Full-length Prep Pride for March 26

Because of space restrictions in March 26 paper, the entire prep pride did not run in the Daily Bulletin.

Here it is:

PREP PRIDE

1) A parade and recognition in Congress are just two of the perks the Eisenhower boys basketball team is currently enjoying after winning the CIF State Division II championship last Friday.
“In my view, the kids deserve all this,” coach Steve Johnson said. “A lot of this stuff is too much and I might just say, ‘let’s just go have our banquet and call it a season.’ But it needs to all be about the kids in the end.”
Johnson said there was an overwhelming amount of hospitality shown by their finals opponent, Rocklin, but there was also an overwhelming home-court advantage for Rocklin.
“We practiced at an elementary school in Rocklin (after) I had asked their AD for a place to shoot around, and they were very hospitable,” Johnson said.
“A lot more (Ike) fans came up for the game than I expected. Our district was very supportive, with I think seven busses besides ours. But we probably had four or five hundred (fans) and they probably had seven or eight thousand.”
Johnson said that a parade for the team is scheduled in the city of Rialto on April 11 at 11 a.m. The team was also recognized by Rep. Joe Baca (D-San Bernardino) in Congress recently.
“I know his kids went through Eisenhower,” Johnson said. “That’s really nice.”
2) Laing Stevens is back. Again.
Stevens will begin his third tour of duty as Ontario Christian’s football coach, following the resignation of his son, Chris, who had been the head coach since 2005.
Chris Stevens stepped down following news that his wife is pregnant with triplets and is due in August. Laing Stevens served as defensive coordinator at OCHS last year.
So Laing Stevens comes back to the school where he first served as a head coach from 1977-81, then returned to OCHS from 2002-04 after retiring from teaching from the Chino Valley Unified District (where he coached and served as athletic director at Ayala). He won a CIF title as a coach in 1978 and again in 2002.
“I guess I could say no, (but) I’m like that little rubber ball on the paddle that keeps coming back,” Laing said.
Stevens, 66, is also returning to teaching at the school, although his duties are not completely decided.
With his 401K dwindling, Stevens decided he needed to find a job that was more than just coaching.
“I told Chris, ‘I don’t know if I can go back to OC (as a coach) unless they have a (teaching) job for me,'” Laing said. “But they found something.
“If I had my druthers, I’d be at OC, if not then coaching with Lou (Randall, a friend and coach).”
4) Chris Stevens went to a spread offense last year at OC to take advantage of the talents of QB Andrew Lachelt, but Laing Stevens is more of a wing-T offense coach, referring to it as, “wings and things.”
Now, he’ll be bringing the spread and wing-T into what he calls “spread your wings.”
“I don’t know if I came up with the term,” Stevens said. “But I’ll be taking the best of both offenses.”
4) Etiwanda softball is off to a impressive start, with an 11-0 record and two tournament championships already.
“I’ve only got two seniors,” Etiwanda coach Dave Masucci said. “This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. But I have three freshmen who aren’t playing like freshmen, Melissa Taukieaho (3B-P), Jenna Isbel (OF) and Katelynn Rentschler (C).”
The latest victory was a 3-1, eight-inning victory over Riverside King on Saturday in the championship of the Jurupa Valley Tournament. Stephanie Tarango hit a walk-off, two-run homer for Etiwanda.
“I lost seven seniors from last year, but I had some freshmen last year, that probably were varsity players, but we kept them down to give them playing time,” Masucci said. “Now, with all these freshmen, I’ve got like 10 or 11 girls fighting for spots. It’s a nice problem.”
5) The annual Cowbell Meet, pitting the swimming programs from the four Chino Valley Unified School District schools, was held last Friday at Ayala.
“It was a great night, and all of the other schools had larger team rosters,” Ayala coach Bob Mount said. “It had a party atmosphere.”
Ayala won the trophy for the 10th straight year. The boys scores were Ayala 201, Don Lugo 102, Chino Hills 89, and Chino 86. For the girls, Ayala won with 216, while Chino Hills had 106, Chino 88 and Don Lugo 80.
“Winning isn’t the emphasis,” he said. “It’s to see the kids swim. It’s not really a spectator-friendly sport.”