Y2K Seems to Be Crystal Clear

It’s time to dust off my crystal ball and see what the new year has in store for area athletes, coaches and teams.

The images are becoming clear:

Cal State Northridge will accept an invitation to join the Big West Conference for all sports but football, then cut its football scholarships from 55 to 30 when it becomes an independent.

El Camino Real will win City Section baseball and softball championships. Ditto for boys’ soccer and wrestling.

Quarterback Ricky Clausen of Alemany will transfer to Taft.

Will Svitek of Newbury Park and Travis Johnson of Notre Dame will engage in an epic duel in the shot put.

“I’m not going to let him beat me,” Svitek vows. “I guarantee you that.”

Steve Smith of Taft will shatter a glass backboard with a dunk.

Coach Howard Levine of Grant will promise to sing one of his favorite Frank Sinatra songs, “Here’s to the Winners,” on the school public address system if the Lancers win the East Valley League basketball title.

Catcher Christina Enea of El Camino Real will bat .500 in softball.

High jumper Fernando Lopez of Taft will clear 7 feet.

Kyle Boller, former Hart High quarterback, will break the California single-game passing record.

Buena’s girls’ basketball team will celebrate a Southern Section Division I-A championship, then lose to City champion Narbonne in the regional final.

Wrestler Jason Bond of Newbury Park will pull off a shocker by winning the Marmonte League championship at 171 pounds.

Tim Arroyo, former Kennedy first baseman, will hit 20 home runs for Northridge.

Bill Scott, former Alemany outfielder, will hit 30 home runs for UCLA.

“He has a gift with that bat,” Coach Gary Adams said. “He generates as good a bat speed as I’ve seen in a hitter.”

Dan Cey, former El Camino Real infielder, will make his major-league debut with the Minnesota Twins.

A surprise standout quarterback among the senior class will be Zac Wasserman’s understudy, Corey Miles of Westlake.

Coach Dan Larson of Ventura, a former prep All-American in basketball, will destroy any coach who dares to play him in a game of one-on-one.

Branduinn Fullove of Simi Valley will reinforce his reputation as the region’s best basketball player.

The five best boys’ basketball players will be Fullove, Cody Pearson of Notre Dame, Scott Borchart of Chaminade, Anthony Davis of Cleveland and Nicholas Curtis of Oxnard.

The five best girls’ basketball players will be Courtney Young and Kelly Greathouse of Buena, Kate Beckler of Alemany, L’Tanya Robnett of Harvard-Westlake and Jennifer Lacy of Agoura.

The softball coaches at Boston College will be so excited with Cara Blumfield, former El Camino Real shortstop, that she’ll be batting cleanup by midseason.

Despite the graduation of Maureen LeCocq, Chaminade will find a way to win the Mission League softball title over Harvard-Westlake.

Pierce College’s baseball team, led by the pitching staff of Jack Cassel, Wes Crown and Traviss Hodge, will win the Western State Conference Southern Division title.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles will fire another Alemany coach, then reconsider after lawyer intervention.

Hart and Westlake, supposedly football schools, will emerge champions in baseball in Division II and III, respectively.

The autographs of pitchers Jamie Shields of Hart and Matt Harrington of Palmdale will rise to $10 in value after they pitch no-hitters.

Shortstop Conor Jackson of El Camino Real will hit three home runs in one game and be named the City player of the year.

Matt Cassel of Chatsworth will consider turning down a football scholarship to USC after being taken in the baseball draft.

The most famous incoming prep athlete in Valencia history will arrive in September, freshman golfer Brandon Christianson, who is ready to post Tiger Woods-like scores.

Freshman sensation Delmon Young of Camarillo will hit 10 home runs.

The top 10 baseball teams, in order, will be Hart, El Camino Real, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Chaminade, Kennedy, Camarillo, Notre Dame, Highland, Calabasas.

Shortstop Jonathon Brewster of Notre Dame will be the player of the year in the Mission League.

Brett Michel of Simi Valley will connect on 10 three-pointers in one game.

Dean Bradshaw, former Simi Valley coach, will come out of retirement to become basketball coach at new Oaks Christian High.

Watch out Wolfgang Puck. A hot new Beverly Hills restaurant opening in April will be run by Ben Ford, former Highland Hall baseball player who is the best chef in the West and the only one who can hit a fastball.

Hart’s football winning streak will reach 37 consecutive games.

Jim Woodard, former basketball coach at Taft, will retire as athletic director after winning $1 million on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

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Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@ latimes.com