When Chad Hamilton rounded second base, he thought it would be smooth sailing to third until he looked up and saw Santana High coach Jerry Henson signaling him to slide.

Hamilton slid in safely – but only in a baseball sense.

The Sultans junior catcher suffered a severe ankle injury when he caught a cleat on the base in what turned out to be the final play of a 5-5 tie in the 11th inning of a May 13 Grossmont North League game against El Capitan.

“I heard it pop and called 911 right away,” said Henson, who was in the third base coaching box. “I'll never forget that sound.”

Said Hamilton, “On a scale of one to 10, the pain I felt was a 10.”

Paramedics whisked Hamilton to Grossmont Hospital, where his mother, Becky Hamilton, is a nurse. He underwent surgery and spent three days in the hospital. Nine screws, two wires and a metal plate were used to repair the damage to Hamilton's left ankle.

Henson said Hamilton's tibia was broken and the tip of his fibula was broken off. His future as the starting catcher for the Sultans is on hold. He will be bolted up for the next three months and then be shifted to a hard cast.

Hamilton, who played in 17 games, was hitting .556 for the Sultans.

“I won't be able to begin physical therapy for six months,” Hamilton said. “My goal is to be ready for the start of winter ball in December.”

Some coaches asked Henson why he did not carry Hamilton out of harm's way so that a game the Sultans needed to win could continue.

“The thought never crossed my mind,” Henson said. “All I could think about was the well-being of that young man. At that instant the game became not so important.”

Clipped Cougar

Rookie head coach Todd Snyder made a deal with his Steele Canyon High baseball team after the Cougars stumbled out of the gate with a 1-2 start in the Grossmont South League.

Snyder vowed to let his players give him a mohawk haircut if Steele Canyon changed course and captured its first league title in the six-year history of the varsity program. His players accepted the challenge, romping to 11 victories in their final 12 league outings to claim the crown.

The shearing of Snyder took place on the Steele Canyon varsity baseball diamond. Junior pitcher Steve Sladek served as the primary barber, although he allowed senior closer Anthony Navarrski to cut in at the end.

“Navarrski wanted to make some lines on the side of my head,” Snyder said. “They did a decent job, I guess. But I did touch it up a bit when I got home.”

Gleboff returns

No matter how many times Jim Gleboff steps down from a basketball coaching position, he seems to bounce back. He's been involved in the game since 1958, skipping just two of the past 50 seasons. Gleboff's next challenge will come at El Cajon Valley High, where he will coach the boys team. He takes over for Nate Reed, who stepped down after four seasons.

“It seemed like a natural thing for me to do,” Gleboff said. “Let's face it – I enjoy coaching. And since I live close by the school, I welcome the opportunity.”

Gleboff's credentials include coaching at the high school and college levels as well as internationally in Egypt and Tahiti.

The next step

Local high school athletes continuing their careers in college:

BOYS TRACK: Monte Vista's David Spates, Cal State Fullerton.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Santa Fe Christian's Faith Steinwedell, Mississippi State; Santa Fe Christian's Chelsea Oemcke, Montana State.

BASEBALL: St. Augustine's Colin Hofmann, University of Southern California; Patrick Henry's Ryan Livingstone, Division III Chapman; Fallbrook's Sonny Hughey, NAIA Hastings.

BOYS SOCCER: West Hills' Andrew MacKenzie, Division III U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

FOOTBALL: Lincoln's Edlen Hernandez, Division II New Mexico Highlands.

Staff writer Nicole Vargas contributed to this report.