2022-23 Week 9: Saints Still Unanimous No. 1 After Loss

Despite an 84-72 loss to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana last week, St. Augustine remained a  unanimous No. 1 in  the San Diego Section poll this week and could take a 24-4 record into the playoffs.

The Saints open the semifinal week of the regular season with two Western League games on the road.  They’ll attempt to repeat a 92-61 win over 12-11 Hoover Tuesday and a 93-52 rout of 3-17 Patrick Henry on Friday.

Coach Mike Haupt’s team will close at home against a pair of tougher league opponents in Week 10, against 13-11 Cathedral and 17-6 Mission Bay.  The Saint defeated those two, 71-58, and 65-59, respectively, in the first round of loop competition.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 9 poll:

First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
First-place votes in parenthesis. Last entries in columns indicate previous rank.
Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings. NR—Not ranked.

# TEAM RECORD POINTS PREVIOUS MAX-PREPS CAL-HI SPORTS
1 St. Augustine 20-4 (19) 190 1 5/6 7/6
2 Carlsbad 20-4 171 2 29/38 Bubble/Bubble
3 Montgomery 20-3 145 4 46/52 NR/NR
4 San Ysidro 13-9 120 3 67/66 NR/Bubble
5 Mission Bay 17-6 113 5 /79 NR/NR
6 Torrey Pines 16-7 92 6 72/61 NR/NR
7 Lincoln 20-2 55 8 147/147 NR/NR
8 Santa Fe Christian 20-4 54 9 72/103 NR/NR
9 Mater Dei 17-7 53 7 89/99 NR/NR
10 El Camino 15-7 16 NR 113 NR/NR

Others receiving votes

La Costa Canyon (12-10, 11points), La Jolla Country Day (18-7, 8 points),  Otay Ranch (15-8, 7), Del Norte (14-6, 2), Victory Christian (15-8, 1).

VOTING PANEL

  • John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
  • Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
  • Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
  • John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
  • Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
  • Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
  • Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
  • Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
  • Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
  • Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
  • Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
  • Max-Preps.



1959 Track: Tripp’s Great Day in Southern Section Finals

Arnold Tripp took charge early in the Southern Section championships  at Long Beach Veterans’ Stadium when he upset hometown favorite Dee Andrews of Long Beach Poly in the broad jump, then followed with a second in the 100 to San Bernardino’s John Howard, and ran down Howard in the stretch  of the 220-yard sprint, bettering the national record with a time of :20.5, although the mark was disallowed because of a trailing wind.

It was one of the greatest performances ever by a San Diego athlete.  Tripp became the second from the area to win two individual events at the Southern meet. San Diego’s Jimmy Willson won the 100 and 220 in 1929.  Several athletes had multiple firsts as part of an 880-yard relay team.

Arnold Tripp came from behind to edge San Bernardino’s John Howard in Southern Section 220-yard dash final.

Tripp’s 14 points, by himself,  was good for third place in the team race, won by Poly with 24, followed by San Bernardino with 15.

Tripp was positioned to make another spectacular effort at the afternoon-evening 41st state meet at Bakersfield College the following week, but there was a vague warning sign when it was mentioned in the newspaper mid-week that the Colts senior had been bothered recently by shin splints.

Whether it was the effect of shin splints or, as written by the Evening Tribune‘s Paul Cour after the meet, that Tripp was slowed by by an old groin injury, the big Crawford senior experienced a disappointing finish to his high school  career.

Tripp qualified in the 100 in :09.9 and 220 in :21.5 in the trials but was seventh in :10.1 and eighth in :22.3 in the 220.  He managed a measurement of 21-10 3/4 in the broad jump.

Tripp went on to UCLA and was the 100 (:09.6) and 220 (:21 flat on the curve) champion in the 1962 conference finals.

Tripp wasn’t done.  He also was drum major at Bruins football games.

Tripp season was such that he was of interest to The San Diego Union’s illustrator.

4/3/59

El Cajon Valley’s Jack Hudson staked his claim as the County’s premier middle-distance runner, racing to a :50.2 clocking in the 440-yard dash in the Braves’ 62-42 loss to Grossmont.

Hudson, who held the school 440 record of :51.1, also ran 1:55.9 to win his race in the Southern Counties’ Invitational at Huntington Beach 11 days before and looked to improve his mile time of 4:24.3.

Lincoln’s Charlie Meekins, who ran :50.4 in a dual meet with San Diego in March, had been the County leader in the one-lap race.

El Cajon Valley’s David Landis lowered his school record in the 120-yard high hurdles from :15.1 to :14.7

—Arnold Tripp won three events, :09.8 100, :21.8 220, and 22-10 3/4 broad jump, but San Diego defeated the Crawford, 63-41.

—Lorenzo Buchanan of Point Loma won the 100 in :10.1 and 220 in :22.7 but Point Loma claimed a 53-51 victory only when Mission Bay runners who finished 1-2 in another race were disqualified for lane infractions.

Bill Gould of Mission Bay doubled with victories of :15.6 and :20.1 in the high and low hurdles.

4/10/59

San Diego whipped Mission Bay, 66 1/3-37 2/3, highlighted by the hurdles duels between the Cavers’ Thurman Pringle and the Bucs’ Bill Gould, who won the 120 highs in :14.9 but was beaten by Pringle’s :19.8 180 lows.

—Kenny Tucker broad jumped 23 feet, 3 inches, in Lincoln’s 76-28 win over La Jolla.

—Dewey Taylor hurled the shot 57-8 ½ in Grossmont’s 80-24 rout of Mount Miguel. Teammate Jerry Halterman tied with a Mount Miguel high jumper at 6-1 ¾, and Grossmont’s Dick Cooksey broad umped 22-2 ¼.

–Kenny Griffin of Kearny won the high hurdles in :15.6, was second in the lows and won the broad jump at 22-2 1/8, but Point Loma won the dual meet, 64 2/3-39 1/3.

4/14/59

Arnold Tripp ran the 100 in :09.8 and set a Crawford record of :49.8 in the 440 in the Colts’ 57 1/2-46 ½ loss to Mission Bay. Kenny Tucker broad jumped 23-7 ¼ as Lincoln beat Point Loma, 59-45.

El Cajon Valley’s Jack Hudson (left) and Orange’s Dale Story were premier milers.

4/17/59

Dewey Taylor’s 59-2 7/8 shot put took the national lead and was fourth longest in San Diego County history.

Taylor took the lead over Billy Joe of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, (59-1) and George Buehler of Whittier (59-3/4).  Joe and Buehler were future pro players, Joe a running back with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, and Buehler a lineman for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns.

Taylor’s effort was third best in Grossmont history, behind the 61-5 ¾ of Jim Wade in 1957 and 60-4 ½ of Dick Bronson in 1954.

Grossmont clinched a tie for the Metropolitan League dual-meet championship, outscoring Chula Vista, 54-45. Both teams were disqualified in the 880-yard relay.

The Spartans’ Jay Dunn ran the 880 in 2:01.3 and teammate Chuck Schertzer won the 440 in :51.8.

–Bing Howe of Escondido took the County lead with a 12-foot, 8-inch pole vault in a 81-23 loss to Mount Miguel.  Jack Thoreson vaulted 12-3 ¼ for Carlsbad in the Lancers’ 54-45 win over Fallbrook.

4/24/59

Kenny Tucker won the broad jump at 23-3 and anchored a 1:30.5 victory in the 880 to secure Lincoln’s 55-49 win over Crawford.  Tucker was second to Arnold Tripp’s :09.8 100, and edged Tripp in the jump and held off the Colts’ sprinter in the relay.

—San Diego wrapped a second consecutive unbeaten dual-meet season, 98-15 over St. Augustine as Kent Williams ran :51 in the 440 and Ed Ott took the 880 in 2:02.  Albert Watson doubled in the high jump (5-11 1/2) and broad jump (21-5) and Thurman Pringle doubled in the hurdles (:15.4 and :20).

—Grossmont won the big meet in the foothills, 58-46, over Helix as David Nunez ran :14.9 and :19.9 in the hurdles, Paul Thoryk vaulted 12-4, and Dewey Tylor put the shot 56-11 ¾.

4/28/59

CITY PREP LEAGUE TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

San Diego led with 13 qualifiers, followed by Point Loma and Mission Bay with nine each.

Bill Gould of Mission Bay turned in the day’s best performance, running :14.6 and :20 in the hurdles.  San Diego’s Thurman Pringle won both of his heats in :15.2 and :20.

Crawford’s Arnold Tripp won a 100 trial in :09.9 and a 220 in :22.

Runners in 100-yard dash in City Prep League trials in Balboa Stadium, from left: Lyman Rust, Hoover; George Clause, St. Augustine; Lorenzo Buchanan, Point Loma; Arnold Tripp, Crawford; Jeff Moran, Mission Bay, and Emile Wright, San Diego. Tripp won in :09.9.

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE TRIALS, @EL CAJON VALLEY

Chula Vista sent 14 qualifiers to the finals, followed by Mount Miguel and Helix with 11 each. Dual-meet champ Grossmont had nine.

Five records were set in Class B, none in varsity. Most notable were El Cajon’s David Landis, who ran :08.9 and :13.3 in the 70 high and 120 low hurdles. Brian Ross of El Capitan hurled the 10-pound shot 53-3.

4/30/59

AVOCADO LEAGUE TRIALS, @MAR VISTA

David Rightmer of San Dieguito doubled with a :10.4 victory in the 100 and :23.2 in the 220.

—On the day before the league finals City Prep League officials changed the score of the Point Loma-Mission Bay dual meet, originally favoring the Pointers, 53-51, to a 52-52 deadlock.

Mission Bay had protested a third-place disqualification in the mile.  As a result, Point Loma and Mission Bay finished in a tie for third, each with 5-2-1 records, behind San Diego and Lincoln.

5/1/59

CITY PREP LEAGUE FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

San Diego ran away with the team championship, scoring 56 ¾ points to the 24 ¾ of Crawford and Mission Bay. Hoover trailed with 21 ¾, followed by Lincoln (18), Point Loma (17 1/2), Kearny (10), La Jolla (10), and St. Augustine (8).

Jeff Dragila of La Jolla ran the mile in 4:28.9 to break the record of 4:30.1 by Hoover’s Bob Monzingo in 1956.

“Mike ran three or four days a week for the past two summers to improve himself (after unsuccessful tries at the Class C 660 and B 1320) and came on to set a city record in cross country and take third in the small schools CIF meet last winter,” Vikings coach Sandy MacLaren told Paul Cour of the Evening Tribune. 

Jack Woy of Point Loma cleared 12-3 5/8 to better the 12 feet, ½ inch of Kearny’s Bob DeMarco in 1955. Arnold Tripp of Crawford was a triple winner, :09.8 in the 100, :21.7 in the 220, and 22-10 1/4 in the broad jump.

A San Diego foursome of Emile Wright, Bill Dentham, Kent Williams, and Richard (Prime) McClendon won the 880-yard relay in 1:30.1. Harold Valderhaug’s 1:58.2 in the 880 did not set a record but was more than two seconds faster than he had run.

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE, @CHULA VISTA

Grossmont edged Chula Vista with 56 points to 54 ½ as David Nunez doubled in the 120-yard high hurdles (:14.8) and 180 lows (:20.2), and Dewey Taylor won the shot put at 56-2.  Don Hamlin won a miss-measured 100-yard race that was 110 yards in :11.2 and took the 220 in :22.4.

Chula Vista’s Jay Dunn joined a group of Southern California leaders with a 1:58 effort in the 880-yard run.  Teammate Chuck Schertzer won the 440 in :51.2.

Jack Hudson of El Cajon Valley, gearing for a possible challenge to national leader Dale Story of Orange, won the mile in 4:24.4.

AVOCADO LEAGUE, @MAR VISTA

John Fousatt Oceanside pole vaulted 12-5 ¼ and Larry Plew of Vista ran the mile in 4:42 for records in the meet won by Coronado with 49 ½ points.  Mar Vista had 41.

Chula Vista coach Tom Rice also was classroom instructor for Jay Dunn, whose 1:54.7 880 was third fastest in County history.

SOUTHERN PREP LEAGUE, @CAMP PENDLETON

Army-Navy won a three-way battle with Ramona and Mountain Empire, scoring 57 ½ points to 54 ½ to 52, respectively. Rich Keagy of Army-Navy (:23.5 220 and 20-7 broad jump) was a double winner as was Dave Shipley of Mountain Empire (:10.3 100, :21 180 lows).

Qualifiers from the four San Diego leagues, City Prep, Metropolitan, Avocado, and Southern Prep, were to join those from the Imperial Valley, Freeway, Orange and Sunset leagues in the next step of eliminations.

5/9/59

CIF DIVISIONAL, @KEARNY

Wind blowing off the mesa on which Linda Vista and Kearny High sit deprived Crawford’s Arnold Tripp of a near-record run.

Tripp ran the 100 in :09.7 and 220 in :20.7 but was aided by an estimated eight-miles-an-hour breeze, above the allowable limit of 4.473 in the furlong.  Tripp also was the leading broad jumper at 22 feet, 7 inches.

Orange’s Dale Story and El Cajon Valley’s Jack Hudson fought the wind and Story set a Southern Section record of 4:20, erasing one of the oldest, the 4:21.2 or Torrance’s Louie Zamperini in 1934.

Hudson ran his best time of the year and won his heat in 4:22.3.

Mike Kellough of San Diego stood out in Class B, running wind-aided :09.8 in the 100 and :21.4 in the 220.

5/16/59

DIVISIONAL SEMIFINALS, @BELLFLOWER

The real racing and field competition began in this event as 33 San Diego athletes faced two heats in flat races in which the top two finishers in each heat would move on and the top four in the field events would qualify for next week’s finals.

Seventeen qualified.

Mission Bay’s Bill Gould won a 120-yard high hurdles heat in :14.6 and Grossmont’s David Nunez ran :14.6 and was second in his race.  Thurman Pringle of San Diego was second to Gould in :14.7.

Pringle made the cut, finishing second in :19.5 in the 180-yard lows.  Gould ran :19.6 in another heat but did not advance.

Arnold Tripp of Crawford doubled in the sprints in :09.7 and :21.1, setting up a clash with San Bernardino’s John Howard, who ran :09.7 and was runner-up to Thermal Coachella’s Gary Crystal, who timed :21 flat.

Dale Story set another record in the mile, 4:16.9.

Jack Hudson of El Cajon Valley ran the fastest mile in San Diego County history, 4:19.9, which would have broken Story’ CIF record of the previous week and was better than the 4:21.7 of Grossmont’s Rene Rogers in 1955.

Jay Dunn of Chula Vista, improving almost every week, won a heat in the 880 in 1:55.7.  Dewey Taylor, battling back problems caused by a leg injury, was first in the shot put at 55-9.

Bing Howe of Escondido led pole vaulters by clearing 13 feet, 4 3/4 inches.

San Diego’s Mike Kellough won his Class B sprints in :10 and :21.6. Gary Todd of Crawford won a 1320 race in 3:14.7.

Dewey Taylor weighed in with his 12-pound shot after Taylor took national lead with put of 59-2 7/8.

5/24/59

CIF FINALS, @LONG BEACH VETERANS’ STADIUM

Which was more impressive? Arnold Tripp’s two firsts and a second, or Jay Dunn’s perceived super upset in the 880-yard run?

Tripp heard a resounding roar from the crowd of about 4,000 when he sped down the broad jump runway on his first attempt, hit the takeoff board in the middle, and soared 24 feet, 9 inches.

Southern Section commissioner Ken Fagans came out of the stands to officiate the measurement, which bettered the Southern Section record of 24-6 ¼ by Steve Turner of Glendale in 1950.

Tripp was second in the 100 in :09.9 to the :09.7 of San Bernardino’s John Howard and then took down Howard in the stretch run of the 220, coming from a yard back to win in :20.5 to :20.6, Tripp’s time bettering the national record but disallowed because of a wind of 7 miles an hour, over the 4.473 limit.

Favored Dee Andrews of Long Beach Poly could not catch Tripp in the jump, runner-up with a personal best of 24-2 ½, and Lincoln’s Kenny Tucker, who fouled on several attempts, was a surprise third at 24-1/4 on his final try, breaking the school record of 24-1/8 by Luther Hayes in 1957.

Undefeated for two years, Dick Davis of Poly was the unanimous favorite in the 880, but Chula Vista’s Jay Dunn, coming on in the last month, jumped the Jackrabbits runner heading into the final turn and won in 1:54.7 to Davis’ 1:55.1.

Jack Hudson of El Cajon Valley ran with Orange’s Dale Story and then gassed out when he attempted to pass Story on the backstretch of the final lap in the mile and Story won going away by about 30 yards in 4:17.7.  Hudson’s time was 4:24.1 in second.

Grossmont’s Dewey Taylor was second in the shot put with a toss of 56-3 and teammate David Nunez was fifth in the high hurdles in :14.8.

By himself, Tripp scored 14 points, which earned Crawford third in the team race, behind the 24 of Poly and 15 by San Bernardino. Tripp’s Class B teammate, Gary Todd, was third in the 1320 in 3:16.4.

Mike Kellough of San Diego was second in :09.9 in the 100, third in the 220 in :22, and anchored the Cavemen to a 1:06 victory in the 660 relay. The Cavers were second to Pasadena Muir’s 15 points with 12 in Class B team standings.

41st STATE MEET, @BAKERSFIELD

Arnold Tripp qualified in the sprints  in the afternoon trials but  never was a factor in the 100, 220, or broad jump in the evening finals.

Jay Dunn was running with the leaders as the field reached the end of the first lap, where Dunn was jostled off the track by another runner, and the shaken Dunn pulled out of the race.  No foul was called.

Jack Hudson set a pace of 2:05 in the 880 but still was second in 4:16.7 to the national record mile of Dale Story, who ran 4:11.

Bing Howe was second in the pole vault at 13-5 ¾ and Kenny Tucker second in the broad jump at 23-1 ¾.  Grossmont’s Dewey Taylor, withdrew from the shot put, after a leg injury contributed to back problems in the last month.




1958 Baseball: Cavemen Exit Playoffs in Quarterfinals

Another great San Diego High team?  Or a very good San Diego team that had punished mostly mediocre opponents?

The Cavemen, 23-1 and one of the favorites for a Southern Section championship, were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the playoffs at Long Beach Poly, a team with a 20-3 record but had not participated in the playoffs since 1934.

The Cavers’ exit, after 17 straight wins, signaled the end to a season, in which four other San Diego squads were ushered out of the playoffs in the first round.

There were many outstanding baseball players in San Diego County, but apparently not enough competition for the legendary local power.

The loss to Poly, which was eliminated in the next round, was hugely disappointing but coach Les Cassie could look forward to the 1959 campaign, as at least five members of his starting lineup, including Iva Tucker, Sam Edwards, Ezell Singleton, Paul Runge, and Willie McCloud, would return to try again the following year.

San Diego High lineup (from left) Iva Tucker, Sam Edwards, Ezell Singleton, Henry Gardner, Paul Runge, Willie McCloud, Archie (Chico) Walker, John Hutchinson, and Augie Bregante, clobbered local opponents.

3/31/58

Eight of nine City Prep League entries advanced on the first day of the eighth Lions Tournament at Navy Field and other venues.

–Mission Bay defeated Inglewood, 3-1, breaking a tie in the eighth inning when Jerry Dinsmore doubled home Andy Cribbs, who had singled.  Cribbs held the Sentinels to three hits.

–Lincoln beat Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 1-0, on five-hit pitching by Nelson Kahn. Louie Hughley scored on a squeeze play in the fifth inning for the only run.

–Mount Miguel’s P.D. (Pete) Jernigan struck out nine and had two hits.  Jernigan also walked 19 batters and hurled three wild pitches, but San Diego needed three runs in the seventh inning to put away the Matadors, 12-9.

Hoover dropped a 1-0 decision to Hawthorne for the only loss by a CPL team.

4/1/58

Rain wiped out the entire Lions Club program and forced canceled of the rest of the tournament.

4/8/58

Ezell Singleton walked 13 and hit a batter but allowed only four hits and San Diego moved into second place in the CPL with a 7-1 win over Mission Bay.

—Sweetwater led Kearny, 13-0, after three innings and went on to a 19-1 victory.
4/9/58

Sammy Owens’ single in the fifth inning was the only hit allowed by Gene Fleming in Point Loma’s 4-0 victory, which was the Pointers’ fourth against no losses in league play.

4/10/58

El Cajon Valley’s Ron Watson slid safely with steal of second base, ahead of throw to Grossmont’s Larry Shuck. Braves won their first Metropolitan League game, defeating Foothillers, 5-2.

St. Augustine’s George Luna hit two home runs, but Crawford’s Buddy Hunter doubled in two runs in the extra, eighth inning and Crawford won the nonleague contest, 9-8.

—Grossmont, 4-4 in practice games and starting one senior, three juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman, opened Metropolitan League play at home with a 5-3 win over Chula Vista.

Foothillers starter Larry Shuck and reliever John Andreas stranded 11 Spartans base runners.

Andreas came on in the ninth inning when the Spartans loaded the bases with two outs and struck out Bill Foley.

—Tom Dennison was 4 for 4 and Helix stopped El Cajon Valley (8-3) in another opener.  Ron Palermo homered for the Highlanders and scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice in the ninth inning.

4/11/58

Point Loma’s 7-2 win at Mission Bay kept the Pointers in first place with a 5-0 record in the CPL and dealt the early, front-running Buccaneers a third straight loss.

John Rebelo kept the Bucs in check on six hits and Larry Willette helped break a 1-1 deadlock in the sixth inning when Willette’s lead-off double was followed by a series of seemingly “I’ve-Got-It-No-You-Take-It” responses by the hosts.

A bunt by Point Loma’s Ray Hermans rolled fair for a hit.  Billy Fontana walked to load the bases.  Jim Bradford walked and Roger Soares dribbled another base hit down the third base line.  Don Smallwood executed a squeeze bunt for a run and pitcher Bill McCormick balked. Terry Love’s sacrifice fly scored Soares with a fifth run and 6-1 lead.

—Iva Tucker gave up a second-inning single to Bill Helming and San Diego scored in every inning but the seventh, including 10 in the fourth, and buried La Jolla, 22-0.

4/14/58

Point Loma went to 6-0 in the CPL and won its 10th game in a row, overpowering youthful Crawford, 8-1, on the Pointers’ diamond as John Rebelo, Gene Fleming, and Billy Fontana allowed two hits.

Fontana had three hits and Ray Hermans and Larry Willette two each.

4/15/58

Point Loma beat La Jolla, 7-2, and San Diego kept pace, overcoming a 4-0 Hoover lead to win, 7-4, propelled by Willie McCloud’s grand slam home run and clinched on run-scoring singles by Ezell Singleton and Paul Runge.

–John Wible’s two-hitter bested Fred Olmsted in a 2-0 duel between pitchers who also were basketball stars, Wible for Helix and Olmsted for Chula Vista.

–Sammy Owens tripled and Tom Goddard pitched St. Augustine to a 4-0 win over Kearny.

–Home runs by Bobby Jordan and Roger Miller led Sweetwater to an 8-5 win over El Cajon Valley, which got home runs from Bill Christianson and Larry Hancock.

4/16/58

Dick Carey led off the game with a home run and Bill Lewin also homered, but Lincoln had to go 10 innings to beat Kearny, 4-3, when Komets pitcher Bob Jesse walked in the winning run.

4/18/58

Ron Palermo’s two-run home run in the sixth inning was the decisive blow in Helix’ 4-2 win over guest Sweetwater, giving coach Dick Gorrie’s Metropolitan League defending champions a 3-0 loop record.

—El Cajon Valley knocked Grossmont out of a share of first place tie with Helix, 6-4, at Grossmont.

John Solomon came on in the second inning for the Braves and kept the Foothillers at a distance for the last seven-plus innings, a stint that included working out of bases-loaded jams in the second and fourth.

4/22/58

San Diego coach Les Cassie surprised when he bypassed right hander Ezell Singleton for lefthander Iva Tucker for the starting pitcher assignment against Point Loma.

Point Loma’s Billy Fontana was on receiving end of force-out on Hoover’s sliding Dennis Loso.

Tucker gave up a three-run home run to Billy Fontana that scored Larry Willette and Ray Hermans in the third inning.

At that point the Cavers led, 4-3, and they went on to a 9-3 win to tie their hosts for first place in the CPL.

Paul Runge’s triple with the bases loaded wrapped the victory and Tucker went the distance, giving up four hits and hitting safely twice in two times at bat.

–Jerry Dinsmore hit two home runs and drove in four to back the no-hit pitching of Andy Cribbs as Mission Bay defeated Crawford, 12-0.

–Nelson Kahn struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced and Lincoln shut out Hoover, 8-0.

–St. Augustine’s Fred Najera had a no-hitter into the sixth inning and then gave up three hits but still pitched a 4-0 victory Sweetwater.

4/25/58

San Diego took over first place in the CPL, as Point Loma was idle and falling a half-game behind.

The Cavers, behind Iva Tucker’s grand slam home run, a three-run shot by John Frabotta, and two-hit pitching by Ezell Singleton, shut out Lincoln, 10-0.

–Bill Lucas and Pete Jernigan hit home runs and Mount Miguel rose up from the Metropolitan League cellar to whip Helix, 13-5.  The losing Highlanders fell into a first-place tie in the Metro with Sweetwater.

4/28/58

Sweetwater improved to 4-1 and took a half-game lead in the Metropolitan loop behind Bob Jordan’s four-hitter which blanked Chula Vista, 4-0.

Sliding Ron Roach of Mission Bay was out at second on attempted steal as Inglewood’s Larry Courtney made tag, but Buccaneers won Lions Tournament opener, 3-1.

5/1/58

The sixteen-game City Prep League schedule was down to five and San Diego and Point Loma were tied with 10-1 records.

—Point Loma drew even with the idle Cavemen with a 3-2 victory over Kearny.

—Grossmont moved into a tie for first place with Sweetwater, each at 4-2, when Phil Groce went all the way for a 13-inning, 1-0 win over Chula Vista.

Sophomore Fred Olmsted hurled 12 2/3 innings for the Spartans, relieved by Dave Petersen.

5/2/58

San Diego was alone in first place again after an 11-2 win at Crawford.

—Mar Vista scored a run in the 13th inning to win at Vista, 2-1.

5/6/58

The day would come when first-year Crawford was a power, but those days seemed far off after the Colts took a 22-0 shellacking from visiting Point Loma.

There was no 11-run mercy rule in effect and Pointers bats made maximum use of 11 hits.  Larry Willette, Billy Fontana, and Ted Faris hit home runs and John Rebello cuffed the Colts on two hits.

–Iva Tucker pitched a two-hitter and San Diego profited from 16 bases on balls in an 8-0 win over St. Augustine.

Three walks loaded the bases in the fifth inning and Sam Edwards followed with a triple.  Another walk later in the inning preceded a two-run double by John Hutchinson.

–Helix’ Bill Whalen shutout Chula Vista on six hits, 4-0.

–Grossmont and Sweetwater stayed tied for first in the Metropolitan League, the Foothillers defeating Mount Miguel, 12-9, and the Red Devils topping El Cajon Valley, 8-4.

5/8/58

Harold Bell’s one-hit pitching and pair of singles was enough or Fallbrook to defeat San Dieguito, 6-3, in the Avocado League.

5/9/58

Billy Fontana had three singles and a double and his Point Loma teammates bunted safely six times in an 8-2 win over St. Augustine.

San Diego moved closer to the City Prep League championship, 6-4 over Mission Bay despite Buccaneers coach Ernie Beck’s pitching Andy Cribbs and Dave McCormick in alternate innings.

The Cavers’ Sam Edwards had four hits, including a double and triple.

5/13/58

San Diego clinched the City Prep League championship with a 14-0 win over La Jolla, a winless-in-league squad the Cavemen had roughed up, 26-0, in the first round.

—Point Loma dropped an eight-inning, 2-1 decision to Mission Bay and was mathematically eliminated.

The Pointers scored in the last of the seventh inning to tie but the Bucs punched over a run in the top of the eighth.

Billy Fontana was safe at home while San Diego’s Paul Runge awaited throw. Fontana hit three-run home run that scored, among others, Ray Hermans (standing), but San Diego won, 9-3.

–Oceanside bombed Carlsbad, 22-2, and remained a game ahead of Escondido in the Avocado League. A makeup game with San Dieguito was forfeited, improving Oceanside’s record to 11-3.

–Grossmont earned a tie for the Metropolitan loop crown with a 6-4 win over Sweetwater.

STANDINGS

CITY PREP LEAGUE

TEAM WON LOST PCT. GAMES BEHIND LEADER
San Diego 15 1 .938
Point Loma 13 3 .813 2
Mission Bay 10 6 .625 5
Hoover 9 7 .563 6
St. Augustine 8 8 .500 7
Crawford 7 9 .438 8
Lincoln 6 10 .375 9
Kearny 4 12 .250 11
La Jolla 0 16 .000 15

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE

TEAM WON LOST PCT. GBL
Grossmont 8 2 .800
Helix 6 4 .600 2
Sweetwater 6 4 .600 2
Mount Miguel 5 5 .500 3
Chula Vista 3 7 .300 5
El Cajon Valley 2 8 .200 6

AVOCADO LEAGUE

TEAM WON LOST PCT. GBL
Oceanside 12 2 .857
Escondido 11 3 .786 1
Mar Vista 10 4 .714 2
Vista 7 7 .500 5
Coronado 6 8 .429 6
Fallbrook 4 10 .286 8
San Dieguito 3 11 .214 9
Carlsbad 2 12 .157 10

5/19/58

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

A scheduled Central Group playoff between Helix and Sweetwater at Chula Vista to determine the Metropolitan League’s No. 2 team was canceled when the CIF placed both teams in the Southern Section playoffs.

MAJOR DIVISION

FIRST ROUND

5/20/58

San Diego 9, @Newport Beach Newport Harbor 3.

The Tartars were a perplexing opponent.  They lost their first 10 games, including two in the Sunset League, and then won 10 in a row.

Lefthander Iva Tucker won his 10th game of the season against no defeats as the Cavemen, trailing, 2-0, slammed six runs across the plate in the third inning and three in the fourth.

John Frabotta walked with two out in the third, followed by Sam Edwards’ single, Ezell Singleton’s double, walks to Henry Gardner and Paul Runge, and another single by Willie McCloud.

Tucker gave up eight hits and walked four and struck out seven.

Point Loma 0, Anaheim 5, @Anaheim La Palma Park.

Two Colonists pitchers combined to stop the Pointers with a no-hitter.

Helix 1, @Ontario Chaffey 9.

Larry Maxie, the Southern Section player of the year in 1957 who would earn the honor again, struck out 17 and held the Highlanders to three hits.

Grossmont 1, Colton 4, @Riverside.

The Foothillers clung to a 1-0 lead until the Yellowjackets’ John Doty hit a grand slam home run in the eighth inning.

Sweetwater 2, @Long Beach St. Anthony 16.

The host Saints raked 20 hits and improved their record to 20-0.

SOUTHERN GROUP

Oceanside 8, @Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos 0.

The Pirates outhit the first-year Pocos, 10-3,and were scheduled to play El  Centro Central in the next round.

San Diego’s 1-2 pitching aces were Iva Tucker (left) and Ezell Singleton.

SECOND ROUND

San Diego 11, Long Beach St. Anthony 9, @Beeson Field.

The Saints (21-1) scored three runs on one hit in the first inning and two more in the second before the Cavemen unloaded with seven runs in the second on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot diamond.

Willie McCloud started the San Diego rally with a home run over the left-centerfield wall with two outs in the second inning.

John Frabotta followed McCloud by reaching first base on an error, then Archie Walker singled, Augie Bregante singled, Iva Tucker walked, Sam Edwards singled, and Ezell Singleton homered.

Tucker took to the mound in the fifth inning and starter Singleton moved to centerfield and made what writer Jim Mulligan described as “three heart-stopping catches”.

Singleton’s last was a diving stab of a line drive by future St. Augustine athlete Al Roman.  Singleton then fired to second to double up Rom Casaga and end the game.

The Saints out hit the Cavers, 12-6.

5/27/58

San Diego 1, Long Beach Poly 5, @Long Beach Blair Field.

Jeff King allowed a run on a wild pitch in the first inning and then shut the door on the Cavemen, giving up four hits as the Jackrabbits (21-3) shot down the Cavers’ 19-game winning streak and brought an end to a 23-2 season.

Poly, in the postseason for the first time since 1934, handed Iva Tucker his first loss after 11 victories.




1959 Baseball: Cassie’s Great Run Ends in Disappointment

Another outstanding San Diego High team was eliminated in the Southern California playoffs and followed a trend of other Cavers teams generally also coming up short in football and basketball.

Coach Les Cassie, who guided the 1952 team to an astounding 35-2 record and its lone Southern California title in the decade, retired after this season and would return to Hoover, his alma mater, as vice principal.

Cassie’s record since 1951, when he succeeded Mike Morrow, was 221-33 and a stunning, .870 winning percentage.

This Cavemen compiled a 25-4 record this season and they were 73-9 since a talented group of sophomores arrived in 1957.

The five, three-year regulars, with batting averages this year in parenthesis: pitcher-outfielder Iva Tucker (.300), first baseman Sam Edwards (.391), catcher Paul Runge (.300), second baseman-pitcher Ezell Singleton (.468), and centerfielder Willie McCloud (.352).

The lineup also included leftfielder H.D. Murphy (.293), infielder John Frabotta (.302), third baseman Steve Simon (.294), and rightfielder Sam Cowan (.308).

Singleton posted a 10-1 record and 1.45 earned-run average.  Iva Tucker and Larry Kramer each pitched a no-hitter.

Singleton was most-valuable player of the ninth annual Lions Tournament, in which the Cavemen defeated El Centro Central, 7-2; Sweetwater, 7-0; Escondido, 6-3, and Mount Miguel, 22-2, for their sixth championship.

San Diego coach Les Cassie wasn’t the threat at bat as was (from left) Ezell Singleton, Paul Runge, Iva Tucker, Sam Edwards, and Willie McCloud. Non-uniformed was manager Kenny Kafka.

3/30/59

Ezell Singleton struck out 17 batters, allowed four hits, and San Diego almost routinely whipped St. Augustine, 16-1, for its ninth consecutive win and Singleton’s fifth without a loss.

Willie McCloud hit his third home run in the last three games and John Frabotta,  also homered.  Iva Tucker and Sam Edwards added three singles apiece as part of San Diego’s 19-hit attack.

—Joe Cisterna’s three-hit pitching was the difference in Lincoln’s 3-1 win over Kearny.

—Billy Fontana was 5-for-5 and Point Loma beat Crawford, 14-1, and Hoover scored 10 runs in the last two innings for a 13-10 victory over Mission Bay.

—Fred Olmsted hit a home run and pitched Chula Vista to a 5-2 win over Helix.

—Mount Miguel’s Jeff Cox gave up 10 hits but struck out 13 and hung in for a 9-8 win over Sweetwater.

—Three errors betrayed Coronado pitcher Craig Callender, who dropped a 2-0 decision to Oceanside’s Joe Astorga.

–San Dieguito rampaged for 16 hits in a 19-0 win over Carlsbad and Mar Vista capitalized on 10 Fallbrook errors in a 16-3 win.

4/1/59

Mike Smith drove in three runs and Ronnie Riech pitched Clairemont to a 6-2 win over Grossmont.

4/3/59

St. Augustine a loser in four of its last five games, surprised Point Loma, 3-1, to knock the Pointers out of a first-place tie with Hoover and San Diego in the City Prep League.

Tom Goddard pitched the victory for the Saints, who separated from the Pointers on a single, squeeze bunt, and an error in the fifth inning.

–Ezell Singleton’s three-run home run in the seventh inning was insurance in San Diego’s 6-1 win over Mission Bay.  Larry Kramer hurled a four-hitter for the Cavemen.

—Jeff Cox had four hits and Pete Jernigan homered and pitched Mount Miguel to a 7-1 win over Chula Vista.

—Dan Reed hit a three-run homer in a four-run third inning and Grossmont scored four more runs in the seventh to beat Sweetwater, 9-6.

Billy Ellis slid into third base ahead of throw to Escondido’s Mike Williams in Chula Vista’s 3-1 win.

4/6/59

Larry Kramer gave up four hits, Sam Edwards drove in five runs, and Ezell Singleton homered in San Diego’s 11-0 victory over La Jolla.

—First-year Clairemont made it five wins in six games by outlasting Hoover, 8-7.

—Pitcher Mike Jauregui had three hits and drove in three runs as Point Loma beat Mission Bay, 9-0.

4/10/59

Gary (Slats) Maloy pitched a no-hitter but three walks and a error denied Slats of a perfect game in a 7-1 Crawford win over Clairemont.

Norm Marr backed Maloy with a grand slam home run and Buddy Hunter added a solo shot.

—Frank Kamfonik of Point Loma edged La Jolla’s Dave Newton, 2-0, in a battle in which each pitcher allowed four hits.

–San Diego routed Hoover, 19-0, and took a 40-20 lead in all-time games against its arch rival. The Cavemen’s romp represented their third highest total of runs versus Hoover, topped only by a 21-3 win in 1949 and 20-3 victory in 1952.

4/14/59

Escondido took a one-game lead in the Metropolitan League as Jim Gabbard hurled a 9-2 win over Sweetwater that combined with Mount Miguel’s 12-4 win over previous frontrunner Grossmont.

–Harold Peterson hit a grand- slam home run and Willie McCloud and H.D. murphy added roundtrippers in San Diego’s 15-1 win over Clairemont.

4/17/59

San Diego took a two-game CPL lead with its 14th win in a row as Ezell Singleton reversed an earlier loss to Point Loma with a 2-1 victory.

—Bobby Graham and Don Young each hit home runs and Crawford moved into third place in the CPL with a 5-4 win over Mission Bay.

4/21/59

Fred Olmsted homered and pitched Chula Vista back into first place in the Metropolitan League lead with a two-hitter that stopped Escondido, 3-1.

–San Diego won its 15th game in a row, 14-5 over Lincoln.  Angel Sanchez hit a grand-slam homer for the Hornets that made the defeat seem more digestible.

Sweetwater coach Lee Shelmerdine gave A grade to Dave Mashaw, who had just tripled with bases loaded but Mount Miguel ruined the day with 9-8 win over Red Devils.

4/24/59

Sam Edwards had five hits in six trips, including a home run and double, and drove in nine as San Diego bombarded Kearny, 22-0.  Paul Runge drove in three runs and Steve Simon homered for the Cavers.  Ezell Singleton and Iva Tucker combined on a one-hit pitching performance.

–Oceanside made it eight wins in nine games and held its Avocado League lead with an 8-7 win over Coronado.

4/28/59

A four-run 10th inning and 6-2 win over Chula Vista elevated Mount Miguel back into a first-place tie in the Metropolitan League with the Spartans.

Big hit in the Matadors’ inning was Jerry Lipscomb’s triple with winning pitcher Pete Jernigan on base.

5/1/58

Steve Simon and Ezell Singleton each doubled in a run and Iva Tucker, fully recovered from a broken finger, hurled a no-hitter as San Diego defeated St. Augustine, 4-0.

5/5/59

Three El Cajon Valley pitchers could not stop the onslaught.

Grossmont overwhelmed the Braves, 33-10, with 29 hits, led by the 6-for-8 by Danny Reed, whose day included a grand slam home run, four singles, and nine runs batted in.

Grossmont’s Joe Sewall was 5 for 5 with two doubles, a triple, and five RBI. Almost lost in the stats were three doubles in six trips by Danny Selness and eight errors by the Braves.

The offensive explosion, probably heard at the top of nearby Mt. Helix, allowed coach Art Preston’s team to maintain a first-place tie with Chula Vista in the Metropolitan League.

–Chula Vista lefthander Fred Olmsted won a 2-1 duel from visiting Sweetwater’s Jess Molina.  The Red Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh but the Spartans scored two in the bottom of the inning.

–Willie McCloud hit a grand-slam home run and Steve Simon homered, tripled, and doubled to bring in five runs as San Diego topped Mission Bay, 14-4, despite the Bucs ending a pitching streak of 25 scoreless innings by Cavers pitchers.

–Ramona’s Neal Walters struck out 19 and no-hit Mountain Empire, 4-0.

–Fallbrook’s Jim Lira and San Dieguito’s Bill Bruns traded one-hit pitching performances, but Bruns was a 5-0 winner.

San Diego coach Les Cassie shook hands with Paul Runge (left) and Ezell Singleton Other Cavers and including Iva Tucker (far left) and Steve Simon (right) celebrated 10-3 victory over Hoover for 16-2 league record.

5/8/59

Larry Shuck kept Mount Miguel at a distance until Grossmont scored a run in the top of the 11th inning and went all the way in a 1-0 victory.  Shuck twice worked his way out of jams that saw the Matadors retired after runners reached second and third  bases with no outs in two innings.
“I’ve never seen him hum the ball the way he did in the late innings,” said Foothillers coach Art Preston.

Grossmont pitchers have gone the distance in all but one of 21 games, Preston said. The coach had given Neil MacClellan a rest in the third inning after Grossmont had scored 17 runs en route to the 33-10 rout of El Cajon Valley.

H.D. Murphy hit two home runs and Ezell Singleton and Steve Cowan added one each as San Diego clouted La Jolla, 15-4, for its 20th consecutive victory, behind the pitching of Iva Tucker and Larry Kramer.

Mike Smith of Clairemont was safe at home as Hoover pitcher Dave Morehead awaited throw after passed ball on Cardinals catcher.

5/12/59

Scorebook line-score observers had to take a second or third look when Grossmont took a one-game lead in the Metro League with one game to play in a 9-6 win over visiting Chula Vista.

A published line score revealed that Foothillers pitcher Neil MacClellan started and was relieved by Larry Shuck in the eighth inning, when the Spartans were erupting for four runs.

MacClellan stayed in the game at another position and returned to the mound in the ninth inning.  Shuck also moved to another position and then relieved MacClellan a second time and closed out the game in a scoreless ninth inning.

–Ramona’s Don Romine followed Neal Walters’ gem of seven days earlier with a no-hitter in a 10-0 win over Army-Navy.

–Ezell Singleton was 4 for 4, with three singles and a double and pitched San Diego to a 10-3 win over Hoover.

5/15/59

What in the world of surprising results was this?

Clairemont beat San Diego High in the final regular -season game.

The fledgling program, which opened its doors in September, 1958, with a large segment of students from Mission Bay and Kearny enrollment areas and with no seniors, stunned the Cavemen, 1-0, and put an end to their 20-game winning streak.

Several good players apparently were in that Kearny-Mission Bay mix.  Under coach Ernie Beck the Chieftains tied for third with Hoover, each with a 12-6 record, and were 19-12 overall.

John Barger’s squeeze bunt in the third inning scored Stan Zimny, who had tripled.  George Lyons stopped the Cavemen on two hits, working out of trouble in the first, second, fifth, and sixth innings.

Barger also caught Paul Runge’s 400-foot drive to centerfield and then doubled Ezell Singleton at second base to end the game.

Despite the loss, San Diego’s second in 18 league games, the Cavers won the CPL championship by two games over Point Loma.

–Helix finished third in the Metropolitan League but had a say in Grossmont’s fortunes, rocking the Foothillers, 15-2, and preventing them from an outright title, which they were force to share with Chula Vista, 7-2 winner over Escondido.

STANDINGS

CITY PREP LEAGUE

TEAM WON-LOSS Pct. GB OVERALL/Pct.
San Diego 16-2 .889 24-3, .889
Point Loma 14-4 .778 2 18-5, .783
Hoover 12-6 .667 4 17-10, .625*
Clairemont 12-6 .667 4 19-12, .613
Crawford 11-7 .611 5 14-10, .583
St. Augustine 8-10 .444 8 9-14, .391
Mission Bay 6-12 .333 10 7-16, .304
Lincoln 6-12 .333 10 9-15, .375
Kearny 5-13 .278 11 6-18, .250
La Jolla 0-16 .000 16 1-19, .050

*Hoover had one tie game.

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE

TEAM WON-LOSS Pct. GB OVERALL/Pct.
Chula Vista 8-4 .667 15-7, .682
Grossmont 8-4 .667 16-7, .688*
Helix 7-5 .583 1 12-9, .571
Escondido 6-6 .500 2 14-7, .667
Mount Miguel 6-6 .500 2 15-10, .600
El Cajon Valley 6-6 .500 2 7-15, .318
Sweetwater 1-11 .083 7 8-14, .364

*Grossmont had one tie game.

AVOCADO LEAGUE

TEAM WON-LOSS Pct. GB OVERALL/Pct.
San Dieguito 9-3 .750 11-4, .733
Vista 9-3 .750 11-6-1, .639
Oceanside 8-3-1 .708 ½ 12-6-1, .658
Coronado 6-5-1 .541 2 ½ 6-9-1, .407
Mar Vista 5-7 .417 4 7-12, .368
Fallbrook 4-7-1 .375 4 ½ 5-8-1, .393
Carlsbad 0-12 .000 9 0-16, .000

 

San Diego’s Ezell Singleton received award from North Park Kiwanis Club honcho as coach Les Cassie (left) beamed,

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

San Diego 13, @Grossmont (16-8-1) 5.

The Cavemen literally walked their way to the first-round victory, with first baseman Paul Runge leading the parade.

Runge had a single in six times at bat.

A modest achievement, but Runge drew bases on balls in his other five times at bat, reaching base his first four appearances on a combined 16 consecutive pitches.

Runge drove in four runs, three on bases-loaded walks.

Wild Grossmont pitchers, who issued 19 free passes, contributed to a seemingly interminable, three-hour contest that began before about 500 fans at Grossmont.

Grossmont actually led, 3-2, when the roof fell in.

Two Grossmont errors, Runge’s single, Willie McCloud’s home run, and John Frabotta’s, triple were part of a six-run fifth inning that gave the Cavers a 9-3 lead.

San Diego pitcher Ezell Singleton even walked six batters but struck out 11 and raised his record to 10-0. San Diego needed only eight hits, led by Sam Edwards’ two doubles in five trips.

Point Loma (18-6) 1, @Santa Ana 14.

Jim Bradford homered and doubled for the Pointers, who were competitive, trailing, 3-1, until the Saints, champions of the Sunset League, unloaded for 10 runs in the fifth inning.

Long Beach Poly 2, @Chula Vista (15-8) 0.

Poly pitcher Tommy Sisk worked out of a jam in the sixth-inning when the Spartans loaded the bases with none out and came up empty.

Sisk struck out 13 and allowed three hits.  Chula Vista’s Fred Olmsted gave up only two hits and single runs in the third and fifth innings.

Huntington Beach 1, San Diego (25-4) 0, @Beeson Field.

Bob White, who “pestered San Diego High batters with a whistling fastball,” stroked a run-scoring base hit in the sixth inning and closed out the Cavemen in a second-round playoff game on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot diamond.

The loss also closed the career of coach Led Cassie, who retired from coaching and moved into administration.

Johnny MacDonald of The San Diego Union noted that White denied the Cavemen after they had runners on third base three times and that “excellent, heads-up play by his teammates squelched the impotent Cavers.”

Harley Murray opened the Oilers’ sixth with a single.  Pinch-runner Bob Anderson went to second base on a wild pitch and scored on White’s single with two out.

Tough luck San Diego pitcher Iva Tucker gave up just three hits and struck out 11.

Chula Vista’s Phil Lind was out at third as Grossmont’s Joe Doakes applied tag.




2022-23 Week 7: St. Augustine Wins National Game in Massachusetts

Trailing, 30-23, St. Augustine took charge in the second half and defeated East Catholic of Manchester, Connecticut, 67-57, last week in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.  San Ysidro was beaten in the same event by Florida’s Miami Columbus, 74-67.

Locally, most impressive was Montgomery, which zipped past  Mater Dei, 77-58, and replaced the Crusaders as the section’s third-ranked team, moving from fifth, while Mater Dei dropped to seventh.

Carlsbad remained second with an 83-80 win over La Costa Canyon.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 7 poll:
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
First-place votes in parenthesis. Last entries in columns indicate previous rank.
Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings. NR—Not ranked.

# TEAM RECORD POINTS PREV MAX-PREPS CAL-HI SPORTS
1 St. Augustine 16-3 (19) 190 1 4/5 6/6
2 Carlsbad 16-4 171 2 42/52 Bubble/Bubble
3 San Ysidro 9-8 128 4 104/113 Bubble/Bubble
4 Mission Bay 15-5 123 5 89/121 NR/NR
5 Montgomery 15-3 117 7 57/80 NR/NR
6 Torrey Pines 13-6 68 6 77/67 NR/NR
7 Mater Dei 15-5 66 3 90/58 NR/NR
8 Santa Fe Christian 15-5 64 8 96/88 NR/NR
9 Lincoln 18-2 38 10 143/156 NR/NR
10 La Costa Canyon 9-8 25 NR 92 NR/NR

Others receiving votes

San Diego (12-6, 14 points), Otay Ranch (12-6, 14), El Camino (13-5, 6) Victory Christian (13-5, 4), West Hills (17-2, 4) Mission Hills (11-8, 3, Coronado (17-5, 3) Del Norte (10-5, 2),  Canyon Crest (13-5, 1).

VOTING PANEL

  • John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
  • Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
  • Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
  • John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
  • Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
  • Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
  • Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
  • Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
  • Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
  • Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
  • Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
  • Max-Preps.



2022-23 Week 8: Saints’ Busy Week Ends With Nike Event

St. Augustine, priming for what it hopes will be a deep run in the postseason playoffs, has a pair of Western League  games this week and a final, tough intersectional test against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame Saturday in the Nike Extravaganza at Santa Ana Mater Dei.

The Saints have a home game Wednesday against Hoover (11-9) and are at San Diego (15-7) Friday.  Then they’ll play the next day at 5 p.m. against the Notre Dame Knights, ranked seventh by Cal-Hi Sports (St. Augustine is sixth) and 14th by MaxPreps (the Saints are fifth), the two major state polls.

Notre Dame is 16-8 and was beaten by San Ysidro, 87-82, here in December.  The Knights play in the powerful Mission League, which includes Studio City Harvard-Westlake (23-1) and Chatsworth Sierra Canyon (18-5).

The Saints and Knights are the only teams to have defeated San Ramon Dougherty Valley, a 19-2 team from the North Coast Section.  St. Augustine has a 62-58 victory and Notre Dame a 65-53 win over the Wildcats.

The Mesa League picture should come into more focus Wednesday when Montgomery, 6-0 in league play, 18-3 overall, and averaging 74.8 points, visits San Ysidro, 5-0 in league, 12-8 overall, and averaging 83.3 points.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 8 poll:

First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
First-place votes in parenthesis. Last entries in columns indicate previous rank.
Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings. NR—Not ranked.

# TEAM RECORD POINTS PREVIOUS MAX-PREPS CAL-HI SPORTS
1 St. Augustine 18-3 (19) 190 1 5/5 6/6
2 Carlsbad 18-4 171 2 38/42 Bubble/Bubble
3 San Ysidro 12-8 142 3 66/104 Bubble/Bubble
4 Montgomery 17-3 124 5 52/57 NR/NR
5 Mission Bay 16-6 113 4 79/89 NR/NR
6 Torrey Pines 15-6 98 6 61/77 NR/NR
7 Mater Dei 16-6 65 7 99/90 NR/NR
8 Lincoln 20-2 51 9 147/143 NR/NR
9 Santa Fe Christian 17-4 28 8 103/96 NR/NR
10 La Costa Canyon 11-9 25 NR 73/92 NR/NR

Others receiving votes

La Jolla Country Day (17-6, 13 points), West Hills (19-2, 7), Otay Ranch (13-7, 7), Del Norte (12-5, 6), San Diego (15-7, 5), Otay Ranch (12-6, 14), Victory Christian (15-5, 4), Mission Hills (12-9, 1).

VOTING PANEL

  • John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
  • Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
  • Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
  • John Kentera, Braden Supremant (97.3 FM The Fan).
  • Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
  • Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
  • Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
  • Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
  • Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
  • Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
  • Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
  • Max-Preps.