Blazers’ Carr parks future in San Diego

James Yodice

Tuesday, May 20, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Durango High School's Deldre Carr Monday became the third Trailblazer basketball player this school year to sign a Division I national letter of intent.

Carr, a 6-foot-4 power forward, signed Monday with the University of San Diego.

"It's a great school, a nice college, and they have a very good educational program down there," said Carr, who averaged 14.2 points and 10 rebounds in his senior season. "I really liked what they had."

Carr was one of the more unheralded players in Clark County, mostly because he was on a team that featured the spectacular Thomas McTyer and Steve Simister in the backcourt and versatile Tyler Kidd inside.

McTyer will go to Texas Christian next fall, Kidd to Georgia Southern.

Durango coach Al LaRocque said he believed this was the first time since the national letter of intent was created in 1983 that three players from the same Las Vegas high school signed with Division I programs.

And it's not like San Diego was easy to gain admittance to.

"To be honest, they were looking for the best athlete they could get, someone who could play the '3' spot, do a lot of slashing," said LaRocque. "USD is not a school you can just go to, but Deldre is an outstanding student and a good basketball player."

Carr, 17, transferred from Bishop Gorman midway through his sophomore season. He sat out the last half of that season and the first half of his junior season before donning Durango's colors.

He said he's ready for a position adjustment.

"I can play anywhere on the court, basically," Carr said. "I really like to shoot the ball, but I really didn't need to because we had two outstanding shooters (Simister and McTyer), and they needed me to rebound."

State golf

Speaking of Simister, he and his Durango teammates -- along with Bonanza, Gorman and Green Valley -- head to Genoa this week for the boys state golf tournament at Genoa Lakes.

The Bengals, winners last week of the Southern Conference zone tournament at Sunrise Country Club, are considered the team to beat.

"I think we're probably the favorite," said Bonanza's Billy Harvey, the player of the year in the Southern Conference. "We're not gonna be modest about it anymore. I always credit the other teams, but I think we're the favorite."

Harvey, Scott Piercy and Ben Auten give Bonanza three good chances at medalist for the tournament, which begins Thursday morning and concludes Friday afternoon.

However, Gorman's duo of Tyler Mays and Robert Hasman finished first and second at zone, and they could boost the Gaels' chances.

"I think we'll be able to win it," said Hasman. "If everyone puts it together, we'll be able to win."

Green Valley and coach of the year Del Sagers feature all-Southern zone performers Avi Khitri and Dallas Massey. Durango is led by Randy Creighton.

Notes

* MORE BOYS GOLF: San Diego recently snared another Las Vegan, Western's Joel Kijowski. Kijowski was the 1996 state champion, but didn't qualify for this spring's tournament. Kijowski's brother, Eric, did qualify for state as an individual, as did Cimarron-Memorial's Ricky Thompson and Michael Russell,and Silverado's Brad Callihan and Mark Zabolio.

* LAS VEGAS HONORS NAILS: Clark County's school name committee has recommended that Las Vegas High School rename its football field Frank Nails Field, honoring a man who served the final 18 years of a brilliant 32-year career at the school. Nails is considered one of Nevada's greatest high school football coaches and directed the state playoffs for the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association for 18 years.

* RAMIREZ SIGNS: Basic guard Teresa Ramirez, who helped the Wolves into last season's state basketball tournament, has signed a letter of intent to play for New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, N.M.