SHAFFER A VIKING -- AGAIN

Dave Shaffer says he's wanted to coach a high school soccer team in this

area for quite a while.

But the 33-year-old Shaffer, who assisted John Curran with Cardinal

Newman's highly successful program the past three seasons, was ''waiting for

just the right opportunity.''

Well, the time is now.

Shaffer has been named head coach for Montgomery High, replacing Pat

Kennedy, who will be the new boys' basketball coach at Santa Rosa High next

season.

Shaffer, a 1981 Montgomery grad, brings a wealth of soccer experience. He

played at Santa Rosa JC and Sonoma State, then internationally in Holland and

Germany before serving as an assistant at SRJC two years.

Shaffer says he looked into other coaching vacancies in the area and had

actually accepted one at Healdsburg before learning about the Montgomery

opening.

''It will be fun going back as a coach,'' says Shaffer, adding that the

Vikings ''were pretty decent'' when he played there for coach Russ Peterich,

including two Tournament of Champions titles.

Follow the bouncing ball

Cardinal Newman, a fixture -and six-time champ -- in the Sonoma County

Classic basketball tournament will be in a slightly different situation next

January.

While other NBL and SCL teams are playing at Piner High, the Cardinals will

take their act to Hawaii, where they will play in a tournament at St. Louis

High School in Honolulu.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald says he heard about the tournament from the De La

Salle coach last summer, and it wasn't a tough sell to his players. Fitzgerald

says top teams from California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii -possibly an

East Coast school -will be in the field.

The team will leave here Christmas night, and play games Thursday, Friday

and Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest, with the finals on Monday.

Fitzgerald says the prospect of a week in Hawaii has manifested itself in

increased interest in the basketball team.

''Our spring league signups were real hefty,'' says Fitzgerald.

Rincon Valley Christian, which should again field a strong basketball team

next season, will be a new face in Newman's Rose City Tournament, joining

Washington (Fremont) and Corning as replacements for Piner, Foothill and

Eureka.

Bonfigli sighting

Former Newman basketball coach Tom Bonfigli, now at Justin-Siena in Napa,

was not scheduled to be the track coach this season, but fell into the job

when longtime coach Frank Defillipas had to undergo heart surgery and the two

ended up as co-coaches.

And Bonfigli is happy to report that Justin pulled off a major upset last

week by upsetting Vanden, which hadn't lost a dual meet in the Superior

California Athletic League since 1992.

''Great meet,'' says Bonfigli with his typical exuberance. ''Went right

down to the wire and we won, 67-65 ... we were at 66 points and needed a third

by our kid in the triple jump and he came through.''

Bonfigli, whose basketball team finished strong and barely missed the

league playoffs, says he tried to set up a game with Newman, including getting

a spot in the Rose City, ''but Pat (Fitzgerald) told me he was full.'' The

Braves do face some local teams, playing at Lower Lake and Kelseyville and

hosting Clear Lake.

Help wanted

Healdsburg High football coach Tom Kirkpatrick is looking for a team to

fill out his four-school scrimmage Saturday, Sept. 7.

So far he has his own Greyhounds, Cardinal Newman and Ukiah. St. Ignatius

was originally scheduled, too.

The scrimmage brings together Newman and Healdsburg, foes in last year's

NCS 2A final, a game won by the Cardinals.

Comments or suggestions? Call 526-8500, fax 546-9734 or voice mail

523-8080, category #4235.