1976-77 Warriors

Desert Inyo League Co-Champions
League Record: 11-2 (16-9 Overall)

The 1976-77 Warriors include, left to right, Art Vasquez, Mike Pettigrew, Jesse Heckathorn, Chet Bowles, Vince McLaughlin,
Mark Anthony, Jeff Line, Tim Smithson, Scott Shelton, James Villacana, Dean Koutroulis, Thadd Turner, and Steve Guenther.

Warriors Capture DIL Co-Championship
Mark Anthony Earns All-DIL and All-CIF Honors

Under fifth year coach Bill Carll, the 1976-77 Warriors captured a Desert-Inyo League (DIL) co-championship along with long time nemesis Bishop High School. For Tehachapi, it was their third basketball championship since joining the Desert-Inyo League in 1957. Previous Warrior championships were won in 1966-67 and 1973-74.

Throughout the season, the Warriors were consistently led by senior Mark Anthony (6'2"), a three-year varsity starter, and a returning all-league player. Anthony was joined by a front line that included juniors Jeff Line (6'2") and Tim Smithson (6'2"). The guards were Vince McLaughlin and Steve Guenther.

The 1976-77 Warriors had a challenging pre-league schedule finishing with a 4-6 record before league play began. The Warriors went 1-2 at the 9th Annual Rosamond Invitational; 2-0 at the annual Bishop round-robin tournament; and suffered two crushing losses to powerful schools Nordhoff and Ontario in the Fillmore Tournament.

In league play, Tehachapi started off hot winning their first seven games, setting up a showdown with perennial league power Bishop. In one of the most exciting games of the season, Tehachapi lost by one point, 58-57, in double overtime to the Broncos. The next game, an emotionally drained Warrior team was upset by Kern Valley, 61-57, falling one game behind Bishop in the standings.

The Warriors then rallied to win their final four games of the season, finishing 11-2 in DIL play. Tehachapi got some help on the final night of the season when Desert High shocked Bishop with a win, giving the Warriors a share of the championship. The Warriors finished the regular season as the 8th ranked team in Kern County.

In the post-season CIF Southern Section playoffs, the Warriors won their opening game on the mountain, upsetting favored Mary Star of the Sea, 72-60. In what coach Carll called "their best game of the season", Mark Anthony scored 21 points to lead the Warriors. The Stars, a private Catholic school from San Pedro, came into the game with an overall 19-2 record.

Playing on a neutral court at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, the Warriors were ousted in the second round of the playoffs by Morro Bay, 56-31. The defending CIF 1A champion Pirates completely stymied the Warriors with their stifling defensive play. Anthony again led the Warriors with 10 points.

Anthony led the Warriors with 335 points scored in 25 games, averaging 13.4 points per game. Line was the second leading scorer on the team averaging just over 10 points per game.

Anthony and Line earned all-league 1st team honors while Anthony was also recognized on the ALL-CIF Southern Section 1A basketball 2nd team. Anthony was also named the Most Valuable Player of the team by coach Bill Carll.

Click Here For LISTING OF DIL CHAMPS FROM 1958-1992

Game-by-Game Results

Pre-Season Play

	OPPONENT	THS	OPP	L	LEADING SCORER(S)
Dec 2	Flintridge Prep (La Canada) ##	41	36	A	Jeff Line: 14 pts
Dec 3	Paraclete (Lancaster) ##	32	59	A	Tim Smithson: 8 pts
Dec 4	Desert (Edwards AFB) ##	48	56	A	Mark Anthony: 11 pts
Dec 7	Kern Valley (Lake Isabella)	56	50	H	Mark Anthony: 21 pts
Dec 10	Fillmore ##	50	48	A	Mark Anthony: 12 pts
Dec 11	Shafter ##	48	41	A	Jeff Line: 12 pts
Dec 17	Montclair Prep	53	55	H	Jeff Line: 18 pts
Dec 22	Nordhoff (Ojai) ##	48	69	A	Mark Anthony: 14 pts
Dec 23	Ontario High ##	46	92	A	Tim Smithson: 13 pts
Dec 30	Paraclete (Lancaster)	48	61	H	Tim Smithson: 19 pts

Desert-Inyo League Play

	OPPONENT	THS	OPP	L	LEADING SCORER(S)
Jan 8	Desert (Edwards AFB) *	54	42	A	Jeff Line: 13 pts
Jan 14	Mammoth *	67	36	A	Mark Anthony: 13
Jan 15	Trona *	61	39	H	Mark Anthony: 18 pts
Jan 22	Lone Pine *	75	57	H	Jeff Line: 24 pts
Jan 25	Boron *	51	39	A	Jeff Line: 10 pts
Jan 28	Rosamond *	61	32	H	Vince McLaughlin: 12 pts
Jan 29	Mojave *	64	47	H	Mark Anthony: 30 pts
Feb 1	Bishop *	57	58	H	Mark Anthony: 18 (2 OT)
Feb 4	Kern Valley (Lake Isabella) *	57	61	A	Mark Anthony: 18 pts
Feb 9	Mojave *	77	65	A	Mark Anthony: 30 pts
Feb 10	Desert (Edwards AFB) *	63	48	H	Jeff Line: 21 pts
Feb 15	Boron *	64	46	H	Mark Anthony: 18 pts
Feb 18	Rosamond *	70	34	A	Scott Shelton: 13 pts

## Rosamond Tournament     ## Bishop Tournament      ## Fillmore Tournament     * League Game

CIF Southern Section 1A Playoffs

	OPPONENT	THS	OPP	L	LEADING SCORER(S)
Feb 25	Mary Star of the Sea (San Pedro)	72	60	H	Mark Anthony: 21 pts
Feb 29	Morro Bay	31	56	N	Mark Anthony: 10 pts

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