Vincent W. (Vince) Breddell III, a star sprinter at Kearny in 1969 and ’70, passed recently.
Coach Jim Cerveny’s teams, which battled Clairemont for Western League domination, were built around the swift Breddell.
Breddell was fourth in the state 100-yard dash final at Berkeley in 1970 after winning the San Diego Section championship in :09.7. He won his heat in the state trials at Berkeley in :09.7.
Breddell had a best time of :21.2 in the 220-yard dash, was a triple winner in the 1970 Western League finals, :09.8 100, :21.4 220, and anchor leg of the winning (:42.3) 440-yard relay with teammates Tony Berg, Greg Jackey, and Michael Cornell.
Breddell won the San Diego Section championship with a :09.8 100 in 1970 and finished first in the 220 in :21.4 but was disqualified because he was outside his lane during the race. Lane inspector Tony Sucec unpopularly reported that Breddell took four steps on the white line that separated his lane from that of teammate Michael Cornell.
Breddell also won the Western League 100 in 1969 and was a three-year member of Kearny’s championship 440-yard relay teams.
Thanks to Rich Peralta for notification.
Vince was an elated winner of the San Diego Section 100-yard dash final in 1970, defeating Morse’s Bill Smith.
2018-19 Week 9: Races Coming Down to Wire; Agbo Goes off for Saints.
The San Diego Section regular season will end Feb. 8 and championships in at least three of the 19 basketball-playing leagues will come down to the final week.
Rancho Buena Vista (6-1) and Vista (5-2) will meet at Vista for the Avocado League title. RBV edged the rival Panthers, 62-61, in the teams’ first meeting.
University City (7-2) and San Diego (7-2) are on a collision course to settles matters in trhe City League at San Diego.
Victory Christian (8-1), coached by former San Diego State star DJ Gay, will try to avenge a 75-73 loss to San Diego Academy (9-0) in the Citrus loop.
League standings as of Wednesday, Jan. 30:
LEAGUE
TEAM
RECORD
WON-LOSS
DIVISION
Avocado East
Rancho Buena Vista
6-1
22-3
2
Avocado West
Torrey Pines
5-1
18-6
1
San Marcos
5-1
15-7
1
Citrus
San Diego Academy
9-0
20-2
5
City
University City
7-2
16-9
3
San Diego
7-2
14-8
3
Coastal
Foothills Christian
5-2
17-5
1
La Jolla Country Day
5-2
16-8
1
Desert
Imperial
2-1
14-8
4
Eastern
Point Loma
5-2
16-7
2
Scripps Ranch
5-2
14-8
2
Lincoln
5-2
12-14
2
Grossmont Hills
Helix
5-1
15-9
1
Grossmont Valley
Valhalla
6-1
22-3
3
Imperial Valley
El Centro Southwest
3-0
10-12
3
Manzanita
Calexico Vincent Memorial
7-0
10-10
4
Mesa
Mater Dei
6-0
14-8
1
Ocean
Del Lago
4-1
13-11
5
Calvin Christian
4-1
9-8
4
Pacific
Orange Glen
6-0
12-10
1
Palomar
Poway
5-0
20-5
1
Patriot
Southern California Yeshiva
8-0
11-4
5
Pioneer
Bonsall
8-0
10-7
5
Chula Vista Learning
8-0
9-7
5
South Bay
Sweetwater
8-0
17-6
3
Summit
High Tech San Diego
5-1
11-9
4
Valley
Escondido
6-0
14-10
3
Western
St. Augustine
10-0
21-5
1
St. Augustine completed a 10-0 run through the Western League on Jan. 29, topping host Mission Bay, 72-55, behind Chibuzo Agbo’s 40 points.
Agbo made 8 of 11 three-point field goal attempts. Mission Bay played without star Rajean (Boogie) Ellis, sidelined with an announced sore ankle.
Union-Tribune Week 9 poll as of Monday, Jan. 28:
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last Week
1
St. Augustine (10)
20-5
135
1
2.
Foothills Christian (3)
16-5
121
5
3
Torrey Pines
18-6
114
2
4
Mission Bay (1)
14-8
94
3
5
Santa Fe Christian
16-6
78
6
6
La Jolla Country Day
16-7
63
4
7
Poway
20-5
50
9
8
San Marcos
15-7
40
7
9
Cathedral Catholic
16-8
20
NR
10
Carlsbad
18-5
17
NR
NR–Not ranked.
Others receiving votes: Rancho Buena Vista (21-3, 15 points), Francis Parker (13-7, 15) Montrgomery (18-3, 5), Vista (16-8, 2).
Voters: John Maffei, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, Freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association; Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul, Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.
1948 Track: Davis Brings Hilltoppers Home Despite Cut
The 880-yard relay, a frenetic and often perilous event, provided a wild conclusion to the CIF Southern Section finals at Compton.
San Diego High won the team championship, surviving rush-hour traffic and a near pileup, not unlike a wild main event of a midget auto racing card in Balboa Stadium.
The Hillers’ Charlie Davis, spiked by another runner about 100 yards from the finish line, hung on for a second place that was the difference in the team standings.
San Diego’s 20 points topped Glendale Hoover, which had 19, and Compton, which did not have a relay team and finished with 18. Fullerton was fourth with 15.
Coach Bill Patten’s seven-man squad and Glendale Hoover, led by sprint ace John Bradley, each had 16 points entering the final event.
Laguna Beach was a “surprise gun-to-tape winner but they went virtually unnoticed,” wrote the Los Angeles Times’ John De la Vega, who captured the moment.
HILLERS VS. TORNADOES
“All eyes were on the two title rivals,” said De La Vega.
“San Diego ran second most of the way while Hoover, the favorite, got two bad passes and trailed the Hillers by nine yards in next-to-last place as the anchor leg started.
“Then came the rousing finish,” wrote De La Vega.
Hillers anchorman Davis survived a cut on his leg when Inglewood’s Jack Hadley crashed in front of the fast-closing Bradley and Hadley’s shoe spikes tore Davis’ flesh.
Bradley, accelerating as he traversed the curve, had closed to within three yards of Davis as the pack turned for home. Hadley, also charging, suddenly stumbled, nipping Davis, and falling in front of Bradley.
Bradley pulled up and ran around Hadley, according to De La Vega, and then made another challenge but finished two yards behind Davis.
Champion Hilltoppers with perpetual title trophy, front row (from left): Harold Miller, Bob Van Doren, Ernie Smith. Standing (from left): coach Bill Patten, Rudy Graham, Calvin Carter, Charlie Davis, John Davis. Courtesy, John Dahlem/CIF Southern Section.
IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?
Three published accounts of that relay race, beginning with De La Vega’s, are not in agreement.
Wrote Don King in Caver Conquest, the athletic history of San Diego High:
“Sparked by some nifty running and baton passes among Hal Miller, Calvin Carter, and Ernie Smith, the Hillers jumped into an early lead (De La Vega’s Times story said Laguna led all the way) coming into Davis’ anchor leg. But a rival runner accidentally spiked Davis in the baton exchange (the Times story indicated it happened much later).”
The San Diego Union correspondent, unidentified, reported in a “Special” dispatch:
“The Hiller quartet took an early lead, but on the last lap Davis was spiked by a rival runner. The mishap enabled Laguna Beach to take the lead, but Davis, continuing in spite of the injury, held off his Glendale Hoover rival to finish second.”
THE OTHERS…
Seven San Diego High athletes were among the fifteen from the Coast, Metropolitan, and Southern Prep leagues who qualified for the finals after loop meets and two divisional competitions.
–San Diego’s Harold Miller was not among the top five finishers in the 100-yard dash, won by Howard Bugbee of Redondo Beach Redondo Union in: 09.6.
–Miller and Davis were not among the top five in the scorching 220-yard dash, won by Bradley by less than a foot over Compton’s Bill Fell in: 21.
–Calvin Carter was fourth in the 440-yard dash, won by San Dieguito’s Don Balsley in :51.2, providing two points for the Hillers.
–Bob Van Doren won the shot put at 55 feet ¾ inch and John Davis got up for fourth at 50-10 ¾, giving the Hillers 7 points.
–Rudy Graham was a surprising second in the high jump at 6 feet, 3 inches, and picked up four points, beating among others San Diego Hoover’s Jack Razzeto, who cleared 6-5 3/4, two Saturdays before in a divisional meet at Balboa Stadium.
–Ernie Smith, the 1947 champion at 22-6 ½, was third in the broad jump at 22-1½, giving the Hillers three points and a total 16 as they awaited the relay sprint.
San Diego was one of the favorites in the relay, having run 1:30.4 and 1:30.7 leading to the finals. With an accident-free race the Hilltoppers may not have equaled Laguna Beach’s winning time of 1:29.9, but their second place finish was good for 4 points and the winning total of 20.
San Dieguito’s Don Balsley won the 440 in :51.2. San Diego’s Calvin Carter (left) was fourth.
…AND OTHERS
–Point Loma’s Bob Mahon, usually a triple winner in both hurdles and broad jump during the Pointers’ dual meet season, was disqualified along with Glendale Hoover’s Jack Davis and Beverly Hills’ Bill Storum in the 120-yard highs.
Mahon’s best time of: 15.1 would have had him in the mix in a race in which Bob Boaz of Fullerton won in :15.
–Martin Donahue of Grossmont and Kenny Holly of Escondido were unplaced in the mile.
–Grossmont’s Hal Norris was unplaced in the shot put.
–Jack Razzeto of Hoover cleared 6-2 but lost a coin toss to Dick Brombach of Long Beach Poly in the high jump. Brombach became the third qualifier for the state meet the following week in Berkeley.
–Jack Lucas of La Jolla was third in the 880, won by Wilbur Firestone of Compton in 2:00.
–Duane Pusey of Grossmont tied for third with two others in the pole vault but lost a coin toss to determine who would advance to Berkeley.
STATE MEET
–Jack Lucas was third in the 880, won by Firestone in 1:57.8.
–Don Balsley unofficially was timed in: 50.4 and finished fifth in one of two 440-yard dashes. Luther Butler of Los Angeles Jefferson and Fred Thompson of L.A. Jordan were declared co-champions at :49.2.
–Bob Van Doren’s 54-6 ¼ in the shot put was third to the national record 59-7 ½ by L.A. Washington’s Bob Cameron.
–Rudy Graham tied for third in the high jump at 6-2. Dick Brombach of Long Beach Poly and Ed Young of L.A. Jefferson were co-champs at 6-3.
–Ernie Smith did not place in the broad jump.
–San Diego was fifth in the 880 relay, behind L.A. Jordan, L.A. Jefferson, Glendale
Hoover, and San Francisco Lowell. Jordan’s winning time was 1:29.5.
–The Hilltoppers were seventh in the team scoring with 6 ¼ points. L.A. Jordan led with 22.
Bill McColl (third from left) and Malcolm Herbert finished 1-2 in the 120-yard high hurdles against Pasadena and Pasadena Muir.
RELAY MADNESS
San Diego was 3-1 in dual meets, losing an early-season, 57-47 decision to Grossmont when the Hilltoppers dropped the baton in the 880 relay, depriving them of a 52-52 tie.
Charlie Davis’ strong anchor leg, in which he caught and passed Hoover and Tucson runners, gave the Hillers a triangular meet victory in a night session before 1,200 persons at Balboa Stadium. The Hillers scored 53 points. Tucson, an Arizona power, 51, and Hoover 25 ½.
A dropped baton in the Class A relay deprived Grossmont of a clean sweep in classes A, B, and C, in the Metropolitan League finals at San Diego State.
Point Loma won the relay and the Class A title with 46 points to the Foothillers’ 42 ¾. Grossmont coach Jack Mashin dropped six varsity (A) performers into Class B, opening the door for coach Don Giddings’ Pointers.
Grossmont swept dual meet opponents in all but one A, B, and C competition. La Jolla beat the Foothillers in a Class B dual.
FOOTHILLERS TOP HILLTOPPERS
The dual meet victory over San Diego was Grossmont’s third against the Hilltoppers since 1944, rare achievements by a school not in the San Diego city limits.
Indeed, Grossmont coach Jack Mashin, who retired as football boss after the 1947 season, built a powerful program of deep and talented teams, particularly in the field events.
Grossmont led area schools with 17 ¼ points in the 27th annual Southern Counties meet at Huntington Beach High.
Point Loma’s Bob Mahon was triple threat performer.
Three Grossmont pole vaulters cleared 12 feet to tie for first and sophomore Hal Norris topped San Diego’s Bob Van Doren and John Davis in the shot and finished second.
Compton won the team championship at Huntington Beach with 29 points, riding the rapid wheels of Bill Fell, who won the 100-yard dash in :09.6, 220 on the straightaway in :20.8 and broad jump at 22 feet, 6 inches.
5/1/48
Grossmont was deprived of championships in Classes A,B, and C in the Metropolitan League meet when the Foothillers botched a baton exchange in the final event 880-yard relay.
A dropped baton did in the Foothillers an Point Loma won the relay in 1:33.9 and Class A with 47 points to the Foothillers’ 42.7/10.
SPIKE DUST
Future pro golf champion Gene Littler was one of La Jolla’s shotputters…St. Augustine fielded A, B, and C teams for the first time in the school’s 26-year history…Bob Van Doren set a San Diego school shot put record with a heave of 55-2 ¾ in the Balboa Stadium divisional meet…Van Doren unofficially bettered the mark at 55-7 1/8 in an extra trial after the shot put competition in the state meet…Van Doren also was first at Berkeley with a 46-10 3/4 toss in the non-counting 16-pound shot competition…Ernie Smith didn’t repeat as Southern Section broad jump champion but had a career-best 22-9 in the Coast League triangular dual meet with Pasadena and Pasadena Muir…Hoover’s Bill McColl, all-Southern California in football, basketball and baseball, also found time to run the hurdles for coach Raleigh Holt’s track team….
2018-19, Weeks 7-8: League Races Take Shape
Have team league championships lost their cachet?
Shrinking newspaper space, computer and newsletter rankings, weekly “classics” and “challenges” all appear have diminished a once-cherished achievement.
Not quite.
Go to a game and notice the commemorative patches and chevrons adorning the athletes’ letter jackets. Read a coach’s resume and list of accomplishments. Hear the reaction of players and students when their team clinches.
The league championship still is an important part of the season and several are in play as the 120-odd San Diego Section teams eye the pivotal month of February and the upcoming playoffs.
Playoff-qualifying teams will compete in their respected divisions, while select Division I clubs will comprise an eight-team Open division bracket.
Division brackets will change once the CIF state playoffs begin.
Leaders in the San Diego Section’s 21 leagues, comprising the 120-odd teams playing basketball, as of Monday, Jan. 21:
LEAGUE
TEAM
RECORD
WON-LOSS
DIVISION
Avocado East
El Camino
3-1
12-9
1
Vista
3-1
14-8
1
Rancho Buena Vista
3-1
19-3
2
Avocado West
Torrey Pines
4-0
17-5
1
San Marcos
4-0
14-6
1
Citrus
Victory Christian
6-0
13-8
4
City
University City
6-1
15-8
3
Coastal
La Jolla Country Day
4-0
15-6
1
Desert
Imperial
2-0
13-6
4
Eastern
Point Loma
4-1
15-5
2
Grossmont Hills
Steele Canyon
3-1
5-13
2
Grossmont Valley
Mount Miguel
3-0
16-5
2
Manzanita
Calexico Vincent Memorial
4-0
7-9
4
Imperial Valley
El Centro Southwest
3-0
8-12
3
Mesa
Mater Dei
4-0
12-7
1
Ocean
Calvin Christian
2-0
8-6
4
Pacific
Orange Glen
4-0
8-10
1
Palomar
Poway
3-0
18-5
1
Patriot
Southern California Yeshiva
7-0
9-4
5
Pioneer
Bonsall
6-0
8-7
5
South Bay
Sweetwater
6-0
14-6
3
Summit
High Tech San Diego
4-0
10-7
4
Valley
Ramona
4-0
12-9
3
Western
St. Augustine
7-0
18-4
1
St. Augustine and Foothills Christian will participate in this week’s big event, the Nike Extravanza Saturday at Santa Ana Mater Dei.
The Saints, No. 13-ranked in the weekly Cal-Hi Sports newsletter and No. 13 in Max Preps, will take on San Juan Capistrano JSerra, ranked 56th by Max Preps.
Foothills Christian, 24th by Max Preps,will play Orange Lutheran, 15th by Max Preps and 17th by Cal-Hi Sports.
St. Augustine is the only area squad in Cal-Hi‘s top 20. Foothills Christian, La Jolla Country Day, Mission Bay, and Torrey Pines are on the bubble.
Voters: John Maffei, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, Freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association; Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul, Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.
2018-19 Weeks 1-6: State Top 20 Eludes San Diego Squads
The San Diego Section’s Big Four, listed numerically in the weekly The San Diego Union-Tribune poll below, has beaten some very good intersectional teams but not gained traction with ratings experts.
Wins like Foothills Christian’s 83-74 over Sacramento Sheldon, the state’s No. 9 team according to Cal-Hi Sports and St. Augustine’s 64-49 victory over No. 12 Orange Lutheran have been sandwiched around missed opportunuties against other formidable opposition.
Make no mistake, San Diego’s best annually take on the best. Winning league championships and section titles are foremost but coaches also have an eye on the state playoffs and try to steel their squads for the challenges in March.
Mission Bay got most of the votes for No. 1 this week, although I voted for St. Augustine after having hung with Foothills Christian through most of December.
St. Augustine handled Mission Bay, 64-55, in in a physical, clean game in the first Western League showdown last night at St. Augustine.
The Buccaneers’ Boogie Ellis scored 14 points but did not shoot well. Ellis looked for open teammates and played his usual solid floor game, but was escorted everywhere by Saints defenders.
St. Augustine fell from its No. 18 position in Cal -Hi‘s weekly top 20 and now is a “bubble team”, along with Mission Bay, Torrey Pines, and Foothills Christian.
Max Preps ranks the Saints 16th in California, Foothills Christian 27th, Torrey Pines 37th, and Mission Bay 64th.
Union-Tribune poll through Monday, Jan. 7:
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last Poll
1
Mission Bay (10)
8-6
131
1
2.
Torrey Pines (2)
13-5
125
3
3
St. Augustine (2)
13-4
109
4
4
Foothills Christian
10-4
98
2
5
Francis Parker
11-3
80
5
6
La Jolla Country Day
10-6
65
6
7
Santa Fe Christian
13-4
52
NR
8
San Marcos
10-6
43
7
9
Poway
15-5
29
8
10
Montgomery
12-2
10
9
Others receiving votes: Rancho Buena Vista (16-2, 8 points),Cathedral (11-7, 6). Vista (11-7, 4), Westview (15-4, 2), Valhalla (12-2, 1).
Voters: John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association; Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul, Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.
2018-19 Week 9A: Olive, Haupt Neck and Neck to 500
Torrey Pines’ John Olive and St. Augustine’s Mike Haupt each is bearing down on career victory No. 500.
Olive leads with 488 victories to Haupt’s 487.
Whenever they reach 500, Oliver and Haupt will join a club that has a membersship of three in the San Diego area.
El Camino’s retired Ray Johnson won 763 games. Helix’ John Singer is the leader among active coaches with 674 followed by El Camino’s Tom Tarentino with 582, according to figures provided by the Union-Tribune‘s John Maffei, partletonsports.com, and Max Preps.
Others active with at least 400 wins are Francis Parker’s Jim Tomey (456) and La Costa Canyon’s Dave Cassaw (429). Foothills Christian’s Brad Leaf has 384.
Corrections, additions, even complaints, are welcomed.
Union-Tribune poll through Monday, Jan. 31:
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last Poll
1
Mission Bay (7)
7-5
133
3
2
Foothills Christian (6)
10-3
132
2
3
Torrey Pines
12-5
109
4
4
St. Augustine (1)
11-4
104
1
5
Francis Parker
10-3
68
7
6
La Jolla Country Day
10-6
60
5
7
San Macos
10-6
38
6
8
Poway
14-4
30
9
9
Montgomery
11-1
29
10
10
Vista
11-6
23
10
Others receiving votes: Santa Fe Christian (12-4, 18 points), Cathedral (10-6, 8). Ranmcho Buena Vista (16-2, 6), Carlsbad (13-2, 6), Rancho Bernardo (8-5, 5).
Voters: John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association; Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul, Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.
