First in a series this week on San Diego Section Southern California playoff matchups.

DIVISION 1-AA

Two of the state’s most successful coaches will square off at Cathedral Friday night at 7:30 in this repeat of a Southern California playoff in 2016, when Cathedral defeated the Narbonne Gauchos, 35-28, en route to a 15-0 season and the Dons’ second state championship.

Harbor City Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas is 110-32 (.775) since taking over the Gauchos’ program in 2009 and has two state titles, 28-14 over Concord Clayton Valley in 2015 and 28-21 over Pittsburgh in 2017.

Douglas was 8-6 and 6-6 in his first two seasons, but his teams have won at least 10 games every season since 2011 and three times have won 14.  Narbonne is located in one of the most fertile football areas of Southern California, approximately 7 miles west of Long Beach Poly and about 3.3 miles southwest of Carson High, which for many years ruled the L.A. City Section.

Cathedral’s Sean Doyle, who played for the Dons when they were known as University of San Diego High and has coached them since 1996, posting a 193-92 (.677) record, parlayed the 2016 win over Narbonne into a state championship, 38-35 over Stockton St. Mary’s.  The Dons also won a title in 2009, when they measured St. Mary’s, 37-34.

Narbonne is named after Nathaniel Narbonne, who came South from the Sacramento gold rush in 1852 and eventually owned more than 3,500 acres of land as a cattle rancher in the area around Lomita and Harbor City.  Narbonne passed in 1881 and the school opened in 1925.

Cathedral opened in 1957, a year after the nascent University of San Diego played its first football game.

The Dons are led by Shawn Poma, who played a significant role in Cathedral’s 2016 championship, was injured for much of last season as the Dons fell to 5-7, and returned to rush for 1,413 yards, a 10.2-yard average, and has scored 17 touchdowns this season.

Junior quarterback D.J. Ralph, son of Jerry, the longtime San Diego-area head coach, has passed for 1,194 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Narbonne’s sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia has completed 76 per cent of his passes for 1,802 yards and 13 touchdowns. Sophomore Marceece Yetts is averaging 5.9 yards for 114 carries and scored 6 touchdowns.

TRUE GRID

Cathedral (11-1) is ranked 11^th in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and 16^th by Max Preps…the Dons’ Cal-Preps.com rating is up to 65.7…the three rating systems have the Gauchos at 13^th, 25^th, and 54.2, respectively…this will mark Narbonne’s third appearance here…the Gauchos defeated host Mount Miguel, 25-7, in 1971…movie director Quentin Tarentino attended Narbonne, as did Bo Derek, who was an international sensation in the movie Ten…Paul Pettit, major league baseball’s first 100,000 bonus baby, also attended Narbonne…Cathedral lists golfer Phil Mickelson and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton among its graduates…Cathedral came from a 14-0 deficit to overcome Torrey Pines for the San Diego Section Open Division championship, 28-17 in Week 14…Narbonne defeated Los Angeles Garfield, 55-7 for the L.A. City Open title….

Bill Walton’s and Helix’ historic season, game by game, with quotes and attributions by and to Bill Center of The San Diego Union:

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1969.

HELIX 74, MADISON 60.

Mike Dupree scored 28 and Walton 24, off-setting a 30-point performance by Dave Smith, whose Warhawks were down, 57-36, in the third quarter.

Thursday, Dec 4, 1969

HELIX 78, MORSE 49

Leading only 32-25 at halftime, the Highlanders unleashed a withering, 27-6 third quarter.  Walton scored 30, Dupree 22.

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1969.

HELIX 78, LINCOLN 56

The well-regarded, Eastern League Hornets were in the game, trailing at halftime, 33-27, but fell behind, 54-37, and never got closer.

One blowout and near blowout, and a cruise against three of the city’s best s

Friday, Dec. 12, 1969

HELIX 90, HILLTOP 53.

Walton still was growing, now listed in local newspapers as 6 feet, 10 ½ inches.  He was 10×12 from the field, retrieved 20 missed shots, and scored 24 points.  Dupree was 11×15 from the field and scored 25.

Saturday, Dec. 13, 1969

HELIX 92, CASTLE PARK 60.

“That was the first time we haven’t seen a zone (defense),” Helix coach Gordon Nash said after Walton had torched Castle Park with 46 points (18×21 from the field) and pulled down 28 rebounds.  “They used a man-to-man defense and we worked the ball into Bill.  He got a lot of points off the offensive boards but was doing well from anywhere.”

Nash added that he didn’t think the Highlanders would “see many more man-to-mans.”

Walton broke the school scoring record of 44 points, set by Jim (Bones) Bowers in the 1959-60 season.

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1969

HELIX 78, CHULA VISTA 43

Another good team taken apart.   The Scots led, 72-28, when Walton, Dupree and the other starters departed early in the fourth quarter.

“We were so concerned with what Walton could do that we forgot what we could do,” said Spartans coach Bob Korzep.

“I can’t say whether or not they will be undefeated this year, but I do know that as long as the big kid’s in the middle I’m not betting against them,” said Korzep.

Chula Vista would get closer later but still fall short.

KIWANIS TOURNAMENT

Thursday, Dec. 18, 1969

HELIX 76, PATRICK HENRY 43

The score was 43-18 at the half and 59-26 after three quarters.  Walton scored 36 points and eight others made the box score.

Friday, Dec. 19, 1969

HELIX 89, EL CAJON VALLEY 56

Ten players scored, led by Walton’s 30 and Dupree’s 17. John Singer, who came off the bench for six points, would become a legendary Helix basketball coach.

Saturday, Dec. 20, 1969

HELIX 87, MADISON 65

Walton’s 35 gave him 101 in three games, threatening the Kiwanis record of 120 in four games by Granite Hills’ Bob Lundgren in 1962 and equaled by El Capitan’s Blaine Bundy in 1966.

The Scots led, 39-34, at the half and 61-42 after three quarters, and essentially traded hoops with the Warhawks in a 26-23 last quarter.

The win was Helix’ 25^th in a row over two seasons, leaving them 10 behind Mount Miguel’s County record.

Monday, Dec. 22, 1969

HELIX 89, SAN DIEGO 45

“We will try a couple new things,” said San Diego High coach Pete Colonelli, who replaced Bill Standly and whose Cavemen carried a 9-2 record into the Unlimited Division final in Peterson Gym.  Tipoff was late, 9:15 p.m. after late-running consolation bracket games.

Helix savaged the Cavers with a 19-0 run after a 16-16 first quarter.  Walton took a seat with 3:08 remaining in the game after scoring 31 points and hauling in 31 rebounds.

Bill Center’s game story pointed out that “when Helix was running wild (in the second quarter), Walton had 6 points and 11 rebounds in four minutes.”  Dupree was the usual target for Walton’s outlet passes and scored 25.

Walton finished the tournament with 132 points, which would have been the record but Madison’s Dave Smith had 149.

COVINA TOURNAMENT

Friday, Dec. 26, 1969

HELIX 90, RANCHO CUCAMONGA ALTA LOMA 35

Back in the eras of Bob Divine and Bob Speidel, Helix coaches often filled the post-Christmas week by taking the team to the Fillmore Tournament in Ventura County.  Gordon Nash this year opted for Covina, one of the nation’s leading events and requiring the champion to win 5 games.

A 22-0 run in the third quarter was just part of the wreckage of Alta Loma. Helix led the Braves, 26-5, 50-11, and 77-14, at various junctures. Walton scored 24, Dupree 16, and Mike Honz and Race (Buster) Paddock, 10 each.

Saturday, Dec. 27, 1969

HELIX 72, MONTEBELLO 48

Walton had 31 points and Dupree 15 for 12 wins in a row this season and 28 consecutive over the last two seasons.

Monday, Dec. 29, 1969

HELIX 92, EL MONTE ARROYO 57

Shock!  Helix trailed, 35-31, at the half.

Awe! The Scots’ full-court press drummed the Knights into submission. They outscored  their opponents, 61-22, in the second half.  Walton contributed 26 points and 22 rebounds. Dupree added 20 points and Mike Honz 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Tuesday, Dec. 30, 1969

HELIX 71, LONG BEACH MILLIKAN 49

This victory may have been the most significant of the Walton era.

The Millikan Rams compiled a 28-3 record and won the Southern Section major championship over Monrovia, 68-37, after knocking out 26-0 Santa Barbara, which featured Walton’s future UCLA teammate and NBA star Keith Wilkes, in the semifinals, 64-49.

Millikan’s other losses were to Inglewood Morningside, 69-63, and Long Beach Wilson, 70-61.

Wrote Ken Pivernetz of the Long Beach Press-Telegram:  “Millikan committed 20 turnovers, scored only twice off the fast break, and was without the full service of (6-5 ½) all-City player Dave Frost, who twisted a muscle in his back and played only half the game.

Pivernetz gave Walton mild praise.

“The talented Walton, the best prep player in the Border City, intimidated the Rams at times, by blocking eight shots, grabbing 23 rebounds, and scoring a game high 22 points.

After an 11-11 first quarter, Helix led, 32-27, at the half and blew it open with a 20-6 third quarter.

Dupree had 19 points and Randy Madsen 10.

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1969

HELIX 110, PASADENA 68

Bill Center recounted from colleague Steve Bisheff an exchange between UCLA assistant coach Denny Crum and Crum’s boss, Bruins head coach John Wooden, after Crum returned from Helix’ tournament championship.

Crum:  “I just saw the greatest high school player I’ve ever seen.”

Wooden, looking over his spectacles:  “Better than Lewis (Alcindor)?”

Crum:  “Yeah.”

Wooden: “Keep your voice down and close the door.”

Comparisons to Alcindor, almost unthinkable, were spoken in private, in hushed tones.

Alcindor, who had changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, arguably was the greatest collegiate player of all-time and the leader of the Bruins’ three consecutive, recent national championship teams.

Walton, whose older brother Bruce was on campus and playing for the Bruins’ football team, had been on Wooden’s radar, but the coach wanted to hear more from Crum, who would carve his own, legendary coaching career at the University of Louisville.

Walton dismantled the 12-2 Pasadena Bulldogs with 50 points, 34 rebounds, and nine blocked shots. He made 18 of 24 shots from the floor and converted 14 of 16 free throw attempts. Dupree added 24 points.

It was 29-10 after one quarter, 51-28 at the half, 78-45 after three, followed by a 32-23 final eight minutes of garbage time.

The Highlanders did not press as they opened their 19-point lead in the first quarter. Coach Gordon Nash left Walton and the rest of the starting five in the game until the final 1:25.

Walton would “go national”, earning an item in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”

I also “owed” the Helix senior $50, which was what Eleanor Milosovic, the magazine’s director of correspondents, paid me for nominating Walton as a candidate for the publication’s weekly feature.

Walton had scored 451 points and was averaging 30.1.  Helix had an 83.7 team average and was holding its opponents to 52.2.

Helix stood 15-0 and had won 31 in a row as the calendar turned to January.

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1970

GROSSMONT LEAGUE

HELIX 67, MONTE VISTA 61

The visiting Monarchs, who, at 2-10, had stunned the Scots, 58-52, the previous season, came into the game with an 11-2 record and brought the game to Helix, double- and triple-teaming Walton as Helix struggled to put the game away.  The Highlanders finally broke it open in the fourth quarter, stretching a 51-44 lead to 67-55.

“They forced us into a lot of mistakes and we didn’t play very well,” said Nash, who was not enamored of the officiating around the basket.

“They (officials) watch what takes place in the air, but not what happens with the body,” said Nash. “Billy was manhandled out there pretty good.”

Despite the Monarchs’ physical approach, Walton scored 31 points and took down 22 rebounds.  Mike Dupree added 14 points and Mike Honz 11.

Friday, Jan. 10, 1970

HELIX 68, EL CAPITAN 44

Guards Steve and Wade Victory kept the ball outside the key much of the game, inviting a Helix press which effectively nullified the Vaqueros, who trailed only 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.  Walton had 21 points, Dupree 17, and Randy Madsen 10.

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 1970

HELIX 86. EL CAJON VALLEY 49

“We won’t hold the ball or slow the game down, but we’ve got a couple things up our sleeve that we’ll try to work,” said El Cajon Valley coach Jack Lasley.

The Braves worked hard to muscle Walton away from the basket and twice knocked him to the floor (Walton slightly turned his ankle the second time, bringing gasps from Helix partisans).

Walton had 20 points in 23 minutes and 30 seconds.  He also had 22 rebounds and nine blocked shots.  Dupree followed with 19 points, Madsen 17, and Honz 14, plus 18 rebounds, as Helix enjoyed a 61-24 advantage on the boards.

“No one I know is going to beat them,” said the El Cajon Valley coach, who added that “defensively he intimidated us to the extent we wouldn’t run anything.”

Friday, Jan. 16, 1970

HELIX 97, GROSSMONT 74.

The Highlanders tied Mount Miguel’s County record of 35 wins in a row with their 19^th straight this season behind Walton’s 37 points and 24 rebounds.  Mike Dupree, 12×22 from the floor, added 27 points as the Highlanders shot 58 per cent.

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1970

HELIX 89, GRANITE HILLS 32

Dupree scored 28 points while Walton had a season low 15 as Helix began with a 20-6, first-quarter, led, 71-23, after three, and set a County record with No. 36 in a row.

Friday, Jan. 23, 1970

HELIX 93, MOUNT MIGUEL 61

The winning numbers now read 21 for the season and 37 overall. Walton scored 41 points and three others were in double figures.

John Slater, son of Kearny High football coach Birt Slater, led the Matadors with 21.  Mount Miguel was a shadow of its great team of 1967-68, 1-5 in league play and 2-14 overall.

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1970

HELIX 81, SANTANA 47

Walton still was feeling the effects of an apparent week-long stretch of flu but hammered the 14-6 Sultans with 32 points on 13×15 shooting, 21 rebounds and eight blocked shots.   Mike Honz had 15 rebounds and Helix blocked 17 Sultans field-goal attempts.

“I thought if we could hit forty per cent today we’d beat ‘em,” said Santana coach Tom Curran.  The Sultans were 22×82 for 27 per cent.

Friday, Jan. 30, 1970

HELIX 94, MONTE VISTA 51

Perhaps aroused by its fairly close call in the league opener, the Scots knocked down 15 of their first 20 shots, creating a 33-11 first-quarter lead. Twenty-two points came on point-blank layups.  Four field goals were ignited by Walton’s outlet passes to either Mike Dupree, who matched Walton’s 26 points, or to Dan Coleman, who had a season high 14. Mike Honz added 14.

The Monarchs, another good Grossmont loop squad, fell to 15-6.

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1970

HELIX 93, EL CAPITAN 49.

Now listed at 6-feet-11 in most newspaper articles, Walton scored 30 and Helix eased to its 40^th win in a row.

Saturday, Feb. 6, 1970

HELIX 102, EL CAJON VALLEY 72

Imagine, scoring in the seventies, more than any other Highlanders opponent, and still losing by 30 points.  That was the fate of Jack Lasley’s Braves.  Walton led the way with 29, followed by Dupree’s 22, Honz’ 21, and Coleman’s 15.

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1970

HELIX 104, GROSSMONT 48

Walton scored 31 points for a season total of 764, moving past Crawford’s Larry Blum (737 in 1962-63) into second place all-time, 10 points below the mark set by Kearny’s Wilburn Strong in 1968-69. Honz (19), Coleman (15), Dupree (13), and Madsen (12) also got into the action.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 1970

HELIX 107, GRANITE HILLS 44

Helix had 52 points at the half, enough to win.  Walton’s 34 points gave him 798, a County record.  Helix won its 43^rd in a row and 27^th this season.  Honz added 19 and Dupree 15.

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1970

HELIX 127, MOUNT MIGUEL 31

Nash’s starters stayed in long enough to score 119 points, led by Dupree’s career high 43. Walton had 24 and Coleman sniped a career high 22.  Madsen contributed 16 and Honz 14.

The single-game scoring record for large schools had been Mount Miguel’s 121 against Santana in 1967-68.  Marian held the overall record with 124 against San Marcos in 1966-67.

Perhaps most illuminating was Mount Miguel’s sudden fall from the top.  It was the Matadors who doled out this kind of punishment two seasons before.

Transfers of convenience to favored teams were not common.  Coaches took the hand they were dealt.

Mount Miguel’s cupboard was bare.

Friday, Feb. 20, 1970

HELIX 94, SANTANA 58

Domination indeed…a 36-point win over a team that was 11-2 in league play and 19-8 overall. The scoring order:  Walton, 30, Dupree, 18, Honz, 16.

The Scots finished the regular season with a 29-0 record and with a winning streak of 45.   The 29 victories was a County record.  San Diego had set the standard when it posted a 28-6 record in 1946-47.

CIF PLAYOFFS

“This is a very good team and our record proves it,” Walton said.  “One player couldn’t account for the season we’ve had. If we’d made a lot of mistakes we’d lose, but I don’t think we will.  When one player is going bad someone else jumps in and we’re pretty deep.”

Walton described Dupree and Madsen as “two of the best guards around” and with Mike Honz and Butch Paddock “no one is stronger at forward.”

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1970

HELIX 109, EL CAJON VALLEY 47.

Thirteen players scored and the Highlanders broke the single-game playoff record that Grossmont had set in a 93-36 win over Julian the previous season.  A 48-29 halftime lead was followed by a scalding, 30-5 third quarter.  Mike Dupree led with 23, followed by Walton (21), Dan Coleman (16), and Mike Honz (15).

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1970

HELIX 92, HILLTOP 60

The quarterfinals victory on the Metropolitan League team’s floor was Helix’ 31^st of the season and 47^th in a row.  Walton “settled” for 21 points, “missed several layups and once was called for goal tending.”  Honz, Dupree, and Madsen had 20, 15, and 12 respectively.

Friday, Feb. 27, 1970

HELIX 75, CASTLE PARK 54

The Midway district Sports Arena was host for the semifinals and finals and the Highlanders seemingly breezed, leading, 55-35, after three quarters, but the Trojans, led by husky Elias Delgadillo, who had 21 points, played the Helix starters almost evenly in a 20-19 fourth quarter.

Walton scored on seven consecutive possessions and blocked five shots in the last eight minutes.  He finished with 33 points and 23 rebounds as a crowd of 5,789 looked on.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 1970

HELIX 70, CHULA VISTA 56

Walton’s 31 points, despite converting only three of 11 free throws, and his 31 rebounds reaffirmed for the turnout of 6,451 persons that they were witnessing a player and team that might never be matched in the San Diego area.

“It’s been a long season, especially for the players,” said Coach Gordon Nash.  “Thirty-three games is an awful lot.  But there will never be another year like this one.  I don’t think there will be another player like Billy for some time.”

“For the time being I’m going to relax,” said Walton.  “I’m a little tired and I want to take it easy.”

Monday, March 2, 1970

“He proved a big man can make a team great if he sacrificed personal gains,” said Nash in Bill Center’s post mortem.  “Billy could have scored a lot more. Everyone knows that.  But he sacrificed and he did it without any second thought that I know of.”

“I’m going to miss playing for Helix,” said Walton.  “At the end of the year I started to realize totally how great it was.”

UCLA would welcome this player who set records of 29 points a game (957) and 22.4 rebounds (739) and the Bruins would continue ruling college basketball as had Helix this unforgettable season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To all our friends and visitors, we are taking the week off for Thanksgiving and will resume on Sunday, Nov. 25.

Here’s to a San Diego State victory over Iowa State today.

Rick Smith & Henrik Jonson.

Cathedral and Torrey Pines, 1.8 miles apart on San Diego’s Del Mar Heights Road, meet in  the region’s biggest game Saturday night at Southwestern College in Bonita, more than 30 miles away.

Southwestern’s Jaguar Stadium is a terrific venue which probably could squeeze 10,000 persons into its concrete stands and is the only edifice capable of handling a so-called game of the year and Open Division championship in the San Diego Section.

This isn’t Texas, where 20,000-seat high school stadiums are not uncommon.  But Southwestern’s is the best in this area of more than 3 million persons. Long gone are San Diego State’s Aztec Bowl and Balboa Stadium on the San Diego High campus, which were larger and hosted similar contests over the years.

SO CLOSE

Cathedral and Torrey Pines, the Open Division finalists,  are closer on the field than their geographic cheek to cheek.

Torrey is 11-0, Cathedral 10-1.

Torrey Pines is ranked 11^th in California by Cal-Hi Sports.  Cathedral is 12^th.

Cathedral is 11th in the state and 51^st nationally as calculated by Max Preps.  Torrey Pines is 14^th and 71^st, respectively.

Calpreps.com gives Cathedral a 63.3 ratings.  Torrey is assigned 60.5.

Cathedral dropped its opening game, 19-7 to La Costa Canyon.  Torrey Pines scored a late-season, 38-0 victory over the Mavericks.

DONS DRAMA

School honchos suspended coach Sean Doyle for last week’s 35-0 playoff win over Carlsbad after reported hazing among players.  Doyle was said to have been unaware and not involved but being the captain of the ship, Doyle took the hit.

The distraction notwithstanding, we’ll take Cathedral over the Falcons, 42-28.

QUICK KICKS

Higher playoff seeds will be the home teams for the semifinals in Divisions 1 through V…possible most significant matchups:  Eastlake (2) and Helix (3)  in D-I…Mission Hills, lowest seed at 9, versus 4 St. Augustine in the other D-I semifinal…Mira Mesa, a 7 seed, visits Valley Center (3) in D-II…Santa Fe Christian, a 6 seed, travels to No. 1 El Centro Central in D-III…No. 6 Serra visits No. 1 San Diego in D-IV…Orange Glen, at 7-4 enjoying its first winning season since 1997 and hoping to forget a 21-year record of 51-153-1, is the No. 1 seed in D-V and takes on visiting No. 4 Holtville…Orange Glen’s last winning season was the 9-3 of coach Rob Gilster’s 1996 squad…Gilster then went over the hill and north of Lake Wohlford to start the Valley Center program in 1997….

 

 

 

Helix won its third championship in the last six seasons, but the Highlanders were just breaking ground. The best was yet to come, thanks to Bill Walton, a once-in-a-lifetime player.

Meanwhile, the ball continued to swish through the net.

A record twenty-three players scored at least 400 points and junior Paul Halupa of Bonita Vista averaged 28.7, bettering the record of St. Augustine’s Tom Shaules, who averaged 28.3 in 1957-58. Halupa set a Bonita Vista record with 46 points in a 99-65 loss to Chula Vista.

Not to be outdone, Granite Hills’ Tim Doerr knocked down 47 points on the final night of the regular season, but the Eagles sustained a 99-88 loss to Monte Vista, the reverse exclamation point in a 1-21 season.

Julian’s Rob Petrie tied Shaules’ single-game record of 60 in a 115-76 win over Mountain Empire.

There were more teams and more players and the number of games had increased since early-decade, but the high schoolers continued to refine their shooting skills. In 1960-61, the first year of the CIF San Diego Section, two players scored at least 400, led by the 428 of San Dieguito’s John Fairchild, and 13 scored at least 300.

At least 30 players touched 300 this season, the total no longer notable.

Leaders:

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Strong	Kearny	30	774	25.8 (3)
Edwards	Madison	32	766	23.9 (5)
Halupa	Bonita Vista	25	718	28.7 (1)
Delgadillo	Castle Park	31	553	17.8
Chaffin	Orange Glen	30	550	18.3
McCargo	Oceanside	27	546	20.2 (T8)
Higgins	La Jolla	27	545	20.2 (T8)
Doerr	Granite Hills	22	508	23.1 (6)
Millar	Coronado	24	505	21.0 (7)
Gibbs	Lincoln	25	504	20.2 (T8)
Skelley	Hoover	25	500	20.0
Boone	Crawford	28	483	17.3
Schutier	Chula Vista	24	465	19.4
Menzies	Grossmont	28	459	16.4
Petrie	Julian	17	446	26.2 (2)
Bojorquez	Fallbrook	24	442	18.4
Bill Walton	Helix	26	434	16.7
Gerding	Point Loma	25	428	17.1
Mushovic	Coronado	24	411	17.1
Jackson	Hilltop	23	418	18.2
Hays	Carlsbad	21	413	19.7
Barstow	Mount Miguel	25	412	17.5
Carlson	Mar Vista	24	407	17.0
Carr	Poway	24	399	16.6
Russell	San Diego Military	16	392	24.5 (4)

Rascon, Mountain Empire, scored 221 points in 11 games, a 20.1 average.

FLASHED AS SOPHOMORE

Walton had come up from the junior varsity during the 1967-68 playoffs and impacted a semifinal victory over Hilltop with two blocked shots and three rebounds at important junctures in a 69-57 victory.

Listed then by writer Bill Center as a “spindly, 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore,” Walton had grown over the summer to variously cited heights of 6-7, 6-8 ½, and 6-9 1/2.

Walton missed the season’s first three games, nursing a fractured metatarsal bone in his right foot, two days after receiving permission to play on a strained ligament in the same foot, according to a report in The San Diego Union.

Despite winning CIF and national collegiate championships at UCLA and NBA titles with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics, Walton’s career often was interrupted and shortened by painful, crippling foot injuries.

SURPRISING SETBACKS

Helix won 29 games and had two unlikely losses, 58-52 to  Monte Vista, with a 2-10 record, and 63-60 to Santa Paula, a small Ventura County school, in the annual Fillmore tournament.

Helix came into the Monte Vista game with a 13-1 record but never led.  Bill Belander (19) and Ernie Arroyo (16) kept the Highlanders at a distance and the Monarchs’ 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 zone defenses slowed the Scots, whose repeated attempts to fast break were short circuited by defender Jim Krattli’s intercepted passes.

The Scots righted the ship the following game, running past El Cajon Valley, 105-53, as Bruce Menser scored 29 points, Dave Unroe 19, Race Paddock and Mike Dupree 11 each, and Bill Walton, 9.

Bill’s older brother, Bruce, a 6-foot-5, 250 pounder, also was an effective rebounder and scorer who went on to an outstanding football career, drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1973.

COMING ON

Bill Walton’s emerging dominance was never clearer than in a two-game stretch of Grossmont League play in February.  He had 21 points and 33 rebounds in a 70-48 conquest of Mount Miguel and 21 points and 17 rebounds three days later in a 69-52 win over Grossmont.

Walton, in another overwhelming performance, had 34 rebounds and 24 points against El Capitan as Helix, despite 17 first-half turnovers, won, 84-53.

Walton averaged 19 rebounds and had a 16.7 scoring average despite playing only  one quarter in early-season games.

DON’T KICK HORNETS’ NEST

Bill Center’s lead paragraph in The San Diego Union:  “Morse High won the Eastern League basketball title yesterday by downing Lincoln in the closing seconds, 73-72, in a game that ended with both referees having to be escorted from the Hornets’ gym.”

The trouble began, Center reported, when Lincoln’s Stan Cherry was fouled attempting a shot.  Had Cherry scored, Lincoln would have won and tied for the league championship.

But the referees ruled, after conferring with the timer, that the foul on Cherry occurred after the final buzzer and end of game.

As referee Doug Harvey, a future baseball Hall of Fame umpire, and Bob Moss, a local prep coach and former three-sport athlete at Lincoln, discussed what happened at the official scorer’s table, the near capacity crowd flowed onto the court. When the decision was rendered tempers flared.

FAISON TO RESCUE

Led by Lincoln faculty member and former San Diego Chargers star Earl Faison, a cordon of school officials whisked Harvey and Moss out of the gym away from trouble and into the nearby dressing room.

Harvey had worked many tension-filled games at Lincoln, including one with brother Nolan in 1959-60, when the younger brother of a San Diego High player came out of the stands and took a punch at Lincoln’s Al Catlin.

Morse’s hero was Cedric Reed, who scored the winning basket on a follow shot with 14 seconds remaining.  Reed had beaten the Hornets with two late baskets in a 63-61 thriller earlier.

WILLIAMS’ FIRST

For Morse coach Tom Williams, once a junior member of the Lincoln coaching staff, the victory was particularly satisfying, marking Williams’ first league title in the school’s seven years.

Williams opened the program in 1962-63 and gradually got the Tigers to the top from humble beginnings.  His teams went 2-22, 9-16, 4-16, 13-13, 16-11, and 20-9 before this season’s 23-6.

Williams went on to win 443 games in his career, which included starting up the Serra program when that school opened in 1976.

STANDLY STEPS DOWN.

San Diego High coach Bill Standly announced he was retiring from coaching after nine seasons with the Cavemen, preceded by a long run in Minnesota high schools.

The Cavers fell to 12-15 this season but Standly concluded his Cavers tenure with a 170-85 (.667) record, not counting five forfeits because of player ineligibility in 1965-66, and two Eastern League and two San Diego Section titles.

BARNBURNERS 

Kearny’s Wilburn Strong outscored Phil Edwards, 36-24, but Edwards’ teammate Michael Cohen scored 28 as Madison defeated its league rival, 89-87.  Strong had 40 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists as the Komets broke through on the Warhawks, 83-80, in the rematch.

“I’ve been waiting three years for this,” declared Kearny coach Wayne Colborne.  “They beat us twice with (Steve) Rostoker and twice with (Ron) Dahms.  The kids just made up their minds they wouldn’t do it twice again.”

As Bill Center noted, “Tearful Komets cheerleaders sang the school’s alma mater.”

UNI TRAGEDY

Kevin Madden, a three-sport standout for University, was killed on his way to school in a two-car accident on Friar’s Road near the school’s Linda Vista campus.  The school decided to play the scheduled game against Clairemont the following night and the Dons defeated the Chieftains, 66-44.

REPAIRMAN TO RESCUE

Madison’s 70-66 Western League win over University was delayed almost 20 minutes.  Just before the opening tip a Uni player took a final practice shot and the basket came unhinged and fell to the floor.

TOURNAMENTS

SOUTHERN PREP LEAGUE

–Rob Petrie scored 32 and Julian won the league’s December event, 74-49 over San Diego Military.

FALLBROOK

–Coronado defeated host Fallbrook, 65-56, in finals of the eighth annual of eight teams.  San Clemente, Perris, and Laguna Beach came in from outside the county line.

KIWANIS

–Twenty-second annual included 40 teams in Unlimited (Helix 64-57 over Madison), Limited (University 58-53 over Orange Glen), and Classified (San Marcos 55-45 over Bonita Vista) divisions.

–Highlanders coach Gordon Nash probably heard some groans from his team.  Helix led by one point with 1:43 left against John Hannon’s quick, scrappy Warhawks.  “We’ll be practicing tomorrow morning,” said Nash. “Walton has been out practically all season.  He hasn’t been able to practice with the team.”

–Walton, who did not always take the floor with the starting lineup, scored 67 points in four tournament games, including 24 in the championship.

–Bruce Walton made the all-tournament team.

–Hoover’s Tim Skelley came within one point of John Havens’ school-record 38 points in an 86-75, overtime loss to Point Loma.

–University moved to 9-0 but was held below its 77-point average in the 58-53, Limited Division championship against Orange Glen.

–Paul Halupa had 60 per cent of Bonita Vista’s points, 27 of 45, in the Classified loss.

EL CENTRO ELKS

–Madison and Phil Edwards set school records.  The Warhawks stormed past Mexicali CETY’s, 112-45, and Edwards scored 43 points, augmented by 31 from Bob Brady.

–Crawford, destined to finish 4-8 and in sixth place in the Eastern League, with an overall, 17-11 record, stunned Madison, 71-65 in the semifinals, shocking the team that would win the Western League at 11-1 and finish 26-6 overall.

–The Colts then surprised Morse, 49-48, in the finals.  The Tigers would win the Eastern League at 11-1.

FILLMORE

Santa Paula defeated Helix, 63-60, as Bill Walton was on the bench with five fouls, Bruce Menser did not play, and the Highlanders could not overcome a 54-38 deficit after three quarters.  It was the third time in this event since 1959  that Helix had lost to the unheralded Cardinals.

The Scots recovered to outscore Bakersfield, 78-61, for the consolation championship.

UNIVERSITY

The tournament program was 0-4, retaining its record of misspelling the name of the tournament director, Uni coach Hector Macis.

Macis again was identified as “Mr. Marcis” in the publication.

–Kearny’s Wilburn Strong set a school record with 42 points in a school-record 97-53 win over Granite Hills.

–“I saw where Phil Edwards scored 43 in El Centro last night and I figured I could get that many, too,” said Strong.

–Strong was the tournament most-valuable player and set a record with 121 points (ex-teammate Russ [Whimpy] scored 100 in the 1966 tournament), but Hoover won the championship, 80-60, over Castle Park.

–Coach Wayne DeBate’s Cardinals jumped to a 16-2 lead in the first four minutes, shot 69 per cent from the field in the first half, and balanced the scoring among all five starters.  Bob Martinez led with 18 points, followed by Tim Skelley, 17, Bill Conti, 16, Jack Neal, 15, and Gary Browning, 14.

–“I’ve never had a team come so close to playing as well as those kids tonight,” said DeBate.

JIM MITCHELL MEMORIAL

Originally known as the Mustang Optimist, the name was changed to honor former San Dieguito star Lt. Jim Mitchell, who was killed in action in Viet Nam.

–Eight teams participated.

–El Cajon Valley emerged from the eight-team field, defeating Vista, 58-47, for the championship after knocking off Pomona, 82-42.  San Dieguito claimed third place, 69-64 over Bonita Vista, whose Paul Halupa scored 37 points for the second time this season.

SAN BERNARDINO KIWANIS

San Diego defeated Redlands, 59-56, then was sent home after losses to Ontario Chaffey, 84-65, and Anaheim, 60-49.

CHINO

Escondido went further than Mar Vista and Chula Vista but bowed to Pomona, 64-57, in the consolation semifinals.

PLAYOFFS

–The CIF still was jamming the postseason into one week, with 16 teams in one division.  Poor Julian had to play with the big boys.  Two teams each from the Eastern, Western, Grossmont, Metropolitan and Avocado, which had moved from Class A to Class AA this year, plus one each from the Palomar and Southern leagues, and 4 additional at-large clubs, were invited.

FIRST ROUND

–Madison eliminated Vista (16-10), 81-70.  Castle Park (23-9) ousted Mount Miguel (16-9), 56-40.  Helix beat 16-11 Hoover, 76-41.  Oceanside (15-12) topped Coronado (16-9), 73-57.  Kearny (20-10) edged 16-10 Lincoln, 64-58.  Grossmont (18-10) overwhelmed Julian (13-4), 93-36.  Orange Glen (22-8) got past Marian (16-12), 52-49, and Morse topped University (24-4).

–Morse’s first-ever playoff win was a tribute to ironmen and teamwork.  All five starters went the distance, all in double figures, led by Terry Antoine with 23 points and Avery Clark with 20.

SECOND ROUND

Helix eliminated Kearny, 70-57.  Castle Park nudged Orange Glen, 65-53.  Morse whacked Oceanside, 79-63, and Madison beat Grossmont, 83-73.

SEMIFINALS

–There were 4,635 persons at the Sports Arena, hosting the Final 4 for the first time, although CIF honcho Don Clarkson said the Friday night crowd was closer to 3,800.

–Bob Brady’s two free throws with one second left in overtime lifted Madison past Morse, 67-66.  Helix bombed Castle Park, 68-40.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Bill Walton scored 13 points and had 15 rebounds in 19 minutes as Helix repeated a Kiwanis Tournament victory over Madison, 87-72.  Morse edged Castle Park, 69-64, for third place.

A triple header started with the third place game at 5 p.m., followed by the championship at 7 and the San Diego Rockets-L.A. Lakers  NBA contest at 9, witnessed by an announced turnout of 14,380.

Attendance for the Helix-Madison game was estimated at 6,500. No pep bands were in attendance and cheerleaders were closer to the building’s rafters than the floor, according to Bill Center.

JUMP SHOTS

Francis Parker (9-10) dropped its first-ever game, 53-31 to the Marian Freshmen, who were led by George Milke’s 20 points and Dan Prager’s 18…the Lancers got into the win column in the next game, a 67-19 rout of the San Diego Military junior varsity as Scott Braly scored 27 points at Municipal Gym…Parker scored the first 24 points in a 66-13 win over Southwestern Military in San Marino….Patrick Henry (2-23) lost its inaugural, 70-25 to Vista and its first victory was 49-44 over Vista’s Palomar League neighbor, San Marcos, as Bill Hilke scored 22…the new school in San Carlos was coached by Alan (Fritz) Ziegenfuss, who played for Jim Sams at Crawford in 1960-61…mentor beat student twice in Eastern League play, 63-40 and 68-33…Rod Boone scored 22 in each game to lead the Colts…a 103-31 loss to Calipatria was part of Borrego Springs’ introductory, 1-7 season…Brian Standly, the Madison High correspondent for The San Diego Union, is son of San Diego High mentor Bill Standly…Lincoln equaled a school record in an 86-63 win over Hilltop and bettered that mark in a 91-40 rout of  Patrick Henry that set an Eastern League record for most points in one game…6-foot-9 Ken Barstow, Mount Miguel’s lone starter back from the 32-0 1967-68 team, scored 22 points and pulled down 14 rebounds all in the first half of a 70-63 win over Santana…the Matadors’ County record 35 consecutive wins and 53 of 54 came to an end in a 80-65 loss to St Augustine (16-12) despite Barstow’s 35 points…Coronado enjoyed a 33-4 edge in free throws, which was enough to hold off Sweetwater, 71-65…the losing Red Devils were ahead from the field, 62-38, but converted only 4 of 16 free throw attempts…the Islanders were 33×41 from the line…the San Diego High gym had a leaky ceiling from recent rain…Lincoln overcame the moisture, defeating the Cavemen, 55-50…Helix scored 35 points in the first quarter and clinched a tie for the Grossmont League title, 98-48 over Granite Hills…

 

 

The Santana Sultans, not usually compared to the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Earth” of a generation ago, or today’s L.A. Rams, almost short-circuited the scoreboard.

Coach Tim Estes’ squad defeated La Jolla Country Day, 76-55, in an opening-round game in the Division IV playoffs.

This was not eight-man football.

The score represented the highest total by two teams in almost 100 years.

San Diego High and Army-Navy Academy combined for 137 points in 1920.  San Diego was on the front end with 130. The Hilltoppers’ achievement was made easier by a rule of the day that required the defensive team to kick off following a score.

Such was not the case for the Sultans, who still accumulated almost 55 points more than their 2018 average.  The losing Torreys had given up 383 points in their first 10 games, an average of 38 points, which Santana doubled.

Santana outscored ‘Day, 28-27, in the fourth quarter of the three-and-one-half-hour game.

“That was a fun and crazy game,” Estes understated to writer John Maffei.  “We’re at 62 points and I’m still worried they might come back.”

The San Diego Section record for combined points was 119, by Rancho Bernardo and West Hills in a 71-48 ‘Bernardo victory in the 1999 playoffs and by Monte Vista and San Diego in a 71-48 Monarchs win in the 2017 postseason.

WHO GOOFED?

Perhaps a mischievous geek.

I had to squint my eyes and look twice when I fired up the computer Saturday morning and went to Cal Preps.com.

Morse was reported to have beaten Hilltop by a score of 85-2.

The Tigers were a definite favorite, seeded fifth to the Lancers’ 12^th in D-III, but this result would have been the highest for a playoff since San Diego defeated Orange, 84-6, in the 1916 Southern Section postseason.

A quick check on The San Diego Union website showed the right score.  Morse actually won by the more conventional 42-14.  Cal Preps.com soon corrected its error.

FAVORITES COME THROUGH

Higher seeded teams won 25 of the 30 first-round games.  Three eight seeds topped nine seeds in essential pick-‘em contests.  Two No. 11 seeds provided the surprises.

San Diego Southwest traveled almost 140 miles and beat Calexico Vincent Memorial, 34-26, for its first postseason victory since 1989, when Carl Parrick held sway and claimed one of his 189 coaching victories.

Grossmont, saddled with a 3-7 regular-season mark that was its poorest since the 2-8 of 1999, stunned 6 seed Madison, 44-42.

Writer Jim Lindgren noted that seven seconds were left in the game and Madison was on the Foothillers’ 30-yard line.

Then the lights went out at Warhawks Stadium.

A 25-minute delay followed.

Daniel Stokes ran eight yards when play resumed.  The Warhawks still had time to try a reported 38-yard field goal, which was wide to the left.

Just two weeks before a lightning strike forced St. Augustine and Madison to suspend play until the following Monday, when Madison scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to win, 28-24 as the game ended.

You can’t make this up.

TRUE GRID

A couple more successes and Ramona’s Damon Baldwin will become the 42nd area mentor to win 100 games…Baldwin is 98-60-1 since 2005 and sends the 8 seed Bulldogs against 1 seed Granite Hills in the D-II quarterfinals this week…Monte Vista’s Ron Hamamoto needs two victories to tie John Shacklett at 229 victories, fourth all time…Dreaded Administrative Glitch:  Sweetwater recently was discovered to have forfeited six Metro League victories in 1968…the announcement was not made until two months after the season, although no reason was announced…the forfeits made coach Dave Lay’s all-time record  95-41-2…Mission Hills, a 9 seed, has won first-round games in 13 consecutive seasons and gets No. 1 La Costa Canyon in D-I  after a 20-13 win over Rancho Bernardo…Santana’s record for most points in a game was 70 in a shutout of Grande Prairie of Alberta, Canada, in 2011…domestically the Sultans’ highest was in a 59-19  over Kearny in 2015…John McFadden, coach of the 9-1 Eastlake Titans, is 129-43 (.750) since 2000…McFadden was on hiatus from 2014-17 and Eastlake, under two different coaches, was 24-22…Steele Canyon is on a roll similar to 2017, when the Cougars won a record 6 playoff  games and claimed a state III-A state title…the 5 seed Cougars rushed for 491 yards in a 49-17 win over El Camino in D-1 for their fifth in a row and take on No. 4 St. Augustine this week….