Lewis Leads Seven to All-Star Game

Seven football players from the Southland, including Glenn Davis Award winner Whitney Lewis of Ventura St. Bonaventure, will participate in the third U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“He has about 80 people in Texas, mostly relatives, who will get a chance to see him play,� St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Mack said of Lewis’ decision to play in the all-star game.

Lewis, a wide receiver recently selected the top player in the Southland by The Times, will be joined by wide receiver Steve Smith from Woodland Hills Taft, tight end Chris Barrett and offensive guard Sam Baker from Tustin, offensive tackle Drew Radovich from Mission Viejo, defensive lineman Matthew Malele from Carson and Quintin Daniels from Los Angeles Loyola.

The game features 78 of the top high school football players from around the country in an East vs. West format and will be televised live by ESPN2, beginning at 4 p.m.

In last year’s game, Lorenzo Booker, also of St. Bonaventure, carried 12 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns to help the West to a 26-6 victory before a crowd of 17,185.

In 2000, the West won the inaugural game, 18-15, behind the play of Dominic Robinson, a defensive back from Diamond Bar, who was named the game’s most valuable player.

-- Bob Rohwer

Kevin Rooney of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has been selected the football coach of the year by CalHi Sports.

Rooney, in his 23rd season at Notre Dame, led the Knights to a 14-0 season and the Southern Section Division IV championship. Since 1994, when Notre Dame last won a section title, Rooney’s teams have gone 102-13-1, winning at least 10 games each season.

Rooney was also named The Times’ coach of the year.

Coley Candaele of Carpinteria was chosen coach of the year for small schools and Tom St. Jacques of Susanville Lassen was selected for medium schools.

Candaele, a former championship quarterback for Carpinteria in 1989, is 51-24-2 since taking over his alma mater in 1989. The Warriors finished 14-0 and won the Division XI title.

St. Jacques took the Lassen job in 1995 after serving as an offensive coordinator at Corona High. In seven seasons, he is 67-22. Lassen has a 24-game winning streak and captured the Northern Section title with St. Jacques’ son, Shawn, at quarterback.

-- Dan Loumena

This time around, the Woodland Hills El Camino Real girls’ soccer team came away with the Hart tournament championship.

The Conquistadores, two-time defending City Section champions, defeated Crescenta Valley, 2-1, on Saturday, on a goal in the 15th minute by Kandice McLaughlin and by a second-half goal by freshman Katie Oakes.

With the victory, the Conquistadores (9-1-2) redeemed themselves after Santa Monica took the title from them last year in a penalty-kick shootout.

“What’s been funny is, my assistant [Shanna Sarris] has been telling the girls all week, ‘If you don’t win, you’re going to be running. I’m not going to be talking to you.... so you better go out there and win this thing this time,’ � said Scott Holloway, in his fourth season as El Camino Real’s coach.

“I didn’t have to do anything. I just kind of sat back and watched.�

Earlier in the season, the Conquistadores lost to North Torrance, 2-0, in the South Torrance tournament final while playing without several players who were on family vacations.

Holloway was nonetheless pleased with the play of junior outside back Jennifer Stadheim, who entered the South Torrance tournament as a reserve.

She is now a starter, and Holloway said he plans to keep her there.

-- Lauren Peterson

Kate Hutchinson of Pullman (Wash.), the seventh-best returning discus thrower in the nation with a best of 160 feet 5 inches, has transferred to San Clemente, where she will be coached by Hugo de Groot.

In 1983, under the guidance of de Groot, Natalie Kaaiahawia of Fullerton set the still-standing national high school shot put record of 53-7 3/4.

Kaaiahawia also had a best of 174-9 in the discus, a mark that still ranks in the top 20 all time.

-- Mike Kennedy