Baseball and track and field continued to feel the effects of the World War II with shorter seasons and limited participation.

Teachers and students were answering the call from Uncle Sam and leaving for the military.  Allied forces continued to fight fierce battles in Europe and the Pacific.

No official count of the number of baseball games were played, but practice games and nonleague encounters sometimes went unreported or weren’t published by the shrinking staffs of The San Diego Union, Evening Tribune, and The Daily Journal.

San Diego, Hoover, and Sweetwater tied for first in Victory League baseball, each with a 3-1 league record.  Track and field managed to complete a full season with a combined championship day for the Southern Section and Los Angeles City Section.

The sections competed separately before a crowd of about 15,000 in the L.A. Coliseum.

Thirteen days after the final track meet the war took a historic turn in Europe, with D-Day and the Normandy invasion.

(Bold type for Track, Light for Baseball)

 4/2/44

San Diego defeated Hoover, 57 2/3-46 1/3, in a dual meet that did not count in Victory League competition. 

Ralph Phillips of the Hillers won the 100-yard dash in :10.1 and 220 in :23.1.  Sophomore Norman Stocks won the 440 in :52.2 and anchored a 1:35 victory in the 880-yard relay.

Vocational dropped a 5-1 decision at Golden Hill Playground to the San Diego junior varsity, whose Luis Urquidi had five hits in five times at bat.

4/4/44

Jack Harshman collected four of San Diego’s 10 hits but the Hillers were beaten by the Coast Guard base team, 11-4, at Golden Hill.

4/5/44

The Point Loma varsity combined two hits, two errors and a walk for three runs, and defeated the San Diego High JV, 4-2.

4/11/44

Hoover dropped a 7-1 decision to the visiting Camp Kearny Marines.

—Byron Ward homered and his triple scored Don Sparling in the 10^th inning as Sweetwater outlasted Camp Miramar, 6-5, on the Red Devils’ diamond.

4/13/44

Lee Singleton’s single scored Tom Maheras and George Caswell in the first inning and that was enough as host Hoover beat Point Loma, 4-0, in a Victory League opening game.

The Cardinals rolled behind the four-hit pitching of Dick Barnes, who struck out 11 and didn’t allow a base runner after the fourth inning.

4/14/44

San Diego scored 6 runs each in the first and second innings and pounded out 14 hits in an 18-0 execution of Vocational on the Balboa Stadium diamond.

—The Fort Rosecrans team bunched two-base hits in the sixth inning at Hoover and defeated the Cardinals, 1-0.

Grossmont’s James Wood won the 70-yard high hurdles, next to last event of the meet, in :10 and the Foothillers dominated the field events to edge San Diego, which won all races on the track, 54-50.

—Hoover was a 52 ½-50 ½ winner over La Jolla and led the Victory League with a 5-0 record, followed by Grossmont and San Diego, each 4-1.  Top mark was the 21-foot, 6 ½-inch broad jump by the Cardinals’ Jack Norberg.

4/18/44

Victor Salazar scored from second base on a fly-ball out by Carl Goodwalt and San Diego defeated Fort Rosecrans, 5-4, in Balboa Stadium.

Bud Andrews and Bob Marr each won two events and La Jolla topped Sweetwater, 66 ½-37 ½.  Grossmont beat Point Loma, 62-42.

4/21/44

Hoover (6-0) swept the broad jump and shot put and took four other first places plus a tie for first to clinch a tie for the Victory League dual meet championship, 55 ½-48 ½, over San Diego (4-2) on the Cardinals’ oval.

Thirty-two combined base hits and 10 combined errors later San Diego stood 2-0 in the Victory League after a 16-11 victory at Point Loma.

The Hilltoppers struck 21 base hits and put the game away with a five-run seventh inning.

4/25/44

Three Sweetwater pitchers, Castro, Johnson, and Don Sparling held Point Loma to three hits and Sweetwater made the most of eight hits to score an 8-0 victory on the Pointers’ diamond.

4/26/44

Charlie Harris gave up four runs but survived a seventh-inning uprising as Point Loma defeated the San Diego Electric Railway team, 9-4.

(The Electric Railway operated in San Diego from 1892 until 1949, when trolley cars gave way to buses and the continually expanding use of automobiles).

—Hoover capitalized on singles by Tom Maheras and Don Brorson, a walk to Lee Singleton, and a wild pitch in the sixth inning propelling the Cardinals to a 2-0 victory over a team identified as Kearny Ship’s Company and not affiliated with Kearny High.

4/28/44

Outhit, 10-7, San Diego took advantage of 11 Sweetwater errors to score a 13-7 victory on the Red Devils’ diamond.

—John Brody struck out 15 and St. Augustine scored six runs in the fifth inning en route to a 10-7 win at Point Loma.

—Idle Hoover backed into its second straight Victory League dual meet championship when coach Dave Rebd’s Cardinals rested and La Jolla went to the foothills and defeated Grossmont (5-2), 60 ½-43 ½.

The Cardinals (6-0) had one meet remaining, versus Coronado the following week.

—San Diego won 10 of 11 events, routing Kearny, 92-11.  Ted Simpson won the 880 in 2:09, Norman Stocks the 440 in :52.6, and Pasqual Buono the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, 4 inches.

—Bob Seiben won the 440, broad jump and 220 low hurdles but didn’t get much help as Point Loma topped Sweetwater, 67-37.

4/30/44

The city’s Civil War was five days away and coaches Bob Breitbard (Hoover) and John Brose (San Diego) were setting their lineups for the three-game series that would not count in Victory League standings.

San Diego, Hoover, and Sweetwater were tied for first in the abbreviated campaign.

5/2/44

Hoover closed a 7-0 dual meet season with a 92-11 victory over Coronado that was its 14th in a row since 1943.  Jack Norberg was a triple winner, :09.8 70-yard high hurdles, :13.5 120 lows, and 21-4 ½ broad ump.

Runners-up in the standings were San Diego, Grossmont, and La Jolla, each 5-2, while Grossmont (7-0) swept Classes B and C.

—Hoover’s Dick Barnes and Marty Gaughan combined to pitch the first perfect game in Victory League history, 7-0 over Vocational on Golden Hill Playground.

Barnes pitched the first three innings and Gaughan the last six, striking out 8 and walking one.  Lee Singleton and Frank Smith each had two hits and drove in three runs.

5/4/44

Al Smith allowed six hits but Point Loma committed eight errors and dropped a 6-4 decision to the Camp Kearny Liberators on the Pointers’ diamond.

5/5/44

Carl Hurlbach kept Hoover in check on five hits and benefitted from a San Diego attack that scored nine runs in the final three innings for a 13-5 victory in the first of the best-of-three City series at Hoover.

A five-run ninth against Cardinals pitchers Bill Ruzich and Marty Gaughan highlighted by Louie Dukes’ two-run double clinched the win.

5/6/44

VICTORY LEAGUE FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

San Diego won the team championship with 36 points, followed by La Jolla, which had 28, and Hoover 18½.  Grossmont had 18 1/6, Sweetwater, 13 1/3, Coronado 11, Point Loma, 3, and Kearny, 1.

Jack Norberg of Hoover was the individual star with 13 points, winning the 120-yard low hurdles in :13.3 and broad jump at 20 feet, 10 inches, and placing second to the :09.3 by Don Nelson of Grossmont in the 70-yard high hurdles.

San Diego’s two first places were the :53.1 440 by Norman Stocks and the 5-11 3/8 high jump that tied Ivan Robinson with La Jolla’s Don Ide.

Ray Turnipseed of Coronado was a double sprint winner, running the 100 in :10.2 and 220 in :22.7.

La Jolla’s Bob Marr, Phil Prather, Bob Faniel, and Bud Andrews raced to a season-best 1:32 in the 880-yard relay.

5/19/44

Lefthander Bill Ruzich stopped San Diego on three hits and Hoover, scoring three runs each in the eighth and ninth innings, evened the City series at one win apiece, 6-1, in Balboa Stadium.

—Don Sparling singled, doubled and tripled and Bob Rinkleib drove in four runs, and Sweetwater hammered visiting Point Loma, 15-2.

Jack Norberg of Hoover ran :15.8 in the 120-yard high hurdles and :25.2 in the 220 lows at Sweetwater to qualify for those events in the May 27 CIF Southern Section championships in Los Angeles.

Norberg and other Victory League athletes did not run the highs or the longer-distance race during the  season, instead competing in the 70-yard highs and 120 lows.

Don Nelson of Grossmont and Bob Marr of La Jolla also qualified for the CIF meet.

5/24/44

The venue for a rare, wartime night game was Lane Field and San Diego clinched the City series with its second win in three games over Hoover, 18-11.

Jack Harshman had four hits, including a home-run with the bases loaded in an eight-run sixth inning, to lead the Hilltoppers, who trailed, 8-1, after the Cardinals scored six in the fourth inning.

Harshman also had a double and two singles and the Hillers were ahead, 18-7, after seven innings.

Dick Barnes hit a bases-empty home run in the ninth for Hoover.

5/26/44

—Don Nelson was a surprise winner and the only local gold medalist in Class A when the Grossmont hurdler won at 220 yards in :24.9 in front of a crowd of approximately 15,000 persons in the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the Southern and L.A. City Sections combined their championships for a total of 66 events in Classes A, B, and C.

CLASS A MEDALISTS

—Ray Turnipseed of Coronado, third in the 100-yard dash to the winning :09.7 and tied for second to the winning :21.4 in the 220.

—Jack Norberg, Hoover, third to the winning :15.8 in the 120-yard high hurdles.

—Ivan Robinson, San Diego, third at 5-11 in the high jump to the winning 6-1 ¾. Don Ide, La Jolla, tied for fifth at 5-8.

—Don Nelson, Grossmont, first in the 220-yard low hurdles in :24.9.

—Gilbert Martin, Grossmont, fourth in the shot put at 47 feet, 7 3/8 inches to the winning 52-6 1/2.

—La Jolla, fifth in the 880-yard relay to the winning 1:31.2.

Inglewood outscored Beverly Hills, 23-22, for the team championship. La Jolla was fourth with 9 ½.

 

Looking Back:  The narrative originally was posted on Nov. 25, 2018. 

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 (Butch) 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 Vickery 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 win 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 League 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 for 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIRLS

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIVISION II

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2 P.M.

7 Rancho Bernardo 37 (26-8), vs. 1 Caruthers, Central, 56 (26-6), @Sacramento Golden 1 Center.

D-III

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2 P.M.

5 Mater Dei 38 (21-14), vs. 3 Kentfield Marin Catholic, North Coast, 48 (26-11), @Sacramento Golden 1 Center.

REGIONAL FINALS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

D-II

7 Rancho Bernardo 35 (26-7), @1 Porterville Monache, Central, 25 (25-9).

D-III

5 Mater Dei (21-13) 51, @2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, L.A. City, 38 (16-15).

Two San Diego Section girls teams are still standing: Number seven seed Rancho Bernardo and No. 5 Mater Dei.

The Bronchos and Crusaders will take underdog status on the road again in the State CIF Southern Regional Division II and III finals Tuesday, March 11.

R.B. (25-7), after a five-hour, 287-mile jaunt and 44-37 victory at D-II No. 6 Arroyo Grande, has a 272-mile trip to Porterville and home of the No. 1, 25-8 Monache Marauders of the Central Section.

Porterville is about 65 miles north of Bakersfield and 70 miles southeast of Fresno, located at the base of the Sierra-Nevada mountains on the eastern fringe of the San Joaquin Valley.

Monache is no hick school in the boondocks.  It has an enrollment of almost 2,000 students and Porterville is a city of more than 60,000 residents, according to Wikipedia.

The Broncos and Marauders have one common opponent.  Monache defeated Arroyo Grande, 57-46, in a home game in January.

ANOTHER HIGH SEED

Mater Dei’s travel itinerary is less daunting than Rancho Bernardo’s.  The Crusaders  went north 150 miles and defeated D-III top seed L.A. Palisades, 57-55, at Lake Balboa Birmingham in the San Fernando Valley and now take on No. 2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, 155 miles away on U.S. 101.

The Crusaders (20-13) also defeated No 12 Bakersfield Liberty, 66-48, and No. 4 Carlsbad, 59-52, along the way.  The El Camino Real Royals (16-14) dispatched No. 15 Shafter, 54-50, No. 10 Culver City, 65-45, and No. 3 Los Angeles Garfield, 64-47.

Upsets/surprises highlighted:

GIRLS

REGIONAL FINALS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

DIVISION II

7 Rancho Bernardo (25-7), @1 Porterville Monache, Central, (25-8).

D-III

5 Mater Dei (20-13), @2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, L.A. City, (16-14).

SEMIFINALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

D-II

7 Rancho Bernardo 44 (25-7), @6 Arroyo Grande, Southern, 37 (18-11).

D-III

5 Mater Dei 57 (20-13), 1 Palisades 55, L.A. City, (17-16), @Lake Balboa Birmingham.

QUARTERFINALS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

14 Westview 34 (21-10), @6 L.A. Brentwood, Southern, 68 (27-8).

D-III

5 Irvine Portola, Southern, 57 (19-15), @4 El Capitan (24-7) 49.

6 Arroyo Grande, Southern, 68 (18-10), @3 Cathedral 54 (20-10).

10 Alhambra Mark Keppel, Southern, 37 (25-10), @7 Rancho Bernardo 41 (24-7).

5 Mater Dei 59 (19-13), @4 Carlsbad 52 (20-13).

11 Crawford 54 (19-15), @3 Riverside Hillcrest, Southern, 56 (23-6).

BOYS

SEMIFINALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 8.

D-III

7 Mira Mesa 57 (28-7), @6 Pasadena Maranatha, Southern, 77 (17-17).

QUARTERFINALS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

5 Carlsbad 54 (26-7) @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern, 79 (24-10).

15 Torrey Pines 39 (24-7), @7 Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Southern, 44 (31-4).

D-II

5 Bakersfield Christian, Central, 61 (23-8), @4 Santa Fe Christian 53 (23-8).

6 Francis Parker 59 (19-12), @3 Chatsworth, L.A. City, 80 (24-8).

8 St. Augustine 67 (19-15), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern, 68 (24-10).

D-III

15 Lake Balboa Birmingham, L.A. City, 56 (16-14), @7 Mira Mesa 65 (28-6).

D-V

7 Math & Science College Prep, L.A. City, 73 (24-7), @2 Pacific Ridge 43 (29-3).

 

Highs and lows in the San Diego Section’s opening round foray into the state regional playoffs.

The highs:

Torrey Pines coach John Olive maintained a genial presence despite three straight losses in December to San Diego Section teams Mission Bay, San Marcos, and La Jolla Country Day.

A 14-1 finish for a 23-6 record, with a benign intersectional schedule, resulted in the Falcons taking a 15-seed punch in the nose into their first round game against 2 seed Orange County power Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Falcons responded with a 66-59 road victory. Torrey was behind, 23-14 after one quarter.  A strong mid-game and  19-9 fourth quarter pushed Olive’s club to the most surprising first-round win by any team in Division I.

St. Augustine coach Mike Haupt also did some maintaining.  The Saints got off to a 3-12 start as some personnel was injured or unavailable.

Haupt’s club rallied with a 15-2 January-February run and continued with a 60-40 win over visiting Canyon Country Canyon in a match between 9 and 8 seeds in D-II.

Westview’s girls were 14^th in a D-I matchup with the Hamilton Yankees of Los Angeles.  The Wolverines’ stout defense held Hamilton to a 23 per cent field goal percentage in a 45-42 win.

The Lows:

Fourteen seed Los Angeles Washington stunned host and third-ranked Eastlake, 46-45, in Boys Division III.

Number 13 Garden Grove Pacifica ousted 4 seed Maranatha, 55-50, in Boys D-IV.

Montgomery and Mission Hills  were blown out in boys’ and girls’ Open Division games and No. 2 Grossmont was stung by No. 15 Alhambra Mark Keppel in Girls’ D-II.

Overall, San Diego Section boys teams were 6-10 against opponents from the vast Southern Section and the L.A. City and Central sections.

Girls were 6-7 against the Southern and L.A. City.

Tougher opponents loom.

Upsets highlighted below.

BOYS FIRST ROUND

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

D-I

9 Mission Bay 60 (21-10), @8 Santa Barbara, Southern, 72 (26-7).

12 Anaheim Fairmont Prep, Southern, 55 (22-10), @5 Carlsbad 59 (26-6).

13 San Marcos 56 (25-5), @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern, 80 (23-10).

11 Cathedral 72 (20-11), @6 Los Alamitos, Southern, 84 (26-8).

15 Torrey Pines 66 (24-6), @2 Rancho Santa Margarita, Southern, 59 (23-9).

D-II

16 Sage Creek 52 (21-10), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern, 80 (23-10).

9 Canyon Country Canyon, Southern, 40 (24-10), @8 St. Augustine 60 (19-14).

13 Victory Christian 50 (18-15), @4 Santa Fe Christian 55 (23-7).

11 Irvine, Southern, 62 (29-4), @6 Francis Parker 63 (19-11).

15 La Jolla Country Day 47 (17-14), @2 Westchester, L.A. City, 70 (23-9).

D-III

14 Washington, L.A. City, 46 (18-9), @3 45 Olympian (26-7).

10 San Dimas, Southern, 57 (20-13), @7 Mira Mesa 60 (27-6).

D-IV

9 Riverside Ramona, Southern, 64 (27-7), @8 San Diego Southwest 62 (25-8).

13 Garden Grove Pacifica, Southern, 55 (23-11), @4 Maranatha 50 (17-16).

14 Tri-City 54 (20-10), @3 Sun Valley Poly, L.A. City, 60 (23-10).

D-V

15 Santa Ana Saddleback, Southern, 48 (14-15), @2 Pacific Ridge 65 (29-2).

OPEN DIVISION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

6 Montgomery 56 (29-3), @3 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Southern 76 (26-7).

QUARTERFINALS PAIRINGS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

5 Carlsbad (26-6), @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern (23-10).

15 Torrey Pines (24-6), @7 Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Southern (30-4).

D-II

5 Bakersfield Christian, Central, (22-8), @4 Santa Fe Christian (23-7).

6 Francis Parker (19-11), @3 Chatsworth, L.A. City (23-8).

8 St. Augustine (19-14), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern (23-10).

D-III

15 Lake Balboa Birmingham, L.A. City (16-13), @7 Mira Mesa (27-6).

D-V

7 L.A. Math & Science College Prep, L.A. City (23-7), @2 Pacific Ridge (29-2).

GIRLS FIRST ROUND

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

D-I

9 Studio City Harvard-Westlake, Southern 60 (24-7), @8 Francis Parker (20-10) 57.

14 Westview 45 (21-9), @3 Hamilton, L.A. City 42 (26-3).

11 La Jolla Country Day 63 (17-12), @6 L.A. Brentwood (Southern) 74 (26-8).

D-II

12 Victory Christian 46 (18-14), @5 Irvine Portola, Southern 62 (18-15).

13 Rancho Buena Vista 54 (23-10), @4 El Capitan 62 (24-6).

14 Hesperia Oak Hills, Southern 52 (18-13), @3 Cathedral 53 (20-9).

10 Fullerton Rosary, Southern 35 (18-14), @7 Rancho Bernardo 38. (22-7).

15 Alhambra Mark Keppel 51 (25-9), Southern @ 2 Grossmont 46 (22-5).

D-III

12 Bakersfield Liberty 40 (17-13), Southern @5 Mater Dei 66 (18-13).

13 Escondido Charter 63 (23-10), @4 Carlsbad 73 (20-12).

9 Cerritos 58 (17-17), Southern @8 Christian 67 (25-4).

D-V
16 Santana 45 (25-7), @1 La Palma Kennedy (18-13), Southern 55.

11 Crawford 49 (18-14), @6 Ojai Nordhoff 36 (18-8), Southern.

OPEN DIVISION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

5 Mission Hills 26 (23-9), @4 Chatsworth Sierra Canyon 71 (28-2), Southern.

Coach Ed Martin thought he should get a home game for his San Diego Section champion Montgomery Aztecs (29-2) in the first round of the state regional Open Division playoffs Wednesday, March 5.

The No. 6 Aztecs got a decidedly less attractive assignment,  a road test at 3 seed and Cal-Hi Sports state second-ranked Sherman Oaks Notre Dame   Carlsbad, No. 2 in John Maffei’s final The San Diego Union poll below, will take a 5 seed into its home game against No. 12 Anaheim Fairmont Prep Tuesday, March 4.

Max Preps’ and Cal-Hi Sports’ previous rankings followed by slash.

	TEAM	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS	MAXPREPS	CAL-HI SPORTS
1	Montgomery	29-2 (18)	180	1	11/11	14/15
2	Carlsbad	25-6	158	4	24/31	24/25
3	St. Augustine	18-14	117	6	53/144	NR/NR
4	Cathedral	20-10	116	5	74/87	NR/On Bubble
5	Mission Bay	21-9	99	7	57/58	On Bubble/NR
6	San Marcos	25-4	96	2	48/31	On Bubble/Bubble
7	Torrey Pines	23-6	91	4	56/41	On Bubble/Bubble
8	Olympian	26-6	60	9	43/52	NR-NR
9	Santa Fe Christian	22-7	44	88	82/60	NR-NR
10	Victory Christian	18-14	18	NR	106	NR-NR

Others receiving votes
Francis Parker (18-11, 7 points), La Jolla Country Day (17-13), Sage Creek (21-9), Mira Mesa (26-6), San Diego (24-6), Maranatha (17-15), Pacific Ridge (28-2), 1 point each.

Voting panel: 18 sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators who cover the San Diego Section, plus MaxPreps:

John Maffei (Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-time hoops).
Steve Brand,  Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance correspondents).
Todd Cassen (CIF office).
Rick Smith (Partletonsports.com).
Joe Evangelist (Coaching Legends).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference).
Rex Johnson (CIF Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
John Kentera, Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Eric Williams, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).