HS BASE: Montclair Prep on comeback
Once among California’s most feared small-schools baseball programs while winning six Southern Section titles from 1978 to 1991, Montclair Prep of Panorama City has fallen on hard times during recent seasons – relatively speaking – but is hoping to make a comeback under new coach Rick Weber, even though several top underclassmen from last season have transferred, such as Matt Hirsch (Newbury Park) and Pedro Aldape (Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks).
A year ago, Weber, 44, was enjoying his young retirement after coaching for a total of 13 seasons at Birmingham of Lake Balboa, Buckley of Sherman Oaks and Bel-Air Prep of Los Angeles. Then the phone rang. It was longtime friend Ken Smith, Montclair Prep’s athletic director, who convinced Weber to be the Mounties’ new coach, replacing Matt Whisenant, who had been forced out.
So far, so good.
Montclair Prep, sitting in first place in the Olympic League, is 10-4-1, 3-0 and has a four-game unbeaten streak heading into Tuesday's league showdown against Campbell Hall
. “Some kids left, some transferred, but the kids who are here have really stepped up and done well,” Weber said. “It’s a great bunch. There is a lot of cohesiveness and team unity, and that can make up for a lot.”
gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com