Hizon’s Play Finally True to Numbers

Statistically, Vince Hizon appears to be enjoying a solid season for the Cypress College basketball team.

He is averaging 14.6 points playing off guard and forward for the Chargers, the 10th-ranked team in the state.

Still, Hizon struggled during the first half of the season. He was in and out of the starting lineup and was convinced he could do better.

“I wasn’t playing that great,” Hizon said. “Frustration was starting to set in, then it was getting negative. I was happy the team was winning, but I wasn’t satisfied with the way I was playing.”

About three weeks ago, Hizon started to think about what basketball meant to him.

“I just decided it was something I really wanted,” he said. “It’s a passion, and now I’m seeing how all the hard work has paid off.”

Since Hizon, who is 6-foot-2, evaluated his situation, his numbers also have picked up. He has averaged 21 points during the last seven games, all as a starter. Hizon also has improved as a leader and was promoted to co-captain with sophomore guard Grayle Humphrey two weeks ago.

“At times he tried to win the game single-handedly,” Cypress Coach Don Johnson said. “But he’s made so much progress. He’s shown he’s very stable and capable of playing within his game.”

Hizon plays inside as well as outside, and his statistics reflect his versatility. He is averaging four rebounds and 2.5 assists, and shooting 56% (96-170) from the field, 88% (64-73) from the line and 43% (22-51) from three-point range.

Hizon came to Cypress (16-3 overall, 2-0 in the Orange Empire Conference) from Mater Dei High School, but not with the normal fanfare of other Monarch players.

He played on Mater Dei’s freshman team and moved up a level each year, finally making varsity as a senior. But he spent most of his senior season sitting and watching instead of playing.

After leaving Mater Dei, Hizon, who lives in Stanton, visited Cypress and knew he wanted to play there. It was at Cypress he would get a fresh start and a chance to play.

He worked out all summer with Mater Dei teammate Char Ruppel, who is currently playing at Eastern Montana.

“We had a schedule down,” Hizon said. “We were lifting, running and playing all the time.”

Hizon averaged 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds last season as a freshman.

“It was weird to go from not playing in high school to starting in college,” Hizon said. “I spent most of last year learning to play on this level. This season I’m learning how to win on this level.”

Stanford hero: Adam Keefe, a former Woodbridge High School standout, seems to get all of the attention as the local star at Stanford, but Kenny Ammann has quietly done an impressive job for the Cardinal as well.

Ammann, a former All-Orange Empire Conference player from Rancho Santiago, scored the winning basket as the Cardinal defeated Oregon, 58-56, Sunday at Stanford. He hit an eight-foot baseline jumper as time expired. He also came up with the steal that gave Stanford the ball with 30 seconds left.

Ammann, a 6-3 starting guard, is averaging 9.3 points and two rebounds. He graduated from Edison High School in 1986 and played at Cal State Bakersfield for the 1986-87 season. He then transferred to Rancho Santiago for the 1987-88 season and was a redshirt at Stanford last season.

Several county players have signed to play football next season, including seven from Rancho Santiago.

Rancho Santiago linebacker Fred Soares, who has signed with Louisiana State, was the Mission Conference Central Division co-most valuable player on defense.

Other Rancho Santiago players to sign were: defensive end Bobby Titus (Cal State Long Beach), wide receiver Royal Wilbon (Utah), quarterback Scott Wood (St. Mary’s), wide receiver Paul Peters (Cal State Northridge), tight end Kyle Lynch (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) and defensive back Mark Maldonado (University of Dubuque).

Tony Perry of Saddleback, a defensive lineman, will play at Cal State Long Beach, and teammate Mark Esposito, an offensive lineman, is going to Hawaii.

Community College Notes

Rancho Santiago (18-1) fell to No. 2 in the state in the latest men’s basketball poll. The Dons were the top-ranked team for a month until they lost, 81-71, to Santa Monica. Imperial Valley (20-0) is the top-ranked team in the latest poll. Cypress (10th) and Orange Coast (17th) are the only other county teams ranked. . . . Golden West (21-1) is the top-ranked women’s team. Orange Coast is ranked 12th and Fullerton is 15th. . . . Guard Grayle Humphrey’s consecutive free-throw record at Cypress ended at 38 Wednesday. Humphrey, a sophomore from Sonora High School, made the first free throw but missed the second in a 101-69 victory over Saddleback.