Western Picks Another Howell as Football Coach

Toby Howell has been named to replace his father, Jim Howell, as football coach at Western High, the school announced Monday.

The younger Howell has been a Western assistant for four years. He played football at Fullerton College and later attended Long Beach State. Currently, he is a teacher at a middle school in Santa Ana.

Jim Howell, The Times Orange County coach of the year this past fall, resigned in December after leading the Pioneers to a 12-1 season and his fourth Orange League title. Jim Howell’s 17-year record was 99-83-5. He will remain as Western’s athletic director for another year, he said.

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Darrick Lucero has been named girls’ volleyball coach at Marina High, Athletic Director Larry Doyle said. Lucero, who is in his second year as boys’ coach, replaces Sam Wesley, who led the Vikings to a 5-13 record, 2-8 in Sunset League last season. Wesley said he left for personal reasons.

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Colleen Boddy of Mater Dei has orally committed to play softball next season at Connecticut, said her father, Dean.

Boddy set an Orange County record last year for victories in a season, going 26-5--the second-best total in Southern Section history--with a 0.82 earned-run average.

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Two Mater Dei volleyball players, Laurie Layton, a 5-foot-8 setter, and Ami Orr, a 5-9 outside hitter, have made oral commitments to attend Radford University in Virginia, said former Mater Dei Coach Pete West. Both players plan to sign letters of intent this week.

Layton and Orr were first-team All-South Coast League selections this season after leading the Monarchs to the semifinals of the Southern Section Division I playoffs and the second round of the State Division I tournament.

The only other athlete from California to play for the Radford women’s volleyball team, which was 7-24 last season, is freshman Wrenna Johnson, who played for Corona del Mar from 1991-94.

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Kendra Wood of Villa Park has orally committed to play softball next season at UC Santa Barbara, Spartans Coach Robert Melendrez said.

Wood, a catcher, batted .349 with 19 runs batted in last season.