BASKETBALL BEAT BOYS COACH'S TOUGH PROMOTION.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore and Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

In a perfect world, Ryan Moore's first head-coaching job would have been less controversial and not handed to him in the middle of the season. But it was all those things.

So when Oaks Christian of Westlake Village coach Gary Abraham resigned last month over differences with school administrators, Moore immediately was elevated from assistant to head coach and given two specific orders: Rectify the feelings of some hurt and confused players and don't mess up a team coming off a Southern Section Div. IV-AA championship.

So far, so good.

The Lions (20-4, 7-0) clinched the Frontier League title Tuesday with a 55-49 victory at Nordhoff of Ojai to improve to 10-1 under Moore.

The success does not guarantee Moore will be given the job for next year. Oaks Christian will wait until the end of the season to name a permanent successor to Abraham, but Moore hasn't hurt his chances.

``He's done an admirable job under difficult circumstances,'' Oaks Christian athletic director Jan Hethcock said.

Moore wants the job, but he won't openly campaign for it while the Lions are playing.

``When the time is right, we'll sit down and talk about it,'' Moore said. ``But right now I have a responsibility to this team, especially the seniors. They deserve my full attention and focus, and that is what I will continue to give to them.''

Moore admitted the circumstances surrounding his elevation to head coach were awkward. He was in his first year as an assistant to Abraham, but the two had grown close since Moore left an assistant's job at Calabasas to join the Lions' staff.

Interestingly, it was a long talk he had with Abraham shortly after the coach stepped down that gave Moore the confidence to move ahead.

``It made all the difference in the world,'' Moore said. ``He's a great guy, and it made the transition a lot easier.''

Of course, Moore had to win over players who were stunned their head coach had abruptly left.

``Everybody was a bit shellshocked by what happened, which is understandable,'' Moore said ``There were a lot of emotions going around.''

Moore eventually sat his players in a room and spoke to them from the heart.

``I told them that every champion has to overcome some sort of obstacle, and this was our obstacle,'' Moore said. ``But I also said if anyone thinks our goals have changed or that our work ethic has changed, then they can just leave right now.''

Nobody left.

Behind senior Mike Hornbuckle and a talented group of underclassmen, the Lions have not missed a beat.

NO HAND-ME-DOWNS

Reseda and Monroe of North Hills benefited the most from Sylmar forfeiting six Valley Mission League games Monday, but neither team is happy over the circumstances.

Sylmar forfeited the games when it discovered Joe Dickson was mistakenly left off the team's original participation roster, resulting in Monroe moving from second place to first and Reseda going from third to second. Sylmar, which was undefeated in league, dropped to third.

``I think I speak for everybody when I say nobody in this league wants anything handed to them,'' Reseda coach Mike Wagner said. ``It's one thing when you earn something, but when it's given to you this way, nobody wins.''

Monroe coach Don Loperena agreed, saying the punishment didn't fit the crime considering there was no intent on Sylmar's part to deceive. Dickson has been a varsity player for four years, so it wasn't as if the Spartans were trying to sneak him past anyone.

What galls Wagner most is the Spartans players will pay dearly for an error they had nothing to do with.

``At some point someone has to understand this was an error by an adult,'' Wagner said. ``But once again, it looks like a bunch of kids will have to pay the price for something an adult did. It doesn't make sense, and it's not right.''

Sylmar, which lost an appeal Monday, gets another appeal Friday.

LEAGUE UPDATES

--Foothill: Two-time defending league champion Hart of Newhall (22-3, 8-1) can win the title outright at 7 tonight at Valencia (15-10, 4-3). But Valencia has won two in a row and is 9-3 at home. Hart defeated Valencia by 18 points last month. ... Saugus (18-7, 7-2), coming off a last-second 63-62 victory at Hart on Tuesday, needs to defeat Canyon (16-9, 5-4) tonight and hope Valencia upsets Hart for Saugus to finish tied for first. ... Canyon and Valencia are battling for third place and its automatic playoff berth, but both should qualify as at-large entries because of their records. Burroughs (13-12, 2-7) of Burbank also might qualify, although it has lost four in a row and six of its past seven.

--Marmonte: Don't get used to the format the league uses to decide its champion. The team has two divisions with all the teams playing its counterpart in the opposite division - No. 1 vs. No. 1, etc. - on one night.

The two-year format recently was scrapped and the eight-team league will return to having the champion decided during the regular season.

East Division champion Calabasas will meet West champion Thousand Oaks tonight at Simi Valley to decide this year's overall league champion. Game time is 7:30 p.m. In other matchups, Simi Valley (East) plays Moorpark (West) for third place at 6 p.m.; Agoura (East) and Westlake (West) play at 4:30 p.m. for fifth and Royal of Simi Valley (East) plays Newbury Park (West) at 3 p.m. for seventh.

--Golden: The matchup has been set, and again Lancaster (16-8, 8-1) and Highland of Palmdale (23-2, 9-0) will square off to decide the league championship. Highland hosts the Eagles at 7 p.m. Friday and a Bulldogs victory gives them the outright league title. A Lancaster victory means the two teams will share the championship for the second consecutive season. Both teams won Tuesday to set upFriday's big game, with Highland defeating Littlerock 83-69, and Lancaster getting a game-high 19 points from Deonte Huff to beat Palmdale 90-63.

--Mission: Harvard-Westlake of Studio City has won four consecutive games since losing for the second time this season to Loyola of Los Angeles 64-59 on Jan 28. The Wolverines (16-6, 9-2) have assured themselves a second-place finish behind Loyola, and a home victory over St. Francis of La Canada on Wednesday would send them into the Div. III-A playoffs with their longest winning streak of the year. Bryce Taylor, Evan Harris, Alex Stepheson, Kieran Ramsey, Ed White and Evan Harris all have played well during the streak.

--Sunset Six: Grant of Van Nuys (16-7, 7-1) needs one victory in its final two games to win the league title outright. The Lancers played second-place Poly of Sun Valley on Wednesday and finish at North Hollywood on Friday.

To report information, e-mail Staff Writer Vincent Bonsignore at vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com

GIRLS

WHO'S HOT

--Marsha Clever, North Hollywood: Last week, Clever broke the school record for career 3-pointers (161) and assists. Clever is a career 46-percent shooter from 3-point range. Those records are impressive considering North Hollywood's long line of All-City guards. Among the best were Jacinda Sweet (1989-91), Suzi Shimoyama (1991-92), Anna Celaya (1993-95), Lindsay Sotero-Higa (1998), Tashean Thomas (1999) and Kapreisha Price (2000).

--LaShay Fears, Sylmar: Junior point guard is averaging 16.8 points for the area's best hope in the City Section playoffs, which will be seeded Saturday morning. The Spartans are hoping for the No. 2 seed behind Narbonne of Harbor City, but may end up No. 3 behind Crenshaw because of the perceived weakness of the Valley Mission League.

--Kelly Cochran, Chaminade: After spending most of last season with her back to the basket as a power forward, the 6-foot-1 junior has made the transition to small forward and is averaging 18.5 points and 10 rebounds.

Against Harvard-Westlake of Studio City on Tuesday night, Cochran had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. She also spent much of the game bringing the ball up court against the press, when point guard Kenna Frazier was out with foul trouble.

Cochran said she has made the changes in her game to get ready to play for college, where she is projected to be a small forward. She also credited Hart of Newhall point guard Ashlee Trebilcock for some of her development. The two are close friends and play for the same club team.

--Tia Horner, Littlerock: The senior guard returned Friday after missing two weeks with an ankle injury. But the time off didn't seem to hurt her as she scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds despite sitting out the first quarter. ``She is an amazing girl and I'm truly going to miss her next year,'' Littlerock coach John Konrad said. ``I hope the others can follow the example she has set so we can go into the playoffs on a high note.''

In Littlerock's 56-47 victory over Highland of Palmdale on Tuesday, Horner had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

LEAGUE UPDATES

--Golden: Palmdale has clinched its seventh league title in 10 years and the only suspense remaining for the Falcons is whether they'll complete back-to-back undefeated league seasons.

The second-place race is not as clear cut. Lancaster and Antelope Valley of Lancaster are 5-4 in league and have split their two games. Littlerock also is in contention at 4-5. Littlerock plays Antelope Valley on Friday night, and Lancaster plays Highland.

--Mission: Every team needs an enforcer and Harvard-Westlake of Studio City's Amanda Maddahi is among the best. The senior center averages just 3.9 points, but it's her defensive toughness and 8.5 rebounds a game that make her valuable.

Much of that toughness comes from karate. Maddahi has been a black belt since she was 12 and is an eight-time national champion.

``I use a lot of the mental focus and intensity from karate in basketball,'' she said. ``A lot of my drive is brought out by karate.''

--Sunset Six: Surprising Hollywood should clinch the league title this week against Verdugo Hills and Canoga Park. But if history is any indicator, the Sheiks' reward for a big year might be a first-round game at defending-champion Narbonne of Harbor City in the City Section playoffs.

--West Valley: Cleveland of Reseda's only postseason hope is in the invitational bracket. Sophomore Bryana Williams, who transferred from Montclair Prep of Panorama City last season, leads area City players in scoring at 21.5 ppg.

To report information, e-mail Staff Writer Ramona Shelburne at ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) Nobody from the Valley Mission League wants to see Sylmar High lose its title to Monroe over an innocent mistake.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

(2) Junior point guard LaShay Fears is averaging 16.8 points this season for Sylmar High, which is hoping for a No. 2 playoff seed.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

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