HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : At Crespi, Early Exit Isn’t End

What does a highly dedicated basketball team do when, in the minds of the players, the season comes to a premature end?

In Crespi’s case, the players simply stay busy.

“Obviously, the kids are disappointed, but they don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves,” Coach Paul Muff said. “Three guys were on the baseball team the next morning, another is out for golf and another is on the track team.”

The Celts, who were 20-5 and had a perfect record in the Del Rey League, were knocked off by St. Bernard, 60-57, Friday night in the Southern Section 5-A quarterfinals.

“We were up by four at halftime but should have led by at least 10,” Muff said. “They caught up early in the third and slowed the ball down, forcing us to abandon our zone defense.”

Muff, who is also Crespi’s athletic director, hasn’t had time to wallow in sorrow, either. “I’ve had an excuse for not doing the athletic budget for weeks,” he said. “It’s back to reality now.”

Heir ball: Crespi forward Steve Tanin, who averaged nine points and eight rebounds a game, has made a verbal commitment to UC Davis, Muff said.

Tanin was the leader of the Celts, as his name would imply. According to Tanin, and the dictionary, a tanist in ancient Ireland was the elected heir of a living Celtic chief.

“When Steve spoke, the team listened,” Muff said. “He had a calming influence. And if there was a problem with anyone, often I would go to Steve and discuss it first.”

A low landing: Granada Hills, the second-seeded team in the City 3-A, also made an unexpectedly early exit from the playoffs.

Many observers believed that the Highlanders, who were 18-4, had the right blend of talent to make the finals. They had a dominant center in Gary Gray, a hard-rebounding forward in sinewy Dennis Bishop, a smart, big guard in Sam Puathasnanon and a high-scoring small guard in Terrell Smith.

“Sure, we’re disappointed,” Coach Bob Johnson said. “But we’re pointing to next season.”

So are the players. Of the four mentioned above, only Bishop is a senior.

Junior circuit: Look for the Northwest Valley League to remain strong next season. Six of the 10 players receiving all-league mention are juniors.

In addition to Gary Gray, Sam Puathasnanon and Terrell Smith of Granada Hills, San Fernando’s Shelton Boykin and Sean Declouet, and Birmingham’s Keith Owens will return. Gray was the league’s most valuable player.

He’s got the hot, hot. He’s got the cool, cool. (Clap, clap.) He’s McMVP: Paul McCully of Thousand Oaks has been named the Marmonte League’s most valuable player on offense in soccer. A senior, McCully led the surprising Lancers to a 21-5-3 record going into Tuesday night’s Southern Section 4-A semifinal with Simi Valley.

He had an assist and a goal in Thousand Oaks’ 2-1 upset win over Culver City last Friday in the quarterfinals.

Simi Valley’s John Spach was chosen the league’s most valuable player on defense.

Little Tigers: At 98 and 105 pounds, respectively, San Fernando wrestlers Jonas Robledo and David Yziguirre may look like kittens. But put them on a wrestling mat and they scratch and claw like alley cats.

Robledo captured his second straight City title Saturday night at El Camino Real by pinning Polytechnic’s Oscar Gonzalez in 2:49. Yziguirre took a 5-0 decision in an upset of Canoga Park’s Ricky Olivas.

San Fernando’s Ronald Drake (131) also won a City championship, for the second year in a row, and was named the City’s most valuable wrestler.

Add wrestling: Valley-area wrestlers took eight of 13 City titles. Nineteen of the 26 wrestlers who made the finals were from Valley schools, including six from El Camino Real.

By contrast, no Valley-area wrestlers took Southern Section championships last Saturday at the Masters meet in Westminster. In fact, none even made it to the finals.

Westlake’s Steve Fuess (136) and Rio Mesa’s Brian McCarty (195) both finished third.

What do they feed those guys in Simi Valley?: First, sophomores Don MacLean (6-8) and Shawn DeLaittre (6-5) dominated the Marmonte League in basketball.

Now comes 15-year-old Scott Sharts, a 6-5, 205-pound baseball player.

Sharts, who led a Pony League team to a national championship two years ago, hit his first varsity home run Saturday against Santa Monica in the El Segundo tournament.

Simi Valley won the game, 14-6. Expect the Pioneers to keep on winning. They won their first 18 games last season en route to a 24-5 record, and Coach Mike Scyphers believes this year’s Pioneer wagon has increased horsepower.

And firepower.

Scott Radinsky, a senior pitcher, has thrown 93 m.p.h. He gave up just one hit and struck out 15 in his first start this season.

The Sisco Kid: Another sophomore to watch is Thousand Oaks shortstop Steve Sisco.

Rod Stillwell graduated last year, and Coach Jim Hansen has handed Sisco the job.

“He has the range to be a real good one,” Hansen said. “Steve’s also intense. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”

Sisco’s father, Bob, is a former high school coach at Westlake and University.