“A Good Big Man Will Always Beat a Good Little Man”

Sounds like an observation from that noted philosopher Aristotle.

The above doesn’t mean that Cathedral will beat Christian in a battle of Division 1 and D-3 powers, but the adage will be tested when these two teams meet for the first time Friday night at Cathedral.

Christian, on a lower level, has been as successful as Cathedral, but the Dons have a couple state championship baubles in their trophy case and annually play a demanding, intersectional schedule.

The two coaches, Cathedral’s Sean Doyle and Christian’s Matt Oliver, are among the best and brightest to come down the San Diego Section pike.

Doyle, in his 23rd season, is 188-92 (.671) and Oliver, in his 19th, is 163-64-3 (.725).

CAL-HI SPORTS

Torrey Pines at 14th and Cathedral at 15th stayed put in the newsletter’s latest rankings.  Eastlake also remained unmoved at 42.  Helix advanced to 45th from 46th.

La Costa Canyon, 15th as recently as two weeks ago and then out of the top 50 after a loss to San Marcos, crept back onto the stage at 46th.

Week 8 Union-Tribune poll:

Rank             Team                        Record                Points           Previous

1.	Torrey Pines (22)	7-0	292	1
2.	Cathedral (8)	6-1	278	2
3.	Helix	4-3	223	3
4.	La Costa Canyon	6-1	191	4
5.	Eastlake	6-1	173	5
6.	San Marcos	6-1	149	6
7.	Madison	5-2	96	8
8.	St. Augustine	5-2	80	7
9.	Carlsbad	4-3	61	10
10..	Granite Hills	7-0	57	9

Others: Christian (7-0, 18 points), Lincoln (5-2, includes forfeit loss, 15), Poway (6-2, 4), Oceanside (3-4, 2), Mission Hills (2-5, 2), El Centro Central (7-0, 1).

Voting panel: 30 sportswriters, sportscasters, and officials from throughout the County.

• • John Maffei, The San Diego Union                                                                  Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
  • Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
  • Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
  • Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
  • Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
  • Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
  • Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
  • Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
  • Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
  • Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
  • Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
  • Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
  • Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
  • Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
  • John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
  • Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.

 

Von Jacobsen set the records and Crawford set the pace, but it was defense, played by the champion Helix Highlanders, which narrated the season.

“I can’t understand why more teams don’t stress defense,” wondered Bob Speidel, coach of the 23-4 Scots, who parlayed playing without the ball to drive opponents into submission, as witnessed by the  51-41 victory over Chula Vista (26-4) in the lowest scoring championship of the San Diego Section AA division’s six seasons.

An overflow crowd of more than 3,000 persons at Cal Western University’s Golden Gym watched as the Spartans were harassed into turnovers, seldom earned an easy shot, and scored 26 points below their season average.

The championship was Helix’ second in three years.  “Scoring baskets may be more exciting to the fans,” Speidel said to Wayne Lockwood of The San Diego Union, “but we feel that playing good defense is just as important or more.”

The La Mesans’ tall, athletic front line of 6-foot, 6-inch Rick Barnes (son of Dick Barnes, Hoover’s Southern Section player of the year in 1944-45), 6-5 John Skalecky, whose brother Al led the 1963-64 championship squad, and 6-5 John Ugrin took turns in the playoffs providing impetus.

Skalecky’s 17 points showed the way in a 60-42, opening-round win over Hilltop.  Barnes scored 25 in a 58-57 escape against Crawford in the semifinals, and Ugrin scored 19 in the championship game.

Guards Don Cihak and Stan Nobienski also hit big baskets to knock down Chula Vista challenges in the second half. Reserve Judd Carson came off the bench in the semifinals when Ugrin got into foul trouble and stepped up against Crawford’s Jacobsen, and then repeated the next night by filling in for Skalecky, who had to sit for 11 minutes in the second half with four fouls.

Helix was 10^th-ranked among AA teams with a 58.4 scoring average, but it was No. 1 with a 47.4 defensive average.  Speidel didn’t want to measure this team against the ’63-64 squad. “You can’t compare the two,” he told Lockwood.  “The first one stressed offense and this one defense.”

EVERYTHING NOT JAKE

Von Jacobsen’s three seasons at Crawford produced an  career scoring record of 1,534 points, including a section-leading 712 this year, and seasons of 25-5, 22-4, and 20-9.  It was the nine-loss season and third unsuccessful attempt at a CIF championship that rankled.

After winning their first nine games, the Colts lost six in a row.  They battled back to 16-6, and finished the regular season 19-7 but were 1-2 in the playoffs.

Crawford’s first loss was 57-56 to Eastern League rival Hoover (19-7) in the Unlimited Division finals of the 19^th annual Kiwanis Tournament.  Jacobsen and his teammates swallowed a bitter pill.

With seconds remaining in the second quarter Crawford’s Ken Neun was fouled and made the first free throw in what was thought to be a 1-and-1, but the official scorer curiously ruled that it was Hoover, not Crawford, that had reached 1-and-1.   The Cardinals got the ball out of bounds and Dave McDonald scored a basket as the first half ended with Crawford ahead, 35-31.

The Colts’ losing streak bottomed out in a home, 75-67 loss to St. Augustine, 1-10 at the time and headed for 4-19, despite Jacobsen’s 28 points, which were offset by 24 by the Saints’ Ron Tuzinsky.

The rematch at St. Augustine was a 93-69 victory as Jacobsen scored 38 (Tuzinsky had 29) in what St. Augustine correspondent Terry Monahan, a future sportswriter in San Diego and Escondido, described as a “near riot”.

Jacobsen and the Saints’ Gil Evans swapped punches.  “A number of blows were exchanged, several other players were involved, and overzealous fans tumbled onto the court in an effort to participate,” said Monahan.

Order was restored in about five minutes.

Neither Jacobsen or Evans was ejected.

The one-point, semifinal loss to Helix was followed by a 61-58 defeat to San Diego (24-7) in the third-place game.  Chula Vista had sent San Diego to the consolation game, 61-53.  “We played lousy,” Jacobsen said of the loss to Helix.  “We didn’t deserve to win.  They’re good.  They’ve got a good defense.”

Rick Barnes’ two free throws with 42 seconds remaining had given Helix a 58-55 lead.  Crawford’s Kemp Ipsen converted two free throws with 22 seconds left and the Colts gained possession again but Lee Felice’s shot bounced off the basket.

CAVERS FOUL…AND FOUL

Chula Vista solved San Diego’s zone defense and freed Ron Matela for 12 points from point blank range. When the Cavers’ fouled Matela he added seven free throws for 19 points.  Matela was normally a member of the Spartans’ supporting cast behind Ken Ohlandorf, who scored 16, and Eric Martensen, 15.

The 61-53 victory reversed the Spartans’ 62-40 loss to the Cavemen in the finals in 1964-65 and was their 23^rd win in the last 24.  San Diego outscored the South Bay club, 42-34, from the field but was outscored, 27-11, from the free throw line.

Oscar Foster was difficult for Chula Vista and his two baskets kept the Cavers in range after a 41-41 deadlock at the end of three quarters.  Foster put the Cavers ahead, 43-41, and 45-43, but the Spartans forced coach Bill Standly’s team into fouls and responded with seven consecutive free throws for a 50-45 lead.

TOURNAMENTS ‘R US

KIWANIS

Two free throws by Jim Nuss with 21 seconds left was the difference in Hoover’s one-point win over Crawford.  The Cardinals (19-7), in the Unlimited Division finals for the sixth time in seven years, won for the fourth time in seven years, and met Crawford for the third time in four years.  Chula Vista defeated La Jolla (20-7), 55-38, for the Limited title.

Thirty-two teams opened the event in 16 area gymnasiums and two divisions.

California gov. Pat Brown spoke at the annual Kiwanis luncheon at El Cortez Hotel on the 75^th anniversary of basketball.

Attendance was 1,800 persons at Point Loma for the finals.

–Chula Vista’s championship was the Spartans’ first in the tournament’s 19-year history.

–Jacobsen scored 40 points in an 83-56 win over Sweetwater (11-14), coming within two points of the record set by St. Augustine’s Jacob Crawford in 1959.

–Jacobsen averaged 28.8 points, including 40 in one game, and scored 115 points, five points less than the record by Granite Hills’ Bob Lundgren in 1962.

Jacobsen and Lundgren are the only players in the event’s 19-year history to score at least 100.

—La Jolla defeated Granite Hills (7-17), 98-47, and came within six points of Newhall Hart’s record in a 104-33 win over Oceanside in 1954.

—Helix’ John Skalecky scored 24 points and pulled down 26 rebounds in 73-48 victory over Clairemont (19-8).

UNIVERSITY

Sixteen teams started play at 8 a.m. and finished at 9:30 p.m. in the first round of the inaugural University of San Diego High event, all games in the University of San Diego gym for the first two rounds.

The Uni go-round led off the post-Christmas schedule that featured 36 local teams in nine events at various locales in Southern California.

–Hoover, Kiwanis Tournament champion, was ambushed by Hilltop (17-11), 62-47, in the quarterfinals.

–Unseeded Morse (13-13) knocked off Hilltop, 60-45, in the semifinals and would meet third-seeded Santana, which defeated top-seeded Kearny, 58-44, in the other semifinal.

–Santana, the County’s newest school, won the newest tournament, 47-38, over Morse.

The Sultans, profiting from the arrival of Gary Schneider from El Capitan, went on to an 18-10 record.  Schneider scored 88 points in the four days and was tournament most-valuable player.

COVINA

Azusa, seeded 29th in the 32-team event, upset fourth-seeded Crawford, 72-71.  The Aztecs scored the last six points on free throws.  “There is a rule in the city schools that you can’t practice during the first week of Christmas vacation and we showed it,” said Crawford coach Jim Sams.

–Covina Northview sent the Colts home the next day, 64-62, scoring the winning points in the last 11 seconds.

SAN BERNARDINO

San Diego won fifth place, defeating Riverside Ramona, 76-45, behind Oscar Foster’s 30 points.

The Cavers opened with a 70-46 win over Ontario Chaffey as Foster scored 25, then played San Bernardino Pacific even in the second half only to lose, 82-60.  Pacific led, 45-23, at halftime.  Foster scored 25 again.

Foster had 21 in a 54-37 win over Redlands.

LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY

The six-team field included Julian, Mountain Empire, San Miguel School, host ‘Day, Marian, and San Marcos, which drew first round byes.

Marian (13-7) won the championship, 76-62 over San Marcos (7-11) after Marian had eliminated ‘Day, 71-46, and San Marcos dispatched Mountain Empire, 71-30.

EL CENTRO ELKS

La Jolla (20-7) was eliminated in the championship semifinals by Yuma, 48-46.

The Arizona team was led by Ron Jessie’s 27 points, many of which came from 25 feet and further out.  Jessie became an NCAA long jump champion at Kansas and played in the NFL as a wide receiver for 11 years.

La Jolla claimed third place with a 57-55 win over Brawley and Calexico won the consolation championship, 61-55, over El Cajon Valley (6-18).

MUSTANG OPTIMIST

Monte Vista (13-11), trailing by 12 points at halftime, battled back and outlasted Castle Park (16-9), 58-54, in two overtimes for the championship.

The sixth annual joust at Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Hall was shortened to 8 teams because of the emergence of the University tourney.

Host San Dieguito (10-14) dropped an opening -round decision in three overtimes to Fontana, 64-61.

CHINO

Ken Ohlendorf’s 24 points spearheaded Chula Vista’s 82-63 championship win over Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos.

–Chula Vista also topped Montclair, 64-60, Pomona Garey, 71-54, and Claremont, 78-66

–Mar Vista (5-19) lost to Pomona, 53-51, in overtime and 68-59 to Temple City. Escondido (3-18) was beaten by Chino, 51-38, and Riverside Rubidoux, 67-66.

PERRIS

Orange Glen beat North County neighbor Fallbrook, 68-45, for third place.

FILLMORE

Helix towered over Fillmore on the floor and in the score, 64-43, in the opening round, then defeated Bakersfield, 36-32, and won the championship with a 60-48 victory over Glendale Hoover.

CLASS A PLAYOFF

Carlsbad (17-5) defeated Oceanside (19-8), 65-56, for the championship after losing to the Pirates, 61-38, and 68-59, in Avocado League play.  Chris Chambliss, whose home run won the 1976 American League pennant for the New York Yankees, was on the Oceanside side squad.

SEASON SCORING LEADERS

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Jacobsen	Crawford	29	712	24.6 (1)
Foster	San Diego	31	667	21.4 (3)
Boyd	El Capitan	29	569	19.6 (4)
Martin	Clairemont	28	511	18.3 (7)
Ohlendorf	Chula Vista	30	503	16.9 (10)
Schneider	Santana	21	477	22.7 (2)
Strom	San Diego	31	466	15.0
J. Skalecky	Helix	27	462	17.1 (9)
Purma	Grossmont	23	448	19.5 (5)
P. Ela	Mount Miguel	26	427	16.4
Pradels	Hilltop	28	424	15.1
Rostoker	Madison	24	394	16.4
Collins	Granite Hills	24	382	15.9
Westbrook	San Marcos	21	378	18.0 (8)
Thayer	Carlsbad	20	376	18.8 (6)
Tuzinsky	St. Augustine	23	371	16.1
Conklin	Sweetwater	25	369	14.8
Bullis	Castle Park	25	360	14.4
Mosher	Fallbrook	25	356	14.2
Weigel	Fallbrook	24	338	14.1
Sutton	El Cajon Valley	23	331	14.4

JUMP SHOTS

San Diego claimed its first Eastern League championship and first league title since 1957-58 with a 70-49 win over St. Augustine but later was forced to forfeit five league games and the title because of the Dreaded Administrative Glitch…guard Lester Martin was found to be over the age limit, much as Otha Phillips was in 1958-59…the Cavers posted a 12-3 record in league play, topping Crawford’s 11-4 and Hoover’s 9-5…San Diego, Crawford, and Hoover separated from the rest of the league, posting a combined, 33-12 record in league play…the Cavers earned a tie for the title with a 60-48 win over Hoover, inspiring Cardinals coach Wayne DeBate to remark, “We were taking shots when we didn’t have ‘em and not taking ‘em when we had ‘em”…Carlsbad ended the season with a 51-game homecourt winning streak…Pat Ela’s 33 points in a 73-68 win over Grossmont (the Foothillers’ Joe Purma had 32) broke the Mount Miguel record of 31 by Bill Sage in 1960-61 and Doug Ashley’s season mark of 378, set in 1962-63…two of San Diego’s losses were to Crawford in typically rousing Eastern League battles…Crawford won the first in the Cavers’ gym, 56-55, as Ken Neun converted a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining…Greg Montanero’s fast-break, slam-dunk basket at the halftime buzzer gave Crawford a 48-34 lead in the rematch but the Colts had to hang on for a 70-65 victory…Morse upset Crawford, 55-46, although Von Jacobsen’s 17 points moved him past Tom Shaules in career scoring, 1,336-1,323…the Colts had the season’s only century outburst in a 102-60 win over Lincoln…”We’re gonna win it,” predicted Hilltop’s Paul Pruett before a critical Metropolitan League game with Chula Vista…the Spartans defeated the Lancers, however, 55-53, this after a 59-54 Chula Vista win over Hilltop…Crawford’s 68.2 scoring average was first, followed by Chula Vista at 67.3…the Spartans were No. 1, Crawford 2, San Diego 3, and Helix 4, in the Evening Tribune’s final Top10 before the playoffs…Von Jacobsen’ 78 points broke the playoff record of 68 by Dick Baker of Grossmont in 1962…Oscar Foster also topped Baker with 69 points…Jacobsen had 30 in a first-round, 75-60 win over Clairemont, four less than Steve Ojetti’s record in a Lincoln playoff loss to Point Loma in 1961….

Christian, El Centro Central, Francis Parker, Kearny, and Torrey Pines continue to set the pace, each with a 6-0 record.  Seven teams, Valhalla, Patrick Henry, Ocean View, El Cajon Valley, Hoover, Mabel O’Farrell, and Clairemont, are setting a reverse pace, each without a win.

La Costa Canyon, which I had voted as the top team in the Union-Tribune poll since the start of the season, lost to San Marcos and fell from the undefeated ranks last week. The score of 12-8 sounded like a game between the tackles in the 1950s.  The Knights held the Mavericks to 47 yards rushing, forced four turnovers, including an intercepted pass returned for a touchdown, and had six quarterback sacks.

The San Marcos-La Costa scoring paucity was in contrast to adding-machine totals at three other area venues.

GOING LIKE SEVENTY

Of the 45,000-plus games played in the County since San Diego High first teed it up in 1891 against the “San Diego Football Club”, there have been a reported 139 in which the winning team scored at least 70 points.  Eighty-four have come in 11-man football,  55 in eight-man.

San Diego tied a 1944 school record in a 72-0 win over Mission Bay last week.  The Cavers toppled Hoover by that score 74 years ago in a contest remembered in news accounts for Hoover players bumping into each other while attempting single or double reverses.

Valley Center also got into the act with a 70-7 win over Fallbrook, matching the Jaguars’ highest point total since they set their record in a 70-0 blowout over Orange Glen in 2010.

Every Valley Center victory, 157 in all since the eastern North County school opened in 1998, have been with Rob Gilster at the coaching reins.

Kearny’s 66-0 beat-down of Patrick Henry brought back memories of the great Birt Slater teams.

Slater squads seldom, if ever, played a game at home, a convenience now enjoyed by Coach Will Gray’s burgeoning program, which competes in a sleek, on-campus facility named after Birt, but originally misspelled “Bert” on the electronic scoreboard.

Slater’s home field was Mesa College, beginning in 1964, although the school record, 70-0 rout of Crawford in 1969 was on the Colts’ then-home field, Aztec Bowl.

CAL-HI SPORTS

A 35-28 win over Carlsbad didn’t impress the newsletter, which dropped Torrey Pines, No. 1 in San Diego, from 13^th to 14^th in the state top 50.  Cathedral moved up one spot to 15^th.  The loss to San Marcos resulted in La Costa Canyon’s falling all the way from 14^th to out. Eastlake and Helix were unchanged, remaining at 42 and 46, respectively.

La Costa Canyon now has bubble status in Cal-Hi’s view, along with Carlsbad, San Marcos, and St. Augustine.

QUICK KICKS

Ramona’s Damon Baldwin could become the 43rd coach with 100 career victories but the Bulldogs will have to go deep in the playoffs for that to happen this  season…Baldwin is 94-59-1 since taking over in 2005…Granite Hills is 48-20 from 2013 under coach Kellan Cobbs, following a 1-9 start with Cobbs in 2012…Sweetwater, under second-year coach Bryan Wagner, a former NFL punter who played for the San Diego Chargers after a high school career as a placekicker at Hilltop, rebounded from successive losses of 62-0 to Carlsbad and 69-0 to Lincoln, with a couple shutouts, 35-0 over El Cajon Valley and last week 56-0 over San Ysidro…Sweetwater last had back-to-back shutouts in 1993 when Gene Alim held sway and the Red Devils had 4 in a row…San Marcos held La Costa Canyon to 213 yards total offense after allowing 737 to Oceanside 3 weeks before…Granite Hills’ return to the Grossmont Hills League from the Grossmont Valley loop, where the Eagles won three championships in four years, was an initial success…a dramatic, 30-27 win over Steele Canyon, last year’s state III-A champion…the Eagles scored with 48 seconds to go, then had to ride out a Steele threat that was stopped with 9 seconds remaining when Noah Medeiros sacked the Cougars’ Nathan Barnett on the game’s final play…Cathedral coach Sean Doyle, after the Dons’ 49-7 rout of Madison, to the Union’s Don Norcross:  “For twenty years I think I have the best defensive coordinator in the state,” referring to John Montali.  “My opinion hasn’t changed.”….

Week 7 Union-Tribune poll:

Rank	Team	2018	Points	Previous
1.	Torrey Pines (23)	6-0	293	1
2.	Cathedral (7)	5-1	257	3
3.	Helix	3-3	221	4
4.	La Costa Canyon	5-1	182	2
5.	Eastlake	5-1	169	5
6.	San Marcos	5-1	150	9
7.	St. Augustine	5-1	149	7
8.	Madison	4-2	67	6
9	Granite Hills	6-0	39	NR
10.	Carlsbad	3-3	35	NR

Others:  Christian (6-0, 20), Lincoln (4-2*, 20), Oceanside (3-3, 12), Poway (5-2, 5), Rancho Bernardo (4-2. 5), Mission Hills (2-4, 2), El Centro Central (6-0, 1), Kearny (6-0, 1), Monte Vista (1-0, 1).

Voting panel (30 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos):

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
• Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
• Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
• Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
• Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
• Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
• Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
• Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
• Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
• Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
• Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
• Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
• John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.

Arthur (Hambone) Williams was 28, out of college for four years but still hoping to get a shot.

San Diego sportsman Bob Breitbard had recently been awarded an expansion franchise in the National Basketball Association for the 1967-68 season and Breitbard, after a visit from Merrill Douglas, who was Williams’ coach during Hambone’s two brilliant seasons at San Diego Junior College, went to Rockets coach Jack McMahon.

“Give Hambone Williams a tryout,” Breitbard entreated McMahon.

“Hambone who?” wondered the skeptical McMahon, a product of East Coast basketball who had no knowledge of Williams and the outstanding career he had enjoyed at San Diego High, San Diego JC, and Cal Poly-Pomona.

Williams, who passed at age 79 this month, made the Rockets as a walk-on free agent, to the surprise of McMahon.

Hambone had the NBA’s highest percentage of assists per minutes played in the 1968-69 season and played eight years, joining the Boston Celtics in a trade before the 1970 season.

Williams was an off-the-bench, fast-breaking facilitator for the Celtics and was among the league’s best in assists. He earned a championship ring with the Celtics in 1973-74 and left the NBA after the 1974-75 campaign and played part of the 1975-76 season with the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA.

Hambone did not play his sophomore year at San Diego High and was discovered in a gym class by coach Dick Otterstad.

The lean, 6-foot, 1-inch guard made the varsity as a junior and was the Cavers’ playmaker for two seasons, during which San Diego won 46 of 51 games, but the team was forced to forfeit 16 victories in the 1958-59 season, when starting forward Otha Phillips was ruled ineligible because he had turned 19 before the CIF’s cutoff date of Sept. 1.

Williams was the City Prep League player of the year, scoring 423 points in 25 games for a 16.9 average.  The Cavers’ record was 24-2 on the floor but 8-18 after Phillips and the dreaded administrative glitch.

There are a couple versions of how Williams became known as Hambone.

One was that someone on campus hollered “Hambone” and Williams turned to acknowledge the call.

Another was that Williams often recited the lyrics to a children’s song of the same name, partially shown below:

“Hambone, Hambone where you been?                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Round the world and I’m going again.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

What you gonna do when you get back?                                                                                                                                                                                             

Take a little walk by the railroad track.”

Forty-five teams begin league play this week.  Twenty-three more will commence next week, and 22 already have started down that road as the season reaches Week 7 and the final month of the regular season.

It seems that every team in the San Diego Section will make the playoffs.  Although that is not the case it reminds of basketball in Indiana, where every town had a team and every team went to the state tournament.  Except the Indiana model, since changed, honored just one champion.  Here, and throughout the state, there will be six different champions, according to division play.

Winning a league championship is not as important as it used to be, but don’t tell that to the coaches, players, and students who work and support through the 10-game regular season.

On the flip side, of the 18 league champions in 2017, Steele Canyon, one of the 4 that advanced to a state championship game, did not win its league title and finished third in the Grossmont Hills with a 3-2 record.

The Cougars, who knocked off league titlists Hilltop, The Bishop’s, Granite Hills, and Ramona, in the playoffs, defeated Half Moon Bay of the Central Coast Section, 44-42, for the state Division III-A  title.

2017 league champions:

LEAGUE	TEAM	SEASON	LAST
Avocado	Mission Hills	12-1	^19-26, Helix
Central	+San Diego	12-1	^48-71, Monte Vista
City	+University City	10-2	***20-30, Monte Vista
Citrus	Calvin Christian	10-1	^21-26, Julian
Coastal	The Bishop’s	9-1	**52-61 Steele Canyon
Eastern	+Lincoln	9-3	**26-49, Otay Ranch
Grossmont Hills	Helix	13-2	^^42-49, Folsom
Grossmont Valley	Granite Hills	10-3	***27-28, Steele Canyon
Imperial	El Centro Southwest	14-1	^^41-45, Milpitas
Manzanita	Calexico Vincent Memorial	12-3	^^20-38, S.F. Galileo
Metro Mesa	Otay Ranch	8-4	***14-42, Ramona
Metro Pacific	Montgomery	7-4	**14-52, Tri-City
Metro South Bay	Hilltop	7-5	**18-62, El Centro Southwest
Ocean	Julian	7-2	^26-21 Calvin Christian
Pacific	Maranatha	6-4	**7-13, Classical
Palomar	Ramona	12-1	^29-33, Steele Canyon
Valley	Valley Center	9-2	**30-49, Granite Hills
Western	St. Augustine	7-4	**21-41, San Marcos

+San Diego now is in Central League, University City  in Eastern, and Lincoln in Western.

**Quarterfinals  & *** Semifinals playoffs.

^Section championship.

^^State championship.

IDLENESS BREEDS REST

Many teams took their bye weeks in preparation for the October stretch run, so there was little change in the Union-Tribune Top 10.

No. 1 Torrey Pines and No. 2 La Costa Canyon each made incremental moves up in the weekly Cal-Hi Sports rankings.  Torrey now is 13^th and La Costa 14^th. 

Cathedral advanced from 18^th to 16^{th,                                                                                                        according to the newsletter, which ranks teams throughout the state’s 10 sections}. Eastlake dropped to 42nd from 41st and Helix to 46^th from 44^th. Madison and St. Augustine are on the bubble.

QUICK KICKS

The 6-0 Kearny Komets are bringing back memnories of the Birt Slater days…the Slater-coached team won its first 10 in a10-1 season in 1975…Union-Tribune correspondent Don Norcross was on that team and was the starting quarterback on Slater’s 11-2, final team in 1976…last week the Komets won, 42-0, over Pomona, which hadn’t been seen in these part since 1976…San Diego teams are 8-9-1 against the Pomona Red Devils, dating to a 5-0 shutout of San Diego High in 1899…the Hilltoppers measured Pomona, 14-6, in the Southern Section semifinal playoffs in 1947 and La Jolla dropped a 27-21, semifinal battle to the Red Devils in 1951….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nels Olsen stood at the free throw line, shooting one and one, the crowd screaming, challenging the San Diego High forward to falter in the charged atmosphere and din of the Lincoln gymnasium.

San Diego trailed, 68-67. Two seconds remained in the game.

Olsen drained the bottom of the net with each free throw attempt.  The Cavers thought they were home free, 69-68.

What followed was a preposterous non-finish, abetted by the partisan gathering in the dangerously overcrowded building, intimidating the two game officials, who exited, posthaste.

“I just threw it up,” said Lincoln’s Keith Logan of his 40-foot shot that fell through the hoop for a 70-69 Hornets win.

The 5-foot-8 Logan had dribbled at least 50 feet, around a couple defenders, and past the half-court line in two seconds.

“Actually, there was one second left on the clock (after the basket),” said a still-incredulous Bob Cluck more than 40 years later.

Cluck, a San Diego High graduate, was sitting next to Lyle Olsen, the San Diego State baseball coach and father of Nels.

HERO SWARMED

The Lincoln students, cheering loudly throughout the nip-and-tuck battle, converged on the floor, knocking Logan off his feet, and surrounded the officials. The men in striped shirts virtually dashed out of the gymnasium.

San Diego alumnus Nick Canepa, today a nationally recognized columnist for The San Diego Union but then a young prep writer for the Evening Tribune, has his own vivid memory of what took place that January afternoon:

“I was sitting with (USC football assistant coach) Skip Husbands, who was recruiting Michael Hayes, the great tailback who was the starting point guard for San Diego.

“Nels made those two free throws with kids yelling they were going to kill his family.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Canepa.  “Two seconds left. The ball was basically handed to (Logan), who was cut off by Hayes and Willie Brigham.  He pivoted around them and dribbled down court before he launched his shot. All in about one second (on the scoreboard clock).  Absolutely robbed.

“A kid with a Lincoln letterman’s jacket was on the clock.  Officials feared for their lives.  The Lincoln principal allowed too many people into the gym.  They were lined up at both ends of the court, crowding the baselines.  It exacerbated the situation.”

Canepa remembered that “the buzzer (ending the game) never sounded” and that “someone from San Diego walked over the scorer’s table and grabbed the kid by his lettermen’s jacket and lifted him out of his chair.”

The mild-mannered Cavers coach, Gary Todd, a former all-Southern California distance running standout at Crawford; football game official, and timer at San Diego Chargers games, stonily shook his head, silenced by the stunning finish.

CAVERS NOW 22-1

Lincoln coach Bill Peterson had a different take: “Arcadia hit a last-second shot to beat us earlier (57-56 in December, on the road), so things have a way of evening out.

“But San Diego is a great team,” said Peterson, magnanimously.  “They have four starters (Willie Brigham, Percy Gilbert, Tony Saulisberry, and Nels Olsen) who should be all-league and the fifth (Michael Hayes) is the best athlete in the County.”

The defeat was San Diego’s first after 22 consecutive victories.

ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS

Staggered by the defeat, San Diego dropped its next game, 74-70, to Madison in a tense contest that saw both benches empty several times. San Diego’s Michael Hayes and Madison’s Jerry Williams were ejected.  The Warhawks’ Art Leahy scored 37 points and connected on 15 of 23 field-goal attempts.

Flat after victory, Lincoln lost its next outing to Crawford, 83-68, committing nine, first-quarter turnovers and falling behind, 27-17.  Brothers Kenny and Eddy Newell led the Colts with 21 and 15 points, respectively.

Lincoln won only once in its final five games to finish 18-10 and San Diego dropped another, concluding the regular season at 25-3 with a 70-62 defeat to Kearny led by Alan Trammell and Phil Thompson.

Trammell, headed to a Hall of Fame baseball career, scored 26 points. Kearny, which earlier lost at San Diego, 59-41, saw a 14-point lead dwindle to three but held on.

The loss forced San Diego to share the Western League championship with Kearny and Madison and the Cavers lost their place as the No. 1 team in the final Evening Tribune poll to Mount Miguel, but the Cavers were the top seed in the one-week, four-round playoffs that included 24 teams, up from 16 in previous years.

Lower seeds in the playoffs faced the possibility of games four nights in a row.  A survivor would get a day off before the Saturday finals at the Sports Arena.

OPERATION BOUNCE BACK

San Diego’s losses to Lincoln, Madison (19-11) and Kearny (21-9) became distant memories.  Todd, who resigned at the end of the season because, in part, he was unhappy with the direction of athletics in the City Schools system, steadied his team as it regained form with a 4-0 run through the rounds.

The Cavers ushered out Castle Park (14-14), 75-47; Patrick Henry (21-9), a semifinalist in three of the last four seasons, 71-59, behind Tony Saulisberry’s 29 points, and third seed Chula Vista (27-5), 80-58, in the semifinals.

“If they play like they did against us in the Bonita Tournament (a 66-53 San Diego victory) they’ll beat us by twenty,” Chula Vista coach Mike Collins presciently declared before the game.

Mount Miguel (28-5) stayed with the Cavers through a 22-21 first quarter in the championship game before 5,707 persons in the Sports Arena, but the Cavers began to pull away.  It was 47-36 at the half and 76-50 after three quarters enroute to 102-72 triumph and a final record of 29-3.

San Diego converted 40×78 shots from the field for 51.3 per cent as 6-foot, 4-inch junior Percy Gilbert, son of an early ‘fifties Cavers star of the same name, scored 31 points, connecting on 13×22 attempts, and leading a starting lineup that in which all five scored in double figures.  Nels Olsen had 19, Tony Saulisberry 16, Willie Brigham 15, and Michael Hayes 10.

Todd wanted to talk defense.  “The biggest thing was our boards,” the coach said to Michael Grant of The San Diego Union. “They’d take a shot and we’d sweep the boards and we were gone.”

San Diego held a 42-24 edge in rebounds.

Gilbert, who with Brigham would be the anchors of the 1975-76 team, had 17 rebounds and blocked several shots.  “He might have gotten the all-tournament (MVP) award because of what people thought of his offense,” said Todd, “but to me it was because of his defense.”

Mount Miguel coach Bob Holm had said earlier in the season that “the press is our offense.”

The press that pushed the Matadors to a 71.5 scoring average didn’t work.

“Their quickness getting down court and falling back on defense offset the press,” Holm told Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.  “We wanted to run and managed to stay with them for a quarter.

“Let’s face it, we played a great team,” said Holm.

GROWING PAINS

Torrey Pines’ first year was one to remember but not repeated.

It was hard enough that classes were at San Dieguito High in Encinitas as the Falcons’ campus was being completed in Del Mar, but the Falcons and Mustangs were so tied together that they shared a bus to their Kiwanis Tournament Classified Division game.  San Dieguito (14-12) won, 89-55, despite 23 points from Torrey’s John Kentera, later known on local radio and in County sports circles as “Coach”.

There were other tribulations for Torrey Pines, which was 1-11 in the Coast League and 3-17 overall, including a 20-0 blank in the first quarter of a 64-42 loss to Coronado.

The zero marked the first time in four seasons that an area team had whiffed in the opening eight minutes.  Kentera, with support from Mark (Pate) Halda, led the Falcons with 23 points and was one of the most prolific scorers in the County with a 19.3 average and 366 points in 19 games.

SAY IT

San Diego’s Gary Todd was direct:

After a 73-59 victory over La Puente Bishop Amat, which unsuccessfully attempted a full-court press in the third quarter:  “I think it was a mistake”.

After a 45-43 victory over Poway to improve to 12-0:  “I thought it would be a close game, but they (his team) didn’t.”

After a 64-60 win over Crawford: “I was scared to death.  I told the team to sit on the ball with a minute to go (with the Cavers ahead, 61-60). “Instead we took a shot.” Tony Saulisberry clinched the victory with two free throws.

After crushing Chula Vista, 80-58, in the playoff semifinals:  “They were simply demoralized” by San Diego’s best offensive and defensive performance of the season.

After the championship runaway against Mount Miguel:  “The last three weeks of the (regular) season, I think we were still feeling sorry for ourselves after losing to Lincoln.”

100 OR BUST

Francis Parker (24-2), school enrollment 130 and coached by former Point Loma High and University of San Diego baseballer Ron (Dyno) Bennett, brought new meaning to the fast break, leading the way to 100-point outbursts with a 122-49 victory over Huntington Beach Harbor Christian in a tournament at Costa Mesa.

San Miguel School took stock after an opening-game, 71-point loss to Francis Parker.  The Knights announced they were shutting down for the season.

OUTLIERS

Laboring in near anonymity in far flung locales around the County, with a two-ply division alignment of Mountain and Coastal divisions, the Southern League led the way in offense, with its teams posting the four highest scores in a season of nine, reported 100-point achievements.

Christian claimed the Mountain Division title with a 96-71 victory over Julian.  Parker won the Coastal Division championship but was upset by Julian, 60-57, in the 1-A semifinals. Parker’s only other loss was to Christian, 66-61 in January.

Julian (20-5), which led the County with an 80.4 scoring average,  beat Christian (17-10), 88-84, in the championship game at La Jolla High after John Linton stole the ball with 15 seconds left and scored to break an 84-84 tie.

CENTURY CLUB

TEAM	SCORE	TEAM	SCORE
Francis Parker	122	Huntington Beach Harbor Christian	49
Parker	115	San Miguel School	34
Christian	115	Borrego Springs	26
Julian	112	Borrego Springs	41
Bonita Vista	110	Torrey Pines	31
Mount Miguel	105	Granite Hills	59
San Diego	102	Mount Miguel	72
Mount Miguel	101	Valhalla	44
Chula Vista	101	Morse	59

MADE TO BE BROKEN

Jim Jollett of Grossmont (20-7), hitting on 21×25 field goal attempts, set a Foothillers record with 46 points, bettering the 41 by Howard Smith in 1966-67 and Ralph Drollinger in 1970-71.

On the same day Jollett was lighting it up, Hoover (20-10), which would go on to clinch its first Eastern League title since 1961-62, established a school record for points in a 97-69 win over Bonita Vista (22-7).

San Diego’s 102 points in the CIF finals bettered 1958-59 club’s 96-37 outburst against Crawford.  The Cavers also set a school record by averaging 70.5 points.

TOURNAMENTS

The 28^th annual San Diego Kiwanis event opened with 44 San Diego Section Section teams playing in 11 area gymnasiums.

Mount Miguel defeated Madison, 72-59, for the Unlimited Division championship.  Crawford (22-8) won the third-place game, 67-48 over Kearny.

A 20-2 blitz in the third quarter led San Diego to a 61-51 victory in the Limited finals over Mar Vista (18-10). Bonita Vista (22-7) beat Hoover, 72-69, in overtime for third place.

Bonita Vista, coached  by ex-Chula Vista star Bill Foley, beat Chula Vista (27-5) in three overtimes, 47-45.  The first two overtime periods were scoreless. Madison (19-11), trailing, 19-6, after one quarter advanced in overtime over Crawford, 72-68.

Lincoln claimed the Classified title, 62-47 over San Pasqual (17-10). University was third, 65-62 over San Dieguito.

BARON-OPTIMIST

San Diego topped Chula Vista, 66-53, for the championship and Crawford beat Madison, 60-55, for third place.

UNIVERSITY

Patrick Henry nipped Grossmont, 56-55.  Clairemont (12-17) claimed third, 63-51 over host University (9-18). Bonita Vista won a rematch with Chula Vista, 48-46.

TRACY

Mount Miguel defeated Stockton Edison, 91-74, for third place after the Matadors bowed to Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, 74-53.

BOSSES RELENT

City Schools honchos, who eliminated night athletics because of rowdyism in 1974, relented in January and allowed the return of Friday night basketball.

SCORING LEADERS (some media published totals differ; unofficial)

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Leahy	Madison	30	618	20.6
Parker	Mount Miguel	32	577	18.0
Jollett	Grossmont	24	569	23.7(1)
Getman	Christian	27	542	20.1
Camara	Bonita Vista	26	538	20.7
Ray	Mount Miguel	32	532	16.8
Gilbert	San Diego	32	523	16.4
Javey	Hoover	30	518	17.3
Brown	Crawford	30	501	16.7
Brigham	San Diego	32	500	15.6
Davis	Hoover	30	494	16.5
E. Newell	Crawford	30	479	16.0
Bales	Julian	25	474	19.0
Linton	Julian	25	452	18.1
Thompson	Kearny	29	442	15.2

HANNON UNLOADS

Veteran Madison coach John Hannon couldn’t take it any longer.

“I’ve never seen it so bad,” said Hannon.  “It seems the officials don’t know court mechanics and many don’t even know the rules.  Probably worst of all, they’re not in control of the game.”

Hannon wasn’t talking about a situation involving his team but coincidentally was referring to a La Jolla-Coronado game.

Hannon was a standout in the early ‘fifties at Coronado, which dropped a 74-57 decision to the Vikings.

A total of 64 personal fouls were called in the contest, which lasted almost two hours, at least 30 minutes more than most games.

Five players fouled out and there were two technical fouls. Tempers flared in the fourth quarter as officials, trying to keep  control, whistled several infractions.

La Jolla had the advantage at the foul line by converting 19×31 free throws.  Coronado was 9×13.

JUMP SHOTS

Valhalla lost its first-ever game, 63-44, to Marian…the Norsemen, 1-15 in the Grossmont League and 2-21 overall, surprised Christian, 69-66, for their first win in the Kiwanis Tournament…Grossmont improved to 5-0 with a 69-66 win over Monte Vista (15-13) that took three overtimes…Christian’s Kurt Edwards went coast to coast in the last three seconds and laid in a basket at the buzzer to nip St. Augustine, 53-52… Jerry Finkbeiner of Poway (20-8) connected on a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer to topple Orange Glen (14-8), 51-49…San Diego played 13 consecutive road games after their first two at home…Hoover mentor Hal Mitrovich, whose first head coaching position was at St. Augustine, said the Saints were “the best last-place team I’ve ever seen”…the North Park five was 1-9 in the Eastern loop and 5-21 overall, but they topped playoff-bound Patrick Henry, 67-66…6-foot, 9-inch Randy Adams converted two free throws in final 15 seconds as Crawford nipped Patrick Henry, 49-48, after Henry had taken its first lead of the game, 48-47, with a minute to play…Crawford took a 17-4 lead in its playoff with Chula Vista but lost, 74-62….