ALUM PENG RETURNS TO WESTVIEW AS COACH
Melissa Peng is going home. After two seasons as girls basketball coach at Del Norte High, leading the Nighthawks to the San Diego Section Division I championship last season, Peng is returning to Westview, where she was an All-CIF selection as a senior in 2011.
Peng replaces Bob McHeffey, who retired after 16 seasons, posting a 340-142 record and a San Diego Section championship.
Peng was a 1,000-point scorer at Westview, led the Wolverines to a section title, then went on to star at NYU, where she played in 100 games for the Violets.
In two seasons coaching at Del Norte, she had a 36-24 record.
“You hate to lose a good young coach, but in Melissa’s case you certainly understand,” said Del Norte Athletic Director Mike Giaime. “She’s going home.
“Not many people get a chance to coach where they played. So I get it.”
Del Norte replaced Peng with Teshona Bennett.
Bennett played collegiately at Wisconsin-Whitewater on a team that reached the NCAA Division
III Final Four in 2008.
She was an assistant coach at Beloit College and San Diego Christian and most recently was the head coach at Santa Fe Christian for the last three seasons. She also coaches the San Diego Sol, a club team.
Del Norte boys
Chris Johnson, the head coach at Santana High last season, has replaced Bob Spahn as head basketball coach at Del Norte.
Spahn, the only coach the Nighthawks have known, retired after 12 seasons and a 159-173 record.
Johnson played collegiately at Potomac State in West Virginia, where he was a two-year starter.
He was a prep star at Holy Cross Regional Catholic High in West Virginia, making the all-state team in 2005.
Johnson was the head JV coach at Rancho Bernardo before taking the job at Santana, where the Sultans were 4-24 last season.
Poway hoops
Poway also replaced its boys and girls basketball coaches.
Corey Clark, who played at Fallbrook High, MiraCosta College
and George Fox University, takes over the boys program from Scott Fisher, who retired after nine seasons and a 166-99 record. Fisher led the Titans to five straight 20-win seasons.
This is Clark’s first head coaching job after serving as an assistant to Dave Cassaw at La Costa Canyon and Dante Carey at San Marcos.
Carissa Jones-Fletcher takes over as girls coach at Poway, replacing Jay Trousdale, who retired after 35 years, posting a 726286 record without ever having a losing season while winning 12 league titles and four CIF championships.
Jones-Fletcher played in high school at Bakersfield Stockdale and graduated from San Diego State.
She has been the girls JV basketball coach at Poway since 2015 and is a PE teacher at the school.
Jones back with ’Cats
Derick Jones, who played at El Camino High as well Palomar College, has been named head boys basketball coach at El Camino.
Jones, who most recently was an assistant coach at Palomar, replaces Tom Tarantino, who retired after winning more than 600 games as a coach in New York and at Carlsbad, Bishop’s, Army-Navy and El Camino.
Academic honors
The CIF announced 38 State Academic Team Champions for the 2021-22 school year with eight San Diego Section schools being honored.
Bonsall High posted a 4.00 GPA and tied with San Francisco International in boys cross country.
Mater Dei Catholic posted a 3.99 GPA and was the No. 1 team in girls lacrosse.
Sage Creek tied Santa Monica Crossroads with a 3.96 in girls track & field.
San Dieguito Academy was the top team in field hockey with a 3.89.
Our Lady of Peace and Pacific Ridge tied for State honors in girls beach volleyball with a 3.85.
Maranatha Christian tied Santa Monica New Roads with a 3.84 in boys basketball.
Rancho Bernardo took home top honors in gymnastics with a team 3.82 GPA.