhere. I guess that practice paid off, as I was very impressed with your level of play at the LHS games I attended.
In the summer of 1960, my friend and LHS center Jim Eskridge, would pick me up after he got off work at the Encanto Safeway store, and we’d go down to Muni for summer league games. He, Al Catlin, and other LHS players would play, and I’d enjoy watching. (I had few hoop skills.) Jim went on to play at U.C. Riverside, and eventually became the president of Mattel. One other thing I did in the summer of 1960 was learn to drive. My driver training instructor was Al Cook, who I thought was one very cool teacher. I’m glad to see he rose so high within the SDUSD.
Thanks for writing, Doug. I’ll find a spot for the picture you sent. Steve Ojetti was best man at my wedding. Al Catlin is going to accompany me and Ron Cota to Nick Barkett’s service in Escondido this weekend.
Thanks, Rick. It’s great that you, Al, and Ron are attending Nick’s service. He was a fine player and a worthy opponent for Lincoln. It’s also great that you three are still around to pay tribute to him!
I’m using your photo, Doug. Thank you. It’s located in one of the 1960-61 basketball narratives that starts with a Helix-Grossmont game.
Thanks for remembering that era Rick. An era that didn’t allow you to palm or carry the ball. Didn’t allow you to travel or camp out in the key. It was a better game then
Thanks, Larry. You should know.