Sports

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Santa Monica High volleyball Coach Bobby Clarke has resigned to accept a position as competition director for beach volleyball for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Clarke, who held a non-teaching position, headed Santa Monica boys’ program from 1981-88 and from 1992-93. Last season, he guided the Vikings to the Bay League title and to the second round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

Eric Sato, a member of the U.S. 1988 gold medalist team, and former UCLA standouts Mike Sealy and Jeff Williams were among the top players to compete for Clarke at Santa Monica.

Clarke, who is an international referee for indoor and beach volleyball, said he could not afford the time commitment to coach high school volleyball.

“I’m flying about 150,000 miles a year,” Clarke said. “It’s kind of tough to be in charge of the team when I’m gone so often.”

Clarke, however, did not rule out returning to Santa Monica after the Olympics.

In addition to a boys’ volleyball coach, Santa Monica is looking for boys’ and girls’ swimming coaches.

TITLE RUN

After an 0-3 nonleague start, Murphy has won four consecutive Santa Fe League games and can clinch a playoff spot Saturday. The Nobles play Burbank Bell-Jeff (3-1) at St. Bernard.

Although his favorite receiver, Gibbons St. Paul, has graduated, quarterback Danny Ragsdale continues to be one of the top passers in the area. He has completed 102 of 175 passes for 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“We don’t have a go-to receiver like last year,” Murphy Coach Greg Dixon said. “But we have a lot of receivers we can spread it around to.”

Running back Ronald Eadie has been a consistent offensive weapon, rushing for 710 yards and eight touchdowns.

STREAK ENDS

Hamilton had not scored in 15 quarters entering Friday’s game against Palisades and its frustration continued for three quarters against the visiting Dolphins.

The Yankees had the ball five times inside Palisades’ 20-yard line, but quarterback John Murray was intercepted twice, the Yankees gave up the ball on downs twice and lost the ball on a fumble.

“We had the ball inside the strike zone,” Hamilton Coach John Ausbon said.

A safety and Efrain Paniagua’s 31-yard field goal ended the Yankees’ scoreless streak at 18 quarters.

The Dolphins held on to win, 9-5, handing the Yankees their seventh consecutive loss without a win.

Ausbon said Hamilton’s misfortunes started before the season when three potential starters were declared academically ineligible, another was kicked out of school and another, tackle Marques Nance, injured his right knee.

Compounding the problem is that several players are late to practice because they are involved in the music or humanities magnet programs at Hamilton and take a seventh-period class.

“It’s a difficult situation, but we’re supposed to deliver,” Ausbon said. “All of those ineligible players didn’t help the situation either.”

CHEMISTRY LESSON

Jason Jones of St. Monica has been one of the area’s top receivers, but he may be forced to play out of position tonight when the Mariners play Verbum Dei in a Camino Real League game at Compton High.

Jones will be a backup tailback to starter Phil Austin and may get a chance to run the ball. He rushed for 75 yards in St. Monica’s 25-6 opening-game victory over Westchester.

“We haven’t run the ball well and somewhere down the line we have to show we can be a ball-control team,” St. Monica Coach Norm Lacy said. “Jason is going to come in and play and we’ll see what chemistry develops.”

ON THE OFFENSIVE

Beverly Hills displayed a balanced offense in its 40-20 win over Compton Centennial.

Quarterback Chris Wallace completed eight of 11 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores. Running back Aaron Cogan had 250 yards in 35 carries and a touchdown. He set a school record for carries in a game, breaking Chris Williams’ mark of 33 set in 1983.

But after scouting last week’s South Torrance-Redondo game, Beverly Hills Coach Carter Paysinger wasn’t sure what offensive approach the Normans would use Friday against visiting Redondo. South Torrance ran the ball 50 times for 351 yards and beat Redondo, 31-0.

“We thought Redondo had a pretty good run defense, but I guess not after the South Torrance game,” Paysinger said. “Our feelings now are to work on our offensive weaknesses in practice and see what happens.”

Wallace is being given much of the credit for the Normans’ success. He is able to change a play at the line of scrimmage, helping Beverly Hills open up its offense.

“He really has shown improvement in that area during the last three weeks,” Paysinger said. “Chris has taken us out of plays and put us in scoring position with his play-calling at the line of scrimmage.”

YOUNG REBEL?

If you asked Westchester basketball Coach Ed Azzam two weeks ago where standout guard Ben Sanders was going to sign, he would have said Nevada Las Vegas. This week Azzam is not so sure.

“He was leaning toward Nevada Las Vegas,” Azzam said. “Now it can be any one of four schools.”

After the sudden departure of Rollie Massimino as Rebel coach, the 6-foot-5 Sanders is re-evaluating his college plans.

Sanders would like to make a commitment during the Nov. 9-16 signing period. He is also considering scholarship offers from Georgia, Cal State Long Beach and Washington State.

Sanders averaged 15 points a game last season.

UP AND RUNNING

Peter Gilmore of Palisades finished 12th during the individual sweepstakes race at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Saturday in Walnut.

Gilmore ran 15 minutes, 55 seconds over the hilly three-mile course to help Palisades to a fourth-place finish.