Spring Sports Notebook : Taylor Decided to Leave While Team Won

Coach Chris Taylor has resigned as basketball coach at Ventura High, a surprising decision considering his teams won 41 games the past two seasons.

What is even more shocking, however, was the time Taylor says he first thought of quitting. It was in January, right in the middle of Ventura’s 15-game winning streak.

“Everything got so out of perspective,” Taylor said. “I was consumed by it.”

Taylor, who was 51-24 in three seasons as coach, said family considerations will take precedence over coaching.

“I want to make sure I see my daughter grow up,” he said. “Coaching takes so much time. I didn’t get to go see my kid’s soccer games. Those things are more important to me right now.

“I’ll miss the kids and being around the game, but the decision had to be made.”

Taylor also will leave his position as Ventura’s assistant baseball coach. If he does any coaching, he said, it will be for his daughter’s teams or as a volunteer in a situation where he does not have to make a time commitment.

Taylor was recently promoted to counselor at Ventura, and that also was considered in his decision. “It seems to me that it would be difficult to do both well,” he said.

Applications for the basketball coaching position are being accepted, but no deadline for the selection has been set because their is no teaching position currently available.

Taylor said he and assistant Dave Meyer will coach the team during the spring and summer until a replacement is found.

“It’s a great situation for someone,” Taylor said. “It just isn’t for me at this time.”

Swinging singles: Kennedy Pedroza of Buena High won the singles’ title at the Channel League tennis championships last week.

He advances to the Southern Section individual sectionals on Saturday at Thousand Oaks High. The top four from each of the four sectionals advance to the round of 16, May 27 at the Fountain Valley Racquet Club. The semifinals and finals are at the same site the following day.

Ceballos signs: Cedric Ceballos of Ventura College, the state junior college scoring champion, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Cal State Fullerton.

The 6-7 All-American forward from Dominguez High in Compton averaged 28.5 points and 11.2 rebounds for Ventura last season. Ceballos helped Ventura to the state championship as a freshman.

He chose Fullerton over Cal State Long Beach, a rival Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. school.

Ventura Coach Phil Mathews is a former Fullerton assistant. The Titans were 12-17 overall last season, 7-11 in the PCAA.

Law Run: Martin Navarro was the overall winner in the fifth annual Law Day 5-K run at the Ventura County Courthouse in Ventura with a time of 15:52.

Sponsored by the Ventura County Bar Assn. and Noon and Pratt Deposition Reporters, the event benefited charities. The 147 participants included judges, lawyers and other members of the legal community competing in 26 different age and ability categories.