CHATTER: SHED NO TEARS FOR SIMI VALLEY.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

The surprising resignation of Simi Valley High boys' basketball coach Dean Bradshaw should not affect the balance of power in the Marmonte League, at least not this year.

Bradshaw stepped down Monday so that his son Ryan, a junior in the program, would not have to play with the pressure of his father as coach.

The Pioneers' Rafael Berumen is now at the University of New Mexico, but they return perhaps the best player in the region - Branduinn Fullove - plus talented swingman Brett Michel. They'll enter next year as the top-ranked team in the area.

Fullove is a terrific offensive player, able to get points from the perimeter and on drives to the basket, but he's also a premier defender and leader. His importance to Simi Valley was illustrated last year when a severe ankle injury at the end of the regular season hampered his effectiveness during the playoffs. Had he been completely healthy, the Pioneers could have beaten Mater Dei.

Michel has willingly played his role over the past three years, sacrificing offense to Berumen and never complaining. He'll emerge as a bigger scoring force this year.

``We still have a lot of good players coming back, so we should be all right,'' Fullove said.

Besides, Bradshaw had been raving about the development of junior Dustin Villepigue, a 6-foot-9 center who made great strides as a sophomore starting alongside Berumen. Villepigue needs only to get stronger to become a major-college prospect.

The Pioneers also have junior point guard Shaun Michel back.

``They've got a lot of talent,'' Chaminade coach Jeff Young said.

As for a successor, current assistant Christian Aurand has the inside track. Don't expect Bradshaw, one of the most respected coaches in the state, to stay on the sidelines for long. He'll emerge somewhere soon.

``Basketball is his life, his profession,'' Young said. . . .

Chatsworth High will be looking for a new athletic director after Gary Weisner resigned Tuesday. Weisner left after Chatsworth was forced to forfeit its 61-28 win over Reseda because of an ineligible player. . . .

Cal Lutheran University is seeking assistant and pitching coaches for its softball team. Information: [phone]. . . .

Newbury Park football coach George Hurley was understandably excited about the debut of transfer running back Marcus Crawford, who had 204 yards Thursday in a 27-14 win over Burroughs.

Not that Hurley was completely satisfied. Crawford needs to run tougher in certain situations rather than relying exclusively on his elusive moves, according to Hurley.

``He dances around a little too much sometimes,'' Hurley said. ``When it's third-and-4, we don't need him to dance, we need him to lower his shoulders and run through somebody.''

That might sound like nitpicking, but if Crawford heeds his coach's advice, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder will become a hot prospect. . . .

Area softball players were well represented on the American Softball Association all-tournament team. For the 18-under, Jacqui Goodchild (ECR, Stealth), Kristi Nicklaus (ECR, Stealth), Amanda Oleson (Agoura, Stealth), Anna Russell (Harvard-Westlake, Valley Breeze) and Niki Shaw (Verdugo Hills, Valley Breeze) were chosen.

On the 16-under team, Meredith Cervenka (Crescenta Valley, SoCal A's), Lindsey Kontra (Hart, Panther's Gold) and Christina Enea (ECR, Panther's Gold) were named. . . .

Former Oak Park High/Valley College wide receiver Eric Ruhle is off to a promising start in his senior year at San Jose State. Ruhle opened the year with three catches for 24 yards in a 29-21 loss to Louisiana State, then had four catches, including one for a 28-yard touchdown, in a 63-35 loss against Colorado State.