Prep Review : Donations for Mission Viejo Coach’s Operation Reach $9,000

Donations for Jeff Bergan, the Mission Viejo High School wrestling coach who needs a new heart and kidneys, have grown to more than $9,000, said to Randy Edwards, dean of students at the school.

Bergan learned Friday night that he will go to the Stanford Cardiology Center March 18 for three days of preliminary tests.

Edwards said Sunday that the school’s fund-raising efforts are going well, but there is not a set goal.

“We’re finding that it’s going to be an on-going thing,” Edwards said. “But we’re happy with how it’s going. We’ve had calls from all over the Los Angeles area. People have called asking about donating organs.”

Bergan needs the money to rent an apartment in Palo Alto--where he will await a donor--and for food and other living expenses.

The wrestling team held a push-up-athon to raise money and passed out fliers asking for donations at Saturday’s Master Wrestling Tournament.

Bergan will accompany the team to the CIF state tournament Friday and Saturday in Stockton.

Donations can be made by contacting Edwards at 837-7722 at Mission Viejo High.

Boys basketball playoffs: The 4-A semifinal game between Capistrano Valley and Santa Barbara and the 2-A semifinal between Woodbridge and San Bernardino, originally scheduled for Tuesday night will be Wednesday instead.

When the Capistrano Valley and Woodbridge girls’ basketball teams both won, it forced the change because both are scheduled to play their semifinal games at home Tuesday night.

Girls’ basketball playoffs: Tuesday night, Capistrano Valley will play host to Los Altos in one 3-A semifinal game at El Toro. Palos Verdes will host El Toro at a site to be determined today in the other game.

In the 2-A, Woodbridge will play host to Ontario at Irvine High.

All three games will be at 7:30 p.m.

Curt Bauer, 22, Mater Dei boys’ soccer coach, whose team went 24-2-1 this season, won’t be back next year. He has told Mater Dei he will be resigning. He said he will help in the search for a new coach.

“I had had it in the back of my mind all year, but I guess I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I love the game, and don’t want it to be my last season, but for now I just can’t do it.”

He is finishing his last semester at Cal State Fullerton and plans to start a career in real estate. He will take his state exam in a couple of weeks. He also is getting married at the end of July.

He was running all four teams (varsity, junior varsity and two frosh-soph teams) and compared his duties to a full-time job.

Bauer graduated from Mater Dei in 1983 and started coaching that fall with the frosh-soph team, which he coached for two years. He also coached junior varsity one year. For the past 2 years he has coached varsity. Last year Mater Dei was co-champions with West Torrance and this year were the top-seeded team in the 4-A before losing to Damien in the second round.

Bauer’s nine-year record is 101-8-8.

Add Bauer: On Tuesday’s playoff loss to Damien he said: “It was a rarity. We haven’t given up three goals in one game all year, let alone in 20 minutes. We were just trying not to lose. We didn’t like our draw from the beginning, sending the number one team on the road. The team was shocked. They didn’t think we’d go out like this.”

Add quotable: Jon Borchert, Edison basketball coach, on the strength of Mater Dei’s basketball team: “I hear people say that Mater Dei is down this year, that Gary McKnight doesn’t have the same caliber of players that he’s had the past five years. Heck, he’s got two Division I players. I’ve coached for 12 years and had one player get a Division I scholarship.”

Last add quotable: Greg Yeck, El Toro girls’ basketball coach, on the Chargers’ sloppy, 47-32, quarterfinal victory over Valencia Saturday night: “We had the best crowd we’ve had all year and we played like this. People are going to come up to me Monday and say, ‘Great game.’ ” Yeck smirked and added, “I’m going to have to talk them into seeing us play at least one more game.”

Getting a jump on things: At 12:01 p.m. last Monday, the very moment they could begin practice under Southern Section rules, the swimmers from Newport Harbor swim teams jumped into the pool to begin workouts.

Prep Notes

The Saddleback girls’ basketball team was the most improved of any boys or girls team in the Southern Section. The Roadrunners went from 0-20 in 1986-87 to 15-5 this season. . . . The Laguna Hills football coaching job is still open. The job includes a teaching position. Closing date for applications is March 18. Call 770-5447 for further information.