Bishop Amat High School - Tusitala Yearbook (La Puente, CA)

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Junior Rudy Deidrick displays total concentra- tion as he attempts a jump shot over a Monarch from Mater Dei. His talent and skills made him a consistent high scorer. Retrieving the coveted ball, sophomore Keith Parker displays his rebounding skills, Rebounding demanded quick reflexes and exceptional leg strength. Showing effective guarding, junior Christopher Abernathy defends against a Saint Paul player. A good defense made it more difficult for the other teams to score. 236 Sports Surrounded by three opposing players, sopho- more Jeff Martin attempts to shake off the de- fense. The winning season overshadowed the ob- vious difficulties. Sophomore Louis Ruiz dribbles the ball down- court to set up the play. During competition, a player was expected to have exceptional ball control.

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Going for a lay-up, senior Stephon Pace gives his squad two power points. Plays such as these helped to reach the C.I.F. final. Coach Alex Acosta cuts the net after the final league game defeating Saint Paul. This gave the basketall team their first Angelus League title since 1974. Senior Geoff Lear attempts to grab the ball from a Mater Dei Monarch. His scoring ability and ter- rific defense made him one of the most valuable players on the team. Using all his strength, senior Terrance Lamb suc- cessfully keeps the ball away from the opposing players. Rebounding gave the team additional opportunities to score. Guarding his opponent, senior Michael Conness prevents the ball from getting into shooting range. A good defense proved to be just as im- portant as an explosive offense. Boys Varsity Basketball 235

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Finding The Right Combination Not one single player was assured a spot on the team. They all had to give it their best shotf' Coach Richard Wiard The right combination con- tributed to the success of the Boys Junior Varsity Basketball team. Winning games was not the only definition of the word success It also meant getting a group of individuals to func- tion as an efficient unit. That was no easy task. After all, ev- eryone possessed different techniques and variation in play. Junior Joe Halbmaier ex- plained, Each athlete wanted to play a certain way. Obvious- ly, every member had to com- promise for the greater good of the team which made it more challenging. The team was considerably more competitive. In the words of Coach Richard Wiard, t'Not one single player was assured a spot on the team. They all had to give it their best shot.i One reason for this increase in com- petition was the influx of tal- ent. In many of the returning players and fresh sophomores, exceptional skills in handling the rigors of high school basket- ball were present. Basketball was more than dribbling the ball and shooting. Under C.I.F. competition, the team needed individuals who could give 11052: and handle the pressure. Every member admitted that practice was more demanding than they initially thought. Practice sometimes took two hours, non-stop of course. Sophomore Louis Ruiz ex- plained, What made practice even harder was that every- thing was unexpected. It was not a regular routine like most othersf' Coach Richard Wiard made sure his team was pre- pared for the high-pressured competition. Those who made it through all the drills and training deserved to be on this winning team. In short, the year added up to a successful season and a solid team. They posted victory after victory, with minimal losses. They placed third at the Bosco Tech Tournament and were un- defeated during the pre-season matches. Junior Robert Allen remarked, It did not surprise me that we came out winning. I've never been on a losing team since l started playing for the school. Truly, these athletes had the right combination. Boys lunior Varsity Basketball Cantwell won xMater Dei lost Edgewood Won +Saint Paul won Rowland won tSaint Bernard won Saint Anthony won 'Servite won X . s ,V M, g , Pasedena won 'Bishop Montgomery won ' 'em Ig, K tSaint Bernard lost 'Mater Dei won ,, Y i J M f ,, Cafe tServite lost 'Saint Paul won it 43 4 'Bishop Montgomery won , 5- fi .5 V1 K l 1 . in g .i i ' 1 i - F gg, Overall record: 12 wins 3 losses 4' Indicates Angelus League Bottom to top: Rudy Deidrick, Louis Ruiz, Mario Navaro, Joseph Halbmaier, Bosco Tech Tournament 3rd Place Christopher Abernathy, Jeremy Smith, Jeff Martin, Adrian Rodriguez, James Romero, Jason Green, Keith Parker, and Coach Richard Wiard. Boys Junior Varsity Basketball 237