1978-79: L.A. Teams Still Kings, But So is Kearny

The best of San Diego almost always does not measure up to the best of Southern California.

It’s the law of geography and population.

There were a little less than 2 million persons in the County this year, compared with more than 8 million in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and most of Los Angeles County, which comprise the bulk of entries from the Southern Section, against which teams from the landlocked border city always have been compared.

The comparison was stark this season.

Morse coach Ron Davis, bulwarked by three starters from a 26-4 team in 1977-78, including 6-foot, 8-inch Cliff Levingston, a consensus, preseason all-America, may have thought he had a club that would match up with the strong teams from the North.

Morse entered the powerhouse San Dimas tournament days before the mid-December Kiwanis tournament and scored a date with Los Angeles Verbum Dei two days before Christmas at Mesa College.

“If we’re playing for the championship Saturday we’ll keep our top eight kids…and send the remainder down to play in the opener of the Kiwanis Tournament,” Davis told writer Steve Brand before the Tigers took on Pasadena in the San Dimas opener.

Davis probably was answering a “what if” question from Brand, but his response seemed to indicate that the coach liked his chances.

Morse was quickly consigned to the consolation bracket, a 91-69 loser to Pasadena.  They came home in time for all hands  on board for the Kiwanis after the Tigers were beaten the next day by Downey, 67-48.

A turnout of more than 1,500 at the height of the Christmas shopping period saw Davis’ team strive against  Verbum Dei, trailing by seven at halftime but falling back and losing, 63-47.

At least the Tigers had played against the very best from the L.A. area.

Verbum Dei whipped Long Beach Poly, 67-54, for the Southern Section 4-A playoff championship and finished 28-1. Downey, 26-2, was the 3-A champion.  Pasadena, the two-time defending 4-A titlist, was 22-4 but eliminated in the 4-A quarterfinals.

WE’RE NO. 1

Morse, followed by Sweetwater, Kearny Helix, and Lincoln comprised the top five in the preseason The San Diego Union poll, but there was no doubt among the voters.  Morse had 96 points, Sweetwater 94, with Kearny back at 67, Helix at 60, and Lincoln at 48.

Things changed at the finish line.

It wasn’t Morse or Sweetwater standing on the mountain top after the 16-team playoff that was more than one week but less than two weeks (10 days).

Kearny, seeded fourth, made its way through the rounds and upset top-seeded Sweetwater, 57-50, in the finals.  No. 1 Sweetwater had beaten No. 2 Morse, 48-46, in a semifinals contest that was billed as being “for the championship”.

The win over the Morse, on 6-foot, 11 ½ Michael Pitts’ 18-foot jump shot with one second remaining,  gave the Red Devils a 2-1 edge in a competitive season series with the Tigers.

The National City club defeated the Skyline District crew, 51-50, in the Kiwanis Tournament final and Morse prevailed a few weeks later, 62-51, in a Saturday evening game at Southwestern College.

Kearny’s title was its second in four seasons under coach Tim Short and the third of the decade, following the undefeated 1973-74 squad coached by Wayne Colborne. “This,” said Short, “was more satisfying than the (1975-76) victory.  That year we were expected to win.  I didn’t have the slightest idea (this year) we would go this far.”

TALL LEGACY

Pitts, whose quick first step and turnaround jump shot was almost unstoppable and who was named San Diego Section player of the year, scored 878 points, second highest in County history to Bill Walton’s 958, and his 28.1 average was fourth behind Mitchell Lilly’s 31.9, Walton’s 29.1, and Paul Halupa’s 28.7.

Pitts also became the seventh player to score at least 50 points in a game, negotiating that figure in a 90-64, playoff victory over Hilltop.

Pitts originally broke Jim Finnerty’s school record of 37 in 1964-65 by scoring 40 points against Elk Grove in the Rancho Cordova tournament near Sacramento, and then 42 points in a 72-59 win over Hilltop, and 46 in a 90-58 win over Marian.

Pitts was selected in the seventh round of the 1984 National Basketball Association draft by the San Antonio Spurs after four seasons at the University of California at Berkeley.  He spent two preseasons with the Spurs and then three seasons with professional teams in France and Spain.

In 2016 his alma mater selected Pitts for the Pete Newell award, named after the legendary Bears coach and honoring a former basketball player who distinguished himself with career success.

Pitts worked three decades helping troubled youth and was superintendent of a 100-bed facility for delinquent, adolescent youngsters in nearby Contra Costa County.

Sweetwater retired Pitts’ jersey number 44 in 2011.

NBA BOUND

Levingston played three seasons for a nationally ranked Wichita State program and the school retired his No. 54 jersey.

The product of San Diego’s Skyline District was Detroit’s first choice and the ninth player taken in the 1982 NBA draft.

Levingston played 11 years with three teams in the NBA, earning two championship rings with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.  He finished a 13-season professional career with a team from Greece in the European League.

Levingston was an assistant coach for one season with the Harlem Globetrotters, sandwiched around several years as a head coach of multiple teams in Midwest professional leagues.

Season leading scorers:

Antoine (Ace) Eason, Oceanside, scored 409 points, averaged 16.9.  Christian’s Greg Ward averaged 20 points.

SWEET SUCCESS

Gary Zarecky was halfway through his long tenure as coach at Sweetwater, where he lifted the Red Devils from the depths, beginning with a 6-19 record in 1972-73 followed by a deep dive to 1-23, after which his program began to rise, 11-15 in 1974-75, followed by 19-12, 15-12, 21-8, and this season’s 27-4.

CLOCK STRIKES…?

There was a question whether Hoover had enough time left in the game to launch a shot after Lincoln’s James Brown went up through a crowd to dunk and give Lincoln a 45-43 lead.

No one knew the answer.

There wasn’t any time showing on Hoover’s 1950s era scoreboard, because there wasn’t anything on the scoreboard.  Blank.

Only the individual timer knew and he was keeping time on a windup clock. Both teams looked to the timer as game officials raced to the scorer’s table.

The decision belatedly was that time had run out just after the Lincoln basket.

KIWANIS DOWNSIZED

Thirty-two teams entered the 32^nd annual Kiwanis Tournament, down from 40 last year and from 47 two years ago, with the small-school Classified Division eliminated.  The usual Imperial Valley contingent, Calexico, El Centro Central, and Brawley passed, as San Diego teams had done recently with the El Centro Elks event.

While not in El Centro, San Diego schools were everywhere else.

Seventeen December events, some before, during, or after the Kiwanis, were on the calendar, including four-team, double doubleheaders that erroneously were called “classics”.

Mt. Helix. Ron Edwards scored 18 points as Lincoln topped Chino 47-39, after the visitors upset Helix, 46-45 in semifinals, converting 22×30 free throws in second half.

Jaycees-Hilltop. Fallbrook defeated Hoover, 72-71, in overtime, preceded by one of the season’s stunners.

Fallbrook trailed Mount Miguel, 55-39 at halftime of their first-round game and scored 58 points in the second half to win, 97-88.  Mark Catalanello’s 30 points were equaled by the 30 of Mount Miguel’s Joe Smalls, but the Fallbrook player scored 23 in second half.

Parker.  Christian outlasted Army-Navy, 30-28, in somnambulant exercise.

San Dimas.  See Morse, above.

Ojai:  Parker topped Carpinteria Cate, 46-43, and host Villanova Prep, 39-32, on the same day.

Jim Mitchell Mustang Optimist:  Fallbrook 65, Orange Glen 60, in the second oldest event in the area, dating to 1960-61.  The name of the former San Dieguito star killed in Viet Nam was added to the tournament  in the 1968-69 season.

Las Vegas Bonanza:  Mount Miguel was beaten by Los Angeles Daniel Murphy, 84-71, for sixth place.  Murphy, taking advantage of five technical fouls, outscored Mount Miguel, 32-12, in the third quarter to take a 72-48 lead. Point Loma was eliminated by San Jose Gunderson, 58-48.

Kiwanis:  Sweetwater won the Unlimited Division, 51-50, over Morse. Michael Pitts scored 18, points and had 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Cliff Levingston had 12 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocks for the Tigers.

El Capitan won the limited, 57-56, over Mt. Carmel.

Baron-Optimist.  Huntington Beach 60, Crawford 47.

University: Downey 76, Hoover 52.

Rancho Cordova:  Sweetwater sustained its first loss, 52-50, to Sacramento John F. Kennedy.  The Red Devils then went on to the consolation championship, 78-55 over Elk Grove and 80-50 over South Lake Tahoe.

Santana. Patrick Henry 83, Mt. Carmel 65.

Point Loma: The host Pointers and Mission Bay shared first with two victories each in the round-robin event.

Chino: Coronado became the first team from San Diego to win the tournament since Chula Vista in 1967. The Islanders defeated Pomona Ganesha, 64-56, Temple City, 53-47, top seed Cerritos, 60-59, on Ed Furey’s basket with three seconds left, and Pomona, 54-53, in overtime.

Other area winners in the 40-year event were Hoover in 1940, ’41, and ’46, and Chula Vista in 1958 and ’65. Escondido, Monte Vista, and San Pasqual also took part this season.

Granite Hills: Castle Park 55, Granite Hills 53.

Coachella Valley: Indio 52, Vista 51, OT.

Carpinteria: San Marcos outscored Los Angeles Pater Noster, 65-55, for the consolation championship.

CALLING…ANYONE

Neil Meyer, coach of tiny Cal Lutheran, a La Mesa high school with 75 students, was strapped for players.  He issued a help wanted call, gender not important.

Meyer welcomed two females, forward-center Sherry Martin and guard Lisa Rausch, a 5-foot, 2-inch freshman.

“Lisa is a very good player, and if she continues could be a very good women’s college player,” Meyer said to Linda Murphy of the Union.  “Sherry, at 5-9, shot well in P.E. class.  I use her for length.”

Title IX was passed in 1974 but girls basketball had not been implemented in the San Diego Section.

CENTURY CLUB

Mt. Carmel 102, El Cajon Valley 65.

Sweetwater 102, Southwest 72.

Christian 107, Julian 40.

Sweetwater 102, Chula Vista 57.

Christian 113-45 Julian.

PLAYOFFS

2-A

FIRST ROUND

Santana 58, Helix 55 (17-9).  Wayne Welker’s two free throws with  :08 remaining clinched for the Sultans.

San Pasqual 68, Oceanside 58. (16-9). Oceanside went the first 12 minutes before scoring a field goal.

Sweetwater 90, Hilltop 64 (15-12).  Michael Pitts scored 19 of his 50 points in a 32-16 fourth quarter.

Morse 80, Hoover 53 (17-11).  Tigers’ scoring balance:  Cliff Levingston 18, Jeff Turk 18, Keith Magee 16, Tony Rasheed 13.

Coronado 45, Bonita Vista 41 (18-10).

El Capitan 42, Monte Vista 37 (21-8).  The losing Monarchs missed all 11 field-goal attempts in the first quarter.

Orange Glen 57, Fallbrook 56 (21-5).  Rob Murray’s basket with 30 seconds left gave the Patriots, who led by 11 at halftime, a come-from-behind victory.

Kearny 60, Lincoln 55 (25-3).  The Komets, fourth in the Evening Tribune final top 10 to Lincoln’s second, ended the host Hornets’ 15-game winning streak.

QUARTERFINALS

Morse 89, Orange Glen 63 (21-7). The Tigers shot 64 per cent from the field in a 40-22 first half.

Sweetwater 64, El Capitan 52 (20-7).

Kearny 54, San Pasqual 33 (18-10).

Santana 39, Coronado 37, OT (23-5). The Islanders led, 35-33, with eight seconds left in regulation play but Wayne Welker scored on a 12-footer to send the game into overtime.

SEMIFINALS

Sweetwater 48, Morse 46.

Kearny 62, Santana 45.  Four Komets, Ken King, Ron Kirkpatrick, David Buttles, and Darryl Stokes (17) scored at least 10 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Kearny (27-4) 57, Sweetwater 50 (27-4).

THIRD PLACE

Morse (24-6) 43, Santana (19-9) 37.

1-A

SEMIFINALS

Christian 79, La Jolla Country Day 63.

Francis Parker 65, Borrego Springs 37.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Christian 57, Francis Parker 45.   Parker’s Matt Crosbie led all scorers with 30 points.

JUMP SHOTS

Jerome Weatherspoon, The San Diego Union football player of the year, drained 16 field goals that covered all of his 32 points in a 85-73 win over Granite Hills…Cliff Levingston scored 30 points and Morse, trailing, 33-32, at halftime, drilled San Diego, 89-59, including a 34-14 fourth quarter… Christian’s Greg Ward set a school record with 43 points in a 113-45 win over Julian…averaging 26 points in his last six games, including 36 against Escondido, San Marcos’ Dan Frahm rose to fifth among scoring leaders, finishing with a 19.8 average…Morse’s Cliff Levingston made his final regular season game one to remember: 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 rejections as Morse reached a season high in points in a 98-84 win over Madison…the game was one to remember also for 52 personal fouls being called and nine players leaving with five personal fouls…Michael Pitts came down with 38 rebounds in a 79-53 victory over San Diego and was announced as having broken Bill Walton’s record of 34 for Helix in 1969-70…Pitts, however, also was credited with 38 rebounds in a 73-66 win over Bonita Vista…Joe Scheuer scored 49 points in two El Capitan overtime wins, 53-52 over Grossmont and 77-76 over Helix…Scheuer tied the school record by converting 17 consecutive free throws and had a stretch of 41×42 free throws…Morse almost blew a 19-point lead but the Tigers held on to beat Kearny, 60-58, to end the Komets’ 37-game, home-court winning streak…Sweetwater almost ran the table in the 18-game Metropolitan League schedule but runner-up Coronado (16-2) upset the Red Devils at the Islanders’ Carrothers Gym, 54-53, when Ray Pepper drained 2 free throws in a 1-and-1 situation with 12 seconds left to give the hosts a three-point lead…old school:  Crawford outstalled St. Augustine, 20-19…longest game, two overtimes, Point Loma 73, San Diego 71; Coronado 56, Hilltop 54; Oceanside 60, Escondido 58, and El Capitan 77, Helix 76….

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