The Union-Tribune ‘s final poll included only the regular season.  We’ve included San Diego Section and Southern California playoff results in teams’ records but the rankings do not change.

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	POINTS	LAST WEEK
1.	Torrey Pines	30-1 (13)	130	1
2.	San Marcos	25-2	113	2
3.	Cathedral	17-3	107	3
4.	St. Augustine	14-7	82	4
5.	El Camino	24-6	79	5
6.	Santa Fe Christian	20-4	73	6
7.	Carlsbad	14-10	33	8
8.	Mission Hills	16-9	20	7
9.	Mater Dei	18-4	19	NR
10.	Coronado	24-5	18	nr

Others receiving votes: Orange Glen (25-7, 17 points), San Ysidro (23-7, 8), San Diego (16-14, 7),  Mission Bay (17-10, 4), Valhalla (18-5, 3), Bonita Vista (18-7, 2), Madison (19-8, 1).

First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on scale of 10 down to 1.

Poll voters:13 sportswriters, sportscasters from around San Diego County.

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com
• Terry Monahan, Steve Brand, Union-Tribune correspondents
• John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Bodie DeSilva, scorebooklive.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Adam Paul, ECPreps.com
• Steve Dolan Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association
• Rick Smith, partletonsports.com
• Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report

How others see San Diego Section’s top 10 in their final California ratings*.

TEAM	RANK	CAL-HI SPORTS	MAX PREPS
Torrey Pines	1	3	3
San Marcos	2	19	11
Cathedral	3	23	12
St. Augustine	4	22	27
El Camino	5	35	42
Santa Fe Christian	6	21	17
Carlsbad	7	NR	71
Mission Hills	8	NR	55
Mater Dei	9	38	69
Coronado	10	NR	81

 

Sa’de-Wiley Gatewood is back in the hunt.

The Victory Christian coach sends her No. 1 seed against No. 4 Playa del Rey St. Bernard Thursday in a Southern California Division VI-AA semifinals game at the Knights’ Chula Vista venue.

The winner will meet  the survivor of he Corcoran-Los Angeles Franklin game for the championship.

Four teams are entered in the bracket.  Others opted out for a variety of reasons, including the pandemic,

Wiley-Gatewood, who was born in San Diego but moved to the Los Angeles area when she was 10 and became a legendary, superstar player at Lynwood, was head coach of the Serra Conquistadores in 2019-20 and won the San Diego Section D-I championship.

The Q’s were beaten by Santa Monica, 49-44, in the Southern California playoffs and finished 20-10.

Victory Christian was joined by St. Joseph, the tiny school in San Marcos, as one of the San Diego’s Section’s two No. 1 seeds.

St. Joseph has a quarterfinals bye and will play the winner of Fallbrook-Capistrano Valley Christian in the semifinals.  St. Joseph defeated Fallbrook, a school with several hundred more students, 45-44, for the San Diego Section D-III title last week.

Seeds precede numbers in parenthesis, which represent the statewide rating of the team by Max Preps.

QUARTERFINALS
TUESDAY, JUNE 15
OPEN DIVISION

5 (4) Studio City Harvard-Westlake (22-3) @4 (6) Cathedral (19-3).
6 (11) Bonita Vista (24-4), @3 (7) Clovis West (19-0).
7 (9) La Jolla Country Day (16-4) @2 (2) Corona Centennial (22-1).

D-IAA

8 (59) Lynwood (15-6) @1 (10) Mission Hills (21-6).
5 (33) Carlsbad (16-5) @4 (21) Garden Grove Orangewood (12-8).
7 (51) The Bishop’s (12-8) @2 (34) West Torrance (17-4).

D-IA

7 (22) Anaheim Fairmont Prep (16-7) @2 (55) Mount Miguel (19-5).

D-IIAA

5 (71) Mater Dei (17-9) @4 (20) San Bernardino Cajon (13-1).

D-IIA

5 (46) Westview (17-7) @4 (39) Newport Beach Sage Hill (18-6).
6 (32) Ontario Christian (22-2) @3 (45) El Camino (17-6).

D-IIIAA
7 (75) Temecula Rancho Christian (8-2) @2 (71) Rancho Bernardo (19-8).

D-IIIA
6 (113) Del Norte (12-12) @3 (148) Lawndale Leuzinger (13-2).

D-IVAA
6 (201) Burbank Providence (15-5) @3 (151) Eastlake (15-9).

D-IVA
6 (178) Newport Beach Pacifica Christian (15-5) @3 (165) Our Lady of Peace (16-5).

D-VAA

1 (86) St. Joseph (23-2), bye.
5 (123) Fallbrook (21-8) @5 (462) Capistrano Valley Christian (8-7).

D-VA
6 (188) Catalina Avalon (9-3) @3 (307) Classical (17-9).

D-6AA

4 (457) Playa del Rey St. Bernard (8-5) @1 (317) Victory Christian (13-6).

Seventeen teams begin one-week quests of Southern California championships and almost all eyes will be on the 29-0 Torrey Pines Falcons, seeded No. 1 in the Open Division and with a quarterfinals bye.

Corona Centennial, which the Falcons defeated at home early in the season, 65-62, bypassed a chance to  turn the tables on  coach John Olive’s team by opting for a college recruiting-oriented event in Arizona.

Centennial, with an all-underclass starting lineup, defeated Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, 80-72, for the Southern Section big school title last week.

Without Centennial, the Open Division still is loaded.  Torrey Pines has to win two games, both of which will be played in the “Olive Garden”, their home court.

Also in the field are  Santa Maria St. Joseph (27-2), La Verne Damien (28-3) Lake Balboa Birmingham (10-3), Etiwanda (11-2),  Santa Ana Mater Dei (28-3), and Sierra Canyon (15-1).

Cathedral, which opted out of the tournament, and St. Augustine both played Santa Ana Mater Dei.  The Dons lost, 63-60, and the Saints were beaten, 62-51.

Birmingham came South in the 2017-18 season with a 12-14 record and defeated St. Augustine, 62-45.

BOYS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PLAYOFFS
Seeds precede numbers in parenthesis, which represent the statewide rating of the team by Max Preps.

QUARTERFINALS
Tuesday, June 15.
OPEN DIVISION
1 (1) Torrey Pines (29-0), bye.

D-IAA
5 (29) L.A. Ribet (11-4) @4 (15) San Marcos (25-1).
7 (27) St. Augustine (14-6), @2 (6) Bellflower St. John Bosco (20-4).

D-IA
6 (31) Northridge Heritage Christian (20-7) @3 (30) Santa Fe Christian (17-4).

D-IIAA
5 (39) Hacienda Heights Los Altos (16-2) @4 (53) El Camino (24-5).
7 (70) Mission Hills (16-8) @2 (10)  San Pedro Rolling Hills (12-2).

D-IIA
6 (38) Compton Dominguez (16-1) @3 (28) Mater Dei (15-4).
7 (81) Murrieta Valley (13-5) @2 (69) Carlsbad (13-9).

D-IIIAA
6 (154) Burbank (10-4) @3 (86) La Costa Canyon (11-10).

D-IIIA
(146) Francis Parker (10-8) @3 (132) Huntington Beach Marina (15-8).

D-IVAA
6 (105) San Ysidro (20-7) @3 (316) Arcadia (11-8).

D-IVA
8 (609) Long Beach Millikan (3-9) @1 (56) Coronado (21-5).
7 (422) Oxnard Rio Mesa (12-9) @2 (75) Orange Glen (23-6).

D-VAA
7 (275) Valley Village Valley Torah (13-2) @2 (242) Sage Creek (14-11).

D-VA
5 (211) Hoover (15-9) @4 (556) Canoga Park Faith Baptist (14-8).

D-VIAA
5 (652) Malibu (7-4) @4 (454) Crawford (12-7).
7 (756) West Covina Edgewood (7-7) @2 (155) Maranatha (22-5).

 

 

 

Cathedral upheld the honor of No. 1 seeds and defeated No. 3 Bonita Vista, 55-49, in the Open Division and erased the memory of two losses to the Barons in the regular season.

It was not a happy ride for several of the favored seeds in the girls’ San Diego Section playoffs..

Nine upsets, or surprises, took place in the semifinals and championships.

Three favorites lost in the title game.

No. 4 El Camino defeated No. 2 Westview, 66-59, in Division 1.  No. 4 San Dieguito outlasted No. 3 Eastlake, 48-45, in D-II, and No. 2 St. Joseph defeated Fallbrook, 45-44, in D-III.

In all there were reversals of so-called form in 12 of the 73 games, 16.4 percent.

Seeding upsets in bold:

OPEN DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Mater Dei (17-9) 54, @1 Cathedral 61
• 5 Carlsbad (16-5) 46, @4 Mission Hills 61
• 6 The Bishop’s (12-8) 57, @3 Bonita Vista 66
• 7 Mount Miguel (19-5) 36, @2 La Jolla Country Day 63

SEMIFINALS

• 4 Mission Hills (21-6) 51, @1 Cathedral 65
• 3 Bonita Vista 60, @2 La Jolla Country Day (16-4) 56

CHAMPIONSHIP                                                                                                            AT MONTGOMERY

• 1 Cathedral (19-3) 55, 3 Bonita Vista (24-4) 49

D-I

FIRST ROUND

• 9 Scripps Ranch (8-11) 39, @8 Del Norte 65
• 12 Torrey Pines (10-14) 46, @5 Christian 56
• 13 Canyon Hills (4-11) 25, @4 El Camino 68
• 14 Imperial (9-4) 23, @3 Rancho Bernardo 42
• 11 Poway (12-9) 40, @6 Mission Vista 50
• 10 La Costa Canyon (9-9) 24, @7 El Capitan 48
• 15 Otay Ranch (8-14) 47, @2 Westview 74

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Del Norte 59, @1 San Marcos (11-8) 56
• 5 Christian (11-9) 60, @4 El Camino 63
• 6 Mission Vista (14-5) 29, @3 Rancho Bernardo 65
• 7 El Capitan (20-10) 39, @2 Westview 54

SEMIFINALS

• 8 Del Norte (12-12) 53, @4 El Camino 66
• 3 Rancho Bernardo (19-8) 44, @2 Westview 55

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MONTGOMERY

• 4 El Camino (15-5) 66, 2 Westview (17-7) 59

D-II

FIRST ROUND

• 16 Chula Vista (4-15) 29, @1 Our Lady of Peace 41
• 9 Francis Parker (9-8) 46, @8 Holtville 49
• 12 Mira Mesa (9-16) 26, @5 Olympian 42
• 13 Mt. Carmel (10-11) 41, @4 San Dieguito 50
• 14 Madison (10-11) 35, @3 Eastlake 54
• 11 Lincoln (11-6) 49, @6 Helix 53
• 10 Morse 55, @7 Coronado (15-6) 46
• 15 University City (6-10) 33, @2 Grossmont 75

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Holtville (10-2) 40, @2 Our Lady of Peace 48
• 5 Olympian (16-13) 29, @4 San Dieguito 36
• 6 Helix (11-7) 25, @3 Eastlake 42
• 10 Morse (12-9) 34, @2 Grossmont 48

SEMIFINALS

• 3 Eastlake 52, @2 Grossmont (17-6) 45
• 4 San Dieguito 46, @2 Our Lady of Peace (16-5) 26

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE

• 4 San Dieguito (15-6) 48, 3 Eastlake (15-9) 45

D-III

• 9 Santana 40, @8 Castle Park (7-7) 35
• 14 Canyon Crest (2-16) 27, @3 Liberty Charter 51
• 11 San Diego (6-14) 33, @6 Hilltop 36
• 7 West Hills (10-13) 37, @10 Rancho Buena Vista 58

QUARTERFINALS

• 9 Santana (7-14) 16, @1 Fallbrook 51
• 4 Ramona (13-11) 30, @5 Sage Creek 36
• 6 Hilltop (12-8) 37, @3 Liberty Charter 60
• 10 Rancho Buena Vista (6-14) 35, @2 St. Joseph 66

SEMIFINALS

• 5 Sage Creek (8-12) 29, @1 Fallbrook 52
• 3 Liberty Charter 58, @2 St. Joseph 74

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE

• 2 St. Joseph (23-2) 45, 1 Fallbrook (21-8) 44

D-IV

FIRST ROUND

• 16 Sweetwater (4-14) 16, @1 Maranatha 65
• 9 Granite Hills (8-12) 35, @8 Oceanside 47
• 12 Orange Glen (8-12) 53, @5 Calexico Vincent Memorial 84
• 13 Patrick Henry (7-12) 42, @4 Hoover 57
• 14 Mountain Empire (5-6) 15, @3 Classical 77
• 11 El Cajon Valley (5-16) 38, @6 San Ysidro 54
• 10 Steele Canyon (4-12) 41, @7 Valley Center 43
• 15 La Jolla (6-10) 25, @2 Monte Vista 64

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Oceanside 57, @1 Maranatha (14-7) 56
• 5 Calexico Vincent Memorial (10-8) 53, @4 Hoover 57
• 6 San Ysidro (12-6) 23, @3 Classical 35
• 7 Valley Center (12-8) 58, @2 Monte Vista 75

SEMIFINALS

• 8 Oceanside 45, @4 Hoover (16-7) 41
• 3 Classical 43, @2 Monte Vista (17-8) 41

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT SERRA

• 8 Oceanside (9-16) 50, 3 Classical (17-9) 53

D-V

FIRST ROUND

• 8 San Diego Southwest (3-12) 35, @9 El Centro Central 38
• 12 Rock (6-13) 5, @5 Kearny 66
• 6 Bayfront Charter (8-9) 37, @11 Del Lago 41
• 10 The Cambridge 1, @7 Mabel O’Farrell (3-7) 0

QUARTERFINALS

• 9 El Centro Central (5-7) 30, @1 Victory Christian 48
• 4 North County High Tech (11-4) 33, @5 Kearny 43
• 11 Del Lago (6-7) 39, @3 Crawford 48
• 10 The Cambridge (5-11) 0, @2 San Diego High Tech 1

SEMIFINALS

• 5 Kearny (10-11) 24, @1 Victory Christian 68
• 4 San Diego High Tech 48, @3 Crawford (12-7) 46

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT SERRA

• 1 Victory Christian (13-6) 57, San Diego High Tech (12-4) 33

 

 

 

 

 

Unbeaten and 29-0 Torrey Pines continued its march toward a place where no San Diego Section boys team has gone, winning a championship in the largest division in Southern California (the 1935-36 San Diego High team won the Southern Section title but had a loss in a 15-1 season; the 1944-45 Hoover team won the recognized Beverly Hills tournament when there were no Southern Section playoffs but had a loss in a 16-1 season).

There will be no state championship game this season but to run the table coach John Olive Falcons must win two games this week in the Southern California tournament. Torrey Pines is the No. 1 seed in the Open Division and has a first-round (quarterfinals) bye.

All eight San Diego Section Open Division playoff squads are eligible.

With its 63-60 victory over Cathedral in the San Diego Section Open Division final, on Nick Herrmann’s long three-pointer at the buzzer, the Falcons became only the fifth area team to complete a regular season and the San Diego Section playoffs undefeated.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

The Falcons joined Mount Miguel, 32-0 in 1967-68, Helix, 33-0 in 1969-70,  Kearny, 32-0 in 1973-74, and St. Augustine 28-0 in 2004-05.  Two other teams,  Hoover, 24-0 in 1959-60; and La Jolla, 26-0 in 1963-64, were unbeaten in the regular season but lost in the playoffs, Hoover in the Southern Section semifinals to Anaheim, 39-34, and La Jolla in the San Diego Section championship, 76-56 to Helix.

Only St. Augustine went beyond the San Diego Section championship, but lost in the state final to Santa Cruz, 67-56, and finished 31-1. Mount Miguel, Helix, and Kearny were in the era before state playoffs began in 1982-83.

SAGE CREEK OVERCOMES SEED

Sage Creek, in business since 2013 in east Carlsbad, won its first championship in one of the “major” sports and it was accomplished the hard way.

The Bobcats, 10-11 in the regular season and a No. 7 seed in Division III, won out in the postseason, defeating 10 seed Mt. Carmel, 72-56, and then topping No 2 El Centro Central, 77-55, No. 6 San Dieguito, 58-46, and No. 4 Hoover, 55-54.

Of the 77 boys post-season games in five divisions, the underdog or less favorable seed won 16 times, 20.8 percent.

Playoff scores, with “upsets” or “surprises” noted in bold:

OPEN DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Carlsbad (13-9) 48, @1 Torrey Pines 70
• 5 St. Augustine 71, @4 Santa Fe Christian (17-4) 65
• 6 El Camino (24-5) 45, @3 San Marcos 58
• 7 Mission Hills (16-8) 37, @2 Cathedral 52

SEMIFINALS

• 5 St. Augustine (14-6) 59, @1 Torrey Pines 84
• 3 San Marcos (25-1) 48, @2 Cathedral 58

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MONTGOMERY

• 2 Cathedral (17-3) 60, 1 Torrey Pines (29-0)

D-I

FIRST ROUND

• 16 Rancho Buena Vista (7-13) 32, @1 Mater Dei 98
• 9 San Diego 74, @ 8 Vista (11-14) 62
• 12 Christian (5-11) 45, @5 Francis Parker 77
• 13 Helix (12-11) 55, @4 Bonita Vista 68
• 14 Montgomery (7-9), 51, @3 Mission Bay 66
• 11 Foothills Christian (8-17) 63, @6 San Ysidro 100
• 10 Poway (8-14) 54, @7 La Costa Canyon (57)
• 15 Otay Ranch (1-12) 46, @2 La Jolla Country Day 88

QUARTERFINALS

• 9 San Diego (15-14) 61, @1 Mater Dei 74
• 5 Francis Parker (10-8) 59, @4 Bonita Vista 64
• 6 San Ysidro (20-7) 76, @3 Mission Bay 78
• 7 La Costa Canyon 58, @2 La Jolla Country Day (13-10) 38

SEMIFINALS

• 4 Bonita Vista (14-7) 55. @1 Mater Dei 81
• 7 La Costa Canyon 76, @3 Mission Bay (17-10) 65

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MONTGOMERY

• 1 Mater Dei (15-4) 51, 7 La Costa Canyon (11-10) 49

D-II

• 16 University City (7-9) 51, @1 Orange Glen 53
• 9 Mount Miguel 46, @8 Patrick Henry (7-12) 45
• 12 The Bishop’s (8-13) 58, @5 La Jolla 68
• 13 Lincoln (10-10) 44, @4 Del Norte 52
• 14 Eastlake (13-9) 53, @3 Canyon Crest 66
• 11 Rancho Bernardo 47, @6 Oceanside (10-9) 46
• 10 Grossmont (13-11) 31, @7 Westview 59
• 15 Army-Navy (2-13) 64, @2 Coronado 72

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Mount Miguel (13-8) 45, @1 Orange Glen 66
• 5 La Jolla (15-5) 58, @4 Del Norte 69
• 11 Rancho Bernardo (8-14) 42, @3 Canyon Crest 68
• 7 Westview (13-13) 46, @2 Coronado 61

SEMIFINALS

• 4 Del Norte (13-8) 64, @1 Orange Glen 74, 2 OT.
• 3 Canyon Crest 58 (15-9), @2 Coronado 74

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE

• 2 Coronado (21-5) 51, 1 Orange Glen (23-6) 50

D-III

FIRST ROUND

• 16 Morse (4-17) 64, @1 Valhalla 66
• 9 Ramona (16-10) 41, @8 Mira Mesa 43
• 12 Calexico 70, @5 Granite Hills (13-6) 43
• 13 West Hills (15-11) 39, @5 Hoover 78
• 14 Monte Vista (11-15) 52, @3 Madison 70
• 11 Steele Canyon (11-11) 51, @6 San Dieguito 62
• 10 Mt. Carmel (11-16) 56, @7 Sage Creek 72
• 15 San Diego Southwest (7-10) 64, @2 El Centro Central

QUARTERFINALS

• • 8 Mira Mesa (16-12) 50, @1 Valhalla 55
  • 12 Calexico (4-1) 52, @4 Hoover 81
  • 2 El Centro Central (10-3) 55, @7 Sage Creek 77
  • 6 San Dieguito 2, 3 Madison (19-8) 0

SEMIFINALS

• 4 Hoover 58, @1 Valhalla (18-5) 55
• 7 Sage Creek 58, @6 San Dieguito (13-8) 46

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE

• 7 Sage Creek (14-11) 55, 4 Hoover (15-9) 54

D-IV

• 16 Classical (4-15) 20, @1 Maranatha 65
• 9 Kearny 62, @8 Santana (7-11) 50
• 12 Hilltop (8-11) 39, @5 San Diego High Tech 59
• 13 San Pasqual 64, @4 Victory Christian (15-6) 60
• 14 El Cajon Valley (1-18) 45, @3 Holtville 69
• 11 El Centro Southwest (4-6) 51, @6 Escondido Charter 56
• 10 Fallbrook (8-19) 63, @7 Guajome Park 69
• 15 Imperial (4-5) 28, @2 Calvin Christian 68

QUARTERFINALS

• 9 Kearny (6-12) 39, @1 Maranatha 52
• 13 San Pasqual (5-21) 39, @5 San Diego High Tech 56
• 6 Escondido Charter (12-11) 53, @3 Holtville 57
• 7 Guajome Park 29 @2 Calvin Christian 51

SEMIFINALS

• 5 San Diego High Tech (15-11) 50, @1 Maranatha 59
• 3 Holtville (10-3) 32, @2 Calvin Christian 62

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE

• Maranatha (22-5), 34, Calvin Christian (19-3) 28

D-V

• 9 The Cambridge (7-9) 0, @8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 2
• 12 Coastal Academy (5-8) 37, @5 Bonsall 67
• 11 North County High Tech (6-10) 25, @6 Blythe Palo Verde Valley 68
• 10 Escondido Adventist (6-6) 29, @7 Chula Vista High Tech 44

QUARTERFINALS

• 8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 63, @1 Liberty Charter (16-7) 55.
• 5 Bonsall (16-6) 55, @4 St. Joseph 70.
• 6 Blythe Palo Verde 82, 3 Bayfront Charter (12-3) 58, @El Centro Southwest.
• 7 Chula Vista High Tech (7-8) 41, @2 Crawford 45.

SEMIFINALS

• 4 St. Joseph (12-8) 39, @8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 49
• 6 Blythe Palo Verde Valley (7-4), 58, @2 Crawford 75

CHAMPIONSHIP
AT SERRA

• 2 Crawford (12-7) 62, 8 Calexico Vincent Memorial (4-11) 58

The typically good baseball played in the area was augmented by another stable of outstanding players.

Pro teams signed dozens  and several made it to the big leagues:

Dave Duncan and Eddie Herrmann were the first two of the eventual five catchers from Crawford to reach the top.  Others included Lincoln’s Lou Marone. St. Augustine’s Bob Spence, Madison’s Al Fitzmorris, Clairemont’s Kenny Henderson, Hoover’s Frank Jerry DaVanon and  Helix’ Ron Slocum.

A few would be back for the 1964 season, including Crawford sophomore third baseman  Bob Boone, who became a catcher in 1971, played, managed, administered, and was working well into the first quarter of the 21st century.

San Diego’s Bob Cluck reached the AAA level and then retired to go into scouting and was a pitching coach for 10 years in the majors.

Despite all of that city talent, Helix and El Capitan met in the playoff finals, below.

ALMOST HISTORY MAKING

San Diego High took little solace when it was pointed out that the Cavemen’s 23-4 shellacking  by Hoover was not the most one-sided ever sustained by the legendary program.

But almost.

According to Don King’s Caver Conquest, the athletic history of the school, there was one defeat even more stunning.  Santa Ana High, the Cavers’ oldest rival, won the final game of the year on May 6, 1905, 21-1.

The Hilltoppers, as they were known, were coached by Lawrence Carr, Sr.

Fast forward 58 years for a remarkable coincidence.  Carr’s son, Lawrence Carr,  Jr., was in his ninth year as principal at San Diego High.

2/27/63

Morse’s first game ever was a 6-4 victory at Mar Vista, the Tigers scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Jim Woodard and Bart Miller combined to pitch a two-hitter and Chula Vista blanked visiting Monte Vista, 2-0.

2/28/63

Freshman Steve Christopher of St. Augustine hurled a one-hit, 1-0 triumph over Helix at Golden Hill Playground and scored the winning run in the sixth inning on a single by Don Carlos Stafford.

Two Clairemont runners stole home in the seventh inning, forcing extra innings, and the Chieftains scored two more in the ninth to win at Oceanside, 4-2.

3/2/63

Inglewood Morningside was the visitor when Crawford’s Dave Duncan singled home Eddie Herrmann in the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory.

Grossmont’s Bob Wilson hit two home runs, but those were all the hits allowed by La Jolla’s John Fink, aided by John Jenkins’ home run in a nine-inning, 3-2 win.

Al Fitzmorris allowed three hits and Madison blanked Morse, 1-0, in a battle of first-year schools.

3/6/63

Dave Duncan launched a 370-foot home run that cleared a 30-foot-high fence in left field at El Capitan and Crawford won, 6-1, in a rematch of the 1962 championship game.

Another Dave Duncan singled in El Capitan’s only run in the fifth inning.

Four Kearny pitchers held Hoover to five hits in the Komets’ 5-0 win.

3/7/63

Daro Quiring struck out 19 batters and his single scored the winning run in Poway’s 2-1 win over El Cajon Valley.

3/8/63

San Diego’s Bob Cluck outdueled Lincoln’s Lou Marone, 5-4.

The Cavers led, 5-1, in the sixth inning before the Hornets scored three runs, two on Bob Rands’ triple, but Cluck then struck out the side and did the same thing in the seventh.

Herb Palmtag’s, eighth-inning, two-run home run, a 360-foot drive which landed in some eucalyptus trees in right field, broke up a pitching duel between the Pointers’ Russ (Hush) Puppe and host Kearny’s John Fletcher.

Palmtag’s shot was the difference as the Pointers won the Western League opener, 3-1.

3/9/63

Home runs by Bill (Sledge) Homik and Frank Jerry DaVanon knocked in three runs each and Hoover beat St. Augustine, 8-4, in an Eastern League opening game.

“Balls were bouncing all over the football seats at the Hoover stadium, whose ‘Pony League-sized’ baseball field is 200 feet down the right field line and stretches to 380 in center,” wrote Larry Littlefield of The San Diego Union.

The Saints’ Paul Toumainen also homered and the Saints’ Bob Spence hit three ground-rule doubles.

Clairemont’s Jim Estes came within one out of a no-hitter, spoiled by Mike Chase’s single in Vista’s 7-0 loss. Crawford blanked Morse, 9-0, as Ron Dargo hurled a one-hitter.

Jim Woodard’s pitched a two-hitter as Chula Vista edged Coronado, 1-0.

Don Parish and Joe Stetser, who reported late after the basketball playoffs, combined to stop Helix on four hits in Hilltop’s 1-0 win.

Mount Miguel’s Jim Canaris pitched a two-hit, 5-0 shutout against Sweetwater.

3/13/63

Daro Quiring allowed one hit and Poway edged University, 1-0, in a Palomar League opener.

Dave Duncan’s three-run home run gave El Capitan a cushion in a 5-3 win over Granite Hills in a Grossmont League so-called “lid-lifter.”

Lincoln’s John Carroll stopped La Jolla on two hits, 3-0.

3/14/63

Madison, with many students and players who originally attended Clairemont, defeated the big brother Chieftains, 2-0, behind Al Fitzmorris’ two-hit pitching.

Lincoln’s Bob Rands hit a home run and, with help from reliefer Lou Marone, was the winning pitcher, 5-4 over Sweetwater.

3/16/63

Hilltop patiently took the generous offerings of visiting Escondido pitchers, coaxing 14 bases on balls and serving notice with a Metropolitan League-opening, 12-2 win.

The Lancers also profited from a seven-run third inning, highlighted by Dave Braswell’s grand-slam home run.

University’s Dave Timms pitched the season’s first no-hitter and struck out 13, including the last six, in blanking San Dieguito, 2-0.

Richard Romero hit a pair of home runs as Clairemont topped Point Loma, 4-2.

3/20/63

Four games, including three in the Eastern League, required extra innings and nine of 18 were decided by one run.

Hoover beat San Diego, 5-3, in 10 innings and took the Eastern League lead with a 3-0 record.  St. Augustine beat Morse, 4-1, in 10 innings on Bob Ahearn’s three-run home run and Crawford edged Lincoln, 2-1, in eight.

3/23/62

Clairemont’s Jim Estes retired 17 batters in a row during a one-hit, 6-0 victory over Kearny. The gem was Estes’ second of the season.

Point Loma scored two runs in the 10^th inning without a base hit and topped Mission Bay, 4-2.

Bill (Sledge) Homik, John Petersen, and Frank Jerry DaVanon each homered as Hoover stayed in front in the Eastern League, 5-0 over Morse.

Dave Braswell’s two home runs produced all of Hilltop’s runs in a 5-1 win at Mar Vista.

3/27/63

Hoover (5-0) beat visiting Crawford, 8-3, to take a two-game lead over the Colts (3-2) and San Diego (3-2) in the Eastern League.

John Peterson and Lloyd Jacobsen each homered for the Cardinals, while James Murphy and Loren Dantzler went deep for San Diego as the Cavers beat St. Augustine, 9-2, behind Bob Cluck’s five-hit pitching.

No-hitters were posted by sophomore Paul Gerard of Marian and Henry Hyde of Rancho del Campo.

Gerard struck out 12 in a 12-0 win over San Diego Military and Hyde struck out 15 Julian batters in an 8-0 victory.

Bruce Bovee and Jeff Moler hit home runs and Bovee pitched Clairemont to a 7-1 victory over La Jolla.

Bob Simmons’ two-out single in the 10^th inning was the difference in a 2-1 pitching duel between Helix’ Simmons and Grossmont’s Bernie Linn.

3/30/63

Mike Oddy’s five-hit pitching and Dan Hauser’s run-scoring single in the seventh inning gave Oceanside a 1-0 victory over University in a battle of Avocado League leaders.

Runs, hits and errors for Marian, 26-19-5. For San Miguel School, 4-3-19.

Doug Kennedy’s seventh-inning home run pushed San Diego past Lincoln, 8-7.  Lou Marone went the distance for the Hornets and homered.

Paul Toumainen allowed one hit and St. Augustine tightened the Eastern League race, 3-0 over front-running Hoover.

Mission Bay’s Lynn Sparks struck out 16 La Jolla batters in the Buccaneers’ 1-0 victory.

4/3/63

Jerry Montiel pitched Escondido past Hilltop and into first place in the Metropolitan League, 4-3.

Hoover lost its second straight Eastern League game, 8-5, to Lincoln, which scored all its runs in the last two innings.

The Cardinals stayed ahead in the Eastern because Crawford fell to the one-hit pitching of Bob Ahearn and a 6-1 defeat to St. Augustine and San Diego was upset by last place and winless Morse, 7-6.

Bobby Falar homered and Point Loma beat Western League-leading Clairemont, 6-1, knocking the Chieftains into a first-place tie with Kearny, which rode Al Shufeldt’s three-run home run in the first inning to a 4-3 victory over La Jolla.

WHO’S ON FIRST?

Reports that Mount Miguel had been invited to a tournament in Hawaii were denied/confirmed by several parties.

San Diego Section honcho Don Clarkson said he received a telegram from island coordinators saying they had heard nothing of a tournament or the proposed trip by Mount Miguel.

“The thing is dead,” said Clarkson, who pointed out that the Matadors likely wouldn’t have received permission from the CIF for the trip and also were scheduled to play in the upcoming Lions tournament.

Melvin Grant, principal of the school near Lemon Grove, said that the “Air Force”, had agreed to fly the team.

“We haven’t heard from them,” added Grant of the military institution.

4/6/63

Faced with the prospect of having to share the Eastern League lead with San Diego, Hoover erupted for 21 hits and routed the Cavers, 23-4, in a game called after five innings by darkness.

Every Cardinals player hit safely.  Ten players drew bases on balls and the Cavers committed five errors.

The Cardinals stood atop the East with a 6-2 record.  San Diego fell to 4-4.

St. Augustine improved to 5-3 with a 3-0 win over Morse, behind Paul Toumainen’s three-hitter and a home run, double, and single, in three times at bat by Bob Spence.

Lincoln got a three-run homer in the seventh inning from Carl Sandstrom and evened its record at 4-4 with a 5-4 win over Crawford, the defending San Diego Section champion, which fell to 4-4.

Pickford of Army-Navy no-hit Fallbrook, 2-1, and Lee of San Miguel one-hit La Jolla Country Day, 3-2.

Chula Vista’s Bart Miller allowed a hit with two out in the seventh inning in a 2-0 win over Helix.  Zinniger of San Dieguito pitched a one-hit, 7-0 triumph over Avocado League-leading Oceanside.

LIONS TOURNAMENT

4/9/63

Freshman Bernard Linn struck out 24 batters and gave up one hit in 10 innings, but Point Loma, seeking its third consecutive championship, won in 12 innings, 1-0, on an error, two walks and a hit batsman in first-round play in the 13^th annual event.

Dale Twombley’s grand-slam home run was one of nine consecutive hits by Hoover in a 10-run fifth inning and 18-5 win over Mission Bay.

Rich Papike’s home run augmented the one-hit pitching of Rick McGriffin, who struck out 11 in Monte Vista’s 4-0 win over Vista.

San Diego eliminated Point Loma in the quarterfinals, 8-1.

Lincoln’s Lou Marone outdueled Hoover’s Lloyd Hutchinson, 1-0, and the Hornets topped San Diego, 7-3, later in the day to gain the Unlimited Division championship game against Kearny, which beat Crawford, 4-1, and El Capitan, 5-4.

Monte Vista, which brought a 2-9 record into the tournament, stopped Poway, 10-3, and Madison, 10-5, to reach the Limited Division final against University, 8-1 winner over Morse and 5-1 over La Jolla.

4/11/63

Unseeded Lincoln, in its first Lions final, and Kearny, a finalist in 1951 and 1954, met on the tournament’s long-standing site, Navy Field.

The Hornets (12-5) outslugged the Komets, 10-7, and Monte Vista beat University, 7-4.

Lincoln’s John Carroll, who relieved Lou Marone, restricted the Komets to one run over the last four innings.  Carroll won his third tournament game and was named the event’s outstanding player.

After tying the score in the fourth, Lincoln added four more runs in the fifth on an error, walk, double by Marone (now playing first base) and single by Tommy Osaki.

MAJORING IN MAJORS

Lefthander Jon Majors worked five innings in relief to assure the Limited Division title in Majors’ third successful appearance in three days for the Monarchs.

Monte Vista (6-9) was tied for last place in the Grossmont League entering the tournament.

Escondido and El Cajon Valley won consolation championships in the Unlimited and Limited, respectively.

4/17/63

University’s Dave Timms hurled his second no-hitter in a 10-0 victory over Vista.  Timms struck out five, walked one, and allowed one other Panther reached base on an error.

Point Loma’s Russ (Hush) Puppe pitched a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Mission Bay.

Clairemont’s Jim Estes hurled his second shutout against Kearny, 4-0, limiting the Komets to three hits, as the Chieftains broke a first-place tie with Kearny in the Western League.

Hoover stayed two games ahead in the East with a 5-1 win over Morse and San Diego forged a three-way tie for second with Lincoln and St. Augustine.

The Cavers’ Bobby Alexander collected two doubles and a single in a 10-2 win over Crawford and Lincoln’s Lou Marone struck out 11 and outdueled the Saints’ Bob Ahearn, 2-1.

4/20/63

Ken Walling of El Capitan struck out eight and did not allow a ball out of the infield as the Vaqueros turned Walling’s perfect game into a 4-0 victory over Granite Hills.

Walling was aided by strong support.  Third baseman Jeff Serrano handled seven chances without an error.

Walling improved to 7-2 and El Capitan to 11-5, moving the Vaqueros into a tie with Helix for first place in the Grossmont.

Helix did not lose but its game with Monte Vista was suspended by darkness after 11 innings and a 1-1 tie, denying a brilliant performance by the Monarchs’ Jon Majors.

Majors, who struck out 17, did not allow a hit for 9 2/3 innings and staked himself to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th with a run-scoring single, but Helix’ Ron Slocum’s single in the bottom of the 10^th tied the score.

Bob Cluck allowed three hits and stopped St. Augustine, 3-0, leaving Lincoln tied for second place in the Eastern with San Diego, each 6-4, behind Hoover’s 8-2.

4/24/63

San Diego ended Lincoln’s eight-game win streak, 4-3, as Bob Cluck scattered five hits to put the Cavers one game behind Hoover, 6-5 loser to St. Augustine.

4/27/63

Rain intruded to sideline several teams, including Helix, but El Capitan played on, with a six-run rally in the eighth inning and 7-1 win over Monte Vista and took a half-game lead in the Grossmont circuit.

Bob Cluck, with an assist from Tony Pisciotta in the seventh inning, pitched surging San Diego past Morse, 6-0, moving the Cavers into second place in the Eastern.

5/1/63

Loren Dantzler deprived Pat Harrison of a potential, grand slam home run in the last of the seventh inning and San Diego earned a tie for first place.

The San Diego outfielder raced to his right and snared Harrison’s drive and then tumbled over the line of high hurdles which serve as Hoover’s leftfield fence.

Dantzler’s catch saved the Cavers’ 5-2 win and left hander Bob Cluck, who struggled in the final inning after holding the Cardinals to two scratch hits in the first six innings.

The visiting Cavers moved into a tie with Hoover in a game that took two-and-a-half hours and included 14, count ‘em, 14, rhubarbs between rival coaches Jerry Dahms and Jerry Bartow and the umpires.

Lincoln had 24 of the game’s 38 hits and beat Crawford, 17-10, behind home runs by Bob Rands, John Carroll, and Lou Marone, who each also pitched.

Ken Walling completed his week with 20 1/3 innings pitched and one run allowed.  The El Capitan ace earned a 4-0 victory over Helix to maintain first place in the foothill loop and raised his record to 10-2.

5/4/63

Bob Cluck and Phil Warren pitched San Diego to an 8-6 win over Crawford, whose battery included future major league stars sophomore Bob Boone and Dave Duncan. Cavers Froebel Brigham and Rob Ortman had five hits and five runs batted in between them.

5/8/63

Poway defeated Ramona, 4-0, as Daro Quiring hurled a no-hitter.

El Capitan wrapped the Grossmont League championship, 7-3, over El Cajon Valley, and Oceanside claimed a tie for the Avocado loop title, 4-1, over Vista.

5/11/63

Bob Cluck’s one-hitter stopped St. Augustine, 1-0, the Cavers scoring in the sixth inning after a walk to Doug Kennedy, bunt single by Bobby Alexander, double steal, and James Murphy’s high bouncing shot to shortstop, which prevented a possible play at home plate.

Bill (Sledge) Homik socked two home runs and Jimmy Doyle hit a grand slam as Hoover beat Crawford, 12-8. Madison’s Al Fitzmorris shut out Point Loma for the second time, 2-0, as the Pointers’ Russ Puppe suffered his first league loss in two seasons.

STANDINGS AT A GLANCE

San Diego and Hoover tied for the Eastern League championship but Hoover was declared No. 1 for the purpose of postseason pairings.

Hoover and San Diego had 11-4 records.  Lincoln, 17-7 overall but 9-7 in the East, missed the playoffs. El Capitan (10-1) finished two games ahead of Helix (8-3).

Oceanside (10-3) edged University (9-3) for the Avocado League crown, Clairemont was the Western League winner at 10-5, with Point Loma 9-6.

Poway ran the table in the Palomar League with a 12-0 record that outpaced Carlsbad (8-3).  Marian also was unbeaten, winning the Southern loop at 8-0.

PLAYOFFS

2-AA

FIRST ROUND

San Diego (15-7) 0, @El Capitan 1. 

Bob Cluck (12-4), who won seven straight Eastern League games to pitch San Diego into the Eastern co-championship, matched Ken Walling (13-2) except for the third inning.

The Vaqueros scored after three bases on balls and Bob Conen slapped a single into right field for the game’s only run. Walling kept the Cavers at bay, giving up only a triple by Froebel Brigham and bunt single by Arnold Murillo.

Point Loma (12-11) 0, @Escondido 2.

Jerry Montiel’s two-hitter augmented by Dave Sirbu’s two-run triple got Escondido the nod over the Pointers’ Russ Puppe and Jay Morgner.

Chula Vista (14-9) 7, @Clairemont 8.

Mike Anderson hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the fifth inning to bring Clairemont from behind.  Bill Peterson added a solo shot for the Chieftains.

Helix 6, @ Hoover (15-7) 0.

Bob Simmons hurled Helix’ third shutout in a row, holding the Cardinals’ lineup of six .300 batters, to three hits, and was supported by Ed Carmichael’s three-run homer in a five-run second inning.

SEMIFINALS

2-A

Escondido (17-9) 0, @Helix 1.

Dick DiMeo’s first home run of the season, a 350-foot shot and the first hit out of the Helix park all season, decided the pitching duel between Escondido’s Jerry Montiel and sophomore Dave Elstrom and Bob Simmons.

El Capitan 5, @Clairemont (15-10) 3.

Ken Walling gave up a two-run homer to Bill Casey in a three-run first inning, which was halted when Kenny Henderson was picked off second base.  Walling then rang up eight straight scoreless innings and El Capitan advanced on only three hits, aided by five Chieftain errors.

1-A

Marian (12-8) 2, @Oceanside 7.

The Pirates’ Bob Aurin pitched a five-hitter, interrupted  by Bill Youmans’ two-run home run.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Helix (15-11) 4, El Capitan (19-6) 2, @Beeson Field.

Helix, a well-beaten runner-up to El Capitan in the Grossmont League, rolled again with its ace, Bob Simmons, who stretched Highlander pitchers’ scoreless streak to 36 1/3 innings before the Vaqueros scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

The usually light-hitting Scots raked El Capitan ace Ken Walling, pitching his third game in a week, for 11 hits.  Helix scored three runs in the fourth inning on hits by Bob Brown, Simmons, Dave McGregor, and Ed Carmichael.

1-A

Oceanside (16-9) 0, @Poway (19-2) 3.

Daro Quiring (13-0) set down the Pirates on one hit. Poway scored all its runs in the first inning on a wild pitch and three consecutive walks, plus a base hit.