Andrew Butcher, who has been head coach at Santa Barbara for 32 years, is this year’s top statewide honoree for Division III. Photo: Paul Wellman/Courtesy Santa Barbara Independent. For newspaper story on team and coach, CLICK HERE.
Congratulations to all of the Cal-Hi Sports State Coaches of the year for girls basketball. Here is the rundown for each CIF division (note that Open Division coaches were considered for the CIF divisions their teams would have played in and that multiple selections are only listed when a coach was later named the overall State Coach of the Year):
For our post on the 2014 State Coach of the Year, CLICK HERE.
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DIVISION I
Craig Campbell (Clovis West, Fresno)
It was a season to remember for Campbell’s Golden Eagles as they went undefeated in the Tri-Rivers Athletic Conference before winning the CIF Central Section Division I championship and finishing 27-4. The team that Clovis West defeated in that section final, Hanford, went on to beat a Ventura and Lynwood in the D1 SoCal playoffs. Clovis West lost in the Open Division to Etiwanda.
Since coming to Clovis West nine years ago after coaching for 11 seasons at Reno High, Campbell’s teams have gone 9-for-9 in winning league titles and have won five section titles with a record of 207-62. At Reno, his teams compiled a 364-125 record and won one state title.
Last 10 honorees: 2013 Anders Anderson (Etiwanda); 2012 Cheryl Draper (Berkeley); 2011 Gail Hale (Moreno Valley Canyon Springs); 2010 Marty Verdugo (Santa Monica); 2009 Ron Hirschman (Danville Monte Vista); 2008 Lorene Morgan (Long Beach Millikan); 2007 Carl Buggs (Long Beach Poly); 2006 Hans de Lannoy (Danville San Ramon Valley); 2005 Pico Wilburn (Oakland Tech); 2004 Dave Munroe (Newhall Hart).
DIVISION II
Kelli DiMuro (Chaminade, West Hills)
History was made for the Eagles this season as they captured their first Division II state championship in program history while setting a Division II finals record for points scored during a 80-51 win over Archbishop Mitty of San Jose.
After capturing a CIF Southern Section Division III-AA championship last season, DiMuro’s team did even better this season. The school’s head coach for 17 years was mobbed by her players after the buzzer of their state final win.
In addition to the section and state titles, Chaminade also has won four straight Mission League championships in a row.
It’s safe to say that if there was a runner-up to Doc Scheppler for this year’s overall State Coach of the Year, then that person was DiMuro.
Last 10 honorees: 2013 Michelle Massari (Sacramento); 2012 Leonard DeCoud (Riverside J.W. North); 2011 Wade Nakamura (San Jose Presentation); 2010 Tom Parrish (Hanford); 2009 Steve White (El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge); 2008 Victor Pitton (Sacramento St. Francis); 2007 Rick Thompson (Norco); 2006 Kim Cram-Torres (Villa Park); 2005 Robby Sandoval (Spring Valley Mt. Miguel); 2004 Margaret Gartner (Concord Carondelet).
DIVISION III
Andrew Butcher (Santa Barbara)
For 32 years, Butcher has been the head coach of the Santa Barbara girls program and for much of that time has been running the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, which is one of the longest running girls varsity tourneys in the state and for a few years was one of the most prestigious in the nation.
This year’s team at Santa Barbara won its first CIF Southern Section title in Division IIIAA and then advanced all the way to the CIF Division III state final in Sacramento where the Dons fell to Modesto Christian.
A graduate himself from the school (he was a classmate of MaxPreps’ Mitch Stephens), Butcher also is known in the community for taking on projects. He’s helped revamp restrooms at the 90-year-old football stadium, improved snack bars, installed more comfortable seating and has saved money through the purchase of silk-screening machines that are used on t-shirts.
Last 10 honorees: 2013 Malik McCord (Oakland Bishop O’Dowd); 2012 Malik McCord (Oakland Bishop O’Dowd); 2011 Tom Howard (Orange Lutheran); 2010 Tony Scott (Inglewood); 2009 Mark Gradoville (Fresno Roosevelt); 2008 Michael Anderson (Anaheim Magnolia); 2007 Richard Schaaf (Rancho SM Santa Margarita); 2006 Gary Blate (Oakhurst Yosemite); 2005 Richard Wiard (La Puente Bishop Amat); 2004 Tom Gonsalves (Stockton St. Mary’s).
DIVISION IV
Jim Hart (Scotts Valley)
We’re always hugely impressed by those coaches who are directing programs while at the same time being incredibly busy in their real jobs. For Hart, he’s not only been the Deputy Sheriff of Santa Cruz County but is currently running for Sheriff and appears favored to win.
This year’s team at Scotts Valley was top-seeded in the CIF NorCal D4 bracket after posting a win over D2 North top seed Archbishop Mitty and suffering a two-point loss to eventual D5 state champ Pinewood in the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division. The Falcons finished 25-6 with their playoff loss coming to Justin-Siena of Napa.
Hart has been the Scotts Valley girls’ coach for eight seasons. He built the program after it went 4-21 during the 2007-08 season. He’s also well-known in Santa Cruz County for being one of the best boys players himself when he played at San Lorenzo Valley and Harbor from 1980 to 1983. He scored 2,077 points, which is still in the top 10 on the all-time CCS career list.
Last 10 honorees: 2013 McKinsey Hadley (Gardena Serra); 2012 Terri Bamford (La Jolla Country Day); 2011 Steve Smith (Los Angeles Windward); 2010 Melissa Hearlihy (North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake); 2009 David Monroe (Chula Vista Mater Dei); 2008 Dr. Rodney Faucett (Vallejo St. Patrick-St. Vincent); 2007 Bo Corona (Inglewood St. Mary’s Academy); 2006 Brian Harrigan (S.F. Sacred Heart Cathedral); 2005 David Smith (Los Angeles Brentwood); 2004 Doug White (Corcoran).
DIVISION V
Doc Scheppler (Pinewood, Los Altos Hills)
As the overall Coach of the Year, Scheppler also has to be placed on the list for Division V for this season. He was the divisional choice previously in 2010.
Last 10 honorees: 2013 Alicia Komaki (Chatsworth Sierra Canyon); 2012 Que Ngo (Stockton Brookside Christian); 2011 Julianne Berry (Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame); 2010 Doc Scheppler (Los Altos Hills Pinewood); 2009 Mike Rubie (Sacramento Bradshaw Christian); 2008 Mike Talps (Oakland Head-Royce); 2007 Doug Croue (Santa Rosa Rincon Valley Christian); 2006 Shawn Flaherty (Redding Liberty Christian); 2005 Mike Fulton (Branson Ross); 2004 Robb Spencer (Modesto Christian).
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
