Prep Review / Steve Scott : Fallbrook’s White Leaves After 11 Titles

FALLBROOK —  Before Buck White came to Fallbrook High School, the Warrior girls basketball team had never won a league title. Since his arrival, however, Fallbrook has won 11 straight championships.

And, as with the case of many successful coaches, White has decided to advance to the college level. He has accepted the women’s coaching position at Mira Costa College for next season.

“After 11 years,” White said, “I thought it would be nice to give the college ranks a shot. I’d like to think this would lead into something like a major college job. If I thought it would be a dead end job, I never would’ve agreed to leave Fallbrook.”

White, 33, was offered the Mira Costa job after the first of the year, but decided to finish the 1984-85 season at Fallbrook.

“I was emphatic about staying with this team,” White said. “I had three seniors that I’ve had for four years. There was no way I was going to leave them halfway through the season.”

Those three seniors, Nicole Jann, Kathy Trujillo and Shawna Cowan, helped the Warriors advance to the San Diego Section final, the fifth time White’s team has played in the championship game. Fallbrook lost to Point Loma, 86-52, in the title game last week.

“I’m not upset by the loss,” White said. “I’m proud of the girls. No newspaper, no coaches, nobody picked us to win our league before the season started. They’re a classy group of kids.”

The players have a mutual feeling toward their coach.

Said Jann: “He’s really a nice guy. He’s more than just a coach to us. He’s a friend and sometimes a father-figure.”

White, a San Diego State graduate, will continue to teach physical education at Fallbrook. He said he enjoys coaching women’s basketball.

“The girls are really hungry for coaching,” White said. “They are real appreciative of your time.”

State regionals: San Diego will be the site of two games in the CIF Southern California Regional basketball playoffs. The Crenshaw High (Los Angeles) boys (21-0), the state’s top-ranked team, will play San Diego 3-A champion Poway (24-1) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mira Mesa High. The Crenshaw girls (15-3) will play Point Loma (25-0), the San Diego 3-A girls champions, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Point Loma High.

Soccer stars: The finest San Diego area prep soccer players will play in the 2-A vs. 3-A All-Star game March 16 at San Diego High. The 2-A and 3-A girls teams will play at 5 p.m., the boys will play at 7.

Spring sports: The Hilltop-Moose and the Grossmont-Metro-City tournaments will begin on Tuesday. . . . Two track and field invitationals are scheduled this month. The girls-only Tiger Relays will be held on March 16 at Morse High. The Canada Dry-Mustang Relays will be held at San Dieguito High on March 23.