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SoCal Prep & High School Report

Riverside County News: La Sierra
And Arlington Updates--(February 3, 1998)

Today's edition of the Riverside Press-Enterprise featured two small articles, one on the Riverside La Sierra team by David Bradvica, and the other an even smaller blurb about Riverside's Arlington High.

La Sierra plays in the Mountain View League against such teams as Riverside Centennial/Corona, Corona High, Jurupa Valley, Marrieta Valley, and Norco. It should not be confused with the "other" La Sierra, which is properly called "La Sierra Academy", and which plays instead in the Arrowhead League against such schools as SCDR, Hamilton, Lutheran/La Verne, Sherman Indian, and So.Cal. Christian.

La Sierra (Mountain League) boys' basketball coach Ted Hollister has been on the job for less than a year but already has faced a career's worth of challenges. Hollister and the Eagles have weathered crisis after crisis to remain in contention for their first playoff berth in four seasons. La Sierra is currently 14-5 overall and 5-1 in league, one game behind Mountain View League leader Murrieta Valley entering Wednesday's game at home against Jurupa Valley.

La Sierra has posted its best record since going 22-3 in the 1993-94 season despite having six players -- including the Eagles' only two returning starters -- either quit or kicked off the team since the summer. "It's been a rough beginning for me, but things are starting to come along and I'm real pleased the way the program is shaping up," said Hollister, 29, who came to La Sierra in May after five seasons as an assistant at Covina High. "In terms of them following my ideals and principles, I'm really happy."

It has not always been that way. To change the attitude in the program, Hollister has been a strict disciplinarian, and the players were slow to accept the new rules. "It's hard to adjust for anybody, but once they learned that new doesn't necessarily mean worse, they adjusted," Hollister said. "I think that was our biggest adjustment."

Two players who did not adjust were returning starters Derek Mgbeke and Damon Knight, and Hollister dismissed them from the team early in the season. Mgbeke, a junior forward, was the Eagles' leading scorer in the first four games, including a 62-61 victory over Riverside Arlington.

Instead of folding after the loss of such quality players, the Eagles have improved as the season has progressed. La Sierra has won 10 of its past 11 games. "It hurt us, but it also made us grow up and be stronger," junior guard Jamaar Walker said of the dismissal of Knight and Mgbeke. "We had to look past that and continue on.

"I think the people that stayed with it, they just had love for the game. You run into obstacles in life, and you have to get around them and adjust to it. Now it has promising results." Hollister credits Walker, junior forward Reggie Hill and senior guard Toussant Bailey -- all team captains -- with believing in his system and keeping the team together through the difficult times -- especially during September, when Hollister put the players through a strenuous conditioning program because he thought they were not giving enough effort.

"We went through a month and a half of solid running, and they thought I was crazy," Hollister said. "But they were able to stick with it. It really could have gone sour for me, but I believe I'm a stronger leader, and I think the kids respect that, too."

* * * * *

Riverside Arlington is a team which is also getting stronger with each game. Arlington plays in the Southern Section's Ivy League, against such schools as Canyon Springs, Riverside North H.S., Riverside Poly High, Ramona H.S., and Rubidoux H.S.

The team has never had a 20 win season. Ever.

The next victory for the Arlington boys' basketball team will be historic. It would give the Lions, who are now 19-4 overall and 5-1 in Ivy League play, their first ever 20-win season for the first time in school history.

The milestone will either occur or it won't tonight, as Arlington plays host to Ivy League rival Riverside North at 6:30 p.m.

Arlington went 19-8 in Coach John Seydel's first season in 1991-92. The Lions won 18 games under Seydel in 1993-94 and last season. Seydel has a 108-73 record at Arlington.