PREP BASKETBALL ‘91-’92 SMALL SCHOOLS : LIBERTY CHRISTIAN

1990-91 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 15-9 7-1

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Rudy Sass: 45-56

RETURNING STARTERS YR. HGT. P Toby Curto Jr. 5-11 G Mike Hoggatt Sr. 6-4 C David Kellams Sr. 6-1 G Dave Vaccaro So. 6-1 F

TOP RETURNERS YR. HGT. P Dave Bahnsen Sr. 6-1 F Matt Zacky Sr. 6-0 F

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. HGT. P Jeremy Anderson Jr. 5-7 G Gabe Baltodano Jr. 5-10 G

OUTLOOK

With four returning starters--including their two leading scorers--the Minutemen have to be considered a strong candidate to retain the league title, which they shared with St. Margaret’s last season. Sass, starting his sixth year with the program, said the league has parity this year and it’s difficult to predict the outcome, but he still likes his team’s chances. Several other league coaches apparently agree and list Liberty Christian as the team to beat. And why not? All-leaguers Curto and Kellams make an outstanding backcourt tandem, and Vaccaro and Hoggatt lend muscle up front and adequate scoring. Kellams averaged 15.7 points and Curto 15 points. Vaccaro, who started as a freshman last season, accounted for 10 rebounds and about nine points per game, and Hoggatt contributed 8.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. Bahnsen, whose younger brother Mike is a junior guard on the squad, rounds out the starting quintet. The Minutemen made the playoffs last year for the first since 1981 and advanced to the Division V-A quarterfinals, where they lost to South Bay Lutheran, 81-64. The team’s goal this time? “We would like to take it all the way to the finals,” Sass said.