Gerry Gittelson: February 2007 Archives

Rapper's son sets Tone for Burroughs
Gerry Gittelson, Columnist

The big basketball surprise at Burroughs High in Burbank isn't that the underdog Indians started in the wild-card round and advanced all the way to the Southern Section Div. II-AA quarterfinals, before losing Friday to Murrieta Valley.

It's a well-kept secret that standout senior guard Chris Smith is the son of rapper Tone Loc, who is famous for the hits "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing."

It has purposely been kept low key, so you wouldn't have known Smith is Tone Loc's son unless you happened to catch them cruising together in Loc's Mercedes.

"My dad still wears his gold glasses, so sometimes people recognize him and ask for an autograph," Smith said. "Me, I don't really get into singing or any of that myself. I just want to play basketball."

Coach Art Sullivan tells people about Loc if asked, but he hasn't gone around proclaiming to everyone that he is coaching the son of a well-known rap artist.

"I try not to associate a player with who his dad is," Sullivan said. "Tone is actually pretty demanding on Chris. He makes sure Chris stays on top of things."

A former gang member from Compton who hit the big time, Loc has made sure his son does well in school. Smith, who said he hopes to play college basketball, is Burroughs' top player and a top student.
"I remember my grades slipped a little at the end of my 10th grade year, and my dad wouldn't let me play basketball all summer," Smith said.

-- Once among the San Fernando Valley's most feared high school baseball programs, five-time City Section baseball champion Granada Hills hasn't won a Championship- division title since 1984. But the Highlanders are hoping to reassert themselves and keep up with the Chatsworths, Kennedys and ECRs of the world, and they just might have the players - and attitude - to do it this season.

Top hitter Jon Villarreal (.321, 21 RBIs in 2006) and ace right-hander Justin Burke (5-7, 4.00 ERA) are back, and the team is also excited about freshman phenom Kevin Lenik, a 6-foot-3 outfielder/pitcher with a national travel-ball reputation.

"I'm trying to get this team back on the map," second-year coach Josh Lienhard said. "Granada Hills used to be really good, but the last time we made the (Championship) playoffs was 2001. We've won three Invitational titles in five years, but that's not what we're shooting for."

-- Saturday was an eventful day in community baseball circles. El Camino Real's field in Woodland Hills was named after former coach Mike Maio during a campus ceremony. Also, former Alemany High of Mission Hills standout A.J. Anthony, a rookie in the Dodgers organization, returned to his hometown Mission Hills Little League to give the kids an opening-day pep talk in celebration of the league's 50-year anniversary.

-- Former Valencia High softball standout Courtney Baughman, now a Hawaii sophomore, returned to Southern California on Wednesday, pitching the Rainbows to a 14-1 victory at Loyola Marymount. The hard-throwing right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.82 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 22 innings.

-- Moorpark High girls' basketball player Lauren Carter is old school, pulling her socks all the way up to her knees but with a twist. One sock is green, the other gold, matching the school colors.

-- Some local basketball alumni news to report. Monte Marcaccini, a former Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks standout who led the Knights to a 1993 section championship, has launched an Italian ice cream business with brothers Giancarlo (Notre Dame) and Gian-Andre (Crespi).

"I love the ice-cream business," Marcaccini said. "Our best flavor is hazelnut, and no, it's not low-calorie. I'm trying to stay at my playing weight in high school, but it's not easy."

Also, David Wright, a Buckley of Sherman Oaks standout during the school's prime sports years in the mid-1970s, is working as a Tiffany's executive.

His daughter, Kat, a sixth-grader with lots of basketball potential, already is considered a star on the rise.

-- Will we ever see another straight-on kicker in high school football? Today's generation probably doesn't even know what one looks like, unless they've seen old video of George Blanda.

-- And finally, ever notice an abandoned newspaper is always missing its sports section?

Gerry Gittelson's column appears Sundays in the Daily News.

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Notre Dame's Thomas going Ivy League
Gerry Gittelson, Columnist

We have a Harvard man in our midst.

Aaron Thomas, a defensive tackle from Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, has committed to play football at Harvard.

"It's a good opportunity to get the best education in the world," Thomas said. "Just to play college football in general is a good opportunity, so I'm very excited."

Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 243-pounder, has nearly a 4.0 grade-point average, and scored 2,050 out of a possible 2,400 on the SAT.

"This is wonderful for him," Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney said. "Aaron has worked very hard in the classroom and on the football field. He's a good football player, and he probably would have been a big-time recruit if he was just a little bigger."

Thomas is the first Notre Dame football player to sign with Harvard - which, as a member of the Ivy League, doesn't grant athletic scholarships - since offensive lineman John Simic in 1985.

"Of course, the biggest challenge is going to be balancing academics and football, but I'm ready," Thomas said. "Notre Dame is tough but Harvard is going to be way tougher. I think I'm going to be all right."

This semester, Thomas has helped Notre Dame's basketball team to the secondround of the Div.I-AA playoffs, in which it will play host to Thousand Oaks on Tuesday.

Thomas said he plans to attend law school, but he's not sure if he wants to be an attorney or a sports agent.

"Sports is my passion, so being an agent is a way to stay close to sports without being a pro athlete," Thomas said. "Plus, I've got so many friends that might play pro ball one day: my football teammates Sam DeMartinis, Charlie Carmichael and Shane Horton, plus Mike Stanton, who might play pro baseball. I have other friends at other schools, too, like (running backs) Milton Knox (Birmingham of Lake Balboa) and J.J. DiLuigi (Canyon)."

Knox said such a deal sounds fine with him.

"We were all hanging out, and Aaron said by the time he graduates from Harvard, he'll still be a year older than me, so he'll be my agent," said Knox, a junior. "I told him I'd take it into consideration."

-- Knox, who set a Birmingham record with 2,347 yards rushing last season, said he's narrowed his top-five college choices to UCLA, USC, Cal, Notre Dame and Florida State. UCLA and Florida State already have offered scholarships (along with outsider Mississippi), and the others are recruiting him heavily and are expected to offer soon.

"Those are my top five, but I'm pretty wide-open right now. I think I'll take some visits," Knox said.

-- Cal State Northridge guard Jonathan Heard provided a couple of spectacular highlights Wednesday in a 91-74 basketball victory over visiting UCDavis, twice slam-dunking over 7-2 Michael Boone.

"Have I ever dunked over a 7-2 guy before? No, but my adrenaline was really pumping," said Heard, a 6-5 junior from Inglewood who is averaging 14.9 points.

-- There isn't a more enthusiastic public address announcer than CrespiHigh of Encino athletic director Dick Dornan.

-- The community will miss Hart of Newhall's passionate girls' basketball coach Dave Munroe, who will retire after the season.

Munroe has won 15 league titles in 18 seasons, and his teams have reached the section title game fivetimes (four over the past fiveyears), winning twice. Munroe is 380-122 overall, a winning percentage of .757.

-- High-profile basketball transfer Keegan Hornbuckle of Campbell Hall of North Hollywood will face his former team when the Vikings play at Oaks Christian of Westlake Village at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a second-round playoff game..

Hornbuckle, a 6-6 sophomore who averages about 10 points and five rebounds per game, has come on strong during the second half of the season, helping Campbell Hall (25-1) to 17 consecutive victories, all but three by 15 points or more.

"Keegan has really stepped up for us. He's going to be a heck of a player," coach Terry Kelly said.

The team's other key transfer, high-scoring Dallas Rutherford from Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills, continues to be bothered by a knee injury. He has played sporadically this season, sitting out the past four games, including a first-round playoff victory New Roads of Santa Monica on Friday.

"Dallas just never has felt comfortable since coming back, and he keeps on getting the knee re-examined," Kelly said.

Robert Stock, who decided to forgo his senior season at Agoura High - and a possible million-dollar professional baseball contract as a high draft choice next summer - to attend USC a year early is getting playing time for the Trojans despite being just 17.

Stock entered this past weekend with two saves in two appearances, and was batting .217 with one home run in 23 at-bats as a part-time catcher. He has also played errorless defense.

"It was a good decision to come to USC," he said. "I'm a much better baseball player because of it, and I'm a better person, too."

Gerry Gittelson's column appears Sundays in the Daily News.

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CSUN student wants fans to go crazy
Gerry Gittelson, Columnist

Cal State Northridge's men's basketball team doesn't get much fan support, averaging fewer than 1,000 spectators per game at the Matadome, compared to more than 3,100 on the road.

Part of the reason is CSUN is just 11-13 - though 8-4 at home.

A bigger problem is the university is basically a commuter school, so it's never going to be like UCLA or USC even if the team were to go undefeated.

One man determined to inject some school spirit no matter Northridge's disadvantages is Ryan Ridley, a 22-year-old senior who leads a small but devoted group of rowdy student supporters.

He never misses a game and is a master trash-talker.

"I just love Division I basketball, and I love Cal State Northridge," Ridley said. "I want this to be like the Cameron Crazies at Duke. A thousand kids in a gym here can mean something."

Ridley was at his best Thursday in CSUN's 89-69 Big West victory against UC Riverside.

"How in the world did you beat Fullerton?" he barked at one of the UCR players. "You guys are garbage!"

There is hope CSUN can draw some extra fans to the Big West tournament in Anaheim next month, based on a special $5 student promotion that provides a ticket, transportation and a Matador T-shirt.
Information: jbm42304@csun.edu

Div. I state champion Canyon High's football dominance has continued, even during Super Bowl Sunday.

During halftime, Canyon lineman Mike Hollinger won an annual hot dog-eating contest at Route 66 restaurant in Canyon Country, edging teammate Nick Madia.

Give Hollinger props. He's just a 5-foot-10, 155-pound junior, while Madia, the event's defending champion, is 6-foot and 260 pounds, and also happens to be the Foothill League's strongest player, bench-pressing 395 pounds.

The Campbell Hall of North Hollywood boys' basketball team has climbed to No. 25 in USA Today's national rankings.

Here's a high school team that has gone from worst to first: After winning one game last season, the Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills girls' basketball team has made a nice comeback.

The Heritage League-champion Eagles, ranked No.5 in the Southern Section Div. V-A poll, are 14-9overall and 9-1 in league play.

Among the key players are Brittany Espinoza, Leila Meimandi and Jackie Habashy.

Coach Debbie Haliday was a three-year starter at UCLA and a member of the Bruins' national championship team in 1978.

In her senior season at national power UCLA, former Valencia High standout Jaisa Creps finally has cracked the starting lineup as a catcher.-

She's alternating with freshman Kaila Shull. The Bruins have played two games, with Creps going 0 for 2 in a 1-0 opening loss to Texas, followed by Shull going 1 for 2 with a home run in a 14-4 victory against Syracuse at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Baseball phenom Christian Lopes, a 13-year old from Santa Clarita who's ranked as the nation's No. 1 player in his age group, said he's moving from Golden Valley High's boundary area to Valencia's, specifically to play for the Vikings.

"I don't want to be a big fish in a small pond. I want to be a big fish in a big pond," Lopes said.

Lopes, who's 5-foot-9, can hit a baseball 400 feet, and his fastball already is close to 90mph. He's also a top football running back with blazing speed.

Gerry Gittelson's column appears Sundays in the Daily News.

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Taft's Johnson transfers to rival
Gerry Gittelson, Columnist

Exavier Johnson, one of the Southland's most prolific high school quarterbacks, has sent shockwaves through the local football landscape by transferring Friday from Taft of Woodland Hills to archrival Birmingham of Lake Balboa.

The two schools get players from Portola Junior High, so players from each high school know each other well.

For Johnson, it's a daring move to say the least, but he confirmed his family has gone so far as to switch residences so Johnson can be eligible instead of being forced to sit out his senior season because of transfer restrictions.

"Everyone is calling me a traitor. It's awkward, but I'll get used to it," Johnson said.

Johnson has passed for nearly 4,800 yards and 54 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He completed 55 percent of his passes for 3,071 yards and 39 touchdowns during his sophomore season, followed by 51 percent for 1,709 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. In Johnson's sophomore season, Taft advanced to the City Section final. Last year, Taft lost in the first round, as tension brewed between Johnson and Taft coach Troy Starr, according to Johnson.

"There's been some miscommunication with the coaches," Johnson said. "I want to go somewhere where they're organized and they know what they're doing."

Starr said he planned to replace Johnson at quarterback and move Johnson to defense.

"This is Exavier's decision but it's not a negative thing because I like the kid," Starr said. "He was moved to defense, and if he wanted to play quarterback he had to go to another school. All I can control is Taft. My history with quarterbacks speaks for itself."

Malcolm Smith, Taft's star senior running back/linebacker who's scheduled to sign Wednesday with USC, said there shouldn't be any animosity.

"I guess Exavier is doing what's best for him," Smith said. "We love Exavier, but you've got to do what's best for yourself. He was my friend before he came to Taft, so I wish him the best."

Birmingham is the defending City Section champion and returns 2,000-yard running back Milton Knox, one of California's top juniors.

Birmingham assistant Kertic Carruth called Exavier a "big-time transfer."

"We have to see how it all develops, but this is pretty big-time," Carruth said. "We definitely need a quarterback, so I can't knock it."

-- Speaking of high-profile football transfers, in the aftermath of Moorpark star running back Darrell Scott's transfer to state power St. Bonaventure of Ventura, Hart coach Mike Herrington has taken a stand. The coach has canceled a contracted nonleague game at St. Bonaventure next season, partly because Scott's mother had shopped her son to Hart - and Canyon - according to Herrington.

For Herrington, the whole thing just doesn't sit right. He already had wanted to play an opponent other than St. Bonaventure next season because they're now in the same Northern Division playoff grouping, and the Scott situation was the last straw.

"Actually, I knew about Canyon, too, but didn't bring that into the conversation (with St. Bonaventure coach Jon Mack)," Herrington said. "I can understand when a family moves and there's a legitimate transfer. Yes, they're moving, but parents shop around, that's just not correct. If you move into a new neighborhood, fine. But don't call coaches and shop kids around.

"Some will argue with me that parents have a right to do what's best for their child, and to an extent that's true. We just don't want to see a program torn down because a guy is transferring."

Herrington has been on the other side, too. Three years ago, his best returning player, offensive lineman Joe Bernardi, transferred out of state for family reasons. The coach had no choice but to wish Bernardi good luck, but Hart wasn't the same without him.

"We didn't just lose our center, we lost his leadership, too, and that was a big factor," Herrington said. "But the transfer itself was fine because it wasn't like Joe was going out and looking for the best place to play."

Herrington has taken a tough stance, but at this point he's still flexible if neither Hart nor St. Bonaventure can find a new opponent. If that happens, they might stick to the original plan and play each other - an exciting matchup considering Hart eliminated St. Bonaventure in the quarterfinals last season.

"Right now, we're both looking for games. I hope St. Bonnie makes as strong an effort as we have," Herrington said.

-- Valencia might have the strongest softball team in area history this season, based on the return of strikeout queen Jordan Taylor and a large group of returning Division I-bound sluggers, including infielders Jessica Spigner (Tennessee), Nicole Matson (Pacific) and Alyssa Ishibashi (North Carolina State) and outfielder Kristen Aidem (Michigan State) and Torrie Anderson (Cal State Fullerton).

The only thing left to do for Valencia is to win a Southern Section title - the Vikings came closest two seasons ago in a 2-0 championship-game loss to Royal of Simi Valley - and the team's place in history should be secured.

So loaded is Valencia this season that coach Donna Lee sees no reason for guarded optimism.

"I'm very pumped up," Lee said. "Our goal isn't just to get to the championship but to win it. I told the girls they're the best team in the CIF, and if their goal isn't to win a CIF title, then they should just hand in their uniform right now."

Gerry Gittelson's column appears Sundays in the Daily News.
gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

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BY GERRY GITTELSON, Staff Writer

Dallas Rutherford isn't shy about explaining why he transferred from tiny Hillcrest Christian High of Granada Hills to play basketball at high-powered Campbell Hall of North Hollywood this season.

"I wanted to play against the best competition, day in and day out," he said. "That's why I came here - to play against the best teams in the San Fernando Valley and the best in California. I'm comfortable here."

No complaints from Campbell Hall. The defending Southern Section Div. IV-AA finalist Vikings were good before, but they're better with Rutherford, a 6-foot-3 junior who averaged 22.2 points at Hillcrest Christian last season.

But the transition hasn't been perfectly smooth because of a recurring injury that kept Rutherford sidelined for seven weeks. At first, the knee injury was misdiagnosed and it took three doctors to figure out it was a broken knee cap. There was no choice but to rest it for nearly two months.

"It was the longest seven weeks of my life," said Rutherford, who has returned after averaging 16.5 points in two opening games before taking the rest.

"Now that I'm back, it feels good to have everything back to normal. Sitting on the bench kind of gave me a different perspective, and in some ways I think that was good for me."
It's been a week since his return, and Rutherford is finding his groove. He scored seven points in 14 minutes Tuesday against Calvary Chapel, and with four games remaining he should be at full strength for the Vikings (20-1) once the playoffs begin.

"He's a good player, a good shooter who's also good on defense," teammate Justin Holiday said. "He gets a lot of steals on defense, and that helps a lot because we're a fast-break team, and we like to run."

It's helped that Rutherford played summer ball with Justin and his brother Jrue, two of Campbell Hall's top players. Rutherford was so eager to join Campbell Hall's team that his family changed residences so he would be eligible immediately instead of having to sit out a year because of transfer restrictions.

Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly said he loves having another scoring threat who also has a firm grasp of team concepts. The coach is even more pleased about Rutherford's natural court sense - instincts that go beyond scoring, rebounding and passing.

"Dallas is definitely another offensive threat for us but what I really like is he's a very heady player," Kelly said. "He's got a good working knowledge of the game, and that's what impresses me the most about him. He's crafty and sly and just has a knack for basketball."

Rutherford has also blended in academically and socially, and that's important.

"The only thing left is to figure out exactly how Dallas fits into our rotation," Kelly said. "But I've already seen enough to know he's a Division I prospect without doubt. Some Pac-10 schools are already looking at him.

"When he was hurt, you could tell he just wasn't the same guy, so we're really excited to have him back."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

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