Steele Canyon (Spring Valley) senior
Michael Cederoth hasn't gained the usual notoriety that most pitchers of his caliber receive. Perhaps that is because he did not have a banner junior year.
But focus on the 6-foot-6 right-hander is becoming clearer with his every outing this spring.
Cederoth drew a crowd again when the Cougars (5-2) hosted Monte Vista over the weekend. The hard thrower didn't disappoint as he rationed the Monarchs (4-3) to two hits and one run while striking out eight during a five inning stint.
That effort was more than good enough as the Cougars pounded out a 9-1 victory.
"Everybody knows that Cederoth can throw hard," said Steele Canyon coach Todd Snyder. "But most of those same people also realize that no matter how hard you throw, you can't get by with only one pitch."
That's why Cederoth is working hard at developing three other pitches – a cut fastball, changeup and slider.
"His cut fastball is his newest one," Snyder said. "He's really throwing it hard and it's certainly going to make him a more complete pitcher."
Both of Monte Vista's hits off Cederoth – a single by
Luis Lebron and a double by
Justin Aquinigoc – came in the second inning, staking the Monarchs to a 1-0 lead.
"When things aren't going good Michael is his own worst enemy," Snyder said. "But he's learning to be a better competitor. In a lot of ways he's still very raw. He's nowhere near where he can be. He has a tremendous upside and the scouts see that."
HELIX'S HARLIN CATCHING SCOUTS ATTENTION
For a guy who batted an unnoticeable .250 a year ago, Helix junior right fielder
Rashad Harlin is drawing a posse of professional baseball scouts this season.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder is routinely filling out information cards for major league scouts.
In his first seven games, Harlin is batting at .688 (11-for-16) with four doubles and a home run. Among the major league teams expressing interest in Harlin are the Chicago Cubs.
"I've talked to a couple of teams here and there," Harlin said. "I know they are watching me but I try to ignore it."
Harlin admits that he knows the scouts are watching his every move.
"You try not to focus on it because you want to go out there with a clear head," he said. "I just go out there and play and worry about that after the game's over."
SANTA FE CHRISTIAN'S GANNON NEARLY UNTOUCHABLE
Six-foot-5, 200-pound junior
Nolan Gannon of Santa Fe Christian posted his second straight shutout. He's struck out 26 batters and allowed only one hit in his last two starts.
RANCHO BUENA VISTA'S DEE MAKING HIS POINTS
Senior guard
Johnny Dee of Rancho Buena Vista finished the season averaging 32.8 points a game. That is the fourth-best scoring average in SDS-CIF history, behind Christian's Tony Clark (43.1 ppg in 1990), Crawford's Tyrone Shelley (34.9, 2007) and El Cajon Valley's Kemmy Burgess (33.1, 1999). Dee's 984 points ranks third all-time behind Clark (1,337) and former La Costa Canyon star Chase Budinger (1,054) who scored them in 2006.
POWAY'S KUKLOK KNOWS HOW TO DIAL LONG DISTANCE
Poway's
Katie Kuklok concluded the girls basketball season with 117 3-pointers, tying her for second all-time in the county with Kelly Simers of Santana in 1995. Simers holds the single-season record of 134 set in 1996. Kuklok's 335 career 3-pointers is No. 1 all-time in the CIF-SDS.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
* Sophomore
Michael Martin of Cathedral Catholic struck out 13 as the Dons slapped Serra 8-1.
* Six-foot-4 senior centerfielder
Bradley Zimmer went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs for La Jolla.
* Junior
Brock Larson of Torrey Pines smacked a three-run homer and struck out eight as the Falcons planked the Oceanside Pirates 12-4.
* Ramona junior catcher
Josh Benke went 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs as the Bulldogs buried San Dieguito Academy 12-1.
* Oregon-bound pitcher
Jake Reed of Helix has posted three wins, a pair of saves and has surrendered only one run in 20 innings while logging 25 strikeouts.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
The City Conference baseball championship will be held on Saturday at a site to be determined.
DICKENS' DEALINGS
He is a soft-spoken football mastermind who is always drawing up plays year-round. Although an offensive lineman as a player at El Capitan High, Grossmont Community College and the University of Pacific in the 1960s, the passing game rapidly has become Steve Sutton's forte during his 21-year career as a head football coach. But that is coming to an end. The 61-year-old Sutton, known for his pass-happy football teams at West Hills and Valhalla, has resigned for personal reasons.
Sutton is the second winningest football coach in Grossmont Conference history with a 137-95-2 record in 21 seasons. This is a major loss for area football fans as Sutton's teams have annually provided offensive fireworks week-in and week-out. His last three
Valhalla (El Cajon) teams compiled a 24-11 record and made the playoffs all three years.
Sutton, who also coached at West Hills for 17 years, has developed one of the most successful passing attacks in CIF-SDS history. His list of long list of blue chip quarterbacks includes Lon Sheriff (San Diego State), Jordan Adams (Nebraska), Philip Staback (2009 NAIA passing champion while at Lindenwood, Mo.) and Pete Thomas (Colorado State).
While he was at West Hills, Sutton directed the Wolf Pack to seven Grossmont League football championships.
Sutton, who is ending a 37-year teaching career in the Grossmont District, coached softball for 30 seasons. He ranks third all-time in San Diego CIF history with a softball coaching record of 482-290-15. He spent the majority of his softball coaching career at West Hills. He also coached at Grossmont. His teams won SDCIF titles in 1989 and 1999.
Unfortunately, the longevity and quality provided by Sutton is all but a lost art nowadays.
