Boys’ basketball: The fill-in coach has Pacific Hills one win from Sacramento

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Ivan Barahona, the head coach at Pacific Hills, has been missing in action for three games of the CIF Southern California Division IV playoffs. He’s coaching the El Salvador national team.

Filling in has been his longtime assistant, Herman Nash, who has guided Pacific Hills into the Division IV regional final on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ontario Colony.

One TV announcer thought that Nash was Barahona. The two have been in constant communication for practices, but Nash is the one who made important halftime adjustments to help the Bruins defeat La Verne Lutheran and Gardena Serra.

Nash has been Barahona’s assistant for eight years. ‘I know the system like the back of my hand,’ he said.

If Pacific Hills wins on Saturday, Barahona will be back for next weekend’s state championships in Sacramento.

And he had better bring with him a nice thank you present from El Salvador.

-- Eric Sondheimer