Notre Dame High School - Titan Yearbook (Riverside, CA)

Page 73 text:

.. Mamwssw lust call 'em the Cinderella That phrase aptly describes the efforts of Notre Dame High School's 1972-73 varsity basketball team - a con- tingent of just four returning Iettermen, nine players up from the JV ranks and one tabbed for no better than a .500 season and third place in the Arrowhead League race. When it was all over, they were still calling 'em the Cinderella Kids, but the balance of the script had changed. Notre Dame, under the reins of a new coach as well, went on to compile a 20-6 won-lost record, a share of the Arrowhead League title, two championship trophies from a pair of holiday lnvitationals and a se- cond round berth in the CIF post-season playoffs - by far one of the best campaigns in the school's annals. No one was able to pinpoint the element of success, but one couIdn't help notice the defensive ef- forts of Coach Flay Plutko's club, a unit that limited the opposition to a meager 44.3 points per game average - one of the top defensive marks in the Southland. LEFT: The Titans celebrate the co- championship by cutting the nets. BELOW: Tim O'Doherty skies for ND. Kids ln fact, just three teams managed to score over 55 points on the Titans Q64 being highl, while the Green and Gold defeated each of its opponents by an average of 14.3 points a contest. As for highlights, victories over the likes of AAAA power Mater Dei 164-61l and city-rival Norte Vista Q54- 53j would lead the pack, while the double-overtime decision over Aquinas was in a class by itself. That same Mater Dei team went on to defeat Citrus Belt League power Pacific in the opening round of the CIF 4A playoffs and Aquinas managed to capture the CIF A championship - a trip the Titans were denied when an injury and illness sidelined two key players over the final three games of the season. And to show it was no fluke, four of the Titans were tabbed to the All-Arrowhead League team, while senior Kevin Vanderveldt was named one of the top 17 basketball players in all of Riverside County. Indeed, it was some season for the Cinderella Kids. Sports!69

Page 72 text:

BELOW: John Kuschell fakes to Kip Poutre as a Iinesman oversees the play. E xt J in ij? N Q K 2 Sg5i?ii,,qE . ff I fm -NN WM. MIDDLE: John Moser leads John Kuschell around right end. ABOVE RIGHT: Coach Stetkevich makes his views known on the previous play. ABOVE: Captain O'Doherty watches the Titans drive for a score in CIF. RIGHT: Under all that mud is defensive lineman, Tom Sebastian. E 1 2 ABOVE: Vince Costa is intent on play at UCR

Page 74 text:

Basketball team scores victory after victory TOP LEFT: Greg Garcia reaches for a score. TOP RIGHT: Wild with excitement, Titan fans swarm around Charles McCarthy, after his tie-breaking basket won a victory for ND over Aquinas. ABOVE: Team members gather with Coach Plutko for a shout of victory. ABOVE RIGHT: Darron Smith looks for an opening. RIGHT: Kevin Vanderveldt tips the ball in the Titans' favor.