Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Freak Injury Cuts Down Golden West’s Parker

Stacy Parker, a sophomore wide receiver for Golden West College, suffered a freak injury during last Saturday’s 21-3 victory over Long Beach City.

After catching a pass for a first down in the fourth quarter, Parker was forced out of bounds by a Long Beach City defender. He cut his right leg from just above the knee to the middle of the shin on a nail that held a tarp covering the portion of the sidelines where players stand during games.

Parker was taken to Veterans Hospital in Long Beach and received 70 stitches. Parker, who has 10 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown this season, isn’t expected to play Saturday against Compton.

There was no internal damage to the leg, and the coaching staff expects Parker to start in two weeks when the Rustlers play Mt. San Antonio.

Parker becomes the first Rustler starter to miss a game this season. He will be replaced by Lance Perry.

Junior Tagaloa, Orange Coast College wide receiver, is on a pace to break the school’s single-season reception mark. Tagaloa, a freshman from Bishop Montgomery High School, has 33 receptions in 5 games for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns. The single-season mark of 48 was set by Steve Monahan in 1972. Monahan also is Orange Coast’s career reception leader with 91.

But Tagaloa, who set the single-game record with 11 catches in the Pirates’ 27-24 loss to Saddleback Oct. 4, may have some trouble getting the single-season mark in the remaining five games. It seems OCC may have trouble finding someone to throw him the ball.

Jon Nowotny started the season at quarterback but suffered a pinched nerve in his left shoulder against Saddleback and has missed the last two games.

Freshman Cary Conoway started the last two games but suffered a mild hip pointer and has not practiced this week. Both could play Saturday.

The state’s top four water polo teams will be among the eight-team field in the Cypress tournament Saturday. Top-ranked Long Beach plays Citrus at 10:30 a.m. Second-ranked Orange Coast plays Fullerton at 8:30 a.m.

Third-ranked Golden West plays fourth-ranked Saddleback at 7:30 a.m. to open the one-day, double-elimination tournament. Cypress plays host to Cuesta at 9:30 a.m.

The Rancho Santiago wrestling program, which returned in 1985 after being discontinued after the 1982 season, made a strong showing last weekend at the El Camino tournament. The Dons finished sixth in the 10-team field won by defending state champion Palomar. Sophomore Arnold Alpert was second in the 134-pound division and Tony George was second in the 150-pound division.

Rancho Santiago heavyweight Tom Crawford, who didn’t wrestle in the El Camino tournament, is expected to perform well for Rancho Santiago this season. Crawford was the 3-A Southern Section champion for Dos Pueblos High School in Santa Barbara last year.

Freshman Ed Ruiz of Golden West won the 129-pound division at the El Camino tournament.

In Mission Conference football Saturday, Orange Coast (1-3, 1-4) plays San Diego Mesa (3-1, 4-1) at LeBard Stadium at 1:30 p.m. In 7:30 starts, Southwestern (3-0, 3-1) is at Saddleback (2-2, 3-2) and San Diego City (0-43, 1-4) plays Rancho Santiago (1-3, 2-3) at Santa Ana Stadium.

South Coast Conference co-leader Golden West (2-0, 4-0) plays Compton (0-2, 0-5) at 7:30 in LeBard Stadium. The other leader, El Camino (2-0, 2-3), plays Fullerton (1-1, 2-3) at Fullerton District Stadium at 7:30.

Glendale (6-0) continues to lead the Southern California sports information directors’ poll with all 12 first-place votes for the first time this season. The only two Orange County teams ranked are No. 3 Golden West (5-0) and No. 9 Saddleback (3-2). Golden West has also moved to fifth in the state and 12th in the nation.

Paul Horn, a two-season basketball starter at Cypress College before accepting a scholarship to the University of Mississippi this fall, has left the school and returned to Southern California. Horn, a 6-foot 8-inch forward who averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds for the Chargers last season, left after Coach Lee Hunt and his staff resigned.

Ed Murphy is the new coach at Mississippi. Horn has been contacted by UC Irvine and Gonzaga State since returning to Orange County, but will not be eligible till the 1987-88 season.