Hirst returns favor

Newport Harbor High boys basketball coach Larry Hirst doesn’t have

NBA riches or the kind of fame that allows him to give back

monetarily to the people and institutions that have helped shape the

success he enjoys as a teacher and coach with the Sailors.

But, for the last three seasons, he has had his own December

event, the Bill Reynolds Tournament. The tournament, completed

Saturday, has become a combination tribute to Reynolds -- Hirst’s

former college coach at what was then Southern California College

(now Vanguard University) - and reunion of several of Reynolds’

former players now coaching prep teams in the area.

Reynolds, who built a 353-185 record at SCC, as well as a gym full

of former players who revere him, was in the stands Friday to watch

Hirst’s Sailors defeat an Orange team coached by former SCC player

Andre Smith. Reynolds then returned to his coaching home, the cozy

Vanguard University Pit, to watch former SCC player Todd Dixon coach

his El Toro Chargers to a 57-44 victory over Hirst’s Tars in the

tournament championship game.

It might seem curious that the tournament’s final day was played

in the Pit, which feature less than half the seating available at

Newport Harbor. But Hirst said it just seemed like the right thing to

do.

“There are Division I schools and there are the junior colleges,

but I think it’s good to let kids see there’s a place in between,”

Hirst said of the Costa Mesa-based NAIA school. “If I can bring eight

teams through there and expose them to (Vanguard) ... Hey, it’s the

least I can do.”

*

Dozens of former football players at Newport Harbor and Corona del

Mar can now tell their future grandchildren they played against a

Heisman Trophy winner, after former Santa Margarita quarterback

Carson Palmer collected the coveted statue Saturday night.

The Palmer-led Eagles defeated Newport Harbor four times in his

two seasons as the varsity starter, including a 38-0 thrashing in the

1996 CIF Southern Section Division V title game and a 27-7 triumph in

the 1997 Division V semifinals.

In four games against the Sailors, Palmer completed 47 of 72

passes for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed 20 times

for 71 yards and one TD. In two games against CdM, Palmer completed

16 of 21 for 344 yards and seven TDs and rushed once for 12 yards.

Special bravado will be allowed former Sailors Erik Runfola and

Brett Baker, both of whom interecepted Palmer passes, as well as

former Newport quarterback Josiah Fredricksen, whose 235 passing

yards bettered Palmer’s 190 in their Week 6 meeting in 1996.

Former CdM quarterback Mike McClellan also outproduced Palmer

head-to-head in ‘96, throwing for 367 yards to Palmer’s 150.

Additional chest pounding is expected from former Sailor defenders

Reed Johns, Danny Pulido, Brant Hill, Lucas Kerr and Pete Hogan, all

of whom sacked the esteemed signal caller.

*

The six degrees of separation regarding Palmer and John Huarte,

the only other Orange County product to claim the Heisman prize (in

1964 representing Notre Dame), involves Newport Harbor history

teacher and basketball public-address announcer Joe Robinson.

Robinson’s older brother played with Huarte at Mater Dei, while his

son, Gary, a 1999 Newport Harbor graduate who is now a senior at

Loyola Marymount, competed against Palmer on the basketball court as

a prep.

Gary Robinson was, in fact, a major hero in the Tars’ 50-47 upset

of the future Division II state champions, ranked No. 1 in Orange

County at the time.

After Palmer drilled a pair of three-pointers to bump the Eagles’

fourth-quarter lead to 43-34, Robinson hit a pair of three-pointers

down the stretch to lead the comeback, then netted two free throws in

the closing seconds to secure the three-point win in the Sailors’

gym.

*

Wrestlers from CdM, Costa Mesa, Estancia and Newport Harbor will

come together today for the inaugural Newport-Mesa District

Championships, organized by CdM Coach Gary Almquist and Newport

Harbor head man Dominic Bulone. Each school will contest a dual meet

with the other three at CdM High. Competition begins at 3 p.m.

The plan is to make it an annual event.

*

For the first time in Newport-Mesa history, three girls volleyball

players, representing three separate schools, have been named Most

Valuable Player in their respective leagues.

Newport Harbor senior Kristin McClune, Corona del Mar senior

Claire Allen and Costa Mesa senior Sharon Day, all middle blockers,

were awarded top individual honors by coaches from the Sea View,

Pacific Coast and Golden West leagues, respectively.