THE 80s : Top Names / Best Teams / Biggest Moments

1980

Inglewood High basketball team goes undefeated, named mythical national champ under Coach Vince Combs. Guard Ralph Jackson is player of the year and prep All-American. . . . Banning wins fifth straight City 4-A football title. Running backs Michael Alo and Danny Andrews are prep All-Americans. . . . El Camino College quarterback Todd Hons leads the nation in passing, named first-team All-American. . . . Loyola Marymount basketball team goes to NCAA Tournament, then fires first-year Coach Ron Jacobs in grades dispute. Jacobs sues, settles out of court. . . . Mira Costa girls win first of six CIF volleyball titles in decade, Tracy Seyring named CIF player of year.

1981

Banning and Coach Chris Ferragamo win unprecedented sixth consecutive City 4-A football title. . . . El Camino College under Coach Paul Landreaux wins state basketball title and leads nation in defense. . . . Center Mark Acres of Palos Verdes named top basketball player in Southern California. . . . Dave Yanai leads Cal State Dominguez Hills to 20-5 record and first California Collegiate Athletic Assn. basketball title, makes first appearance in Division II Western Regional.

1982

Carson High, led by prep All-American Eldridge Hudson, wins first state basketball tournament. In City 4-A semis and finals he gets 59 points and 39 rebounds. . . . Carson football team ends Banning’s title streak, wins City 4-A championship behind player of year QB Al Washington. . . . Fred Petersen coaches West Torrance football team to 14-0 season and Coastal Conference title. Kicker John Combis’ 60 PATs one short of CIF season record. . . . Mira Costa girls volleyball team wins state title led by CIF player of year Barbara Fontana. . . . Loyola Marymount opens Gersten Pavilion. . . . Tim Green of El Camino College named All-American quarterback. . . . Hawthorne wins first of five consecutive CIF track titles. . . . Kirsten O’Hara of Palos Verdes wins first of two straight CIF 4-A cross-country titles.

1983

Ron Barber’s baseline shot at the buzzer beats Crenshaw, gives Banning upset victory in City 4-A basketball final. . . . Gardena running back Gaston Green the City football player of the year but Banning is back in 4-A title seat, winning for seventh time in eight years led by junior QB Jamelle Holieway. . . . Hawthorne wins first of six state track titles. Sophomore Henry Thomas wins state 200 and anchors winning 1,600 relay. Hawthorne girls win CIF 3-A title and state 400 relay. . . . Morningside girls win CIF 4-A title behind player of the year Lynn Sherow. . . . Mira Costa girls repeat as 4-A volleyball champs, Wendy Fletcher is CIF player of the year. . . . Carin Jennings leads Palos Verdes to 4-A soccer title, is CIF all-time scorer in career (225 goals) and season (61). . . . Scoring legend Greg Goorjian, at his third college, debuts for Loyola Marymount, leads WCAC in scoring (28.3 points).

1984

Hawthorne wins second straight state track title as junior Henry Thomas sets state records in 100 (10.44) and 200 (20.77) and anchors fastest schoolboy 1,600 relay in history. Raymond Young wins state high hurdles. . . . Banning’s Jamelle Holieway is prep All-American but Carson win City football title. . . . El Camino College women go undefeated, win state volleyball title for Coach Sharkie Zartman. . . . South Torrance wins 4-A baseball title as player of year Chris Donnels sets CIF record for RBIs (56). . . . Redondo’s Paul Johnson pitches consecutive no-hitters. . . . Harbor College wins state baseball title for Coach Jim O’Brien. . . . Mira Costa wins boys 4-A volleyball title led by CIF player of the year Jason McFarland. . . . Kirsten O’Hara of Palos Verdes wins state title in 3,200 meters. . . . Loyola basketball star Forrest McKenzie leads WCAC in scoring (21.1).

1985

Carson’s Gene Vollnogle becomes first football coach in state history to win 250 games, but Banning wins City 4-A title. . . . Paul Landreaux guides El Camino College to its second state basketball title and state’s best defensive average. . . . Banning’s Lisa Bautista sets national schoolgirl softball record with seven straight no-hitters, throws 16 for season. . . . Ron Barber is All-American QB at El Camino College, throws for school-record 467 yards against Taft. . . . Loyola junior Keith Smith leads WCAC in scoring (25.1). . . . Leuzinger wins Desert-Mountain Conference football title, QB Mike Reddington is conference player of year. . . . Hawthorne wins third straight state track title, Mike Marsh wins state 200. . . . Palos Verdes girls win first of five straight 4-A cross-country titles. . . . Mira Costa girls win second state volleyball title behind 5-A player of year Lindsey Hahn. . . . Torrance sophomore Shannon Maddock scores CIF record eight goals in one game, is 4-A soccer player of year. . . . Jim Lynam hired as Loyola basketball coach, resigns two months later. Paul Westhead hired. . . . Hawthorne junior Tami Stiles wins state 200 dash.

1986

Loyola Marymount baseball team under Dave Snow wins 50 games, Western Regional and goes to College World Series. Billy Bean and Tim Layana named ll-Americans. . . . Loyola basketball team wins 19 games, defeats Cal in NIT. Forrest McKenzie leads WCAC in scoring (19.6), becomes school’s first 2,000-point scorer. . . . Carson returns as City football champ behind player of year running back Alvin Goree. . . . Chadwick wins CIF Eight-Man football title behind player of year Jeff Kaufman. . . . Serra’s Keith Malone is CIF 5-A basketball player of year. . . . Baseball Coach Andy Lopez leads Dominguez Hills to first of two straight CCAA titles. . . . Torrance girls soccer team allows only seven goals for season, records 20 shutouts. . . . Palos Verdes’ Mike Calvert throws consecutive no-hitters. . . . Hawthorne wins girls state track title as Tami Stiles wins state 200. . . . Mira Costa girls win 5-A volleyball title as Megan McCallister is player of year. . . . St. Bernard junior Tim Williams strikes out 18 batters in seven-inning game.

1987

John Featherstone coaches El Camino College to undefeated season, PONY Bowl title and junior college football national championship. QB Dan Speltz named All-American. . . . Will Alexander of Dominguez Hills becomes CCAA basketball scoring leader with 1,766 points. Toros win CCAA title with 22-9 record. . . . Andy Lopez wins 43 games, second straight CCAA baseball title and Western Regional, Toros win a game in Division II World Series. . . . Torrance’s Shannon Maddock graduates as No. 2 scorer in CIF soccer history (191 career goals, 59 season). . . . St. Bernard’s Tim Williams hits 15 homers in season, one short of CIF record. . . . Hawthorne returns as state track champ, Yke Vallery wins state hurdles. . . . Palos Verdes girls win first of three straight state cross-country titles.

1988

Paul Westhead’s Loyola team goes best-ever 28-4, beats Wyoming in NCAAs, leads nation in scoring at 110.3 per game. . . . Redondo’s Scott Davison rewrites CIF baseball record book: career hits (147), career RBIs (147), season RBIs (58). Also No. 2 all-time with 48 victories, 218 strikeouts in season, NO. 3 all-time career strikeouts (511). . . . Carson wins City football title behind player of year RB Errol Sapp. . . . St. Bernard’s Jason Lucky has 329 yards in receptions in one game, No. 2 all-time in CIF. . . . Earl Rhodes named small school player of year, leads Coast Christian to second straight CIF eight-man football title. . . . Hawthorne again state track champ, led by junior Curtis Conway. Travis Hannah state 400 champ.

1989

Loyola’s Hank Gathers only second collegian basketball player to lead nation in scoring (32.7) and rebounding (13.7) as Loyola sets NCAA scoring record 112.5 per game. Lions win second straight WCAC tournament. . . . El Camino College football team goes 11-1 but bowl game loss ends 17-game win streak. Frank Dolce is Warriors’ fifth All-American QB of decade. . . . El Camino safety Niu Sale two-time first-team All-American. . . . Morningside girls win state Division I basketball title as junior Lisa Leslie named player of year. . . . Hawthorne wins sixth state track title in seven years, Curtis Conway sets state meet record in 100 meters (10.42). . . . Mira Costa girls win third state volleyball title, named No. 1 team in U.S. . . . Anthony Blackmon of Dominguez Hills leads CCAA in scoring and rebounding, is CCAA male athlete of year. . . . Banning fails to make football playoffs for first time in 15 years. . . . Serra (14-0) wins CIF Division VII football title, only South Bay’s second undefeated team of ‘80s. . . . Carson wins fifth City 4-A football title of decade, giving Coach Gene Vollnogle a City record 10 titles. . . . Palos Verdes boys soccer team wins 4-A title ends season with 33 straight wins, has CIF record 23 shutouts. Lance Haworth named player of year. . . . Bo Kimble scores Loyola record 51 points against UC Santa Barbara.