Basketball: Mixed ‘91-92 squad holds on for Errion title

Richard Dunn

CORONA DEL MAR - Like a good ol’ Corona del Mar High basketball

team, all the elements were there for the hybrid Class of 1991-92 squad

capture its first title in the summer tradition known as the CdM Jack

Errion Memorial Basketball Tournament.

With solid passing and shooting, along with defense and floor hustle,

captain Jon Upham & Co. defeated the Class of 1990, 45-43, in the

championship game Saturday at CdM.

“We didn’t think we had a chance this year, but it’s amazing how

things work out,” said 1991-92 guard Nick Mansour, whose class (‘91) had

only once reached the semifinals previously in the 13th annual event,

which is named after the legendary former coach and raises funds for the

school’s basketball and special education programs vie a silent auction.

But with swingman Upham, a former All-CIF Southern Section Division

III performer and University of Redlands star, at the controls, the 91-92

team, which was ahead by as many as 16 points, held on for the victory.

“That’s a good team right there, those guys we just played (from

‘90),” Upham said. “They lost in the CIF (3-A) finals (to Dos Pueblos in

overtime, 39-38).”

The Class of ‘90, which has won three Errion Tournament titles and is

considered a favorite every year, reached the title game Saturday after a

memorable semifinal against the Class of 1999, in which Warren Johnson of

‘90 canned a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, tied 29-29.

In an overtime period at the Errion Tournament, any team that goes up

by three points wins. And, in the OT, Johnson hit another three for a

walk-off victory, 34-31.

In the other semifinal, Upham’s squad outlasted a veteran group from

the 1970s, 42-36.

“We should have won, but some former guard blew a layup at the end,”

said Casey Jones, one of the school’s all-time great point guards.

Jones’ wife, Cheryl, had other thoughts after watching her husband’s

game. “This team is in better shape than they’ve ever been, and they’re

playing better than they were,” she said.

Mark Grigsby from the Class of ’71 was the oldest player, while

players like Jones, Mike Flamson (circa ‘78) and Chip Stassel (‘76)

competed hard for the disco-era team.

“We were 25-1 (in ‘76),” Stassel said proudly, referring to Coach

Tandy Gillis’ Century League championship squad that lost to Muir in the

first round of the CIF playoffs.

“We have a nice group. We play well together,” Jones added.

After the dust had cleared in the all-day gathering of 18 teams, which

started at 8 a.m., the 91-92 conglomerate jumped on the Class of ‘90,

taking a 29-14 halftime lead.

Upham, who led all scorers with 24 points, and Jon Gundlach hit

three-pointers in the first half (15 minutes) for the winners. Then,

early in the second half, they built two 16-point leads, the last coming

at 35-19, before the ’90 team rallied.

“Upham has always been the big boy,” Mansour said. “He’s the big boy

on campus. He’s our main guy. The way he goes is the way we go.”

Johnson (13 points) and John Murphy (12) led the charge for the Class

of ‘90, while former All-CIF point guard Mark Flint drained a

three-pointer in the second half to pull his team to within 37-31 and

Bobby Hall scored on two putbacks.

Center Carter Reese, former NFL linebacker Jerrott Willard and former

CdM football-basketball star Weston Johnson added key plays for the ’90

squad, while Fred Roberts and Tim Sullivan contributed.

After Flint’s three-pointer with 5:35 left on the clock, cutting his

team’s once-16-point deficit to six, Warren Johnson scored his team’s

next 10 points, including a three-pointer and three from the foul line

after getting hacked from behind the extra-point line.

For the winners, Theo Rokos (Class of ‘92) connected on two big free

throws with 1:42 on the clock to give his team a 43-36 edge and Mike

Susson (‘92) won an important loose ball in the waning moments after

diving on the floor.

“It felt good to win,” said Mansour, who scored his team’s only field

goal down the stretch with a nice inside move, putting the 91-92 in

front, 41-34, with 2:51 to play.

Mike Ryan hit two free throws for the winners with four minutes

remaining, while teammate Dave Gundlach had six points.

“We were just on a roll today,” said Mansour, whose team went 7-0 in

the tournament. “We moved the ball well and everybody played well. We hit

our open shots and just played real basketball.”

At the end of the game, the Class of ’90 had two seconds on the clock

to go full court, and there were plenty of oohs and ahs when Warren

Johnson’s midcourt shot for the win barely missed.