Simi Valley Shakes Off Camarillo Scare, 52-43

After only three games in the Marmonte League, it has become apparent that the biggest challenge for Bob Hawking this basketball season may be in keeping his team’s attention.

Hawking, coach of Simi Valley High, received a mild scare from Camarillo on Friday night, but his Pioneers regrouped for a 52-43 win in their home gym.

Simi Valley, the top-ranked team in the Valley, improved its record to 15-1 overall, 3-0 in league. The Pioneers now have wins over Westlake and Camarillo, the two teams expected to challenge them for a league title.

“I think our kids are smart enough to know that we have a lot to accomplish if we’re going to finish off league in good shape and do well in the playoffs,” Hawking said after the game. “At least I hope they do. You can’t take anyone for granted in this league.”

It didn’t take long for Camarillo to prove that point. The Scorpions ran off to a 13-6 lead in the first quarter by making six of their first eight field goal attempts.

“They controled the tempo early,” Hawking said. “At one point, they didn’t take a shot for a minute and a half. They made us play defense for as long a stretch as anyone had all year.”

Camarillo’s lead grew to nine at the start of the second quarter causing the home crowd to get a bit restless. Instead of tossing in the towel, Hawking threw in his bench.

“We were doing a good job on their starters, but then they started throwing new players at us,” said Camarillo Coach John Harbour. “They have a good team . That was the difference.”

Simi Valley substitutes outscored the Scorpion reserves, 14-0, and had 10 of the Pioneers’ 22 points in the first half.

But credit Harbour with getting the maximum performance from a limited pool of talent.

The only consistency on the Scorpions’ offense wears glasses and a jersey with the number 32. Mitch Parrott is his name, and he is a one-man show for Camarillo.

Parrott, who has already signed a letter of intent with UC Irvine, scored 20 points and made 9 of 16 field goal attempts despite spending most of the evening with a hand or armpit in his face.

Defensively, he limited Don MacLean, Simi Valley’s top scorer, to two first-half points.

MacLean, who averages 20 points a game, finished with 19, but 12 came after Parrott was hit with his fourth personal foul with 3:54 left in the third period.

“They did a good job denying me the ball for most of the game,” MacLean said. “It helped when he got in foul trouble during the second half, because he stopped looking to screen me out and I was able to go to the boards better.” MacLean, a 6-8 sophomore, led the Pioneers with 10 rebounds.

The game was tied, 22-22, at the half, and the score remained close until the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Simi Valley led, 33-32, near the end of the third period when Todd Johnson made a five-foot jumper in the key. That set off a string of eight straight Pioneer points, fueled by three consecutive Camarillo turnovers at the start of the fourth quarter.

“We did a lot of standing around in the second half after playing so well in the first half,” Harbour said. “I think it was just fatigue. They ran us into the ground.”

Camarillo is 9-6 overall, 1-2 in league.

CAMARILLO--Biggs 6, Cregor 7, Parrott 20, Johnson 6, Bushman 4.

SIMI VALLEY--DeLaittre 2, Wilcox 4, MacLean 19, Johnson 9, Hankins 4, Gates 6, Jenner 4, Bice 4.