We Were Waiting, but It Just Didn’t Happen

And now for a few stories where the “news” was that there was no news. Some, we’re glad to have avoided; others, we would like to have seen:

1. Basketball Fans, Players Don’t Rumble

For the absence of the disgraceful, bleacher-clearing fights of last year, we are grateful to students and administrators for cleaning up their act.

2. Orange County High Schools Don’t Secede From Union, er, Southern Section

But stay tuned on this front. The rumblings that the county will break away to form its own section continue.

3. Derek Fahs, Considered County’s Finest Pitcher, Not Drafted

Despite a 13-3 record, a 0.90 earned-run average, 136 strikeouts and a mere 20 walks, the major leagues bypassed Fahs, which took us by surprise. Next year, he’ll pitch at Cal State Fullerton, where Coach Augie Garrido was happy to sign Fahs to a letter of intent.

4. Marijon Ancich Doesn’t Win a Title

Tustin was the county’s No. 1-ranked football team and unbeaten (13-0), but lost a 7-3 heartbreaker to Sunny Hills in the Division VI championship game, denying the coach his first title at the school.

5. Cherokee Parks Doesn’t Win a Title, Either

Dick Vitale’s favorite center from a little town called Huntington Beach couldn’t quite lead Marina past Santa Barbara in the I-A title game. But a 30-point performance in the semifinals against Mater Dei stands out as his shining moment. Catch his act at Duke next year. Dickie V. will.

6. Tes Whitlock Doesn’t Score 100 Points in a Game

But goodness--and his teammates, who rarely touched the ball--knows he tried. Often it was spectacular, such as the Loara senior collecting a county-record 68 points in a tournament victory over Saddleback.

7. Tony Okada Has No Trouble Repeating

Smarter, stronger, more experienced than perhaps any wrestler in any division in the state, Savanna’s Okada won his second consecutive State title--this one at 135 pounds.