The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 776

24 Part 111 Sunday, March 27. 1988 Gob Angeles Slimes VALLEY SPORTS OUTLOOK BOB CAREY Los Angeles Times to develop a boys' volleyball on his reputation as a fund-raiser. DOB CAREY Las Anfjelcs Times to contend for the title." Alemany (Southern Section 4-A): The Indians don't have one outstanding player, but they do have a number of good ones. "I've got a bunch of guys who know how to play volleyball," said Dave Carlson, the Alemany coach, who calls his players "the volleyball junkies." Brian Brinkct, a 6-2 senior middle blocker, and Ian Rimando, a senior setter, "live, breathe and sleep volleyball," Carlson said. "Brian Brinket is the most dominating person.

If he's on, it's lights out for the other team." Brian Young, a 5-11 outside hitter, and Kevin Allen, a 5-9 junior outside hitter, are other key players. "Those guys are the nucleus, but everybody plays," Carlson said. "There's really nothing outstanding, they just get the job done. If one person falls, it's not a really big loss because the others pick up. It makes my job easier." Alemany, like Crespi, is a second-year program in its first season in the Del Rey League.

Although the Indians are not ready to challenge Loyola, the No. 1 team in the Southern Section 4-A, for league supremacy, Alemany and Crespi should fight it out for second place. "Loyola is in a class by itself and then Crespi and Alemany are a step below," Carlson said. "We're going to go to the playoffs unless these guys fall apart." Canoga Park (City Section 3-A): The Hunters are another team without a dominating individual, relying instead on a balanced team effort. "They have the attitude this year that they can play as good as anybody else," Canoga Park Coach Bill Chapman said.

Canoga Park (5-0, 4-0 in the Mid Valley League) proved that when the Hunters knocked off Reseda last week. "I expected them to do well, but there are still a lot of good teams out there," Chapman said of his veteran club. Jeremy Mears, a 6-2 outside hitter, is Canoga Park's top player at that position. The Hunters also have Dennis Hackney, a setter and outside hitter, Steve Buck, a 6-4 middle blocker, Shawn Addison and Chris Byrne. Junior Sean Reyes, the only underclassman, rounds out the starters.

All six played on the varsity team last year. "It's been a team effort," Chapman said. "We don't have any weak players." Continued from Page 22 The booster club also has been instrumental in getting the team established. One of the members ran the advertising drive, another got the program printed free and another is in charge of the candy sale. The club is so well -organized, they even know who is supplying the after-game oranges.

And the hard work off the court is helping the team on it. Royal is 6-0 including victories over Hart and Saugus twice, two other newly established teams. "The kids are loving it," Jackson said. "They're enjoying it and there are good crowds. You know, volleyball is a happening thing." OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH Crespi (Southern Section 4-A Division): The Celts, in their second year, have quickly developed into one of the area's best teams.

"I just want for us to be competitive," Crespi Coach Kevin Slattum said. "There is a higher echelon and I just want to be competitive with them." Last week, Crespi took a step in that direction by defeating Harvard, one of the strongest teams in the Southern Section 3-A. "For us, the Harvard game was a big game," Slattum said. "They've been the best Southern Section team in the area and that was just a really big step for us." Crespi is led by Ken Lynch, a 6-4 junior middle blocker averaging 12 kills a game who was also the center for the Celt basketball team. Steve Lepire, a 6-3 senior outside hitter, had 23 kills against Harvard for the Celts.

Lepire spent the off-season coaching Louisville's freshman volleyball team last season. "He puts in a lot of time and knows a lot about volleyball," Slattum said. Chris McGee, a junior setter and outside hitter, and Jimmie Wong, a senior setter, also have been playing well for Crespi (8-0, 3-0 in Del Rey League play). Harvard (Southern Section 3-A): The Saracens lost two All-Southern Section players to graduation and have as many as fve underclassmen starting for them. "We lost pretty much the whole team," Harvard Coach Mark Zalin said.

"We're kind of rebuilding, but we're still a good team." Bobby Hillman, a 6-1 outside hitter and setter, returns for his PREVIEW Continued from Page 22 schools. Local volleyball players are spending more time on the court. In the past, teen-agers from the West Side would play volleyball on the beach while their counterparts in the Valley were playing baseball. Now, most of the West Valley teams are involved in at least one off-season volleyball league and a preseason tournament. "Since we've had a summer league." said Kennedy Coach Mike Stanton, "that has really increased the level of play.

The kids are playing good volleyball at least one night a week." And now that they play West Side teams in preseason tournaments, the local volleyball players aren't intimidated when they meet them in the regular season. "The kids think they can beat them," Harp said. "The mystique has worn off." And the chance of winning the City title has improved. "It's not a lock anymore." University's Newman said. "No one has a superior team.

It's pretty well balanced; anyone can do it." The same can be said of the West Valley League race. Although Birmingham and Cleveland are too weak to contend, five other teams Chatsworth, Taft, Granada Hills, Kennedy and El Camino Real are strong enough to win the league title. "The quality of boys' volleyball has doubled in the last couple of years. I think just about every team in our league has gotten to be a quality program," Harp said. Until this year, Chatsworth was in a class by itself.

The Chancellors have won the last seven league titles and tied for the two previous championships. Since 1980, Chats CSUN Continued from Page 22 three CSUN runs were unearned. "That's our whole game," Good-ell said, "to try to make things happen, force some errors." CSUN (26-9) plays in today's quarterfinal round of the 12-team tournament at 12:30 p.m. against either Chapman College (2-3 in the tournament) or Chico State (also 2-3 in tournament play). Chapman and Chico State play each other in a single -elimination game at 8 this morning.

The tournament championship game is scheduled for 3:30. In other pool play Saturday, Cal Lutheran (16-9) upset No. 9- ered one of the favorites to win the Mid Valley League and City Section 3-A title before losing to Canoga Park last week. "We don't expect to hit our stride until later in the season," Reseda Coach Bob Berrenson said before the Canoga Park match. Reseda is led by apair of 6-5 All-City middle blockers senior Mike Marzhal and junior Coley Kyman.

"We expect big things from them and so far they're delivering," Berrenson said. "They both can dominate." Scott Kent, a 6-3 sophomore outside hitter with promise, gives Reseda even more height. "He's going to be a superstar," Berrenson said. Reseda, which tied with Granada Hills last year for the league title, was able to remain a 3-A team even though the Highlanders were moved up to the 4-A West Valley League. "I'm glad we are where we're at because I want to win it all," Berrenson said.

And even if the Regents had moved up, Berrenson believes they also would have been successful at the 4-A level. "I don't see anyone around that matches up with us, 3-A or 4-A," he said before Reseda lost to Canoga Park. "I really believe that if we were in the 4-A, we would have to be considered one of the top three middle blocker, was a second-team All -City player. Said Berk: "His self-confidence is really high and his blocking and hitting are much improved." Mike Milieu, a 6-2 junior middle blocker, has moved up from the junior varsity and cracked the starting rotation. "He's playing extremely well," Berk said.

"He's an extremely hard worker and very smart." Chatsworth (7-1, 3-0 in league play) has 18 varsity members and Berk shifts many of them in and out of the game. "This year, even more so than in the past, every one of these kids is smart and very intense. We have several outside hitters that are just playing outstanding and improving." Taft: Most local coaches give the Toreadors the best shot at knocking off Chatsworth because of Taft's experience. Juniors Dave Saranow, a 6-3 middle blocker, Scott Mehlman, a 6-1 outside hitter, and setter Gary Reznick return after starting last year. Add Jamal Thompson, a 6-3 junior middle blocker, and 6-2 outside hitters Dave Goldthwait and Jeff Polak, and Taft has one of the tallest lineups in the area.

But that's not all Magorien likes about his team. "We're well-balanced all the way around. We have good defense, good offense, and the thing that's most dominating is a good attitude." Granada Hills: The Highlanders were 33-2 over the past two seasons, but that was while playing in the Mid Valley League and winning two consecutive City 3-A titles. "I requested to move up to the 4-A and even though we've lost a couple of games, I don't regret it," Harp said. The Highlanders lost to Chatsworth.

a team they wouldn't have faced if they were still on a Bob Ferguson won approval program at Royal based in part third season as a starter for Harvard. "When he's playing, he's the man," Zalin said. Unfortunately, Hillman injured his arm in the Dos Pueblos tournament last weekend and has been out a week. Hillman was averaging 30 kills a game during the tournament, Zalin said, but the Saracens used him so much, "he couldn't lift his arm at the end of the tournament." That means there will be even more pressure on Harvard's underclassmen. "When we're good, we're really good.

When we're bad, we're really young," Zalin said. "I wouldn't say it's a down year, it's just a young year." Geoff Given, a junior setter and outside hitter, was a first-team All-Santa Fe League player last year and is the only other player with varsity experience for Harvard Mark Shoptaw, a 6-0 freshman, is the first ninth-grader to make Harvard's varsity team in Zalin's eight years at the school and he is starting. "He has all the physical attributes of a volleyball player, but he's also a smart player," Zalin said. "He's doing really well for us. Nothing has fazed him." Reseda (City Section 3-A): The Regents have some of the best talent in the area and were consid worth is the only City team from the Valley to win a 4-A championship.

And while Chatsworth succeeded, the other league teams were getting sand kicked in their eyes. Like the wimp with the 25-inch chest who could never win the bikini-clad girl. Valley teams kept losing to the bullies from the beach. So this year they banded together. They played in a local summer league at Pierce College and in a winter league at Birmingham High.

They signed up for prestigious tournaments. "We're working hard to catch up to the beach players," said Taft's Magorien. So far, it's working. Kennedy and Chatsworth beat University in preseason games this year. Granada Hills split two Dos Pueblos tournament games with Palisades.

El Camino Real and Taft played in the Carson tournament championship game. Chatsworth and Taft both advanced past the round-robin stage of the Dos Pueblos tournament, one of the strongest preseason tournaments in Southern California. "Volleyball is improving so rapidly, there are no easy victories," said Berk, whose team had seven years of virtually to itself. "And I'm not sure the rest of the city is keeping up with the West Valley. "It's just unbelievable how well everybody is playing." OUTLOOK Chatsworth: Despite improvement by the other league teams, the Chancellors are still the standard bearers.

"Chatsworth has a big edge psychologically because they've been on the top for so long," said Kennedy's Stanton. Larry Fernandez, a 6-0 senior outside hitter, and John Ross are the top returnees from last year's 4-A runner-up team. Ross, a 6-5 ranked Mankato State, 6-5, but lost, 4-0, to No. 12 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The winning run against Mankato State was scored by Jill Anderson, who came home on Kelly Ingram's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.

That run capped an impressive rally by CLU, which came back in the top of the sixth from a 4-0 deficit. Kim White gave the Regals (16-9) a temporary lead with a three-run homer. CLU (3-2 in the tournament) takes on the winner of a morning game between Southern Utah and Mankato State at 12:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. Roger Salkeld, 17.

declines to professional baseball for now. SALKELD Continued from Page 22 12 years, the Phillies for four and the Cardinals ever since. And I've never seen a high school kid throw heal like this one does. When have you ever seen a kid who just turned 17 throw a fastball 88 m.p.h.?" Bill Schmitt, who patrols the Valley area for Major League Baseball's scouting bureau, compiles reports of prospects that are distributed to every major league club. He has seen Salkeld but is reluctant to talk specifically about a prospect.

"I'll say this." Schmitt said. "God blessed him with some special skills." Those close to Salkeld say that other scouts have said more. "If half the things I hear are true." Saugus Coach Doug Worlcy said, "he's going to be a high draft choice within the next two years." Salkeld is soft-spoken. He shrugs his shoulders when talk of scouts and professional contracts arises. And he balks at speculating about his future.

"I'm too young," he said. "I'm only a junior. I have a whole year to think about that." Salkeld is. after all. still a kid.

His parents told him never to use the band saw while they were away. But it is easy to see how some people particularly scouts-might see Salkeld as being much older. He may be only 17, King says, but he has the body and arm of a 22-year-old. "He doesn't see what other people see that he has." Salkeld's mother. Elaine, said.

"He doesn't know what to say. It's not that he's shy. he's just humble. He just wants to play baseball." King, who has coached Kansas City pitcher Bret Saberhagen and St. Louis' Todd Worrell, believes Salkeld could play for a living.

"If he comes along like he should, he's got a good chance of making the big leagues." he said. But he emphatically qualifies the statement by adding "If he don't get hurt." King speaks as though Salkeld need worry about nothing else. When Salkeld pitched for the Cardinals. King coddled him. never letting him throw more than 50 pitches a game.

"I told his dad that I wouldn't hurt The Kid." he said. It's pure coincidence, but Salkeld did injure himself, as did his father and grandfather before him. Roger William Salkeld is not the first teen-age prospect in his family. Bill Salkeld's house is full of memorabilia of his dad. who died of cancer in 1967 when he was 50.

In the living room is a framed charcoal sketch of William Franklin "Bill" Salkeld in his catcher's gear. Bill Salkeld brings out two finely finished bats, one his father used during his eight-year big league career with the Pirates. Boston Braves and White Sox. The other is a commemorative bat signed by the 1948 National League champion Braves. Bill Salkeld's signature is near the Louisville Slugger label, right beside Johnny Sain's.

"Warren Spahn would not let anyone else catch him except my dad." Bill Salkeld says, eagerly fumbling through a box of scrap-books. Other mementos include two baseball cards that were sold in cigarette cartons and the elder Bill Salkeld's diamond World Series ring. The final memento is on video-cassette. It is a PBS program from the 1970s called "The Way it Was," in which surviving members of the '18 Scries reminisce between film clips. Bill Salkeld advances the tape to the fifth game.

Cleveland Hall of Famer Bob Feller is on the mound: The Braves' sixth inning, one out, nobody on. Billy Salkeld at bat and Feller's first pitch. Salkeld hits a drive to right jield. going back. it's over the wall for a home run.

Home run, Salkeld. Roger Salkeld watches the tape, slipping his grandfather's ring on and off the pink and tender fingers of his left hand. He wears his speculate about a career in "I'm too young," he says. grandfather's No. 15 and his bedroom wall is covered with photographs of him.

"It's something I can remember him by because I never knew him," he says. "His accomplishments that he did what he did it means a lot for me and for the family." The elder Bill Salkeld signed with Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League in 1933 when he was 16. But a knee injury delayed him from reaching the major leagues until 1945. Salkeld was spiked in 1934 and his knee developed gangrene. "Just before he got spiked, he had an offer from the New York Yankees," Bill Salkeld says.

"After that, they let the contract go and he wound up later with the Boston Braves." The younger Bill Salkeld. 40. also was a catching prospect when he was 16. But he also fell victim to a freakish accident and it ended his major league dreams. "I broke my hand falling off a skateboard," he says, laughing.

"After that my hand couldn't take the beating any more and I was only a .200 hitter, so Roger Salkeld likes to tell about how his dad once received a big league try out. Bill Salkeld says that's not exactly accurate. "After he retired, my dad was considering taking a job as a hitting instructor for the Chicago White Sox," he says. "He and Al Lopez, the manager, came down to San Pedro to look at six guys. That was the first time I ever really got looked at.

"I used to throw really hard. Al Lopez said I was able to change the ball from my glove to my hand faster than anybody he'd seen. I had everything going for me. But he said. 'We can't do anything with your damn hand.

We can work on your hitting, but we can't do anything with your My dad knew it and they were right. I still have trouble catching Roger." Like father, like son. Like grandson? "I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it were my right hand." Roger Salkeld said. "It wasn't and that's all there is to it. I won't go near the band saw now." The word on Salkeld is that he has improved markedly since last season, when he was 9-4 with 86 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA in 76 innings.

"He's a different kid on the mound, more intense," Worley said. "You can see it." catcher Jared Snyder said. "He's more confident and he has better control. He can put a pitch on the black if I ask for it. And his fastball feels like 4-5 miles per hour faster." Salkeld, who also throws a curve, changeup and sinker, attributes his improvement to playing with the Cardinals and working briefly with Blyleven.

"He showed me how to get different spin on the seams," he said. "I could have learned more if I had more time." Salkeld does have time. He plans on playing with the Cardinals again this winter. Then he will prepare for a scouting blitz in his senior year. Elaine Salkeld would like her son to go to college, at least before he signs a professional contract.

Bill Salkeld would like to see his son play professionally, provided he goes to college if things don't work out. Roger Salkeld just wants to remain a kid for now. "I'm still too young," he said. "I'm not going to make any decisions yet." Bill Salkeld, however, admits that he longs to see the family name back in baseball. And he hopes that his son's performance in the Colonial tournament will attract the attention of more than just a few scouts.

"I've always wanted to call up Warren Spahn and just say he said. "I'm just hoping that somewhere, after Roger plays in Florida, Warren Spahn will see the name in a paper and remember." 3-A diet, earlier this year in five games. "The excitement was just phenomenal. It was definitely one of most exciting games I've ever coached at Granada." Granada Hills (3-2, 1-2) returns six players including both of its setters Scott Nakaba and Han Seung. The Highlanders also have 5-11 outside hitter Ben Itkin, Sam Goldman and Andy Farrow.

Kennedy: The Cougars have finished or tied for second in four of the last five years. Last year, they finished third behind Chatsworth and Taft. But Stanton isn't worried about his team sliding, and instead thinks Kennedy will do very well this year. "I know for a fact that we're better than any team I've coached." Stanton said. "This is the best hitting team I've had in six years." Brett Merritt, a 6-4 senior middle blocker leads the Cougars' strong offense.

Merritt, a first-team all-league player, had 23 kills in a win over El Camino Real and 22 kills in a victory over University earlier this season. Kennedy (3-2, 2-1) also has Nick Simone and Mike McDonald, a couple of 6-0 juniors who will provide some solid outside hitting. El Camino Real: The Conquis-tadores have played well under first-year Coach Lori Chandler. Chris Holbert. a 5-6 senior setter, runs the Conquistadores' 5-1 offense.

"He's a great setter," said Chandler, who has also coached El Camino Real's girls team for 2li years. "He runs the whole team. He's like my rock out there. He's smart, he's quick. I don't know where we'd be without him.

"Our biggest problem is we're too inconsistent," Chandler said. "But on any given day, I think we can be real competitive with Taft or Chatsworth." among bantamweights by the WBC and fifth by the World Boxing Assn. Perez won the rematch, held earlier this year, on a decision. Also on the card will be two four-round lightweight bouts pitting Jerry Rosenberg (6-2, two knockouts) of Glendale against Ef-ran Granillo (1-6, one knockout) of San Jose and Steve Lewis (3-2, three knockouts) of North Hollywood against Manuel Davila (3-2, three knockouts) of Los Angeles. Matchmaker Larry Goossen also hopes to put together two additional fights for the card, which will begin at 8.

-STEVE SPRINGER Unbeaten Poll to Fight Mexico's Ortega Junior featherweight Jesus Poll (15-0-2, four knockouts), the latest member of the Ten Goose boxing organization, makes his second appearance for his new employers as he headlines the card Tuesday night at the Reseda Country Club. Poll, a native Venezuelan living in North Hollywood, will fight Rodolfo Ortega (21-16-3, 13 knockouts) of Mexico City in the 10-round main event. Ortega's biggest win was a knockout in 1982 over Miguel Canto, one of Mexico's greatest flyweights. More recently, Ortega won a 1986 decision over Raul Perez, currently ranked third.