Hirst, Tars, making long-range travel plans

Barry Faulkner

Playing boys basketball at Newport Harbor High is not just an

extracurricular activity; it’s an adventure

Or, at least, Coach Larry Hirst is doing what he can to see that his

players experience road games which require luggage.

Hirst has already taken teams to Newport, R.I. and Las Vegas and when the

CIF Southern Section voted last year to remove all restrictions on

travel, Hirst began combing the Internet to accelerate his grand travel

plans for the program.

“My quest is to play all the Newports in the country,” Hirst said. “We

took care of Rhode Island and, two years from now, I want to go to

Newport, Ky. That’s about 40 miles South of Oxford, Ohio (and Miami

University where recent Harbor grad Matt Jameson is playing on

scholarship), so the plan is to drive up and see (Jameson) play while

we’re there.”

Hirst estimated there were about nine or 10 cities named Newport in the

United States. But a check of one Rand McNally atlas revealed 19 Newport

listings across the country, including the aforementioned Rhode Island

locale.

Depending upon how many actually have high school basketball teams (six

Newports were listed with populations of less than 1,000), Hirst could

spend the rest of his career making annual treks to Arizona, Delaware,

Florida, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey,

North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and

Washington to battle namesake schools.

Hirst’s 1999-2000 team, led by returning starter Dustin Illingworth, will

visit Las Vegas for a December tournament.

Boys basketball isn’t the only Harbor program making hotel reservations.

Coach Dan Glenn’s girls volleyball team is in Hawaii this week defending

its championship at the Iolani Invitational.

The reigning CIF Southern Section and state champions are also planning

to visit Illinois later this season for a tournament outside [ Stepping

Column ]Chicago.

One byproduct of Hirst’s wanderlust would be increased exposure for his

players. Hirst expressed frustration over the lack of serious recruiting

interest in Jameson, a four-year starter who, by necessity, was planning

to walk on at Tulane, before Miami coaches saw him at a couple summer

all-star tournaments and rolled out the Red(hawk) carpet -- also known as

a full scholarship.

Hirst said programs nationwide appeared disinterested in Jameson’s

credentials, but he was particularly bewildered by a complete lack of

inquiries about Jameson from local four-year programs.

“The local schools (Cal State Fullerton, UCI, Long Beach State, etc.)

didn’t call, send a postcard, anything,” Hirst said. “Maybe the word was

out that Matt wanted to go away to school, but they didn’t even give him

an option, if those plans didn’t work out.”

Hirst theorized that college coaches may have stereotyped fundamentally

sound, nonflashy Orange County players as inferior to players from the

inner city.

“Maybe all those coaches are trying to find the big fish, or unpolished

gem, who can turn the whole program around,” Hirst said.

Newly hired Costa Mesa High boys basketball coach Bob Serven liked what

he saw from his Mustangs over the summer.

Among the highlights were 10 three-pointers in a victory over El Modena

by senior Ryan Naff.

Naff averaged 6.1 points for the Costa Mesa varsity as a sophomore, but

played last year in Georgia after his family relocated. He’s back for his

senior season, however, and apparently primed to take a “shot” at the

seven single-game three-pointers made by Mesa’s Mike Montoya (1996) and

Estancia’s Peter Andersen (last season), believed to be the Newport-Mesa

District record.

Basketball season, of course, is still months away and football will soon

begin capturing the interest of Newport-Mesa prep enthusiasts.

Newport Harbor senior offensive tackle Blair Jones will open the season

as the biggest blue-chip local, having already received [ Stepping Column

]scholarship offers from USC, Michigan, Oregon and Cal.

The preseason edition of o7 SuperPrepf7 magazine, a recruiting

publication created by Newport Harbor alumnus Allen Wallace, said Notre

Dame is a school Jones had always wanted to play for, but noted strong

family ties to USC. The 6-foot-8, 242-pounder’s mom and uncle are USC

graduates.

Recruiters have hinted Jones may have to switch to tight end at the next

level, because they are concerned he won’t be able to reach the

now-standard 300-pound-plus plateau they demand of their trench warriors.

Jones, in fact, was listed at 242 pounds heading into last season, so,

perhaps such projections are justified.

Also listed among o7 SuperPrepf7 All-Far West prospects (Jones is

No.41 including players from California, Hawaii and Nevada) is Pomona

High’s Jimmy Verdon at No. 35.

Verdon, a safety-linebacker, will present a challenge for Corona del Mar

High’s offense when the Sea Kings host the Red Devils in Week 2, Sept. 7.

Sea Kings Coach Dick Freeman is, however, not unfamiliar with the 6-3,

230-pounder, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7, had 168 tackles and four

interceptions as a junior, and has scholarship offers from USC, Texas

A&M;, Florida State, Arizona State, Wisconsin and both Pac-10 Washington

schools, among others.

“We played those guys in passing league and he’s enormous -- and what an

athlete!” Freeman said. “If he’s not Ronnie Lott, I don’t know who is. We

may never throw the ball.”

Those who predicted former Costa Mesa standout Jimmy Herzog would

struggle to find playing time at Santa Margarita High, were apparently

underestimating the 1998 Newport-Mesa District Offensive Player of the

Year.

Herzog was recently named one of the Eagles’ captains and is the

front-runner to start at running back. He could also play a prominent

defensive role at outside linebacker.